JULY 2011
GET INVOLVED: ONE EDUCATOR'S STORY
VOLUME 3 | ISSUE 6
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COLLECTIVE BARGAINING LAW NOW IN EFFECT
Being united is about standing together to move education forward. We’re all in it together – to represent our profession, our students and our public schools. We’ve started a movement, but to keep the fire alive we must continue to support each other and stand up for what we value – fairness, opportunity, strong public schools. Stay engaged this summer because collective strength is how we will move forward. Inside this edition you’ll read the stories of members raising their voices through our union, speaking up for students and schools. You’ll learn about ways you can get involved, standing up for Wisconsin values. Visit to see how you can move education forward – and tell us why it’s important to stay united. weac.org
A lot has happened in the past few weeks to bring massive change to your schools and your profession. An extreme budget full of historic cuts to education has been passed, and Governor Walker’s bill restricting worker rights is now law. How we respond to both will determine the future of public education in Wisconsin.
What does this mean for you and your union? See page 6 for answers on changes to your union membership and contracts. And visit weac.org for much more on how the state budget and anti-worker rights bill affect you.
insideandonline Political action: A legacy
We Are Wisconsin
Speak out. Stand up.
Recalls: How we respond
Educator uses union training to engage Congress
Standing strong for our state’s values
How our union is moving forward
July, August elections are a way for you to stay active
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Meet an Everyday Hero
Pat Schmidt makes it her duty to get involved in political action – to help students and members
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at Schmidt likes to joke that she’s held every elected, appointed or volunteer position there is for her union. “Any office you can hold – I’ve held it,” she said. But it’s her political activism, which has her meeting regularly with a member of Congress, that has had one of the biggest impacts on her life and one she says is a legacy she leaves behind for future Wisconsin students. Schmidt, who has been an educator and a member of WEAC for 35 years, regularly meets with Congressman Tom Petri, who represents Wisconsin’s 6th District. Talking about everything from teacher evaluation to school funding, Schmidt serves as the voice of educators for someone who makes key decisions affecting education in Wisconsin and across the country.
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uilding off of the movement you and your colleagues in the education profession created these past few months, events continue across the state to stand up for Wisconsin values. In addition to public school employees, Wisconsinites are raising their voices against extreme budget cuts and a hostile agenda from elected leaders at the Capitol.
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Here’s a story about how one WEAC member is Moving Education Forward:
Stay active this summer! PAT SCHMIDT MUSIC TEACHER MEMBER OF WEAC AND WAUTOMA EDUCATION ASSOCIATION
Rallies, forums and other events continue this summer to stand up for Wisconsin! To join in, for a list of visit events.
How can you join in? Town hall forums, rallies, demonstrations and other events are being organized all over weac.org/activities Wisconsin. In addition to the coalition work of We Are Wisconsin (see next page for details), our union and other groups are holding and participating in informational gatherings, marches and other activities to raise awareness of what’s happening in our state.
In her various past roles with her local union – and current one on the negotiations team looking to bargain a contract extension – Schmidt has became a vocal advocate for education. And that has her raising her voice against the budget cuts and other antieducation legislation that has originated from state officials.
‘I always tell people, if it wasn’t for the good training from WEAC I wouldn’t have been able to do any of the things I’ve done.’
“It’s been a great experience,” Schmidt said. “I’ve learned a lot about how Congress works.” Schmidt sees her role in talking to members of Congress as a way to represent the interests of students. “I don’t have to tell any teacher that’s why we’re here: the students,” she said. “And it seems like sometimes in politics the students get lost in the discussion about education.”
Mary Bell, President Betsy Kippers, Vice President David Harswick, Secretary-Treasurer Dan Burkhalter, Executive Director Kim Haas, Communications Director Bill Hurley, Editor Matthew Call, Assistant Editor Laura DeVries, Graphic Design Specialist Contributing writer: Bob Moeller
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Schmidt got into political advocacy through her union, with which she encourages everyone to be involved. She joined to find out what her dues funded, then she received training to be a local officer, negotiations representative and an effective lobbyist.
e-mail:
Our union is again teaming up with UW Athletics to make public school students a part of home games this upcoming season – putting them on the field, court and ice at football, basketball and hockey games.
