Wisconsin School News June/July 2013

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D E P A R T M E N T S & C O L U M N S

June-July 2013 | Volume 68 Number 1

Wisconsin School News (USPS 688-560) is published 10 issues per year by the Wisconsin

Association of School Boards Inc., 122 W. Washington Avenue, Madison, WI 53703.

Contents © 2013 Wisconsin Association of School Boards Inc. Subscriptions are available to nonmembers for $40 per year. Periodicals

postage is paid at Madison, Wis.

The views expressed in Wisconsin School News are those of the authors and do not necessarily

represent WASB policies or positions.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Wisconsin School News, 122 W. Washington

Avenue, Madison, WI 53703.

ThE Off IC IAl PUBl ICAT ION Of ThE WISCONSIN ASSOCIAT ION

Of SChOOl BOARdS, INC.

John H. AshleyExecutive Editor

Sheri Krausedirector of Communications

Shelby AndersonEditor

n R E g I O N A l O f f I C E S n

122 W. Washington Avenue Madison, WI 53703

Phone: 608-257-2622 fax: 608-257-8386

132 W. Main Street Winneconne, WI 54986 Phone: 920-582-4443

fax: 920-582-9951

n A d V E R T I S I N g n

608-556-9009 • [email protected]

n W A S B O f f I C E R S n

John H. Ashley Executive director

Nancy Thompson Waterloo, Region 12

President

Mike Blecha green Bay, Region 31st Vice President

Wanda Owens Barneveld, Region 92nd Vice President

Patrick Sherman genoa City J2/lake geneva, Region 13

Immediate Past President

n W A S B B O A R d O f d I R E C T O R S n

Stu Olson Shell lake, Region 1

Capt. Terry McCloskey Three lakes, Region 2

Bill Yingst, Sr. durand, Region 4

Rick Eloranta Owen-Withee, Region 5

Florence Hyatt Onalaska, Region 6

Mary Janssen little Chute Area, Region 7

Steve Klessig Brillion, Region 8

Alice Marquardt Rio, Region 10

Colin Butler Kettle Moraine, Region 11

Terrence Falk Milwaukee, Region 14

Jim Long hamilton, Region 15

Opening New DoorsShelby Anderson

how three special education programs are making a difference for students and their communities

4Common Standards, Common GoalsEmilie Amundson

Partnership is paramount to local implementation of the Common Core State Standards

14

Finding the Best and BrightestLouis Birchbauer and Dennis Richards

What school districts can do to attract quality superintendent candidates

10

2 News Briefs

3 Viewpoint — Your Success is Our Success

20 Association News — Spring Training for School Leaders; Service Associate Q&A; Educator Effectiveness Conference

24 Legislative Update — State Budget Heads for Home Stretch; The Value of a Legislative Breakfast

27 Curriculum — Financial Literacy FAQs

28 Legal Comment — Disclosure of Records of School District Contractors

32 Calendar

Team EffortBrian Smith

The importance of working with your athletic/activities director

17

Working for Public SchoolsThe 2012-13 Report to the Membership

18

PROgRAMS LikE ‘PEER BUDDiES’ iN OShkOSh ARE MAkiNg A DiffERENCE iN SPECiAL EDUCATiON, page 4

27.2 vs 23.6

S T A T I S T I C O F T H E M O N T H

The average high school graduate earned 27.2 credits to complete high school in 2009 (the most recent year for which data is available).

In comparison, graduates in 1990 earned 23.6 credits. In addition, graduating students in 2009 completed 400 more hours of instructional

time than graduates in 1990. Source: National Center for Education Statistics

Cedarburg TeaCher Named elemeNtary Physical educatioN

TeaCher of The Year

P atty Kestell, a physical education teacher at Thorson Elementary School in the Cedarburg School

District, was recognized by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education as the National Elementary School Physical Educa-tion Teacher of the Year.

Kestell, who has taught at Thorson Elementary School for the past 10 years and served as a Cedarburg phys-ical and health educator for the past 22 years, said she uses new technology to keep her classes fun and innovative. She also believes in the inclusion model and differentiates her lesson plans to accommodate her students’ different learning abilities.

“Kestell continuously attempts to make physical education relevant to students’ everyday life,” said Thorson Elementary School Principal Kandy Gibson. “She helps students see the connections between what they work on in physical education class and what they can do to participate outside of school. She is a lifelong learner and she is always looking for new ways to excite children about her program.” n

Shorewood high School Selected as Top Wisconsin High School

U.S. News & World Report released its list of best high schools in the U.S. Shorewood high School was ranked as the best high school in Wisconsin. The School for the Talented and gifted in dallas, Texas, was selected as the top overall high school in the U.S. for the second straight year.

The top five Wisconsin high schools, as selected by U.S. News & World Report were:

c Shorewood high School (Shorewood)

c Rufus King International School (Milwaukee)

c Marshfield high School (Marshfield)

c West high School (West Bend)

c Carmen high School of Science & Technology (Milwaukee)

To rank schools, U.S. News & World Report teamed up with the American Insti-tutes for Research, one of the largest behavioral and social science research organizations in the world. A total of 21,035 high schools in 49 states and the district of Columbia were analyzed (Nebraska did not report enough data and was therefore not evaluated). Schools were evaluated using a three-step process that examined state assessment scores, achievement gaps, and college readi-ness, among other standards. n

A study by the University of Oregon found that as children grow older, their brains change to increase self-reflection.

Researchers studied a group of 27 children beginning at age 10. The chil-dren where asked questions about academics and themselves while their

brain activity was monitored. Results showed that when students reflected about their own social interactions, “the prefrontal cortex of the brain lit up.”

As 10-year-olds age, this area of the brain increases in activity, increasing self-reflection. Researchers

plan to continue this study. Jennifer Pfeifer, a professor at the University of Oregon and lead researcher of the study, says more insight into how young people’s brains develop paints a better picture of student learning and behavior. n

Self-Reflection Increases As Students grow Older

N E W S B R I E f S

2 | Wisconsin school neWs

With the end of the school year drawing near, I would like to congratulate our students who will be graduating from

high schools around the state this month. I also want to congratulate you — our state’s school leaders — for a job well done.

You have led our schools despite decreased school funding and increased pressure and criticism on public education. Wisconsin con-tinues to lead the nation in high school graduation rates, our students continue to show improvement on the state assessments, and, among other achievements, more Wisconsin students have been taking and suc-ceeding on Advanced Placement exams.

There are countless examples of public schools across the state going above and beyond to deliver the best learning they can to students. Even more impressive is that you’ve accomplished this while cutting costs and tightening your belts. Here at the WASB, we have also been focused on reducing costs and finding efficiencies while delivering

the same quality of services that school districts have come to expect from the WASB.

In this issue of Wisconsin School News, we’ve included highlights of the 2012-13 Report to the Member-ship. Our advocacy, legal, policy and communications staff, along with the numerous consultants we engage for governance, superintendent search, coaching and organizational analysis services have been hard at work for you.

This past year, we’ve responded to more than 5,500 law-related inquiries and 1,200 requests for sample policy information, and had more than 5,400 registrations for WASB events. We’ve initiated a number of new programs and ser-vices in response to member needs including a Coaching Program, an ADA Compliance Program, an Annual Board Process Review Tool, a Policy Manual Quick Check, an online Referenda Resource Center, an online newsletter (eConnection), and an Endorsed Insurance Agency Program. In 2013-14, we plan to grow and bolster these efforts —

looking for ways to provide the

services you need in the most cost-

effective manner possible.

I’d also like to remind school

leaders that the state budget debate

taking place here in Madison is

wrapping up. I urge school leaders

to make one final push to advocate

on behalf of your schools and stu-

dents. We’ve made some progress

— as of press time for this issue of

Wisconsin School News — law-

makers were discussing raising the

per-pupil revenue limits.

Now is the time to contact your

representatives. Let them know that

supporting education is investing in

your local community’s future.

You’ve done such a good job

speaking up for your students;

I encourage you to keep it up.

The finish line is in sight.

Thanks again for all that you do

in supporting your students and the

WASB. We will continue to do all

that we can to work for you and

help you provide a first-rate educa-

tion for our state’s students. n

Your Success is Our Success

This past year, we’ve responded to more than 5,500

law-related inquiries and 1,200 requests for sample

policy information, and had more than 5,400

registrations for WASB events.

Jo h n h. As h l e yV I E W P O I N T

June-July 2013 | 3


| Peer Buddies in OshkoshAt Merrill Middle School in the Oshkosh Area School District, Prin-cipal Cindy Olson and Special Edu-cation Teacher Paul Smith share a philosophy that students with dis-abilities need to be involved in every aspect of the school. This includes participating in classes with their peers and building relationships with students and staff.

This year, Olson and Smith started the “Peer Buddies” program in which students volunteer to have lunch with students with disabilities. Smith said the program, which they’ve only been doing since the start of the calendar year, has been successful with about 75 students participating. Through a local grant, the school received some

funding to provide the students with board games, video games, and other diversions.

“We are trying to create a casual, fun social environment for middle school students to interact with each other,” Smith said.

While they want to keep things low-key, Smith said he and other staff are on hand to guide activities if necessary.

“We’re working with a number of students where social interactions don’t come easy for them,” Smith said. “Especially in middle school, a lot of kids with special needs can feel isolated.”

As the program took root, Smith said the interactions between stu-dents have become more natural.

“As these kids learn how to interact, we see it spill into the hall-ways and classrooms,” Smith said. “Kids say ‘hi’ and visit with them in the hallways and outside classrooms.”

The school continues to make and improve upon other efforts to provide better opportunities for its students with disabilities.

The school has adopted an inclu-sion model that integrates students with significant disabilities into the everyday activities of the school day. Students with disabilities have a regular homeroom, grade-level lunch, recess, and at least two full-inclusion general education classes.

Students with disabilities at Merrill Middle School are also in grade-level art, physical education, chorus, health, family and consumer education, industrial technology, world lan-guages, and social studies. Through the inclusion model, Smith says stu-dents with disabilities get to know their peers and build friendships, and they learn how to act in the classroom from their peers and how to work with other students.

How three special education programs are making a difference for students and their communities | Shelby Anderson

School districts across the state are doing great work

in providing opportunities for students with special needs.

In this month’s issue of Wisconsin School News we feature

examples of the positive ways our state’s public schools are changing

the lives of students and their communities.

