Wisconsin School News - August 2014 by WASB

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August 2014 | Volume 69 Number 2 T H E O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E W I S C O N S I N A S S O C I AT I O N O F S C H O O L B O A R D S, I N C.

John H. Ashley Executive Editor

Sheri Krause Director of Communications

Shelby Anderson Editor n REGIONAL OFFICES 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 ADVERTISING n 608-556-9009 • tmccarthy@wasb.org

INDOOR AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS BEGIN WITH AN ASSESSMENT OF EXISTING FACITILIES page 12

n WASB OFFICERS n

John H. Ashley Executive Director

Mike Blecha

Tops in Environmental Education

Shelby Anderson

Green Bay, Region 3 President

Jody Andres AIA LEED AP Improving Indoor Environmental Quality in Existing Schools

Wisconsin schools continue to lead the nation

Wanda Owens

Students First

Barneveld, Region 9 1st Vice President

Stu Olson Shell Lake, Region 1 2nd Vice President

Nancy Thompson Waterloo, Region 12 Immediate Past President

Small School District, Big Change

Shelby Anderson

Leading in Interesting Times Robert Davidovich & John Koehn School leaders must strike the right paradoxical balance between not changing and constantly adapting

Student-led project in Juda challenges other districts to make changes

n WASB BOARD OF DIRECTORS n Capt. Terry McCloskey, USN Retired Three Lakes, Region 2 Bill Yingst, Sr. Durand, Region 4

Alice Marquardt Rio, Region 10 Colin Butler Kettle Moraine, Region 11

D E P A R T M E N T S

C O L U M N S

Rick Eloranta Owen-Withee, Region 5

Patrick Sherman Genoa City J2/Lake Geneva, Region 13

Mary Jo Rozmenoski Black River Falls, Region 6

Terrence Falk Milwaukee, Region 14

3 Viewpoint — It Takes a Village to Advocate for Public Schools

Elizabeth Hayes Fond du Lac, Region 7

Ron Frea Pewaukee, Region 15

22 From the President — Help Guide Public Education

Steve Klessig Brillion, Region 8 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 © 2014 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.

2 News Briefs

23 WASB Insurance — Driving Personal Cars for School Use 24 Association News — WASB Fall Regional Meetings; Pre-Regional Meeting Workshops; WASB Partners with BoardDocs®

26 Legislative Update — School Budget Outlook 28 Legal Comment — Recent Cases and Important Issues Related to Public Participation 32 Service Associate Q&A — Kim Hassell of Plunket Raysich Architects

NEWS BRIEFS

DPI Recognizes First Class of Wisconsin Global Scholars

n June, seven students were recognized by the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) as Wisconsin Global Scholars, having been the first students in the state to earn the Global Education Achievement Certificate. The students graduated from three Wisconsin high schools.

b Kettle Moraine Global Charter

School: Ashley Blouin, Jessica Grubb, Margaret Kaufman, and Benjamin Shaver

b Plymouth High School: Kathryn Boenig

b Slinger High School: Kelsey Berg and Stephanie Blada

To earn the Global Education Achievement Certificate, students took four years of a world language

as well as four credits of globally connected classes in literature, history, social studies, mathematics, or the arts. Students also completed an extracurricular and community service project connected to a global community or global issue. Currently, 22 high schools in 20 school districts are part of the Wisconsin Global Schools Network. These schools adopted a Global Education Achievement policy that defines local requirements for their students to earn the Global Education Achievement Certificate. Those policies tend to incorporate existing resources into a set of globally connected courses and requirements that support students’ development as global citizens. n

STAT OF THE MONTH

$1,038 Amount by which Wisconsin has reduced its per-student spending between the 2008-09 and 2013-14 school years. Only Alabama has made greater cuts to per-student spending during the same period. Source: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Report Examines

Year-Round School Model

report from the Congressional Research Service revealed new data on year-round education in the U.S. Year-round schools are generally defined as schools that break up the traditional extended summer break and reallocate that time into regular breaks during the year. Some key stats from the report include:

b About 4 percent of all public schools operate on a year-round schedule;

b Between 2006-07 and 2011-12, the number of year-round schools increased by 26 percent; and

b The average number of instructional days for year-round schools was 189 days during the 2011-12 school year. The report doesn’t conclude if year-round schools are effective in increasing student achievement. However, it does acknowledge that research has shown year-round school to prevent the loss of learning over the summer, which may be a particular problem for children with special education needs. The report also lists cons such as increased costs and inconclusive evidence that it increases student achievement. n

Schools Help Grads Stay on Track for College

chools and universities are beginning to provide summer support to college-bound graduating seniors. Studies by Harvard’s University Center for Education Policy Research found that about 20 percent of graduating seniors from urban school districts end up abandoning their plans to attend college over the summer. In some cases, students are unable to secure enough financial

Wisconsin School News

aid but, in other instances, students simply fail to meet course enrollment deadlines or register for summer orientation programs. “[Students] get the acceptance letter and start the celebration” said Shauna Cunningham, a high school guidance counselor in St. Louis. “They don’t realize all the other steps.” Simple intervention efforts have shown to be successful. School districts in Massachusetts raised

the number of college-bound graduates successfully enrolling in college by sending students and parents automated text messages with reminders about financial aid and other deadlines. Students and parents could also text the number with any questions. In other cities, like St. Louis, non-profits have formed with the goal of helping recent high school graduates successfully enroll in college. n