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students or by WEAC affiliate associations
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Madison, WI, 53708-8003, 608-276-7711 or
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• T he rally and march – held in conjunction with local events across the nation – will bring solidarity and support to public education. • T he march and call to action is a direct response to the growing movement to protect public schools and other services. • T o get involved and support the efforts, visit saveourschoolsmarch.org.
Nominate a student to be a WEAC Kickoff Kid
“I always tell people, if it wasn’t for the good training from WEAC I wouldn’t have been able to do any of the things I’ve done,” Schmidt said. “When people ask me about ‘What do I get for my union dues’ the first thing I say is that the training I’ve gotten has allowed me to do these things.” ■
WEAC in Print (ISSN#1531-6831)
inprint@weac.org
Visit weac.org/activities to find an event in your area, and consider starting your own! ■
It’s not just in Wisconsin that educators and families this summer will be advocating for public schools. The Save Our Schools March and National Call to Action in Washington, D.C., on July 30 will be putting the “public” back in public schools.
Proud partner of Wisconsin Athletics
This is your chance to highlight a student and give him or her a unique opportunity to be on the field during kickoffs at Camp Randall Stadium, sitting under the basket at the Kohl Center and helping out with hockey shoot-arounds. To highlight a special student for these events – the Camp Randall selection begins first – visit weac.org and nominate a student today. ■
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We Are Wisconsin
Standing strong for our state’s values T
alk to anyone who came to Madison this winter and they’ll tell you they felt inspired having fellow Wisconsinites surrounding them in standing up for our values. It’s important to remember that we’re not alone in moving our state forward. Nurses, firefighters, police officers, correctional guards, maintenance workers, members of the clergy, community groups and families are standing with us every day. Here are just some of the stories of those who stand with us:
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Farmers
To watch videos of Wisconsinites standing up for their state, visit or use your smartphone to scan this graphic: youtube.com/weacvideo
Retirees
The clergy
Walker’s attacks may have started with state workers, but it’s clear that through his other proposals – including an extreme budget full of cuts to programs and services – everyone in the middle class is being targeted. Thank you to the many retired association members who came out to take a stand for educators across the state.
Religious leaders across the state have advocated for middle-class workers and the poor, urging the governor and Legislature to stop the attacks on Wisconsinites. Said Milwaukee Episcopal Bishop Steven A. Miller at a rally at the state Capitol: “Let us stand together for the good of all. Let us be united for a better and fair Wisconsin.”
Many farming families are on health insurance assistance such as BadgerCare and will be hurt by Governor Walker’s budget cuts. “This is a strategy gone horribly wrong,” said Michael Berg, a farmer from Blanchardville.
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Police officers and firefighters Many police officers and firefighters have joined rallies defending rights for public employees – even though those two professions are exempt from Walker’s antirights bill. Additionally, in a recent International Association of Fire Fighters publication, the group highlighted firefighters’ opposition to Walker’s attacks on collective bargaining. Firefighters and police officers from across Wisconsin have demonstrated at the Capitol in solidarity with educators and others. In fact, the Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin has filed a lawsuit against Walker’s bill, saying it is damaging to all workers in the state.
We are united. We Are Wisconsin. A network of organizations and individuals from around the state, We Are Wisconsin represents a wide array of viewpoints from religious leaders, student groups, community groups, labor union members, and many others. WEAC is a part of this coalition of more than 90 organizations, building on shared concerns and enhancing a collective voice for Wisconsin’s values. Participate in the network’s events and learn more by visiting wearewisconsin.org. ■
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How our union is
Forward
Moving
Contracts
What can my employer do to my contract?
GETTING INVOLVED
If you have a contract extension, it continues to be in place and its conditions are still valid. If you are without a contract extension, your employer can unilaterally change any working condition covered in the contract (assignment, hours of work, benefits, discipline, etc.). Our union’s next focus is to ask districts to adopt fair employee handbooks clarifying these arrangements. Through our union we will continue to have a voice at the table. Ask your local union leader or UniServ director or visit weac.org for more information.
‘It is our job to make sure that this kind of willful silence never happens again.’
Responding
What is our union doing to fight this? • W e continue to focus on recall elections in July and August (see page 12 for more information). This is our first step in balancing power to ensure Wisconsin’s legislators advocate for the working people in this state.
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’ve been a public school teacher for 14 years, a wife for eight years, a mother for five years, and a political activist for a grand total of three months.