June-July 2013 | 5

“They get to experience singing in a concert, making an industrial tech project, being in the school art show, learning words in other lan-guages, or writing a report and presenting it in front of a class of their peers,” Smith said. “These are experiences that do not always happen in a separate special educa-tion setting.”

Additionally, through the inclu-sion model, Smith says, the students are part of the school community - they develop friendships with other students, go on school field trips, attend school dances, and participate in school assemblies. Smith says this was not always the case with students with significant disabilities before the school made the push toward fuller and more meaningful inclusion.

Olson agrees that students with disabilities belong in the classroom and school-wide activities.

“It’s good for everyone,” Olson said. “It’s good for teaching, and it’s good for learning.”

According to Smith and Olson, another positive outcome of inte-grating students and holding special programs like the Peer Buddies program, is that their students with disabilities are treated with respect.

“We really haven’t had incidents of harassment, but if we did, I think we’d have a lot of students sticking up for our students with special needs,” Smith said.

More importantly, Smith said he believes the interactions between students in the classroom and else-where will help his students be more successful as they take that next step — high school.

“I hope the work we’re doing and the friendships these students are forming continue — they will really help them transition to high school,” Smith said.

| Getting to Work in MadisonSchool leaders and educators in the Madison Metropolitan School Dis-trict have taken it upon themselves to find work opportunities for their students with disabilities and provide them with support so they are successful. It starts when stu-dents begin their freshman year of high school — they meet with a counselor to discuss where they see themselves after age 21. Based on the student’s response, the district helps them get on the path to help the student reach their goals.

Likewise, the district’s students with disabilities, along with their guardians, also meet with a coun-selor. The student is asked what they want to do, and the district helps them find employment.

“Our goal is to have all of our students with developmental dis-abilities experience 20 hours of paid employment before they graduate,” said John Harper, the district’s executive director of educational services.

Harper says the district meets this goal nearly every year. More impres-sive, students who graduate with a job tend to keep it. Many students with disabilities struggle to stay employed long-term. However, Madison reports that most of its students are still employed five years after graduation.

Harper said part of the success is due to the fact that the district asks the students what they want to do.

“We always start with ‘What do you want to do?’” Harper said. “This has to be driven by the stu-dents and their families. It’s our job to figure out how to get them there.”

Harper says students with disabil-ities from the district work in a number of different areas, from food service, to hotels, and even some skilled positions. Harper says a student with autism works for a computer programming company where he builds computers.

Harper admits the district has an advantage in serving students with disabilities. The county helps transi-tion students from school to adult-


hood and there are a number of community support and employment opportunities for students with dis-abilities in a larger city like Madison.

Another reason for students’ success in the workforce can be attributed to a partnership with the county. The district works closely with the county to transition a student from school to employment. Once a student graduates, the county provides support to help the student continue to be successful. The county provides job shadowing and coaching support.

“Our students by and large stay in these jobs long-term,” Harper said.

The district also provides support and help to families with students with disabilities. Harper said they organize informational meetings where they bring in attorneys, social security

workers, benefits analysis and others to help families transition their stu-dents from childhood to adulthood.

There are other benefits to finding and supporting students with disabili-ties find employment. Fred Swanson, special education teacher at Madison West High School, says his employed students reduce their draw from the social security system, “Instead of

getting a $600 check each month, they’re only getting $100 or $200 because they’re working.”

“Everyone should be doing this,” Swanson said. “Every district should be focused on transition.”

| Culture of AcceptancePeg Kolden, principal of the River Heights Elementary School, and her

On the Job |Transition program in Madison connects students

with meaningful employment

A t the great dane, a popular Madison restaurant, students with disabilities from the Madison Metropolitan School

district that work for the restaurant come in and take care of the little things that need to happen before the place opens for business. This includes: filling the salt and pepper shakers, completing various cleaning tasks, setting up the bar, setting up the outside patios, and much more. Normally this is done by wait staff or bartenders, who usually aren’t too excited about coming in early to complete the tasks.

“These guys are heroes to the servers for coming in and doing this,” says fred Swanson, special education teacher at Madison West high School.

The students are treated like regular employees – they partake in the holiday parties, get vacation time, and have the same expectations as other employees.

Swanson said in the case of the great dane and other businesses where his students work, business is better for hiring his students. At the great dane, Swanson points out that his students are much more willing to diligently dust and clean than a 20-year old server who just finished working all night.

“It’s good for their business to hire my students,” Swanson says.

Swanson recognizes that not all districts are located in

a larger community like Madison where more opportunities may be available. But Swanson, who has worked in smaller, rural districts, says that opportuni-ties for students with disabilities can be found anywhere in the state.

“People need to go into this with the attitude of this can be done,” Swanson said.

In addition to the great dane and other food service jobs, Swanson has students working in a lab at the discovery Center on the UW campus, running a kegging machine at the Capitol Brewery, cleaning at a fitness studio, working at a local running-shoe store. Swanson said he has found these jobs for students by networking and reaching out to businesses and employers.

“That’s all it is,” Swanson said. “It’s teaming up with a group of students, asking them where they want to work, and then helping make it happen.” N

Madison West High School student Josiah Council works at the

Great Dane restaurant in Madison.

June-July 2013 | 7

staff have worked hard to build a culture of acceptance in their elemen-tary school. At each school assembly, students and staff take the Purple Hand Pledge, a simple pledge that states “I will not use my hands or my words for hurting myself or others.”

Acceptance is also a big part of the school’s culture. From an early age, students with disabilities are in classrooms learning alongside their peers. Kolden, who has a son with a cognitive disability, understands that serving students with special education isn’t just about educating them.

“Speaking as a parent, academic growth and learning is important, but I think social growth and oppor-tunities to work with peers are just

as important,” she says.Kolden says she sees the benefits

of this inclusiveness each day at school, whether it’s a student pushing another student with dis-abilities in a wheelchair or students helping each other in other ways.

On the instruction side, the school has been recognized as a Response to Learning (RtI) School of Merit. This means the school meets strict standards set by the Wisconsin RtI Center, including collaboration among school leadership teams, engaging families in RtI implementa-tion, and using data to guide and plan intervention, among other efforts needed to operate a model RtI program.

In addition to helping the school

to meet the needs of all of its stu-dents, Kolden said the RtI model has also forged a teaching team out of her staff. Teachers across the school have scheduled collaboration times.

“I think my staff has a viewpoint that they are all on the same team and that the students are ‘all my kids,’” Kolden said. “Philosophi-cally, my staff has always under-stood that if a student is struggling, it’s the staff’s responsibility to provide an intervention and help that student be successful.”

Like other RtI schools, the school has a built in intervention period of 40 minutes every day for every student. Through careful scheduling, River Heights Elementary School has coordinated its intervention time

W hile school boards are concerned with the continued erosion of state assistance in funding public

instruction, funding for students attending private/parochial schools is increasing. The current threat to public education has been classified as one of the worst of times in the history of public education.

The outlook for special education isn’t good either. The private school vouchers/scholarship for special education not only impacts funding to public schools, it eliminates the rights of students with disabilities through the Individuals with disabilities Educa-tion Act (IdEA). The proposed legisla-tion is a regressive action that will impact funding at the local level.

Just because our funding is reduced doesn’t mean that the needs of our students with disabilities will go away. They need to be served regard-less of how the costs will be covered. It’s anticipated that if our share of

the Best of times, the Worst of times

Evolving issues in special educationGary Myrah

g u e s t c o m m e n t a r y n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n


with that of its staff so that all students have equal access to all of the staff and resources the school can provide.

The school’s work is paying off. The school has seen improved reading achievement of students with disabilities, narrowed achieve-ment gaps between white, and non-white students, and students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch and students not eligible. But most importantly, Kolden said, the school is producing good students.

“I have heard teachers say they can recognize students from River Heights because of how accepting they are.” n

Anderson is editor of Wisconsin School News.

state aid is reduced, the local tax responsibility will increase or there will be a reduction in programming for the general population. This goes against the original purpose for state and federal assistance for special educa-tion programming — to provide equi-table educational programming without impairing the programming of the general population.

Not only are we faced with the risk of losing revenue due to private school special education vouchers, we are also facing a perpetual reduction in federal funding through the action of the sequestration. for the 2013-14 school year, Wisconsin appears to be receiving about 5 percent less in IdEA funding. We are also faced with complications related to the Maintenance of Effort (MOE) that requires each district to maintain the previous year expenditure for services provided to children with disabilities, regardless of the statewide reduction in expenditures related to Act

10. If the MOE is not met from year to year, it is a requirement to return a calculated amount of the IdEA funding to the federal government.

The Positive

despite these three financial challenges facing special education programs, there is a lot of good happening in our special education programs across the state. We are experiencing a tremen-dous growth in improved strategies and technology. New technology is reducing the impact of a child’s disability and assists in their opportunity to compete in the regular classroom.

Additionally, the increased focus on universal design for learning (Udl) is helping teachers design instruction that actually assists all children in the classroom, including children with disabilities. Teachers that have embraced Udl strategies find it improves the learning opportunity for all. The positive future for special

education is occurring throughout our

public schools. The professional

development offered to our faculties

focus on these improved strategies.

Oppose Special Education Vouchers

It’s imperative that we garner support

to oppose special education vouchers/

scholarships. We must continue to find

avenues to seek revenues from the

state and federal government to

provide an equitable educational oppor-

tunity for children with disabilities.

Wisconsin schools are leaders in

successful education of children with

special needs. They are living up to

our state motto “forward,” which

reflects Wisconsin’s continuous drive

to be a national leader. Collectively, we

need to pave the way to remain a

leader in education. N

Myrah is executive director of the Wisconsin Council of Administrators of Special Services.

June-July 2013 | 9

Finding the


Best and Brightest

T hose school board members who have searched for a superintendent within the past few years know firsthand that

it’s a sellers’ market. No longer can you simply post a notice and watch the applications flow in. Clearly, there are fewer persons applying for the position of superintendent than was the norm a decade ago.

What can a school district do to attract quality candidates to a school district?

Our experiences as search consul-tants for the WASB over the past six years indicate there are a variety of actions and steps a school district can take to improve the likelihood of attracting quality candidates. Remember, candidates investigate a school district before applying. The following factors may very well impact a school district’s ability to attract the largest pool of candi-dates possible.

| Reputation BuildingFirst and foremost is the reputation of the district. In this technology age, candidates are simply a click away from an Internet search that will present information about a district.