VIEWPOINT

Jo h n H . A s h l e y

It Takes a Village to Advocate for Public Schools

t a recent conference, the CEO of Netflix, Reed Hastings, announced that “… the fundamental problem with school districts is not their fault, the fundamental problem is that they don’t get to control their boards.” Unfortunately, these kinds of statements are no longer surprising given the concerted effort to reduce the role of locally elected school boards across the nation while expanding the control of corporate school governance. Despite the lack of accountability to local voters or the ability to demonstrate widespread improved student achievement by private entities, some continue to advocate for the replacement of democratically elected school boards. Here in Wisconsin, there have been repeated (but as yet unsuccessful) legislative attempts to expand so-called “independent charters” outside of the Milwaukee and Racine area. Independent charters cut out involvement by the local school board. They exist by virtue of a performance contact (called a “charter”) that is between a nonschool-board “authorizer” and the operator of the charter school. Although independent charters are typically governed by an unelected board, there is no requirement that the members of these boards be residents of the community in which the independent charter is located or even that they have any connection to the community, period. Independent charters are funded as a guaranteed first draw on general aids, so they get funded before any state aid is distributed to local school districts governed by elected boards.

If we are to continue turning back the efforts to diminish the role of locally elected school boards, we need to engage our communities in advocating for public schools governed by boards accountable to the local voters. Community members should take ownership of their public schools, value their investment in it, and join the cause in standing up for public education. The National School Boards Association’s The Key Work of School Boards and Telling Your Story book provide guidance and direction to school boards on building collaboration and community engagement. Collaboration, admittedly, is not always easy work. Joining together parents, business partners, political leaders, and other community stakeholders involves relationship building. While there is no perfect formula, there are numerous strategies and ideas to consider that might help open your school district to stronger relationships. Look at your communications. Do they clearly and concisely demonstrate your mission or “brand”? Do they provide for two-way communication? Do they illustrate why your schools and services are of value to the entire community? Are they differentiated to better reach different target audiences (e.g., parents, staff, seniors, businesspeople, etc.)? Engaging your community requires keeping stakeholders well-informed and requires the district to listen to feedback. Look at your board meetings. Do you model the type of collaborative relationship you want to have with community members? Do you focus on the positive or negative? Are community members invited to participate

in any way? Effective meetings must be run in an orderly fashion and abide by legal requirements, but successful boards find a way to bring others to the table in some manner. The Key Work of School Boards, provides board members with questions the board can ask itself and its administrators: Do we provide leadership and take an active role in establishing collaborative relationships? What alliances and collaborations would most advance student achievement and support for your schools? Is the community well informed about the district’s vision, achievements, challenges and plans for improvement? How would your board answer those questions? It is amazing to see what districts can accomplish when they invest in building relationships with community members and businesses. In this magazine, we’ve featured stories describing some of the great partnerships between Wisconsin schools and business partners. These partnerships improve student learning and build support for your public schools. It is not easy work, but building and maintaining collaborative relationships with your community is essential to the success of public education. No doubt public education and our school boards will continue to receive criticism and be endangered by new governance methods aimed at removing locally elected school boards from the equation. That is why we need our community stakeholders to help us stand up for our schools and show why public education works in Wisconsin. n

Community members should take ownership of their public schools, value their investment in it, and join the cause in standing up for public education.

August 2014

Wisconsin School News

in Environmental Education Wisconsin schools continue to lead the nation

| Shelby Anderson

or the second year in a row, Wisconsin led the nation with the most schools recognized by the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Program. A total of five Wisconsin schools and one school district were honored for reducing their environmental impact, improving health and wellness among staff and students, and for providing effective environmental and sustainability education. Here is a look at some of the educational opportunities and green initiatives taking place at Wisconsin’s Green Ribbon Schools.

Park Elementary School

Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District

ark Elementary School holds a number of environmental-related events and projects throughout the school year, but, most importantly, students learn the “why” behind the events. Earlier this year, students held a “seed stomp.” Thousands of native plant seeds were collected and spread across a newly cleared area by the school and then the entire school body

stomped the seeds into the ground. “Just like the native bison did hundreds of years ago,” kindergarten teacher Amie Callies said. But before that event took place, students in each grade learned about the importance of native plants. Thirdgrade students visited class rooms and talked about why native plants are important to the local environment and the role they play in the ecosystem. “There is always a ‘why’ behind what we do,” Callies said. The school also benefits from its semi-rural location in Cross Plains. “We are very fortunate that we have a lot of ecosystems students can experience,” she said.