• W EAC is part of a broad coalition of Wisconsin unions who filed a federal lawsuit arguing that Walker’s bill is unconstitutional for separating classes of workers.
I remember last fall reading about Scott Walker and thinking “Wow, that guy could really do some damage. I hope someone is going to do something about him.”
• To get involved and learn more about these actions, visit weac.org.
And that was the fatal mistake. People, like myself, thought it was someone else’s job to stop Scott Walker. But it’s not someone else’s job to keep government in check. Every single one of us is responsible for this. It’s part of being in a democracy. It’s part of what keeps us a democracy.
Membership
How does the union law affect my membership?
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I’ve spent a lot of time during those three months asking myself why I waited this long to become politically involved. I grew up in a politically active household. I stayed informed about politics. I always voted. But I felt like being politically active was something that other people did.
• W e continue to draw attention to the impact the state budget’s deep cuts will have on students and our schools. We need educators to stand up and speak out against these devastating cuts. We need to engage parents and the community to stand up and speak out.
TANYA LOHR SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER MEMBER OF WEAC AND WEST BEND EDUCATION ASSOCIATION
I often shake my head at what it took for me to become politically active. It took our governor using the guise of a budget crisis to strip public unions of their bargaining rights for me to realize exactly how important those rights are. It took Draconian cuts to programs like BadgerCare for me to realize how many of my students depend on these programs for survival. And it took a slash in public education funding for me to realize that the end could be near for successful public schools.
While the support and advocacy of our union continues, the law changes the way we pay for membership. If you are working under a contract now, your membership and dues payment continue until the contract is changed or expires. If you are without a contract, you have been – or will be – asked to sign up and continue your benefits under local, state and national representation. To ensure we remain a strong and viable organization we are engaging in a summer organizing campaign; if you are without a contract and haven’t signed up with your union yet you can expect to be contacted by a colleague this summer. Visit weac.org for more about membership and what it means to you.
So here I am, three months into a new role as political activist. I’ve been to Madison 13 times (I even have a favorite parking spot now). I’ve attended rallies throughout my community, and I was one of the organizers of the Glenn Grothman recall effort. Scott Walker is banking on people like me fading back into the woodwork so he can continue his assault on Wisconsin’s middle class without opposition. It is our job to make sure that this kind of willful silence never happens again. – Tanya Lohr
For more information on how the collective bargaining bill, state budget, recall elections and WEAC’s membership recruitment campaign affect you, visit . weac.org
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Our union starts with you
WHAT DOES
MEMBERSHIP MEAN TO YOU? LEGAL SUPPORT
Affiliation gives you access to key legal services, giving you assurance to do your job. Assistance for members includes issues involving individual employment contracts, non-renewals, licensure, board hearings, and much more.
‘My union stands behind me and supports me so I can focus on teaching my students.’ << KIM HOFFMAN MUSIC TEACHER MEMBER OF WEAC AND ARROWHEAD UNITED TEACHERS
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
ADVOCATING FOR YOU AND YOUR CLASSROOM
Through our union, professional development is just a step away.
Political action is how we’ve made a difference in education. Using your experience in the classroom and shaping the future of education comes through political action. Through our union you harness the collective strength of educators – and represent your values in what public education should be for students across the state. You are the expert. You are the one who knows best how education policy affects students.
Updating your professional development plan, staying current on new instruction methods and technology, and enhancing your teaching credentials are all ways you can engage with colleagues across the state through WEAC. Our union has been a strong supporter of professional development, advocating for and creating programs for educators to improve teaching.
Kindergarten reform, tax credits for school purchases, laws that target bullying – those ideas came from educators in the classroom and are now state laws. As a part of WEAC you are part of a network of professionals creating change in education. Visit weac.org to take action.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
WHAT MATTERS TO YOU?
Through our union, communications and networking resources are at your fingertips.
Visit weac.org to find out more about what’s available to you as a union educator, and let us know how you use your membership. ■
As a union member you are plugged into resources that unite you with your peers and your community. Watch this summer for another edition of Classroom Connections, a free publication for parents that keeps them linked in to what you do in the classroom.
WEAC has been instrumental in promoting and implementing the National Board Certified Teacher program in Wisconsin. The NBCT accreditation process is proven to positively impact student performance. Our union has expanded the NBCT process, bringing a system to Bayfield that has the entire district starting the process to become certified. Visit weac.org to join your colleagues in professional development opportunities.
