Governor Evers Announces Budget Listening Session!

Governor Evers is once again holding listening sessions to gather input from Wisconsinites as he works to develop his next state budget. You must sign up to attend. 

This is a great opportunity for WEMTA members to advocate for school librarians, especially the need to address the staffing shortage, protecting the Right to Read and helping policymakers understand the role of school librarians in literacy. 

Budget Listening Session in Kenosha
Tuesday, December 13, at 5:30 p.m. 
Register to attend here. 

Virtual Budget Listening Session 
Wednesday, December 14, at 6 p.m. 
Register to attend via Zoom here. 

Budget Listening Session in Green Bay 
Tuesday, December 20, at 5:30 p.m. 
Register to attend here. 

BCPL Announces Record $52 million Common School Fund Distribution for 2023!

The Board of Commissioners of Public Lands (BCPL) announced on November 17 that the 2023 Common School Fund Distribution will be a record-breaking $52 million. 

WEMTA President Tina Birkett spoke during a press conference held to announce the amount. News footage of the press conference can be seen here. 

“We are grateful for the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands’ commitment to our public school libraries. The funding provided by the Common School Fund ensures that Wisconsin school librarians and media specialists can provide the resources necessary to deepen student learning, strengthen reading comprehension and foster information and digital literacy,” said Birkett.

Federal Right to Read Act Introduced

U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) and U.S. Representative Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) have introduced the federal Right to Read Act (H.R. 9056 and S.5064).  

TL:DR:

• the Act defines effective school libraries to mean ones that are staffed by at least one full-time certified school librarian; 
• creates a Right to Read for students;
• requires states and school districts to affirm the first amendment rights of school libraries;
• requires the federal government to collect data on school libraries; 
• expands certain ESEA grant activities to include digital and information literacy activities 
• requires ESEA state plans to ensure equitable access to effective school libraries;
• provides $500 million for literacy grants and $100 million for innovative approaches to literacy grants that could be used to support school libraries 

If you want to go deep:

The Act does the following:

• Defines an "effective school library" to mean a library that is:
• staffed by at least one full-time state-certified school librarian;
• is otherwise adequately staffed to be open to students before, during and after the school day; 
• has a sufficient collection of curated up-to-date digital and print materials and technology, including openly licensed educational resources;
• provides appropriate facilities for maintaining and providing equitable access to materials, technology, connectivity, and library and literacy instruction;
• provides regular professional development for teachers, school librarians, and other educators;
• provides opportunities for collaboration between classroom teachers and school librarians, and 
• implements nationally recognized standards of practice 

• Requires the National Center for Education Statistics to annually collect data on school libraries, including:
• the number and percentage of elementary and secondary schools that employ at least one full-time state-certified school librarian
• the number and percentage of schools that have a dedicated school library facility 

• Defines the "Right to Read" as "all students have access to linguistically and developmentally appropriate, evidence-based reading instruction; effective school libraries; family literacy support; culturally diverse and inclusive materials; reading materials in the home; and the freedom to choose reading materials."

• Creates liability protections for school librarians and teachers related to the Right to Read

• Requires state and local educational agencies to make assurances to the federal government that they understand the importance of the First Amendment protections in school libraries as centers for voluntary inquiry and the dissemination of information and ideas 

• Adds school librarians to the multidisciplinary teams required under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to review state plans 

• Adds requirements to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) that each state plan must:
•  describe how the state will work to ensure that low income children, minority children, children with disabilities, and English language learners are not disproportionally enrolled in schools that lack an effective school library
• the measures that the state educational agency will use to evaluate and publicly report the progress with respect to ensuring access to an effective school library 
• how the state educational agency will provide assistance to local educational agencies and individual schools in supporting digital literacy and information literacy skills development 
• include assurances that all teachers, school librarians and paraprofessionals working in a program supported with Elementary and Secondary Education Act funds meet applicable State certification and licensure requirements
• include assurances that the state educational agency has a policy protecting the right to read

• Adds requirements to the ESEA that local educational agency plans must:
• include school librarians in their development 
• describe how the local educational agency will support and improve effective school libraries by supporting the work of the State-certified school librarians to ensure that students have equitable access to such libraries 
• describe how the local educational agency will assist schools in developing effective school libraries to provide students an opportunity to develop digital literacy and information literacy skills and improve academic achievement
• describe the policies the local education agency has in place to protect the right to read 