A pattern of positive news articles can paint the district as a place to

consider. Districts should maximize opportunities to present their story to the media to highlight good things happening in their district. One simple suggestion might be to have a factual update of board meetings available for distribution to avoid any slanting that might appear in blogs or news articles.

Taking time to maintain and update the district’s website can go a long way in providing current infor-mation to the media, community members, and prospective employees in addition to building a positive online presence for your district.

| Board PracticesSchool board members should examine their board practices to ensure that meetings are well orga-nized and flow in a timely fashion. No superintendent wishes to endure

long and arduous meetings splat-tered with tension and disrespect.

Board governance practices that have a role for both the board and superintendent ought to be obvious to prospective applicants. Remember decisions reached by the board are not always unanimous, nor should they be, but respect for opposing viewpoints should be maintained at the board table.

| Time CommitmentsThe overall expectations for the superintendent position should be reasonable and allow the superinten-dent some balance in his or her life.

Committees should be reviewed periodically to ensure they are current — meeting only as needed to conduct business, and have a focused charge. It is easy to forget that the superintendent in many

WASB SearCh ServiCeSFor more information on conducting a successful superintendent search,

contact louis Birchbauer or dennis Richards via the WASB website under Search Services at www.wasb.org.

What school districts can do to attract quality superintendent candidates

Louis J. Birchbauer, Ph.D. Dennis E. Richards, Ph.D.

June-July 2013 | 11

districts is expected to attend

all of these meetings

while main-taining high

visibility at other school and community events.

During a recent search, one superintendent told us that he had eight evening meetings related to committee work in the first two weeks of every month. This kind of schedule is not attractive to candi-dates and may burn out good school board members.

| LongevityBoard members frequently tell us they hope the new superintendent will “come and stay for a long period of time.” We respond by telling board members they are in the best position to make this happen.

Stable boards enhance the chances for a long-term stay by the superintendent. A history of respecting the position will quickly

become evident to prospective candi-dates as they consider a district.

This doesn’t mean a board must always support and “rubber stamp” the superintendent. Rather, all public interactions between the board and superintendent must present a respectful appearance to anyone observing the parties. It’s also true the family of the superintendent needs to feel welcome in the commu-nity, which is sometimes forgotten.

| District Finances and Facilities

A well-operated district with a stable financial record is an attractive inducement to any prospective school leader. Whereas a district with history of deficit spending or a low or non-existent fund balance can present a picture of a district unable to meet its obligations and probably unable to address needed changes in technology, instructional practices, and other challenges. Boards and superintendent candi-dates place great importance on fiscal stability.

Failed or successful referenda also reflect on the district. A district with a history of successful referenda or, on the contrary, a pattern of failed referenda leaves an impression of how the community views the school district and its operations.

The state of the district’s facilities also sends a message to prospective applicants. Well-maintained facili-ties, whether new or otherwise, suggest a commitment to high stan-dards. Let’s face it, the local commu-nity members probably rate the school district on this factor so wouldn’t an outsider draw many of the same conclusions from the state of school facilities?

| CompensationSalary and benefits do matter. A school board must be prepared to present a competitive financial package to attract and subsequently retain a quality superintendent.

This doesn’t mean the board must always pay at the top of its compara-bles, but it does mean that few, if any, good candidates will accept a con-

After several months, our school board at the Chippewa Falls Area Unified School

District completed an intense and lengthy superintendent search. We learned many things along the way, and I hope our experience will be of help to you.

FIRST STEP

Our very first step in the process was to decide what qualities and attri-butes we wanted our next educa-tional leader to possess. This step was important as it saved time later when going through resumes and helped us come to consensus. We hired a locally based facilitator to assist us with this first step.

CONSULTANT OR NO CONSULTANT?Initially, there was much discussion about whether we should hire a consultant or conduct the search ourselves. Ultimately, we did hire a consultant. I have absolutely no regrets, and I think the majority of our board would agree. We knew some of our stakeholders would question the cost of a consultant, but most of us felt that we did not have enough expertise since many of us were relatively new to the board.

A committee of board members vetted a number of firms and selected three for the entire board to choose from. The board went with the WASB Search Services. Dennis Richards, a consultant with the

WASB, was willing to be flexible and could cater the search to our district’s needs. Looking back, I don’t think we would’ve have been able to do the extensive and comprehensive job that Dennis did. I believe it was money well spent, and I wouldn’t hesitate making that recommenda-tion to board members from other districts.

Our board president, Jim Dimock, said that another reason to consider hiring a consultant is “search firms have instant access to networks for advertising; they have knowledge of available candidates,

Our Search in Chippewa Falls | Amy Mason


tract that is significantly below what colleagues are paid for a similar position. School districts want to avoid being a training ground for superintendents by not considering all aspects of the compensation package and work atmosphere.

As consultants, we provide a comprehensive list of salary and fringe benefits comparables for the board to review. In addition, we encourage board members to discuss salary and fringe benefits early in the superintendent search process, regardless of whether or not we are engaged to assist with the search.

| ExpectationsFinally, a board should have a good sense of what it expects from a superintendent.

Candidates frequently ask board

members during an interview to outline what they expect from their new superintendent. Boards that can answer this question make a good first impression. This understanding enhances the probability that the board will regularly communicate its expectations to the superintendent and conduct a mutually beneficial performance evaluation at least annually.

| Good Luck!As consultants, we believe a district can take steps to enhance the proba-bility of attracting good candidates to the district whether now or in the future by practicing the tips provided. The suggestions we offer in this article should be practiced year-round, long before your district is looking for a superintendent.

Just as in real estate sales, much of this process is location, location, location. In this sense, it means superintendents are trying to locate a district with the qualities, traits, and atmosphere that he or she deems are necessary for success, both person-ally and for the students he or she will serve. n

Louis Birchbauer and Dennis Richards are consultants with the WASB Search Services.

Dr. Birchbauer has dedicated 35 years to working with Wisconsin public school dis-tricts. He has served as superintendent for nearly 30 consecutive years in the Cam-bria-Friesland, Mosinee, Germantown, and Greenfield school districts.

Dr. Richards has devoted 36 years to working with Wisconsin school districts, including serving as superintendent in Washington-Caldwell, Albany, and Black River Falls. He also served as president of WASDA and the WIAA.

including their history of success (and failures).” Dimock said there is another advantage in hiring a con-sultant is that “it brings credibility to the process in the eyes of the staff and community.”

COMMUNITY AND STAFF INPUTOur consultant provided us a frame-work of the process, and we chose to customize it to best fit our needs. One of the most important steps during this process was to have input and participation from our staff and community. We wanted these groups to be included and contribute to the selection of the superintendent.

We included our staff and com-munity in a variety of ways. Our consultant facilitated focus groups that several of our employees and

community members were invited to participate. These groups answered questions provided by the consultant that identified what was important to them in the next superintendent.

After our two finalists were selected, we asked representatives from our employee groups to meet with the candidates and ask them questions. Our consultant also facili-tated public forums for staff and community members to meet the candidates and ask questions in a public setting. This was a great opportunity for our board to see how the candidates interacted with these groups.

TRUST THE PROCESSIf I had to pick one piece of advice that we heard and said frequently, it would be to trust the process.

At times, the process may seem never-ending, but it’s worth it.

Staish Buchner, our board’s trea-surer, said the systematic approach was very good, because it created a large pool of qualified candidates, “The step-by-step system with the inclusion of sample interview ques-tions was especially helpful.”

While the process may seem daunting, choose to look at your search as an opportunity for you and your colleagues to handpick the CEO of your district. I and other members of our board are very pleased with the final outcome and believe we hired an outstanding person to lead our district. N

Mason is vice president of the Chippewa Falls Area Unified School Board.

Stable boards enhance the chances for a long-term stay by the superintendent.

June-July 2013 | 13

I f you happened to be watching the Masters Golf Tournament on

a rainy weekend this past April, you may have noticed a frequently aired Exxon Mobile advertisement in support of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English language arts and mathematics.

What does a multi-billion dollar oil company have to do with school content standards, you may have asked? The television spot that aired during the Masters laid it out in simple but undeniable terms: “When our kids do better, America does better.”

Exxon is not the only Fortune 500 Company lending support to Wiscon-sin’s mathematics and English lan-guage arts standards, currently shared by 45 states and the District of Columbia. In February, more than 70 top national business leaders posted a full-page advertisement in the New York Times to underscore the impact of high and clear standards on

building a global knowledge economy. This open letter affirmed that, “The United States is once again at a critical place in its quest for educational excellence, and … America’s business leaders can make a positive difference for schools, students and the country’s future if we join together and share our expectations for education and our support for the people and institu-tions that move education reform forward.”

As Wisconsin continues on its five-year journey toward full imple-mentation of the CCSS in 2014-15, this strong level of support for Wis-consin’s standards is echoed across our state by professional groups of educators, families and local school boards that have recognized the

opportunity and responsi-bility we all have to ensure all students are college and career ready. These groups join a very vocal business community in demonstrating the power of partnerships in implementing the CCSS.

| A Bit of HistoryFrom their inception, the CCSS were predicated on partnership. In 2010, the National Governors Association (NGA) and the Council of State School Officers (CCSSO) recognized the opportunity to clearly define the knowledge and skills that will prepare students for the 21st century work-place and will ensure students are truly college and career ready. Lever-aging the expertise and experience of educators across 48 states was crucial to developing strong standards that meet the needs of all students.

Since 2010, 45 states and the District of Columbia have adopted the CCSS, a set of consistent English

Common Standards, Common Goals

Partnership is paramount to local implementation of the Common Core State Standards | Emilie Amundson

leveraging the expertise and experience of educators across 48 states was crucial to developing strong standards.


language arts and mathematics expec-tations for what students should know and be able to do in kindergarten through 12th grade. Each state made its own decision to adopt after oppor-tunities to review drafts and voice feed-back. In fact, Wisconsin stakeholders provided over 800 pages of feedback to CCSS writers prior to the release of the final standards. At that point, Wisconsin was well poised to adopt the CCSS in June of 2010, leveraging the involvement of statewide English language arts and mathematics edu-cator leadership teams in the review process, and gaining statewide support through multiple stakeholder events held in the spring of 2010.

| What are the CCSS? How are they different?