2014 Wisconsin GR E E N R I B B ON S C HOOL S Park Elementary School, Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District Tomorrow River Community Charter School, Tomorrow River School District Hurley K-12 School, Hurley School District Conserve School, Land O’ Lakes Greendale School District

August 2014

The school has a remnant prairie located on top of a hill behind the school. A remnant prairie is an original, native prairie that has survived on a site to the present day but was once part of a larger original landscape. The school has a large forest, vegetable garden, and a rain garden with thousands of native prairie plants. Partnerships have played a big role in the creation of the rain garden and other school projects. In 2006, Plastic Ingenuity, a local business, approached Callies about building a rain garden on the school’s grounds. A rain garden is a shallow depression filled with native

shrubs and plants and landscaped with stone or bark mulch. It is designed to capture and soak up rainwater runoff from a roof or other impervious areas. It benefits the local watershed by filtering and capturing stormwater runoff and can also provide habitat for wildlife. Callies secured a $20,000 grant and Plastic Ingenuity built the garden with the help of students. “The kids did all of the work,” Callies said. “They put the plants in the ground and made a public service announcement.” While students helped get the rain garden started, Plastic Ingenuity continues to maintain it today.

“Our older students can tell you exactly how the rain garden benefits our school grounds and local watershed because they learned about it as part of their science curriculum,” Callies said. Almost all classes in the school experience the different ecosystems surrounding the school. Callies gets her students out as often as she can. “Getting students outside is so important,” she said. “When students are outside, I see less behavior problems and they have better attention. I even see students’ self-confidence go up when they get outside to learn.”

COLBY SCHOOL DISTRICT Reduces Trash by Half with Milk Carton Recycling Program

hrough a partnership with the Cooperative Educational Service Agency (CESA) 10, the Colby School District has built a successful recycling milk carton program. Although the program started small, it is having a positive impact on the environment and the district’s budget. Prior to initiating the program, Melissa Rickert, CESA 10 Sustainability Specialist, contacted Advanced Disposal, the district’s local waste removal provider, to find out if the schools could include empty milk cartons in their single-stream recycling. The response was positive with the caveat that the cartons must be completely empty when included with the other recyclable materials. In January 2013, the elementary school piloted the program and began recycling milk cartons during the afternoon milk break. Teachers encouraged students to drink all their milk and if they did, they could place their cartons in a special recycling bin that would be taken to the main recycling area in the cafeteria. Prior to the recycling program, some teachers would empty milk cartons down the drain and others would have students throw the cartons that still contained milk in the regular trash. In the spring of 2013, the district received an IDEA Foundation grant to help purchase two, large, blue recycling bins dedicated to recycling milk cartons. The elementary school then started recycling cartons during lunch as well. With the success of the pilot, milk carton recycling during lunch was introduced at the beginning of the 2013-14 school year in all buildings. The district recently received a letter from Advanced Disposal commending the district’s recycling efforts, “By decreasing the volume of your trash, your schools were

Wisconsin School News

able to cut your average weight of trash by 50 percent. Your efforts will not only help the planet but also help control Colby Schools’ costs. You and your staff should be very proud of your efforts.” The district should see a reduction of over $1,000 in waste-related fees each month due to the increase in recycling efforts and subsequent reduction in trash. Recycling milk cartons is just one of the many ‘green’ initiatives Colby School District has implemented in the last few years. Colby Elementary School was recently recognized by the Wisconsin Green & Healthy Schools program at the Sugar Maple level—the highest possible level, for their success in demonstrating achievement in a number of sustainability areas. N For more information regarding Colby’s milk carton recycling efforts, contact Brenda Medenwaldt, Elementary Principal at bmedenwaldt@colby.k12.wi.us.

Environmental Education

RESOURCES

Tomorrow River Community Charter School

Tomorrow River School District

he Tomorrow River Community Charter School (TRCC) is evidence that parents are seeking schools with an environmental focus. The school just finished its first academic year and already has a waiting list. In its first year, the school had 58 students. For the second year, the school is adding on classrooms and will accommodate 108 students. There are plans to continue to add classrooms in the coming school years. In addition, 80 percent of the students who attended TRCC in its first year were from outside of the Tomorrow River School District. “The school is bringing a number of new students and families into the district,” said Chamomile Nusz, implementation grant coordinator at the school. Through a partnership with the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, the school is situated within the Central Wisconsin Environmental Station (CWES) a couple of miles north of Amherst in central Wisconsin. The school campus is surrounded by woods and is located near a lake — all of which play an active

part in the students’ learning. Students spend an average of two hours a day exploring 200 acres of pine and hardwood forests on Sunset Lake. A typical school day at TRCC is a not-so-typical school day at other schools. The school is based on the Waldorf school model, which emphasizes creative play and developing students’ artistic expression and social capabilities as well as fostering creative and analytical modes of understanding.

Wisconsin Environmental Education Board The WEEB is a consensusbuilding group on environmental education issues in Wisconsin, promoting environmental education in all segments of society. www4.uwsp.edu/cnr/weeb

Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education The WCEE assists in the development, dissemination, implementation and evaluation of teacher and student K-12 EE programs. www.uwsp.edu/cnr-ap/wcee

Environmental Education in Wisconsin This organization is devoted to promoting and developing environment education in Wisconsin. Also, includes resources and news related to environmental education in Wisconsin. eeinwisconsin.org

August 2014

“A big part of the Waldorf education is the belief that nature is the greatest inspiration for learning,” Nusz said. Outside of regular classroom instruction, students have a nature class twice a week. The classes are led by student teachers from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. The school has several gardens where a “garden intern” works with students and connects what they’re learning in the classroom to the garden. This site is incredible for outdoor learning,” Nusz said. “It’s really the perfect place for students to learn about and get acquainted with nature.” In addition to the regular classroom subjects, the school has a foreign language immersion program that begins in first grade. Classes emphasize art projects and creativity, and students also do wood working. “Our school is not just academics, we’re teaching the whole child — social and emotional,” Nusz said. “We don’t just want our students to know math, we want them to be able to approach any problem they face.”