• Provides $500 million for comprehensive literacy state development grants
• requires states to work with the state library administrative agency in developing their application. 
• applications must also include a needs assessment that analyzes literacy needs across the state, including high quality print materials and effective school libraries  
• states could use up to 5% of grants funds received to carry out activities that include providing technical assistance to eligible entities in the development of effective school libraries, which could include the development of a statewide office 

• Provides $100 million for innovative approaches to literacy grants 
• adds "increasing the number of state-certified school librarians supporting students in high need schools" to the list of eligible activities 

• Allows states to use ESEA grant funding on activities:
•  supporting and improving effective school libraries that involve collaboration with state-certified school librarians
• developing, improving and implementing mechanisms to assist local educational agencies and schools in effectively recruiting, hiring and retaining state-certified school librarians
• providing training to school librarians, teachers and school leaders on how to leverage effective school libraries for academic achievement, digital literacy, information literacy, and student and family engagement 

• Updates criteria for state use of ESEA Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants funds to include:
• supporting local educational agencies to offer well-rounded experiences to all students, including digital literacy and information literacy activities and programs, including those provided through an effective school library 

Governor Evers, State Superintendent Underly Release K-12 Funding Plan

 Governor Evers and State Superintendent Underly kicked off the new school year by announcing their K-12 funding priorities for the next state budget. The high-level plan would result in a $2 billion increase to K-12 education, including:

• $10 million for literacy-related programming. This work would focus on implementing evidence-based reading instructional practices. 

• $240 million for a permanent Get Kids Ahead student mental health program with the goal of making sure that all schools have one full-time staff person focused on mental health. 

• Provides an un-specified amount of funding for school nutrition services, including free meals to all students who qualify for free and reduced meals. 

• $5 million for a Do the Math Initiative to help districts start a financial literacy curriculum 

• $20 million for an Out-of-School Grant Program to increase access to community and school-based before and after school programming

• Making it easier for schools to rehire retired teachers to address staffing shortages 

• Increases revenue limits by $350 per pupil in 2022-23 and by $650 per pupil in 2023-24, along with $800 million to hold the line on property taxes

• Increases per pupil aid by $24 per pupil in 2022-23 and by $45 in 2023-24

• $750 million increase for special education aid, which would lead to a 60% reimbursement rate by the end of the biennium 

The Department of Public Instruction will release their full 2023-25 state budget request later this month. 

The Stage is Set for November's BCPL Races

Thank you to all WEMTA members who went out to vote on Tuesday in the Fall Primary! We hope that you found our BCPL Candidate guide helpful, and we will re-issue it for the General Election in November. 

Here is what the races for the BCPL officers--Attorney General, Secretary of State and State Treasurer--look like for November. 

Attorney General

Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney (R-Fond du Lac) defeated former State Representative Adam Jarchow (R-Balsam Lake) by just 3,522 votes to claim the Republican nomination for attorney general. Toney will take on current Attorney General Josh Kaul (D-Madison) in November. 

Secretary of State

Secretary of State Doug La Follette (D-Madison) easily survived a primary challenge from Dane County Democratic Party Chair Alexia Sabor (D-Madison), 62%-37%, to keep his bid for a 12th term alive. 

State Representative Amy Loudenbeck (R-Clinton) won the three-person Republican Primary with 48% of the vote in a race that focused heavily on giving the Secretary of State's office the power to oversee elections. 

State Treasurer

This is the only BCPL race without an incumbent since current Treasurer Sarah Godlewski (D-Madison) gave up the seat to run in the Democratic Primary of U.S. Senate, which she ultimately withdrew from before Election Day. 

Fitchburg Mayor Aaron Richardson (D-Fitchburg), who also works in the Oregon School District's tech department,  defeated radiologist Dr. Gillian Battino (D-Wausau) by about 9,000 votes to secure the Democratic Nomination for Treasurer. 

Attorney John Leiber (R-Cottage Grove) defeated Orlando Owens, an aide to U.S. Senator Ron Johnson, 66%-33%, to win the Republican primary. 

WEMTA Releases BCPL Voter Guide

Wisconsin's primary election is just one week away on Tuesday, August 9. All three of the offices that serve on the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands (BCPL)--Attorney General, Secretary of State and State Treasurer--are on the ballot. There are Democratic Primaries for Secretary of State and State Treasurer. There are Republican Primaries for Attorney General, Secretary of State and State Treasurer. 

These races are of particular importance to WEMTA, because all three offices serve on the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands, which oversees the Common School Fund. 

WEMTA surveyed every candidate for Attorney General, Secretary of State and State Treasurer to see where they stand on issues of importance. We have compiled their responses into a non-partisan voter guide. 