The CCSS are rigorous, internation-ally benchmarked English language arts and mathematics standards designed to ensure that students leave school with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in college and careers.

The CCSS are not a national or state curriculum nor are they feder-ally mandated; Wisconsin made the

decision to adopt the CCSS because of their rigor and relevance for Wis-consin students. Curriculum deci-sions, textbook adoptions and scope and sequence work have always been the domain of local education agencies. The CCSS provide more guidance and support at each grade level while still maintaining the local control so important to districts throughout the state.

Since 2010, Wisconsin has begun to link this system of CCSS, instruc-tion and assessment to school accountability measures, educator effectiveness, and accountability for pre-service educator preparation programs. The CCSS provide the foundation for all of these important systems statewide. Additionally, the CCSS provide a framework to Wis-consin educators for research-based instructional practices that will truly transform student learning.

Ensuring the links among these important facets of our educational system requires a collaborative part-nership of stakeholders who can help to make the CCSS meaningful for their community of practice.

| How will Wisconsin assess the CCSS?

Each state, including Wisconsin, will select an aligned assessment to the CCSS where scores will be available sooner than ever before, providing parents and teachers the ability to intervene quickly and support strug-gling students. Computer-adaptive testing will ensure students are tested on the full range of their abilities, and the full range of English language arts and mathematics standards.

State Superintendent Tony Evers indicated in a video message to Wisconsin educators that “Wiscon-sin’s selected state assessment must match the academic demands of the CCSS, reflect the instructional shifts evident in the CCSS, and measure college and career readiness.”

To that end, Wisconsin is committed to an assessment system aligned to the CCSS in both letter and spirit, which will also include a college entrance assessment such as the ACT. Wisconsin will continue to work with the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SMARTER) to develop a system of multiple assessments at grades 3-11, including formative, interim, and sum-

CCSS o n l i n e r e s o u r c e s

The Wisconsin department of Public Instruction (dPI) recently formed a Common Core State Standards Imple-

mentation Team to ensure that all Wisconsin school districts have access to free and available resources to assist with implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). here are a few of the websites available to help:

n CCSS Implementation Center commoncore.dpi.wi.gov

The homepage of dPI’s new CCSS Implementation Center is packed with resources for particular stakeholder groups, such as parents, educators, principals, and community members.

n Wisconsin Professional Learning On Demand commoncore.dpi.wi.gov/learningondemand

Specifically for educators, the dPI’s Wisconsin Professional learning On demand webpage is a collection of online modules to assist educators in understanding the stan-dards and implementing classroom curriculum and instruc-tion that meets the expectations of the standards.

n Student Achievement Partners achievethecore.org

Student Achievement Partners, a national non-profit group, has invested in robust CCSS portals that are also open and available to educators nationwide.

n engageNY engageny.org

Other state education departments such as New York’s engageNY website, have numerous CCSS resources for teacher and school leaders.

Wisconsin is sharing its resources nationally as well, and has received recognition across states for professional learning materials focusing on building school-wide literacy in all subjects, and for our text complexity resources which help educators understand how to select texts that are appropriately complex for each grade level. N

June-July 2013 | 15

mative tools, as well as resources that will assist with further CCSS implementation.

School districts throughout the state are currently piloting sample SMARTER assessment items and the data collected from this experience will help to inform changes to the assessment for full piloting next year.

| Implementing the CCSSAs we move closer to full implementa-tion of the Common Core State Stan-dards (CCSS), school districts are encouraged to draw on DPI resources, the good work of Wisconsin partners, and other external state consortiums that are working together to imple-ment common standards.

The DPI’s newly formed CCSS Implementation Team has developed a website filled with resources for school leaders and educators (see “Online CCSS Resources”).

While most of the work in imple-menting the CCSS will take place at our schools, it is also important to keep your community involved in these changes. Engaging in meaningful conversations with families and com-munity members about the opportuni-ties within the CCSS is also important in sustaining this transformation.

Resources for talking about the CCSS with families and community members can be found on the DPI CCSS website (commoncore.dpi.wi.gov/), and can help stakeholders to understand what the standards are,

why they are important, and how they are being implemented and assessed in our state.

Building this strong coalition of engaged stakeholders may yield important connections and partner-ships within your community that might not have existed otherwise. Leveraging the power of these part-nerships for increased student learning has been important to our efforts within and across states, and will ensure that moving forward we have a strong and growing vision for college and career readiness for all students. n

Amundson is the DPI director of the Common Core State Standards Implementation Team.

Is your district ready to implement the CCSS in your schools? Have your teachers begun using the CCSS in the classroom?

Chris Van Hoof, director of instruction, Clintonville School District: Well, ready or not, here they come. We have been doing a variety of things over the past two years to help our teachers prepare for the instructional changes that the CCSS will bring. for example, two years ago we provided a general overview of the new standards and highlighted the major shifts in both English language arts and math. We also spent time at monthly grade level meetings “unpacking” the standards to build teacher understanding. This past year, we have spent time learning how to use Curriculum Companion (an electronic standards-based curriculum model created by CESA 7). Slowly but surely we are beginning to see teachers make changes in their instructional practices.

What steps has your district taken to prepare staff for implementation of the CCSS?

Colleen Timm, superintendent, Mishicot School District: Through CESA 7, our teachers were able to participate in investigations of the Common Core State Standards. during these sessions, our math and language arts teachers had an invaluable opportunity to examine the new standards by

grade level using a modeled process that could be repli-cated back in the district with other members of our staff. Specifically, their work during these sessions focused on examining and understanding the underpinnings, connec-tions, and context of the new standards; the organization of the standards, the specific learning outcomes for each standard, the vertical connections across the grade levels, and the necessary action steps for implementation.

Do you think the CCSS will be good for your students?

Van Hoof: I believe the CCSS are far superior to the standards we had in Wisconsin previously. They are designed to be fewer, clearer, and higher than previous standards, and I think for the most part they are. Because they are common across 40+ states, for the first time ever, we can share well designed resources across the nation.

Timm: The CCSS, which clearly delineate what students must learn and be able to do at each grade level, is aiding us in strengthening our capacity to facilitate student growth not only in their knowledge of facts but in their ability to be life-long learners who engage in critical thinking, prob-lem-solving, decision making based on credible evidence, the creation of a viable argument couched in sound data, and clear articulation of thoughts and ideas. N

Here’s a quick look at how two Wisconsin school districts have been preparing to implement the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in their classrooms.

g E A R I N g U P


I f you ask coaches for a one-word response to the question ‘what do you want from your athletic

director?’ the answer would most likely be ‘support.’ If you ask athletic directors what we want from our coaches it is to get no surprises. We want coaches to communicate with us and keep us informed with issues surrounding their programs.

The same can be said about ath-letic directors’ relationships with school boards and superintendents. We want to be supported and the boards and superintendents do not want to be surprised when it comes to the school’s athletic and co-curric-ular programs. So, what can school boards and superintendents do to help athletic/activity directors manage a quality co-curricular program?

b Gain an appreciation and under-standing of the benefits to students who participate in athletic and co-curricular programs that your schools offer. There’s a large amount of research that concludes that par-ticipation in co-curricular programs increases graduation rates, improves academic performance, improves attendance, and leads to a better high school experience for kids.

b Discuss and develop policies and procedures for administering and funding a variety of co-curricular offerings. Obviously, school bud-geting and funding of programs is a

challenge. An advantage of athletic and co-curricular programs is they can generate some revenue to help offset costs of the program. Boards and administration need to have conversations on participation fees, booster club fund raising, donations from the community, and sponsor-ships for events and facilities. Well-defined and communicated policies on these issues can be a financial benefit to the school. Invite and expect the athletic/activities directors in your districts to play an active role in these discussions.

b Insist that disgruntled parents or community members follow a proper communication chain of command. If a student or parent has an issue with a coach or advisor and they go directly to the board or superintendent, the question must be asked if the student and/or parent have contacted and met with the respective coach/advisor. Have they spoken to the athletic director or principal prior to raising the issue with the superintendent or board? If board members are contacted directly, I feel it’s important to contact school personnel to see if there really is an issue.

b Support and encourage your school’s athletic/activities directors to join our professional associations: the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association

(NIAAA) and the Wisconsin Athletic Director Association (WADA). These organizations are valuable resources for athletic/activities directors as they provide on-going professional growth opportunities through Lead-ership Training Institute courses, state and national conferences, pub-lications, and valuable networking. This past year only 68 percent of Wisconsin athletic directors were members of WADA. We would love to be at 100 percent.

Early in my career as an athletic director, I told my superintendent that one of my goals was to keep things off his desk. I assumed if the superinten-dent and subsequently the school board were dealing with athletic issues, I must be doing a poor job. I have since re-evaluated this stance.

Just like we want our coaches to let us know if there is something brewing with a player or parent, we as athletic directors need to keep the superinten-dents and boards that we work for educated and informed about all that goes on in the athletic directors world and that the work we do on a daily basis is helping our student athletes to reach their potential and be successful throughout their lives. n

Smith is president-elect of the Wisconsin Athletic Directors Association and athletic director at Waunakee High School.

For more information about the Wisconsin Athletic Directors Association, visit www.wadawi.org.

Team Effort

The importance of working with your athletic/activities director | Brian Smith

June-July 2013 | 17

S INCE 1921, The WASB has proudly worked to help and support Wisconsin school boards. Be it through our events, advocacy efforts, policy services, board

governance, legal services, or publications, the WASB is here to serve school boards so they can meet the needs of their students.

We are again proud to say that all public school boards and CESA boards of control are voluntary members of the WASB this year. We thank you for your commitment and look forward to working with you in the upcoming year.

Below are highlights of the 2012-13 Report to the Membership outlining the many services and benefits your membership provides for your district. The complete 2012-13 Report to the Membership can be found on the WASB website.

For more information on about WASB services, publications, and events, visit wasb.org or contact us toll-free at 877-705-4422.

W A S B R E P O R T T O T H E M E M B E R S H I P

fielded 5,545 legal inquiries from 389 districts.

Provided fee-for-service legal services to 100 districts.

5,434 registrations for conferences, workshops, webinars, gatherings and the annual State Education Convention.