Wisconsin School News

Hurley K-12 School Hurley School District

nvironmental education and sustainability have truly been a grassroots effort in the Hurley School District. “Our staff members kind of started it,” fourth-grade Teacher Ronda Olkonen said. “We have a lot of staff members that have a vested interest in the environment and have a background in environmental studies and conservation.” In addition to staff, the school has benefited from the help and support of local organizations including the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and a local engineering firm that built a bike path to the school. Partnerships and grants are crucial as the Hurley School District is working with limited resources in a rural location where more than 40 percent of students qualify as economically disadvantaged. Still, the district has been recognized for its many environmental education projects. This April, in partnership with the Iron County

Land and Water Conservation Department, the Hurley High School Woods and Water Club constructed and placed loon platforms on the Gile Flowage. The Woods and Water Club have received an award for their research work on the American Marten. Students are responsible for tracking, tagging and researching the animal’s movements and activities. The project has been ongoing for about 10 years. Environmental education in Hurley is not limited to the high school. For a fourth-grade science unit, students study Great Lakes rocks and minerals. One of the final projects is visiting Lake Superior and identifying 12 rocks and minerals onsite. Another popular project in the district is the school garden. Each year, elementary students plant a variety of vegetables that are ultimately used in district lunches or sold at the local Iron County Farmers Market. “Students are in charge of planting, maintaining and harvesting,” Olkonen said. “We see the learning curve really spike when students are engaged in these hands-on projects.” Olkonen’s son, who graduated this year, will be going to college to study environmental engineering. Olkonen says the district’s focus on environmental issues contributed to her son’s

‘Cool Choices’ Makes Going Green Fun Online game helps students and staff reduce energy consumption decision to pursue a career helping the environment. Many of the organizations give input and support to the school’s environmental efforts through the school’s Green Team, which formed in 2002 and includes input from staff and community members. “We try to keep our focus on the geographical area,” Olkonen said. “From elementary school on, we’ve really made it a priority to focus on the environment and hopefully our students will become stewards of our environment.”

Greendale School District District wide

he Greendale School District has taken its green efforts district-wide. It is one of only nine districts nationwide to receive the U.S. Department of Education’s District Sustainability Award. The district’s efforts focus on reducing energy consumption in all of its schools, improving student and staff wellness, and providing environmental education opportunities. This past school year, the district set an ambitious goal to reduce energy consumption by five percent in each of its five buildings. Unfortunately, with the harsh winter this proved to be a bigger challenge than expected. Still, one of its elementary schools reduced it kilowatt usage by more than nine percent. However, the district wasn’t always as energy-effiecient as it is today. In fact, 10 years ago, the district’s energy scores were well below average. Since then, the district has improved by replacing its heating plants with energy-efficient systems, built a solar energy system to heat its swimming pool, retrofitted all lighting in the district with energy-effiecient lighting, and, among other efforts, reduced the amount of paper that is used in its schools. “We’re pretty proud of the fact that we’ve reduced energy consump-

ecoming a Wisconsin Green & Healthy School (GHS) can be fun, social and easy! Due to a partnership with Cool Choices, a Wisconsin organization focused on making sustainable actions fun and easy, schools have an opportunity to play an electronic game that gives participants points for recording their green and healthy actions. The game is simple — you get points for doing and reporting sustainable actions. The more you do, the higher your status and the status of your team. The game also makes it easier to complete the GHS application while also providing a fun way for everyone to be part of the solution. This past school year, 79 students in Greendale Middle School participated in the game and took over 700 sustainable actions. More than 100 staff in the River Falls School District participated this past spring. “The Cool Choices game has definitely raised staff awareness on how they can contribute to sustainability and the conservation of resources at work,” said River Falls Principal Chuck Eaton. “But the game has also led to people talking to others and sharing ideas on how our district’s policies and choices contribute to becoming a Green and Healthy School.” For more information, visit coolchoices.com. To participate in Cool Choices this fall, sign-up for free at http://bit.ly/SrTgLd.” N

tion at our schools consistently over the last five years,” said Erin Green, business manager for the Greendale School District. In fact, a report compiled this year found that total energy costs were only 54 cents per square foot for the Greendale High School. An average comparable building draws $1.14 per square foot in energy expenses.