There are many key races on the ballot on August 9, including the BCPL offices. We encourage you to research all of the candidates who are up for election. You can see which races will be on your ballot on August 9 by visiting myvote.wi.gov and clicking on "what's on my ballot." 

The following offices are up for election in November 2022, and many of these races will have primaries on August 9: 

• U.S. Senate
• Congressional Representatives
• Governor
• Lieutenant Governor
• Attorney General 
• Secretary of State
• State Treasurer
• State Senators from odd-numbered districts
• Every State Representative

WEMTA BCPL Voter Guide

Attorney General Candidate Preview

All of the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands (BCPL) Commissioners--the Attorney General, State Treasurer and the Secretary of State-- are up for election in 2022. BCPL Commissioners oversee the Common School Fund, so these races are very important and will have an impact on school library funding. 

State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski is not seeking re-election and is instead running for a U.S. Senate seat, so the race for state treasurer is wide open and has a crowded field of candidates. Both Attorney General Josh Kaul and Secretary of State Doug La Follette are running for re-election and face challengers. 

Candidates are currently circulating nomination papers to get on the ballot. Nomination papers are due by June 1. 

If a primary is required for any of the races, it will be held August 9. The General Election will be held on November 8, 2022. 

We have spent the last week previewing the candidates in each of the three races and are concluding the series today with a preview of the Attorney General race. 

Attorney General Candidates

Josh Kaul (D-Madison), Incumbent

Kaul says that if re-elected, he will work to pass gun safety measures, take steps to make schools safer and provide more support for addiction programs. Kaul was first elected Attorney General in 2018. 

 

Campaign Website: https://www.joshkaul.org/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/JoshKaulWI/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/joshkaulwi

Eric Toney (R-Fond du Lac)

Toney says he is running to "restore the Department of Justice’s mission to fight crime, support law enforcement, protect families, and enforce the rule of law." Toney is currently the Fond du Lac County District Attorney. 

Campaign Website: https://erictoney.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EricToneyWI

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ericjtoney

Karen Mueller (R-Chippewa Falls)

Mueller says that if elected, she will "investigate and prosecute allegations" of: hospital homicides related to COVID patients; vaccine injuries and deaths; and election violations and fraud, including de-certifying the 2020 Presidential Election results. Mueller is currently an attorney in Chippewa Falls. 

Campaign Website: https://www.mueller4ag.com/

Facebook: N/A

Twitter: N/A

Adam Jarchow (R-Middleton)

Jarchow says he is running on a platform of restoring election integrity; stopping violent crime and backing the badge; standing with parents; fighting Biden lawlessness and mandates; and stopping Madison bureaucrats. Jarchow is currently an attorney and previously served in the Wisconsin State Assembly. 

Campaign Website: https://adamforag.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AdamForAG/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AdamForAG/

Matthew Joseph Bughman (L-Muskego)

Bughman is listed as a candidate on the Wisconsin Elections Commission website, but does not appear to have a campaign website or social media at this time. 

Campaign Website: N/A

Facebook:  N/A

Twitter: N/A

State Treasurer Candidate Preview

All of the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands (BCPL) Commissioners--the Attorney General, State Treasurer and the Secretary of State-- are up for election in 2022. BCPL Commissioners oversee the Common School Fund, so these races are very important and will have an impact on school library funding. 

State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski is not seeking re-election and is instead running for a U.S. Senate seat, so the race for state treasurer is wide open and has a crowded field of candidates. Both Attorney General Josh Kaul and Secretary of State Doug La Follette are running for re-election and face challengers. 

Candidates are currently circulating nomination papers to get on the ballot. Nomination papers are due by June 1. 

If a primary is required for any of the races, it will be held August 9. The General Election will be held on November 8, 2022. 

We will be featuring the potential candidates over the next week.

State Treasurer Candidates

Incumbent Sarah Godlewski (D-Madison) is not running for re-election. 

Dawn Marie Sass (D-Belleville)

On her campaign website, Sass says she would like to create a State Bank of Wisconsin. Sass previously served as Wisconsin State Treasurer from 2007-2011. She ran for the office again in 2018, but lost to Godlewski in the Democratic primary. 

 

Campaign Website: http://www.sassforstatetreasurer.org/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/115420275145473/ 

Twitter: N/A

Gillian Battino (D-Wausau)

On her campaign website, Battino says she is running for Treasurer to expand access to health care, help people with the cost of prescription drugs, and improve education. She is currently a radiologist practicing in Wausau. 