600 quotes from and references to the WASBin news media, blogs and social media sites.

5 insurance agencies endorsed by the WASB Insurance plan to provide property and casualty insurance and employee benefits

insurance to WASB member districts.

24 Service Associates recognized as reputable, valuable partners of public education.

H I G H L I G H T S F R O M T H E 2 0 1 2 - 1 3 R E P O R T T O T H E M E M B E R S H I P

Working f O R P U B L i C S C h O O L S


Wisconsin Association of School Boards, Inc.Condensed Statement of ActivitiesFor the Year Ending June 30, 2012

R e v e n u eMembership Dues $ 1,735,882 Program Revenue $ 2,081,710 Interest & Investment Related Income $ 58,595 Other Income $ 24,362

Total Revenue $ 3,900,549

e x P e n s e s

Program expense $ 3,353,973 Office Operations $ 782,668Total expenses $ 4,136,641

Change in unrestricted net Assets-Operating $ (236,092)

Depreciation & Other non-Operating expenses $ 99,729

Change in unrestricted net Assets $ (335,821)

Wisconsin Association of School Boards, Inc.Condensed Statement of Financial Position

June 30, 2012

A s s e T sCurrent Assets Investments, Cash, & Cash equivalents $ 1,723,602 Accounts Receivable $ 188,034 Deferred Costs & Prepaid expenses $ 62,760 Inventories $ 26,456 Accrued Interest Receivable $ 6,612 Total Current Assets $ 2,007,464

Property & Equipment, Net $ 131,871

Total Assets $ 2,139,335

L i a b i L i t i e s & N e t a s s e t sCurrent Liabilities Deferred Revenue $ 505,232 Accounts Payable, Payroll Taxes, & Benefits Payable $ 253,368 short Term Portion of Capital Lease $ 8,775 short Term Portion of note Payable $ 5,501 Total Current Liabilities $ 772,876

Long Term Liabilities Long Term Portion of Capital Lease $ 43,708 Long Term Portion of note Payable $ 12,170

Total Liabilities $ 828,754

Net Assets unrestricted $ 1,283,346 Temporarily Restricted $ 27,235

Total net Assets $ 1,310,581 Total Liabilities & Net Assets $ 2,139,335

Responded to more than 1,200 individual requests from member districts for sample policy information.

More than 90% of the districts in the state were provided policy assistance through the WASB Policy library and/or special WASB policy services.

16 successful superintendent searches completed.

6 organizational projects completed.

$408 million = additional revenue limit authority schools WASB is pushing to provide schools statewide under a $200 per-pupil adjustment in each of the next two years.

2 private school voucher programs: The WASB is fighting to ensure that number of private school voucher programs remains at just the two currently in existence in Milwaukee and Racine.

2 0 1 2 - 1 3 R E P O R T T O T H E M E M B E R S H I P

H I G H L I G H T S F R O M T H E 2 0 1 2 - 1 3 R E P O R T T O T H E M E M B E R S H I P

June-July 2013 | 19

The 2013 WASB Spring Academy & Workshops brought together new and experienced school board members from around

the state for a day of learning and in-depth workshops. The event featured an introductory track for new school board members and half-day workshops for experienced board members.

In the introductory track, Dan Mallin, WASB policy and legal staff counsel, presented his session “School Board Policy Develop-ment.” Mallin emphasized that policy development requires not only content expertise, but process exper-tise. Regarding the process, Mallin suggested that school boards may want to consider allowing different

policies to follow different proce-dural routes on their way to an eventual approval vote.

“Such flexibility can be used as a means to prioritize the time and other resources that are dedicated to particular policy topics, and as means to expedite changes in policy under exceptional circumstances,” Mallin said.

Dan Rossmiller, WASB director of Government Relations discussed basic advocacy strategies and also provided an update of the state budget. One of the first steps in any advocacy effort, Rossmiller said is to begin by building relationships with your representatives.

“Ideally, you want to develop the kind of relationship where your

Spring Training for School leadersSchool finance, legal and safety issues, school board leadership and more covered at WASB Spring Academy & Workshops

dan Mallin, WASB policy and legal staff counsel, presented a session on School Board Policy development and emphasized the importance of developing a process for adopting and approving policy.

Na m e O. au t h O rA S S O C I A T I O N N E W S


legislator sees you as a trusted advisor on education issues … the kind of relationship where the legis-lator won’t hesitate to pick up the phone and call to ask you how a particular piece of proposed legisla-tion will affect your district,” Rossmiller said.

Ben Richter, WASB staff counsel, addressed parliamentary procedure, the open meetings law, public records, and much more in his session the “Legal Authority and Duties of Wisconsin School Boards.”

Other sessions in the introductory track included the “Key Work of School Boards,” and the “Funda-mentals of School Finance.”

In one of the half-day workshops for experienced board members, WASB consultants Louis Birchbauer and Dennis Richards covered the duties, responsibilities and subtleties

of serving as school board president. Building and maintaining trust, whether it is amongst the school board, administration and commu-nity, is key to successfully leading a school board. Birchbauer and Rich-ards gave several examples of how school board members can build trust such as making an effort to connect with and build relationships with colleagues, reaching out to community members on issues, and understanding and fulfilling your role on the school board.

“School board leadership is based on communication, relationships, and trust, which takes time and patience to establish,” Birchbauer said.

Emilie Amundson, director of the DPI Common Core State Standards Implementation Team, led a half-day workshop that provided an overview of the Common Core State Stan-

dards (CCSS) for school leaders. Amundson and her team shared basic information on the CCSS and also discussed the challenges they have for school board members. In addition to preparing students for college and careers, other goals of the CCSS include revamping learning and developing communica-tion, collaboration, and creativity skills in students.

“What will it take to get there?” Amundson asked. “What can you do to impact classroom instruction for student learning? Build infrastruc-ture for student engagement? And support professional learning for educators?”

Other half-day workshops included an in-depth presentation on school finance in Wisconsin, and agencies from the WASB Insurance Plan presented on different legal liabilities facing school districts such as bullying, employment liability in the Post Act 10 world, cyber liability, and student athlete concussions. n

View PowerPoint presentations from this event at wasb.org. Select "Meetings and Events," and then "Event Recaps."

WASB Consultant Cheryl Stinski discussed the “Key Work of School Boards.”

“School board leadership is based on communication, relationships, and trust, which takes time and patience to establish.”

— Louis Birchbauer, WASB consultant

June-July 2013 | 21

Q& A Q. What services do you provide

to Wisconsin schools?

A. Hoffman Planning, Design & Construction, Inc. provides

planning, design, and construction services to school districts throughout Wisconsin. Whether we’re dealing with an elementary, middle, high, K-12, or other grade combination, we handle everything from facility assessments, renova-tions, and additions, to new design and construction, and energy upgrades and enhancements. We proactively monitor developing trends in 21st century learning to design and deliver safe, functional, and flexible learning environments.

Q. What school districts have you worked with?

A. We’ve partnered with more than 50 school districts over the past 25 years. Our education clients and their needs have been diverse, with proj-ects ranging in size from under $1 million to over $30 million. Districts we have worked with include Appleton, Berlin, Chilton, Hudson, Kimberly, Nekoosa, Northland Pines, Oconto Falls, and Peshtigo. We are currently engaged with four districts on various planning efforts and several others on enhancing the secu-rity to their buildings’ entrances.

Q. What are some accolades or highlights you’d like to share in working with Wisconsin schools?

A. Each district has distinct aspira-tions, needs, and constraints. Our philosophy is to listen carefully to each client to understand their vision and challenges so we can develop a unique solution for them. We’re fortunate as this philosophy has afforded us the opportunity to have our work recognized and, more impor-tantly, provide great value to our clients.

Among multiple awards each has received, two of our projects achieved “firsts” in LEED® certification. Northland Pines High School was the first public high school in the U.S. to receive Gold for New Construction, and River Crest Elementary was the first elementary school in Wisconsin to receive Gold under the LEED for Schools rating system. Three other schools have earned awards, including our concep-tual design for Badger Rock Middle School which was named a 2012 Top Project by The Daily Reporter.

A major concern among the districts we’ve partnered with is to be responsible with taxpayer dollars. While each wished to create impres-

sive school facilities, acting in a budget-conscious manner was a priority. Using our integrated Total Project Management approach, we have worked with districts to com-plete facilities at costs well below those of schools built using tradi-tional design and construction methods without sacrificing design, construction quality, energy effi-ciency, and other desired features. n

The WASB Service Associates Program includes 24 businesses and organizations that have been recognized by the WASB Board of Directors as reputable businesses and part-ners of public education in Wisconsin. For more information, visit wasb.org and select “Service Associates.”

Service Associate Q&AFeaturing Hoffman Construction’s Catherine Cruickshank

Catherine Cruickshank is a senior project designer and education team leader for Hoffman Planning, Design& Construction, Inc.

Editor’s note: Each issue, we will pose questions to a WASB Service Associate to share the good work that these businesses are doing with Wisconsin public schools.

A S S O C I A T I O N N E W S

We’re fortunate that our philosophy has afforded us the opportunity to have our work recognized and, more importantly,

provide great value to our clients.— Catherine Cruickshank


T he WASB invites school leaders to the 2013 Educator Effective-

ness Conference to learn what you can do to enhance and support educator effectiveness.

Taking place August 6 in Madison and August 8 in Green Bay, the Educator Effectiveness Confer-ence will provide information on the state’s educator effectiveness initia-tive, testing, compensation plans, evaluations and more to help you establish the framework for success in your district.

Sessions include:

b Update on the Wisconsin Educator Effectiveness State System

b Educator Effectiveness: A Local Perspective

b Educator Effectiveness: Are You Ready?

b Testing Integrity

b Teacher Compensation Systems

b Get Our Board on the Same Page

b Superintendent Evaluations

b Common Core State Standards and School Boards: What You Need to Know

b State Budget/Legislative Update

UPCOMING EVENT:

Educator Effectiveness Conference

June-July 2013 | 23

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enoInteractive Whiteboards

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• Sound Reinforcement• Digital Signage• Structured Cabling• Video Conferencing

Recognize Your Business PartnersThe WASB is accepting nominations for the 2013 Business honor Roll. Recognize businesses or organizations that have supported your schools in the past year.

Member school boards can nominate up to five local busi-nesses, including newspapers or other media, which have been helpful to your school district over the past year.