The district has also taken its school gardens to a new level. Three of the five schools in the district have gardens. The garden at the high school has areas set aside for each school in the district to be used for instruction and, of course, growing vegetables. This past school year, more than 700 pounds of vegetables were harvested from the garden. Much of it

August 2014

Hydroponic Greenhouse Allows School to Grow Greens Year Round was used in the district’s cafeterias. The district also encouraged students to eat fresh vegetables and try new ones straight from the district’s gardens through a program called Free Sample Fridays. The school district also places an emphasis on tying learning to its environmental initiatives. This school year, the district registered two new school forests with the DNR. Students were heavily involved in the process. Science classes took their learning outdoors and students helped improve the forests, building trails and removing invasive species. The high school’s Advanced Placement Environmental Studies class used the forest as part of its curriculum. Next school year, the district hopes to have students help the DNR develop a forestry plan. Most importantly, the district continues to find new ways to immerse students in environmental education and challenge itself to reduce its environmental footprint. The district has been working with

his school year, students at Sparta High School were served lettuce that was grown down the hall in the school’s hydroponic greenhouse. “This is so exciting to have kids producing hydroponic lettuce that we can use in the cafeteria for our high school students,” said Cindy Thesing, nutrition services supervisor. “This is a fantastic opportunity for all of the kids involved in this new growing venture.” The equipment was purchased through a Transform Wisconsin Food Systems Impact grant the school district received with Tomah and Norwalk-Ontario-Wilton school districts. Efforts have focused on increasing farm to school efforts and bringing local produce to the students’ meal trays. The hydroponic equipment will allow continued local produce during the academic school years when school gardens are not in production. “Our students have really bought into this idea of growing food for our cafeteria. This is one of the things that the students are constantly checking out,” said Sparta High School Agriculture Teacher Eric Follendorf. “Every week they made comments about how much it has grown since the previous day.” N

CESA 10. It has established a sustainability committee, which includes staff and community members alike. “We continue to seek out ways to enhance our environmental education curriculum to provide students

Wisconsin Association of School Boards

with opportunities to learn more about stewardship of natural resources and to enhance their ‘green’ life skills,” said Superintendent John Tharp. n Anderson is editor of the Wisconsin School News.

Policy Resource Guide

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Contact the WASB today to subscribe! wasb.org - (toll free) 877-705-4422

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Your gateway to a storehouse of school policy information. 10

Wisconsin School News

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SMALL SCHOOL DISTRICT, BIG CHANGE Student-led project in Juda challenges other districts to make changes

he Juda School District has cut its energy usage through a multi-year, student-led class project. The project is led each year by teacher Scott Anderson as part of his physics class. When he begins his class in the fall, he doesn’t know what shape that year’s project will take until his students brainstorm long-range goals. The only rule for the goals is that they must ultimately have positive community impacts. “I challenge them to make realworld changes,” Anderson says. The first year Anderson held the

special, project-based physics class, students investigated options to help the school district reduce its energy usage. The students concluded that a roof-mounted solar panel array would benefit the district. The students gathered bids from multiple suppliers, checked and organized permits, completed an energy audit, updated project progress to the school board and many other tasks. This past school year, Anderson’s physics class set a goal to generate 10 percent of the school’s energy needs through solar power. Building

Anderson’s physics class set a goal to generate 10 percent of the school’s energy needs through solar power.

Wisconsin School News

| Shelby Anderson on work from the prior class, the class installed 24 solar panels last October and then, after receiving additional funding, 12 more in the spring. Ultimately, the panels ended up generating 8 percent of the school’s energy needs, still making a positive impact on the students and the school. The good news is that the project isn’t over. It will be picked up again in the fall by Anderson’s next set of students, who will set a goal for the school year and set out to achieve it.

| Project Based Learning At the beginning of last school year, when his class decided they wanted to meet 10 percent of the district’s energy needs through solar power, Anderson and the class set goals to track their progress over the course of the school year. These included timelines for raising funds to purchase the solar panels, research, and, ultimately, the purchase and installation of the panels. Along the way, students found their niche in the project. While some of the responsibilities were outside the normal scope of a physics class (fundraising, communications, video production), Anderson said the class also learned physics through the scope of the project — learning about electrical and gravitational forces, thermodynamics, and more. “I’ve never minded exactly how it ties to the curriculum,” Anderson said. “I know that the students are learning and that they are remembering what they are learning.” In addition to learning, the students have helped secure funding for their solar panel project. Last spring, the district received a $3,755 grant from Focus On Energy. This grant helped the district clear a big hurdle towards the additional funding the project needed. That grant, along with funding from student organizations and local businesses, brought the project to a reality. Since then, Juda has been able to get additional financial help. In December, Anderson and his class were named the state winner of the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow award. The program funds education projects that are aimed at getting students interested in STEM subject areas. In February, WEA Trust awarded the class $2,500 as part of its Forward Together Award given to schools undertaking innovative education projects. Juda was one of two schools awarded the honor out of 150 applicants.

| Project to Remember Anderson admits that he doesn’t remember much from his high school science classes as a student. That was part of the reason he created the special, student-led project at Juda. So far, the project seems to be having an effect on students. Comments from senior exit surveys said that they will remember this project the best out of all their high school work. Another student said he “felt like I can do anything” after completing the project. Each year, Anderson said, the project affects students differently. Based on their experiences with the project, one student is going to the University of Wisconsin-Madison to

major in engineering. Another student, who made videos on the project’s progress, found a calling producing videos. Another student discovered a natural ability as a salesperson. “Students are an untapped resource,” Anderson said. “It’s amazing what they can accomplish.” Anderson admits that the beginning of each school year can be challenging as students feel frustrated and aren’t sure what the first steps should be. But each year ends with something that students can be proud of. “I guide the class but I also let them find their own way,” Anderson said. n Anderson is editor of the Wisconsin School News.