Stay connected... stay informed: For more information about WEAC and the benefits of union membership, visit weac.org. facebook.com/MyWeac
twitter.com/WEAC
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This summer...
Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund (symbol vbmfx): Actually not the total bond market. Limited to investment grade, now 25% corporate, 70% government, 5% foreign government. Current yield: 3%. Average maturity: Seven years; average duration: five years; 4,907 bond issues. Ten-year growth: about 70%. Remember, much of the growth was due to interest rates going down.
Take control of your personal finances
By Bob Moeller – WEAC Member Benefits moellerb@weac.org
U
se the power of knowledge to help you take control of your financial future. Whether you are just getting started or looking to find out if and when you can retire, help is here! Free financial seminars from WEA Trust Member Benefits will empower you to be your own $uper Hero. Seminars run from June 27 through August 18 at various locations around the state. Register online at weabenefits.com/superhero. Plus, register for Lunch and Learn offerings – an opportunity to learn about the importance of long-term care insurance while enjoying a free box lunch*. Retirement 101 For those considering retirement, this seminar will provide members with a general understanding of the three main sources of retirement income – Wisconsin Retirement System, Social Security, and personal savings. It will also help you understand the most common roadblocks that prevent a secure retirement. Finally, it will help you understand the different retirement planning solutions available. This seminar is appropriate for those within 10 years of retirement and will provide you with: • An overview of the sources of retirement income available to public school employees. • An understanding of common roadblocks to successful retirement planning. • A pre-retirement checklist of important things to consider. • Tools and solutions to help you achieve your retirement goals.
Lunch and Learn: Understanding Long-term Care Insurance Long-term care has been called “the greatest uninsured financial risk today.” This seminar will answer questions about this important coverage, including: • What long-term care insurance is and what it covers. • Why neither health insurance nor Medicare pays for extended personal care. • How much LTC costs – at home, in assisted living, and in nursing facilities. • Your options to personalize a policy and tailor it to fit your budget.
Shopping the bonds market
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n these days of low interest rates, members are always looking for a higher return, and frequently the talk turns to bond funds. Bond funds have done very well over the past 10 years, but that is no assurance at all that they will continue to do well. This article is designed to help you understand the risks of investment in debt such as bonds.
Investing 101 Learning the basics of investing is the first step to building an investment strategy. Many never get past this first step because they don’t have the time or are afraid it’s too complicated. If this describes you, this is your chance. Whether you are just starting out or have been investing and want to know more, this one-hour seminar will be a good investment of your time. You will learn: • The different asset classes and the role each plays in an investment portfolio. • How history lessons can help you with longterm investment strategies. • The importance of diversifying your investments. • How knowing your risk tolerance can help you sleep at night.
• How to avoid common investment mistakes. • How fees impact your investment returns. Seminars are free to attend, however if you choose to invest in the WEA Tax Sheltered Annuity Trust or WEAC IRA program fees will apply. Please consider all expenses prior to investing. Investments are not guaranteed and may gain or lose value. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Future performance may be lower or higher than past performance. *A box lunch will be provided for those who preregister online. Lunch and Learn not available at Madison offerings. Long-term care insurance products are underwritten by multiple LTC insurers. Program administered by LTCi Marketing Administrators, (LiMA). ■
Bonds are debt. There are corporate, federal government, and municipal bonds. In all of these, you loan your money, receive interest, and when the maturity date comes you get your money back. Corporate bond interest is fully taxed. Fed government interest is not Wisconsin taxed. Municipal government interest is not federal taxed. Generally, bonds are $1,000 bonds. They may sell for more or less than $1,000 depending on current interest rates. When interest rates go up, bond prices go down. The measure of this is called “duration” which is the vocabulary word for the day. Duration is a measure of how much a bond will change in price if interest rates go up or down 1%. Bond funds have done very well for the past 10 years mostly because interest rates have gone down. Imagine you purchased a 30-year bond 10 years ago when interest rates were 7% for that bond. You invested $1,000 and receive $70 per year for 30 years. Then you get your $1,000 back. Today, 10 years later, you effectively have left a 20-year bond, still paying $70 per year. The going rate on new 20-year bonds is about 5.5%. Suddenly you realize the 7% bond you have is
worth more than $1,000. Recently, for example I looked at a 21-year remaining Disney bond with a 7% coupon selling for $1,250 for a $1,000 bond. That means over the next 20 years you make interest of $70 per year, but lose about $12 per year principal since you will get back only $1,000 on maturity. This increase in price when interest rates went down is called duration change, and the reverse will happen if interest rates go up. Now, if you buy this Disney bond realizing what will happen over the next 20 years and fully intend to hold it for the 20 years, you don’t care about duration. You’ll get $1,000 back in 20 years plus $70 per year in interest, for a net return, called the “yield to maturity” of about 5.0%. If you understand and are satisfied with a long-term net return of 5.0% per year, investments like this are readily available. Also note that you will pay no annual fund fees to own these. Bond funds are different. They do not hold bonds for 20 years. They trade frequently. Duration is much more important to you in a bond fund. So are the annual fees. Vanguard has a lot of bond funds. I researched a few of them, as you can easily do by simply going to vanguard.com, going to the investor screen and clicking on “research” then “Vanguard funds.” You do not have to be a customer to do this.