Nominated businesses will be posted on the WASB website, districts will be provided a press release and certificate to present to your partner businesses.

To nominate a business, visit wasb.org. Select “Communications” and then “Business honor Roll.”

Nominations close Friday, August 16, 2013.

State Budget heads for home StretchContinued Advocacy Still Needed

School leaders and public school advocates have done a terrific job to date of communicating a consistent message regarding the state budget. This effort needs to continue through the month of June if we are to be successful in improving the budget introduced by the governor.

To date, the Joint finance committee has mostly voted on non-controversial items. The pace is about to pick up dramatically …

From testimony offered to the Joint Finance Committee at its four statewide budget hearings to the compelling stories of how the

proposed state budget will impact local school districts given at local legislative forums, listening sessions and private meetings with legislators, school board members, district administrators and concerned parents have emphasized the priority issues the WASB has identified:

b INCREASING revenue limits (by SUPPORTING the “Ellis-Olsen” proposal) to provide a revenue limit increase of at least $200 per pupil. Sen. Ellis has raised his target from $150 to $200 per pupil.

b REMOVING from the budget voucher expansion and creation of vouchers for special needs students; and

b REMOVING from the budget the creation of an independent charter school board, as well as other provisions on charter schools that will take away local control from locally elected school board members.

Thank you.

These efforts are making a defi-nite impact, but they must continue until the budget debate is completed and the budget bill is signed into law by the governor.

As of the time of this writing, the budget bill remains in the Joint Committee on Finance. From there it will go to the state Assembly — most likely in early June — and then to the state Senate. If necessary, a Conference Committee will meet to iron out any differences between the two houses before the bill goes to the governor. The bill must pass both houses in identical form to get to the governor.

To date, the Joint Finance Com-mittee has mostly voted on non-con-troversial items so there is little news to report; however, the pace is about to pick up dramatically. The com-mittee will vote on some more weighty issues in late-May. Included among these will be school funding, voucher expansion and expansion of indepen-dent charter schools, and other issues affecting K-12 education.

Several recent developments will shape budget deliberations. The first and most significant is the release of

new, more robust estimates of state revenue growth by the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau.

The new forecast indicates the state will take in $575 million more in general purpose revenue through mid-2015 than previously estimated. That amount includes an additional $215 million in the current 2012-13 fiscal year followed by an extra $180 million in 2013-14 and another $180 million in 2014-15.

By law, half of the additional revenue in the current fiscal year, or $107.5 million — half the $215 million — will be deposited to the state’s budget stabilization (“rainy day”) fund for 2012-13. The other $107.5 million of additional tax collections will be available for expenditure during the remainder of this year. If not spent, it will increase the estimated 2013-14 beginning general fund balance.

The new estimates suggest there is revenue available to increase both state aid and revenue limits above the levels proposed by the governor. (The governor proposed increasing

l E g I S l A T I V E U P d A T E


state general aid by 1 percent per year but would freeze revenue limits for two years.)

On the heels of new estimates, Assembly GOP members of the Joint Finance Committee called for increasing funding for K-12 educa-tion by $100 per pupil per year —above what the governor had proposed, as well as channeling more money into tax relief.

On the Senate side, Senate Presi-dent Mike Ellis (R-Neenah), the architect of a prior plan to increase per-pupil revenue limits by $150 in each year of the biennium, moved his target to $200 per-pupil in light of the new estimates. The WASB has publicly expressed support for Sen. Ellis’ new proposal for a $200 per-pupil revenue limit adjustment.

The WASB remains steadfast in its opposition to the inclusion of a number of policy items in the budget bill — including expansion of the private school voucher program, the creation of special needs vouchers and a state independent charter school board, and other changes to charter school laws that would strip local school boards of their oversight authority with respect to charter schools. The WASB urges that these items be removed from the budget bill and debated separately.

Another set of developments relate to voucher expansion. Recently, it was revealed that the federal Department of Justice (DOJ) wrote a directive informing the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) it must take steps

to ensure voucher schools do not discriminate against students with disabilities. This could change the landscape for voucher expansion in Wisconsin.

The directive cited the complaints of advocacy groups for children with disabilities, who filed a federal lawsuit in June 2011 which claimed just 1.6 percent of the 21,000 stu-dents enrolled at the time in private voucher schools had special educa-tion service plans, compared with 20 percent of students in Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS).

Voucher supporters have long resisted oversight of choice schools by the DPI, arguing that freedom from state standards and require-ments is a key factor that makes voucher schools unique. This federal ruling opens the door to more over-sight by the DPI. Sorting this out should give lawmakers pause as they consider voucher expansion. Whether it will have that effect remains to be seen.

Recently, state Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) has begun calling for a statewide expansion of vouchers while three GOP state Sena-tors stated publicly that they will not vote for the budget bill unless it

includes an expansion of voucher programs. Another, somewhat larger group of GOP state Senators is standing strong against voucher expansion, giving us hope and making it all the more important that school leaders continue to contact lawmakers to urge removal of voucher expansion from the budget.

| Continue Contacting Your Legislators

To be successful in this budget battle, your school board and

administrators must continue to contact legislators and con-tinue to tell your district’s story. One good way to do this is to prepare a one-page description of how the proposed state budget will impact your district. But don’t just cite numbers, dollars and cents and statis-tics. Try to “humanize” your

anticipated budget cuts by putting them in human terms — i.e., how the program and staff cuts will spe-cifically affect students and their opportunities. Remember: numbers are good, but stories have staying power. Lawmakers will remember the stories you tell.

Don’t be afraid to enlist others to help you tell your district’s story. Lawmakers expect to hear from school board members and adminis-trators. If you invite and encourage others to tell your story (especially parents, students, and community leaders) it can pay surprising divi-dends and help lawmakers remember your message. n

New State BudGet NumBerS*

The Legislative Fiscal Bureau found that the state will take in $575 million more through mid-2015 than previously estimated:

$215 million in the current fiscal year 2012-13

$180 million in 2013-14

$180 million in 2014-15

*The new estimates suggest there is revenue available to increase both state aid and revenue limits above the levels proposed by the governor.

June-July 2013 | 25

School districts in Sheboygan County have been enjoying monthly face-to-face meetings with their local legislators for

over 20 years. These meetings offer benefits for both school leaders and legislators, providing each group a forum to build relationships, share concerns and ideas, and help each other understand the issues at hand.

School board members typically accompany school superintendents to the events. All area legislators are invited, and regularly attend, including Sen. Joe Leibham (R-She-boygan), Sen. Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend), Rep. Mike Endsley (R-Sheboygan), Rep. Steve Kestell (R-Elkhart Lake), and Rep. Daniel LaMahieu. Members of Congress are also invited and will occasionally send staffers.

The meetings generally begin with introductions, so everyone knows who is in the room, and what perspective they are coming from as they address policy issues and give feedback. Each legislator (or staffer) then gives an update regarding key policy issues facing education. The facilitator seeks reaction, feedback and questions from those in attendance.

“The idea is to create two-way communication,” said Dr. Clark Reinke, superintendent of Plymouth School District. Reinke also serves

as the chairman, facilitating the meetings.

The breakfasts provide an oppor-tunity for school districts to share their local stories on how state decisions are impacting their ability to be successful.

“These forums allow our repre-sentatives to hear first hand what local districts have accomplished, are struggling with and how legislative action can elevate roadblocks to reform,” said Sheboygan Area School District board member Larry Samet. “A wide range of topics have been discussed from Act 10 to closing the achievement gaps. We appreciate the opportunity to provide accurate, factual informa-tion to aid in their decision-making. I hope that other school boards would consider a similar event.”

This forum has been especially important over the last several years, as funding for public education and changes to education have become high profile issues at the state level.

“The opportunity to hear our legislators’ point of view on issues facing education, and, in turn, ask questions or provide feedback has proved to be a valuable method of connecting with our legislators,” said Dr. Joseph Sheehan, superinten-dent of the Sheboygan Area School District. “It’s important to keep in touch on a regular basis.”

“I think it is good for administra-

tors and board members to hear candid responses and updates from their legislators on the same issues,” said Rep. Steve Kestell. “I wouldn’t say that there is always 100 percent agreement in the room, but we have good dialog, and I think come away with a better understanding of each other’s perspectives.”

The group meets faithfully each month, and school superintendents applaud the effort by legislators to attend.

Kestell, who regularly attends, commented, “Everyone knows that education is one of the most important topics at the Capitol, and public education accounts for the largest portion of the state budget. It just makes sense for legislators and educators to talk.”

Both Sheboygan and Plymouth School Districts include a regular report from the Legislative Breakfast at monthly school board meetings, which are televised and open to the public. n

Sondalle is the marketing specialist for the Sheboygan Area School District.

Piontkowski is the coordinator of community communications for the Plymouth School District.

The Value of a legislative BreakfastSheboygan county school leaders and lawmakers meet monthly to discuss education issues

The group meets faithfully each month, and school superintendents applaud the effort by legislators to attend.

JA m i e Pi o n t k o W s k i & ni c o l e so n d A l l el E g I S l A T I V E U P d A T E


? Why is financial literacy important?

Setting the foundation for financial literacy early is important in today’s fast-paced world. Did you know only 34 percent of American high school students know how to balance a checkbook? That just 26 percent know how credit card fees work? Not only does learning finan-cial concepts early help students form good money habits, it also prepares them for more complex lessons in compound interest, credit and debt.

? How early should financial literacy be introduced?

While balancing a checkbook and understanding credit are more advanced concepts, students should be exposed to financial literacy concepts as early as kindergarten. Counting money, bills and coins, wants versus needs, and setting funds aside for later purchases are all ideas that should be established early. There are dozens of games and activities that teachers can use to incorporate these lessons into the classroom.

? Where can teachers get training?

Wisconsin is home to a nationally recognized financial literacy training program for educators. The National Institute of Financial and Economic Literacy (NIFEL) has given over 1,250 educators the tools and knowl-edge they need to successfully teach financial literacy and personal eco-

nomics. NIFEL holds three summer sessions each year, hosted by Edge-wood College in Madison. Each session focuses on a different aspect of financial literacy: paychecks, finan-cial contracts and entrepreneurship; investor education, economics and insurance; and credit and money. You can find more information at www.edgewood.edu/NIFEL.