Start a Green Initiative in Your District

s the state winners of the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow award, the Juda School District is eager to share how they’ve outfitted their small school district with solar panels at relatively no cost to the district. As described in the article, the solar panel project was a student-led effort with students securing funding and researching which solar panels would work best for their school. Teacher Scott Anderson said the project provided realworld learning opportunities for his students and will benefit the school district long term. “Every district should be doing this,” Anderson said. For more information on starting a green initiative in your district, visit judaschool.com and select “Green Energy Initiative” under “Our District.” N

August 2014

STUDENTS First Improving Indoor Environmental Quality in Existing Schools | Jody Andres AIA LEED AP

he Green Lake School District’s building in central Wisconsin was constructed in the 1950’s and faced a situation common to many older schools throughout the United States. The roof leaked, windows were in abysmal shape, the heating bill was too high and rising, entryways were in poor form and not inviting, and band and choral rooms were deficient. If that wasn’t enough, the old windows on the west-facing classrooms had been almost entirely covered over with a wall material to control glare and provide a level of thermal improvement. In those classrooms that faced south, heavy curtains were typically drawn shut to control glare. But, these challenges didn’t keep administrators from setting high indoor environmental quality (IEQ) standards as they planned and designed their remodeling project. | Indoor Air Quality Buildings with improved air quality realized an average reduction of 38.5 percent in asthma-related issues, according to a review by Carnegie Mellon of five separate studies. Research has also revealed a reduction in the episodes of colds and flu when air quality is enhanced. The benefits of evaluating air quality and taking proper measures to improve it are significant.

Wisconsin School News

When considering a remodel project, indoor air quality improvements should begin with an assessment of current conditions in existing facilities, such as looking for mold and mildew caused by excessive humidity or moisture intrusion. These conditions can exist without being apparent, for example, in tunnels, crawl spaces, attics, or in concealed ductwork and chases. In addition, irritating airborne particulates can gather over many years in any path of air transfer if the building envelope is not sealed entirely or the ductwork is not regularly maintained or properly filtered. Cleaning products can have a sizable impact on the health of those using your facility. Make sure to educate your facilities staff on the impact of cleaning product choices and their application on the health and welfare of students and staff. New York state school districts are now mandated to reduce the exposure of children and school

When considering a remodel project, indoor air quality improvements should begin with an assessment of current conditions in existing facilities.

personnel to harmful cleaning substances. As a result, every public school in the state is cleaned with environmentally friendly goods. | Keep an Eye on the HVAC When considering air quality, be certain to examine your HVAC (heating, ventilating and air conditioning) system. This was a significant aspect of the 39,500-square-foot renovation in Nekoosa High School. The multilevel facility had an antiquated HVAC system that was replaced with an energy-efficient system that included a state-of-the-art digital control system. This ultimately resulted in improved air quality

while holding energy consumption stable despite some additional square footage and the introduction of air conditioning. To maintain an HVAC system that contributes to better air quality, be certain to inspect the system regularly including checking the operation of energy recovery units, dampers, and building schedules, and establishing a maintenance plan. Changing filters consistently, draining condensation pans, and keeping unit ventilators free of papers and books will contribute to a healthier environment. Regular cleaning of return registers, outdoor air intakes and supply diffusers are wise investments.

| Defer to Daylighting Windows frequently encompass a noteworthy percentage of the exterior wall area of schools and account for a sizable impact on the heating and cooling load of facilities. In recent years, many technological advances have enhanced the thermal performance of windows, providing fewer classroom distractions due to a greater consistency of visual and thermal comfort. These technologies include items such as improved framing materials, better edge-sealing techniques, low-conductance gas fills, edge spacers, and low-emissivity and solar control coatings. These advances can be combined or used individually to optimize performance.

August 2014

Case in point, over 21,000 students took part in the Heschong Mahone Daylighting Study that showed a strong connection between student performance and day-lit school environments. It confirmed that math and reading scores increased in well-lit environments. The study showed a 20 percent faster progression in math and a 26 percent faster progression in reading. Knowing the impact of daylighting should influence decisions. Key steps in the Green Lake remodel included uncovering the expansive window openings on the west-facing classrooms to provide natural lighting, installing high-performance windows with lower visual transmittance and lower solar heat gain to losses. Daylighting and improved tification if desired by the district, control glare and unwanted heat, views have such a positive impact on provide direction to make wise and and making roof repairs. student and teacher health and sense principled decisions regarding the Assessing the lighting levels and planning, design and construction of of well-being that it’s worth the light quality in relation to the visual healthy classrooms. The U.S. Green investigative effort to determine the tasks being performed should be a Building Council (USGBC) deserves best solution. vital consideration in the discovery credit for the work they’ve done phase of every project. Overlighting | IEQ — Not by Chance with LEED for Schools to move with daylight or electric lights as toward greater sustainability and As you consider a new construction well as poor quality lighting (low healthier educational environments. or a renovation project, be certain CRI-color rendering index) are that your planning approach concommon problems that reduce | Sensible Sound siders the four critical components teacher and student productivity and of Total Project Management: Acoustics are an important element waste energy. Underlighting is rarely healthy productive environments, of LEED for Schools. High stanan issue for schools, but should also capital costs, life-cycle cost savings, dards for reverberation time, backbe avoided. For classrooms or offices where computer use is ground noise, and dominant, lower light sound transmission levels are recomcoefficients (STC) are mended and favored critical to being certain and light by users. These are that students hear important considerquality in relation to the visual tasks what’s important. ations, whether you’re Properly designed being performed is a vital consideration. designing new space or walls and doors with considering a remodel high STC will reduce such as the ones at room-to-room crossNekoosa or Green talk; careful selection and sustainable design and delivery. Lake. of ceiling tiles can swiftly help you If every decision satisfies all four of Current product knowledge, reach an acceptable level for reverberthese components, you’ll realize a combined with strategic product ation time. In addition, appropriately great solution. placement by the design team, will designed and placed HVAC vents and LEED (Leadership in Energy and help to determine the right window lined ductwork contribute to Environmental Design) can provide system to effectively and efficiently a great roadmap towards a healthier manage lighting levels, glare, and improved understanding of speech. unwanted solar heat gains and classroom. LEED standards, and cerIn urban settings, hitting the