Campaign Website: https://www.gillianforwi.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gillianbattinoWI

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GillianBattino

Angelito Tenorio (D-West Allis)

On his campaign website, Tenorio says he is running on a platform of taxpayer transparency, economic security, and investing in Wisconsin's future. He is currently an Alderman in West Allis. 

Campaign Website: https://www.angelitoforwi.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angelitoforwi

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AngelitoForWI

Aaron Richardson (D-Fitchburg)

On his campaign website, Richardson says he is running on a platform of promoting home ownership, diversity and inclusion, unclaimed property, financial excellence, and the environment. Richardson is currently the Mayor of Fitchburg. 

Campaign Website: https://aaronforwi.com/

Facebook: N/A

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Aaron4wisconsin

Orlando Owens (R-Milwaukee)

On his campaign website, Owens says he is running for Treasurer to focus on workforce development and economic development. He also says he wants to stop all COVID-19 mandates, stop critical race theory, support election integrity, and support school choice. Owens is an aide to U.S. Senator Ron Johnson. 

Campaign Website: https://www.orlandoforwi.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OrlandoOwens11 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/orlandoforwi 

BCPL Commissioners Are Up for Re-Election + Secretary of State Candidate Preview

All of the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands (BCPL) Commissioners--the Attorney General, State Treasurer and the Secretary of State-- are up for election in 2022. BCPL Commissioners oversee the Common School Fund, so these races are very important and will have an impact on school library funding. 

State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski is not seeking re-election and is instead running for a U.S. Senate seat, so the race for state treasurer is wide open and has a crowded field of candidates. Both Attorney General Josh Kaul and Secretary of State Doug La Follette are running for re-election and face challengers. 

Candidates are currently circulating nomination papers to get on the ballot. Nomination papers are due by June 1. 

If a primary is required for any of the races, it will be held August 9. The General Election will be held on November 8, 2022. 

We will be featuring the potential candidates over the next week, starting with the Secretary of State race today. 

Secretary of State Candidates

Doug La Follette (Incumbent, D-Madison)

Doug La Follette has been Secretary of State, and a BCPL Commissioner, since 1983. If re-elected, this will be his 12th term. 

Campaign Website: http://douglafollette.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sosdoug

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DougLaFollette 


Justin D. Schmidtka (R-Green Bay)

On his campaign website, Schmidtka says he is running to abolish the Wisconsin Elections Commission and to transfer election oversight to the Secretary of State's office. Schmidtka hosts the Badger State Resistance podcast. 

Campaign Website: https://justinforwi.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/schmidtkaforwisos

Twitter: N/A

Jay Schroeder (R-Neenah)

On his campaign website, Schroeder says he is running to abolish the Wisconsin Elections Commission and to transfer its duties to the Secretary of State's office. Schroeder previously ran for Secretary of State in 2018. 

Campaign Website: https://www.schroederforsecretaryofstate.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JaySchroederWI

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JayForWisconsin

Dmitry Stefan Becker (R-New Berlin)

On his campaign's Facebook page, Becker says he wants to bring the Wisconsin Elections Commission, the Wisconsin Ethics Commission and the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau under the leadership of the Secretary of State. Becker is a member of the National Guard. 

Campaign Website: N/A

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Becker4SecState/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/dmitrybecker

Amy Loudenbeck (R-Clinton)

On her campaign website, Loudenbeck says she is running to modernize the Office, to act as a check on the Wisconsin Elections Commission and to protect and maximize BCPL's assets. Loudenbeck is currently a Wisconsin State Representative. 

Campaign Website: https://www.voteamywi.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/voteamywi

Twitter: https://twitter.com/voteamywi

Neil Harmon (Libertarian-West Allis)

Neil Harmon has worked in health care for 25 years. His key campaign issues include eliminating the personal income tax, term limits and eliminating the minimum mark-up law. 

Campaign Website: N/A

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HarmonforSecretaryofState 

Twitter: N/A

Third Round of Federal Emergency Connectivity Funds Opens April 28

Schools and libraries will be able to apply for a third round of federal stimulus funds through the FCC's Emergency Connectivity Fund between April 28 and May 13. An estimated $1 billion in funding will be available. 

These funds can be used to cover the costs of eligible services and equipment that you plan to receive between July 1, 2022 and December 31, 2023. 

Eligible purchases include: laptops, tablets, WiFi hotspots, modems, routers and broadband connections for off-campus use by students and staff.