? What resources are available?

There are many financial literacy resources available to Wisconsin teachers, some from national resources and some from state-spe-cific agencies. One of the most com-prehensive is the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy (www.jumpstart.org). This national coalition of organizations provides research and educational resources for improving financial literacy among pre-kindergarten through college-age youth.

EverFi, a WBA Endorsed Vendor, is a unique, online education system that partners local financial institu-tions and schools to provide finan-cial education learning tools to high school students and training for the

teachers who educate them. Locally, the Economics Wisconsin (www.economicswisconsin.org) is a non-profit charitable organization that works with educators and schools to teach students basic economic and financial literacy principles.

If you wish to create your own method of incorporating personal finance into the classroom, consider Wisconsin’s Model Academic Stan-dards for Personal Financial Lit-eracy. You can find the full document at http://standards.dpi.wi.gov/files/standards/pdf/pfl.pdf.

If you’re looking for an index of these and other financial literacy resources, check out www.wisbank.com/FinancialLiteracy to visit the WBA Personal Finance Resource Library, which has links to every-thing from handouts and lesson plans to websites devoted to per-sonal finance tips. n

Hartl is the communications coordinator for the Wisconsin Bankers Association.

The Wisconsin Bankers Association is the state’s largest financial industry trade association, representing nearly 280 commercial banks and savings institutions, their nearly 2,300 branch offices and 23,000 employees.

I n the U.S., fewer than half of the states have a financial education requirement for high school graduation, and only four require a semester of personal finance as a

separate course. Many, including Wisconsin, have no requirement at all.

Several bills have been introduced in the Wisconsin State Legislature over the years that would require school

boards to incorporate the state’s model academic standards for financial literacy into the curriculum, but so far none have been passed.

While it isn’t a requirement yet, teaching financial literacy concepts is something that many educators see as valuable. However, many teachers have questions about incorporating financial literacy concepts into their classroom.

FOR MORE INFORMATION about how your school can take advantage of the Wisconsin Bankers Association’s financial literacy resources, please contact this article’s author, WBA’s Amber hartl, at 608/441-1237 or [email protected].

ECONOMICS FOR OPINION LEADERS: Economics Wisconsin, a nonprofit organization that works with educators and schools to teach students basic economic and financial literacy principles, is holding a two-day event for school board members. The event covers economic concepts specifically for school board members and takes place August 8-9 at lambeau field in green Bay. for more information, visit economicswisconsin.org.

financial literacy fAQsAnswers to the most common questions

Am b e r hA rt lC U R R I C U l U M

June-July 2013 | 27

School district officials often understand that records created or maintained by school district employees or school board

members are records that are subject to disclosure under the Wisconsin Public Records Law. However, school district officials are some-times unsure of whether records of entities that contract with the school district are subject to disclosure under the law.

The Public Records Law includes a provision that seems to clearly require disclosure of contractor records in many instances. Specifi-cally, with limited exceptions, the law requires a school district to make available for inspection and copying any record produced or collected under a contract entered into by the district to the same extent as if the record were main-tained by the school district.1 However, in some cases, such as a recent Wisconsin Supreme Court case, Juneau County Star-Times v. Juneau County,2 the issue of disclo-sure of contractor records may not be entirely straightforward.

This Legal Comment will discuss the relevant law and recent case law as it applies to contractor records and provide some insight to school district officials and board members when faced with such requests for contractor records.3

| Public Records ProvisionAs mentioned above, the Wisconsin Public Records Law includes a par-ticular provision that addresses contractor records. This provision, Wis. Stat. s. 19.36(3) (hereafter referred to as the “contractor records provision”), states in full as follows:

Subject to sub. (12), each authority shall make available for inspection and copying under s. 19.35(1) any record produced or collected under a contract entered into by the authority with a person other than an authority to the same extent as if the record were maintained by the authority. This subsection does not apply to the inspection or copying of a record under s. 19.35(1)(am).

Most of the language from this provision was enacted as part of 1981 Wisconsin Act 335. The general effect of this provision is that, if a school district enters into a contract with any “person,” any “record” that is “pro-duced or collected” under the contract will be considered as if that record were maintained by the school district. However, because the statute limits the records to only those that are “pro-duced or collected under” a contract, the statute likely does not apply to all records created or maintained by a contractor; instead, it likely only applies to those records that are gener-

ated by the contractor pursuant to the contract. Further, although the term “person” is not defined under the Public Records Law, “person” is defined generally under Wisconsin Statutes to “include all partnerships, associations and bodies politic or corporate.”4 Therefore, the contractor records provision will likely apply to both private and public entities that contract with a school district.

It is also important to note that, although the term “record” is defined broadly under the Public Records Law, there are some notable exceptions that must be considered when addressing any request for contractor records. Specifically, “record” is defined broadly to include “any material on which written, drawn, printed, spoken, visual or electromagnetic information is recorded or preserved, regardless of physical form or characteristics, which has been created or is being kept by an authority.”5 The statute explains that “record” includes, but is not limited to, “handwritten, typed or printed pages, maps, charts, photographs, films, recordings, tapes (including computer tapes), computer printouts, and optical disks.”

However, the term “record” does not include drafts, notes, preliminary computations, and like materials prepared for the originator’s personal use or prepared by the originator in the name of a person for whom the originator is working. Further, the

disclosure of Records of School district Contractors

Any decision to disclose contractor records also may trigger notice obligations by the school district under the Public Records law.

l E g A l C O M M E N T boA r d m A n & cl A r k llP


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definition does not include materials which are purely the personal property of the custodian and have no relation to his or her office; materials to which access is limited by copyright, patent or bequest; and published materials in the possession of a district which are available for sale or which are avail-able for inspection at a public library. Any request for contractor documents falling within these exceptions should be carefully considered before deciding to disclose them to a requester.

| Exceptions to the StatuteAs the above statutory language indicates, there are two important exceptions to the general rule that such contractor records are consid-ered as records of the school district. First, this subsection “does not apply to the inspection or copying of a record under s. 19.35(1)(am).” Section 19.35(1)(am) generally relates to requests by an individual (or a person authorized by the individual) for records that are maintained by the school district and that contain personally identifiable information pertaining to the individual.

With some limited exceptions, individuals or authorized persons are permitted access to such records under Section 19.35(1)(am) and to make or receive a copy of such records. Because it does not apply, the contractor records provision cannot be relied upon by individuals or authorized persons making requests under Section 19.35(1)(am) to gain access to contractor records, even though these records may contain information pertaining to the individual. Such individuals, however, may still be able to gain access to such records through a request under Section 19.35(1)(a), which is the general provision utilized by requesters to gain access to records under the Public Records Law.

Second, the contractor records provision also specifically states it is “subject to” Section 19.36(12). Section 19.36(12) relates to records prepared or provided by an employer performing work on certain state and municipal projects6 or projects where

the employer is required to pay pre-vailing wages. For such records, unless access is specifically authorized or required by statute, the school district is prohibited from providing access to records that contain the name or other personally identifiable information relating to any employee of that employer, unless the employee autho-rizes the school district to provide access to that information. For this section, “personally identifiable infor-mation” does not include an employ-ee’s work classification, hours of work, or wage or benefit payments received for work on such a project.

| Notice RequirementsAny decision to disclose contractor records also may trigger notice obli-gations by the school district under the Public Records Law. In general, the law does not require such notice. However, in certain instances, a deci-sion to release a record triggers the right to notice and judicial review for a record subject. One such instance, which is particularly rele-vant to contractor records, is where a school district may disclose records prepared by an employer other than the school district, containing infor-mation relating to an employee, where the employee has not autho-rized the authority to provide access to the information.7 Before dis-closing such records, the district must provide notice to any “record subject” and allow the record subject time to seek a court order to prevent the disclosure of these records. The record subject, however, does not have the right to notice and/or judicial review when the district provides access to such records to an employee who is the subject of such record or his/her representative pursuant to Wis. Stat. s. 103.13 or to the employee’s collec-tive bargaining representative in accordance with any duty to bargain under Wis. Stat. ch. 111.8 Thus, there may be instances where the district provides a record prepared by a contractor to an individual without requiring any notice.

| Juneau County CaseThe contractor records provision has not been a frequent subject of litiga-tion. However, recently, this statu-tory subsection was reviewed by the Wisconsin Supreme Court in Juneau County Star-Times. In that case, the Court applied the contractor records provision to a request from a news-paper to a county for records related to a law firm’s invoices. The invoices were generated as part of the law firm’s representation of the county. The county had a contract (a lia-bility insurance policy) with an insurance company. Pursuant to the terms of the policy, the insurance company retained the law firm to defend the county in litigation. The county then worked with the law firm during the litigation. The law firm billed the insurance company, not the county directly. The news-paper requested that the county produce copies of the law firm’s invoices related to the county’s case. The county did not have copies of the invoices requested and therefore denied the request. In turn, the newspaper filed a lawsuit to gain access to the invoices.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court concluded that the newspaper was entitled to access to the invoices under the Public Records Law, spe-cifically under the contractor records provision. In reaching this conclu-sion, the Court held that the unique “tripartite” relationship between the county, insurance company, and the law firm, which was created by the insurance policy, created a contrac-tual relationship between the county and the law firm. As a result, the Court rejected any argument that the law firm was not a contractor of the county. The Court also distinguished cases where a requester seeks the records of a subcontractor to a contractor of a governmental entity, which does not typically create an obligation by the governmental entity to produce records of the subcontractor under the Public Records Law.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court also concluded that the invoices


Legal Comment is designed to provide authoritative general information, with commentary, as a service to WASB members. It should not be relied upon as legal advice. If required, legal advice regarding this topic should be obtained from district legal counsel.

relating to the county’s defense in the litigation were “produced or collected under” a contract between the county and the law firm, and as a result, the contractors’ records provision of the Public Records Law applied to the invoices. The Court applied the common usage of the words to conclude that the invoices were “generated” (or, “produced or collected”), “pursuant to” (or, “under”) the liability insurance policy between the county and the insurance company. In reaching this conclusion, the Court rejected the Department of Justice’s contention that the word “under” meant records produced or collected “as required or as obligated” by a con-tract. The Court explained that this interpretation was very narrow and seemed to contradict the public policy of the state that all persons are entitled to the greatest possible information regarding the affairs of the government and the official acts of those officers and employees who represent them. The Court also explained that the Department of Justice’s interpretation might permit an authority and contractor to draft a contract to evade the contractor records provision. Thus, based on Juneau County, although there may not be a direct contractual relation-ship between a district and a con-tractor, a court may still apply the Public Records Law to require dis-closure of records.

| Addressing Requests for Contractor Records

Based on the above and on the Public Records Law, there are several steps and considerations that a school district should take whenever it receives a request for contractor records. First, if a district receives a request, the request (regardless of whether it is in oral or written form) should be immediately forwarded to the proper legal custodian of records for the district. The legal custodian can then consider the request, iden-

tify whether the request is pursuant to Section 19.35(1)(a) and/or 19.35(1)(am), identify whether any exemptions under the contractor records provision applies, and con-sider whether it will charge for any costs associated with the request. The legal custodian should consider the request in light of the law and any school board policy.