Assessing the lighting levels

Wisconsin School News

background noise target for LEED can be more challenging. Be certain to use exterior windows that will cut distracting noise. This reinforces the importance of establishing a sound level goal in the initial stages with the planning and design team. It’s also important to engage the proper consultants to assist with the design of specialized spaces such as gymnasiums, music rooms and auditoriums and more technical aspects of the project. Be certain to include acoustical elements in the project, even when budgets are pressed. The influence of sound can truly impact the ability to teach and learn. | New Construction Too At River Crest Elementary in Hudson, the layout of the school takes advantage of northern and southern exposure for most classroom spaces. All classrooms and most regularly occupied spaces enjoy

natural light. Clerestory windows illuminate the entry foyer, gym, and cafeteria, and skylights grace the staff and music rooms. Northland Pines High School in Eagle River also receives great benefit from daylighting. Strategic placement of high-performance windows, which manage glare and heat gain, and high ceilings add daylight to classrooms while helping to manage glare and heat gains and losses. At Northland Pines and River Crest Elementary, achieving high indoor air quality comes from a mixture of low- or no-VOC (volatile organic compounds) products specified for paints, adhesives, furniture, flooring systems, and carpeting, and the monitoring of carbon dioxide levels. At River Crest, classrooms employ air supply systems that provides the desired levels of outside air. Classrooms, offices, and other areas have the choice of using natural

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ventilation. Carbon dioxide levels are constantly monitored to make sure air quality is at the prescribed levels for LEED requirements. | Plan for IEQ The benefits of better acoustics, enhanced daylighting, proper HVAC, and healthier air quality are numerous and can positively impact all who occupy your school. Take the time to plan and design for it in your next project and let the physical environment help your students and faculty excel. n Jody Andres, AIA LEED AP, is a Project Architect at Hoffman Planning, Design & Construction, Inc. Andres is a LEED AP (Accredited Professional) and the current President of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Wisconsin. Andres has worked with more than 50 school districts on PreK-12 educational facilities, providing needs assessment, planning, programming, and design services.

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August 2014

Leading

in Interesting Times

School leaders must strike the right paradoxical balance between not changing and constantly adapting

he fabled expression, “May you live in interesting times,” is certainly fitting for today’s school environment. However, as a school board member, you may be wondering whether this is a blessing or a curse. Either way you interpret it, there is no denying that public schools, and all people connected with them, are living in interesting times. An important question to consider is: How do you lead in these times? Businesses, institutions, and organizations in all sectors of society are scrambling to keep up in a world of rapid acceleration of change. It is not just the pace, but also the unpredictable intensity of change that holds the potential for renewal or demise. Today a hard-to-notice ripple on the horizon can become a tsunami overnight. React too soon, or too late, and you could be out of business. Get it right, and you enter a new cycle of prosperity. For education, we are in a time of transition. Educators are finding that the landscape is changing. This shifting environment is accentuated by paradoxical legislation and societal demands, including:

b To add expenses (i.e., tech-

nology) while revenues decrease.

b To increase student achievement of content standards while customizing instruction to meet the

Wisconsin School News

| Robert Davidovich & John Koehn

needs of each individual student.

b To stick to the “tried and true” core while developing 21st century learners.

b To manage people in environ-

ments of increased accountability while setting them free to innovate.