Vanguard GNMA Fund (vfiix): All government-guaranteed mortgage securities, AAArated. Current yield: 3.16%; average maturity: 5.6 years; average duration: 4.4 years; just 34 huge bond issues. Ten-year growth: 70%. As mortgage rates drop or stay low, so will the yield here. Vanguard Intermediate-Term Bond Index Fund (vbiix): All investment-grade bonds. Current yield: 4.4% ; average maturity: 6.9 years; average duration: five years; 1,181 issues. Ten-year growth: 80%. Vanguard Long-Term Bond Index (vbltx): Up the most over 10 years (100%) because it holds long-term, high-duration bonds. If interest rates go up, this one will go down the most; 1,133 investment-grade bonds. Current yield: 5.0%; average maturity: 23.4 years; average duration: 12.9 years. Suggestions: Don’t buy high-duration funds. If you can plan your need for principal over the years, buy investment-grade individual bonds maturing whenever you wish the principal. Note: all data is as of May 2011 and can change very rapidly. This article is for informational purposes. ■
All Vanguard Bond funds have fees of about 0.25% per year, which is cheap. Here are some examples:
Leave a comment and read previous articles at weac.org/dollars.
O U R PA RT N E R S Be your own $uper Hero! Empower yourself this summer by attending financial seminars. Details and registration at
weabenefits.com/superhero 10
Strong Dependable Competitive
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SENATE RECALLS
LL A C RE
Be informed. Get involved!
33 Nob Hill Road, P.O. Box 8003 Madison, WI 53708-8003 800-362-8034
Recall drives are a way to voice your opinion on those who voted to take away your rights. They are a way to restore the balance of power in the state Senate.
www.weac.org
Petitions have been filed to recall nine senators in the state Legislature, six of them against those who sided with Walker against the working people of Wisconsin. Recall election primaries for Republican senators are set for July 12, with general elections following on August 9. Recall election primaries for Democratic senators will be July 19, with general elections on August 16. Get involved by finding out about what’s happening in your district. Visit for more information and ways to get involved.
weac.org/recall
IS YOUR SENATOR UP FOR RECALL? Here are the six senators up for recall who voted to remove your say in your profession, along with the candidates running against them recommended by your colleagues in the education profession: • Robert Cowles, Senate District 2 Recommended opponent: Nancy Nusbaum • Alberta Darling, Senate District 8 Recommended opponent: Sandy Pasch • Sheila Harsdorf, Senate District 10 Recommended opponent: Shelly Moore • Randy Hopper, Senate District 18 Recommended opponent: Jessica King • Dan Kapanke, Senate District 32 Recommended opponent: Jennifer Shilling • Luther Olsen, Senate District 14 Recommended opponent: Fred Clark
Additionally, 14 members of the state Senate opposed Walker’s attacks on workers, shining a light on the lies and tricks behind the antirights bill. Three of those senators who stood up for you are up for recall: • Jim Holperin, Senate District 12 • Robert Wirch, Senate District 22 • Dave Hansen, Senate District 30 All three are the recommended candidates in their districts. For more information on recall votes, including links to find your senator, visit weac.org/recall.
This is an 11.29 communication with WEAC members.