Second, it is important for school district officials to keep in mind that the district remains the authority responsible for complying with the law and is liable for a contractor’s failure to comply.9 As a result, dis-trict officials cannot simply direct requesters to the contractor for handling public records requests. Further, contractors should forward any requests they receive directly to the district, rather than responding to the requests themselves.

Third, the legal custodian should work with contractors to identify any records within the scope of the request and make a determination as to whether those records are subject to disclosure. Courts in Wisconsin have recognized that school districts cannot avoid disclosure of records by maintaining records in files outside of the district.10 However, access to contractor records does not extend to information produced or collected under a subcontract to which the district is not a party, unless the information is required by or provided to the district under the general contract to which the district is a party.11 Further, in particular cases, there could be some other basis for nondisclosure of the con-tractor records as the custodian, for example, applies specific statutory exceptions and the public records balancing test.

Fourth and finally, the legal cus-todian should determine before disclosing any records whether any notice is required pursuant to Section 19.356, and should deter-mine how to properly respond to the request. Where any records

falling within the scope of a request will not be released to the requester, a written response identifying the specific ground(s) for the nondisclo-sure may be required.

| ConclusionBoard members must be aware of the legal issues that can arise from their relationships with contractors, including the requirement to disclose certain records that are produced or collected from that relationship. School district officials should address these requests and should make sure that contractors under-stand their obligations under the Public Records Law. Such awareness will allow contractors to be prepared for any such requests.

| ENDNOTES 1. Wis. Stat. s. 19.36(3).

2. 2013 WI 4, 345 Wis. 2d 122, 824 N.W.2d 457.

3. for additional information related to this topic, see WASB’s Legal Comment, “Electronic Communica-tions Records and the Public Records law” (december 2010), “E-mails As Public Records” (October 2006), and “Recent Statutory Changes to the Public Records law (Parts 1 and 2)” (September 2003 and October 2003).

4. Wis. Stat. s. 990.01(26).

5. Wis. Stat. s. 19.32(2).

6. See Wis. Stat. s. 19.36(12) (a project to which s. 66.0903 (municipal prevailing wage and hour scales), 103.49 (wage rate on state work), or 103.50 (highway contracts) applies).

7. Wis. Stat. s. 19.356(2)(a).

8. Wis. Stat. s. 19.356(2)(b).

9. WIREdata, Inc. v. Village of Sussex, 2008 WI 69, 310 Wis. 2d 397, 751 N.W.2d 736.

10. Building & Constr. Trades Council v. Waunakee Community Sch. Dist., 2000 WI App 251, 221 Wis. 2d 575, 585 N.W.2d 726.

11. Journal/Sentinel v. School Bd., 186 Wis. 2d 443, 521 N.W.2d 165 (Ct. App. 1994).

This Legal Comment was written by Michael J. Julka and Richard F. Verstegen of Boardman & Clark llp, WASB Legal Counsel.

June-July 2013 | 31

J u n E14Robert M. LaFollette Sr. Day. Special Observance Day [s. 118.02(15)].

17Deadline for Elementary Notification of Transportation Option. An elementary school district shall notify the union high school district of any action to elect to transport resident elementary school children no later than June 17 preceding the school year in which the elementary school district’s action takes effect. [s. 121.54(2)(b)2]. The date identified for this action assumes the district office of the union high school district is closed on Saturday, June 15, 2013.

30Audit of School District Accounts. At the close of each fiscal year, the school board of each school district shall employ a licensed accountant to audit the school district accounts and certify the audit. [s. 120.14(1)].

Deadline for Union High School Dis-trict Publication of Budget Summary and Notice of Budget Hearing. At least 15 days before the budget hearing, a summary of the budget, notice of the place where the budget is available in detail for public inspection, and notice of the time and place of the budget hearing must be published as a class 1 notice. [s. 65.90(3)(a)2]. See note.

J u ly1–14Union High School District Publication. The clerk must publish a class 2 notice of the annual meeting, the last insertion to be not more than eight nor less than one day before the annual meeting [s. 120.08(1)(c)]. See note.

8–21Common School District Publication of Notice of the Annual Meeting. The clerk must publish a class 2 notice of

the annual meeting, the last insertion to be not more than eight nor less than one day before the annual meeting. [s. 120.08(1)(c)]. See note.

12Common School Budget Summary. At least 10 days before the budget hearing, a summary of the budget, notice of the place where the budget is available in detail for public inspection, and time and place of the budget hearing must be published as a class 1 notice [s. 65.90(3)(a)3]. See note.

15Union High School District Annual Meeting and Budget Hearing. [s. 120.08(1)(a), s. 65.90(4)]. See note.

22Common School District Annual Meeting and Budget Hearing. [s. 120.08(1)(a), s. 65.90(4)]. See note.

NoTe: Dates pertaining to annual meetings are applicable only if the statutory dates of the district’s annual meeting have not been changed by the electors or the school board pursuant to [s. 120.08(1)].

C A l E N d A R


WASBBUSINESS HONOR ROLL

Local businesses support your schools in many ways. The WASB wants to help you give those businesses recognition for a job well done.

Member school boards are invited to submit the names of up to five local businesses, including newspapers or other media, which have been helpful to your school district over the past year.

Tell us who they are and what they have done for your schools, and we will help you promote your business partnerships.

• AllnominatedbusinesseswillbepostedontheWASBwebsiteforoneyear.

• Districtswillbeprovidedasamplepressreleaseandapersonalizedcertificatetopresenttothebusiness(es).

• SelectnomineesandthestoriesoftheirsuccessfulpartnershipswillbefeaturedinanupcomingissueoftheWisconsinSchoolNews.

• In2012,80businesseswerehonoredbytheWASB.

Recognize the local businesses that support your schools - Nominate them for the 2013 WASB Business Honor Roll

Submit your Business Honor Roll nominations at wasb.org by Friday, August 16, 2013!

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EMC InSurAnCE COMPAnIES16455 W. Bluemound Rd.PO Box 327 Brookfield, WI 53005Phone 262-786-1800www.emcins.com

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TrICOr InSurAnCE2001 W. Beltline hwy., Suite 201 Madison, WI 53713Phone [email protected] www.tricorinsurance.com

TRICOR now insures over 150 public schools. TRICOR’s School Practice

Team is made up of a diverse group of experienced individuals who are extensively trained (30+ years expe-rience) and specialized in school insurance products, risk management, support services, loss control, human resources and claims advocacy.

nATIOnAl InSurAnCE SErVICES OF WISCOnSIn, InC.250 South Executive dr., Suite 300 Brookfield, WI 53005-4273Phone [email protected] www.NISBenefits.com

National Insurance Services has been a specialist in public sector benefits since 1969. Our insured products include: Health, Dental, Disability, Life and Long-Term Care Insurance. Our financial solution products include: Health Reimbursement Accounts, OPEB Trusts (Fixed or Variable), Special Pay Plan and Flexible Spending Accounts.

unITEDHEAlTHCArE10701 W Research dr. Milwaukee, WI 53226Phone 414-443-4094www.uhctogether.com/schoolsinWI www.uhc.com

UnitedHealthcare’s mission is to help people live healthier lives by providing access to high quality, affordable health care. We are committed to improving the health care experience of K-12 teachers, staff, retirees and their families in the state of Wisconsin by providing Better Information, to drive Better Decisions, to help Improve Health.

lEgAl SErVICES

BuElOW VETTEr BuIKEMA OlSOn & VlIET llC20855 Watertown Road, Suite 200Waukesha, WI 53186Phone: 262.364.0300www.buelowvetter.com

The attorneys at Buelow Vetter have decades of experience in representing school boards across the State of Wisconsin. We advise school boards and administrators on a variety of issues from labor and employment to student discipline and expulsion.

PHIllIPS BOrOWSKI, S.C.10140 N. Port Washington RdMequon, WI 53092Phone: 262.241.7779www.phillipsborowski.com [email protected]

Phillips Borowski, S.C. works with schools throughout the state to guide them through the complex system of laws and regulations affecting school operations.

L e a d e r s h i p i n p u b L i c s c h o o L G o v e r n a n c e

UPCOMING PROGRAMS

Ph: 608-257-2622FAx: 608-257-8386

visit wasb.org for complete information and to register

Learn what you can do to enhance and support educator effectiveness.

The WASB 2013 Educator Effectiveness Conferences will provide information:• The state’s educator effectiveness initiative;• Testing;• Compensation plans; • Evaluations and more to help you establish the

framework for success in your district.

Join us on Aug. 6 in Madison or on Aug. 8 in Green Bay to hear from experts, network with colleagues, and get the information you need to take your district to the next level in educator effectiveness.

establish the framework

for success

Aug. 6 MAdison MArriot West

MAdison, Wi Aug. 8

Ki Convention Center green BAy, Wi

2013 EDUCATOR

EFFECTIVENESS CONFERENCES

2013EXECUTIVE COACHINGWORKSHOPbuilding rel ationships and strengthening leadership

July 26 CroWne PlAzAMAdison, Wi

The first in a four-part, executive coaching workshop series will focus on communication. Participants will develop action plans and:• Examine and evaluate their district’s communication

effectiveness; • Learn how to approach and react to the “crucial

conversations;” and• Understand the requirements of the state’s open

meetings and public records laws; and

The WASB Coaching Program is designed for initial and second-year superintendents along with their board presidents, but the workshops are open to all members.

Session One: The Power of Effective Communication

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Wisconsin School News June/July 2013

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