In short, these interesting times demand that board members— and everyone else associated with public schools — collectively work within the expectation of retaining fundamental aspects of schooling while at the same time endlessly adapting to meet new challenges. As educators, our moral imperative is to prepare the next generation for their future, not our past. This always has been the responsibility of a society’s elders — and it always will be. Doing so is easier when the future of the next generation is expected to be similar to the experiences of the present generation. It becomes much more difficult when the next generation faces a future that cannot be clearly imagined or accurately forecast. Today, school leaders are facing important questions:

b How do we do more with less? b What role should technology play?

b How do we prepare students for

meaningful jobs that are yet to be created?

b Can we get to where we need

to be by continuously improving schools, or does our journey require us to design and follow a different path?

| Technical Problems and

Adaptive Challenges

How we answer these questions starts with how we see the problem. If we see our schools as needing to be fixed, then an “All you need to do is …” mindset drives our actions. If we see our schools as needing to adapt to meet the needs of society, then we recognize that no one person has all of the answers. Diverse perspectives and the commitment of everyone are needed to solve our problems. In their 2002 book, Leadership on the Line, Ronald Heifetz and Martin Linsky describe problems as being in two categories: technical problems and adaptive challenges. Technical problems are those where people apply current know-how to develop solutions. Adaptive challenges are those where a new way needs to be learned in order to solve the problem. These challenges are addressed through new discoveries and new learning and require adjustments in attitudes, values, and behaviors.

Leaders’ understanding of the difference between these two types of problems is a key factor in determining whether our times are a blessing or a curse. The authors warn that leadership failures often stem from treating adaptive challenges like technical problems. When you advocate for fixing schools, you are framing issues as technical problems. Certainly that’s true for some issues, such as increasing student achievement or managing with fiscal responsibility. When facing technical problems, we call on the work of experts and seek best practices. Adaptive challenges require a new approach, one that we must design and develop because the past context does not fit the new situation. Sometimes, strategies that have been successful in the past actually hinder our ability to solve new problems. More and more of the issues schools face are adaptive challenges, such as creating a system where every student is career- or college-ready.

creative thinking and problem solving. Our Industrial Age school system was not designed to produce this type of student. We need our system of education to produce something different. This is an adaptive challenge. Our past experience of fixing schools limits our ability to transform them. School leaders need to recognize that it is important to help our system of education get better — but getting better alone will not meet the challenges we face. Getting better at the old ways is not enough. School board members also must help their system become different.

Recognize that there is a time to lead and a time to manage — and they involve very different skills.

b Accepting “all you have to do”

solutions and “quick fixes” to complex problems. A school system is complex and full of variables that ultimately affect its effectiveness. There are no “silver bullets” designed to deal with adaptive problems.

 SLOW DOWN:

b Take time for reflection. Use this time to think the problem through from varied perspectives. Expect others to do so as well.

Schools don’t need to be fixed.

They need to evolve.

| The Past and the Present Our schools once were charged with a different responsibility than they are presently. When we were an industrial nation, employees capable of working in highly structured jobs without the need for critical thinking or problem-solving were in demand. Today, global competition requires our schools to produce students with different capabilities. We need self-regulating and independent learners who enter the workforce capable of high levels of

| Green, Yellow, Red In our work with school districts, we see that board members are increasingly concerned about their role. Serving as a board member in these times means that you will be wrestling with paradoxes, contradictions, conflict-ridden options, and many uncertainties. As you think of your duties and responsibilities, you might want to consider the following metaphor: traffic lights. They tell us when to stop, when to slow down, and when to go. Let’s apply this metaphor and relate it to your decision-making process.  STOP:

b Looking back and relying on the

“tried and true” when attempting to solve the really big problems. We are referring not to the technical problems, but to the big, unsolved, adaptive problems. Remember: Treating an adaptive challenge as a technical problem is a recipe for failure.

b Relying on a command-and-

control method of leadership.

b Look for what the data say about the capacity of your system as a whole, rather than the effectiveness of its parts.

b Be watchful of “surface-level

innovation.” Innovation is less about doing new things and more about doing things in new ways.

b Read, ponder, reflect, and read

some more. Challenge your own status quo so that you can learn, unlearn, and relearn.

 GO:

b Continually focus on your sys-

tem’s core values, beliefs, and mission. The only way to navigate through turbulence is by constantly referencing your compass: your core values and beliefs.

b Make friends with change.

Where you stumble, therein your treasure lies. Amplify disturbances; don’t try to make them go away too quickly. Innovative leaders use creative tension to disturb the system in order to help it let go of unproductive ideas so that new, more powerful ideas can develop.

b Listen, listen, listen. Listen for

what is meant, not just what is

August 2014

spoken. Listen to a diverse array of perspectives and ask clarifying questions.

b Be a catalyst for change — not just for best practices but also for “next practices.” Keep in mind that change starts from within. You can’t ask others to change without changing your own perspectives. Consider the perceptual shift caused by systems guru Russell Ackoff when he stated, “It is better to do the right thing wrong than the wrong thing right. This is very significant because almost every problem confronting our society is a result of the fact that our public policymakers are doing the wrong things and are trying to do them righter.” b Understand your superinten-

dent’s change leadership style. Your most important role is to hire someone to lead in this environment. Leading innovation requires a different set of

skills than does leading improvement. You and your superintendent have to be the catalyst for leading the community to a supportive understanding of the adaptive challenges schools face. | Evolve, Don’t Fix These are times of turbulence and uncertainty. Expect this to be the norm: The pace of change will not slow down. As futurist Ray Kurzweil tells us, “The 21st century will be equivalent to 20,000 years of progress at today’s rate of progress; about 1,000 times greater than the 20th century.” Take a deep breath. You don’t have to fix things. Schools need to evolve, not be fixed. You don’t have to be the hero who has all the answers — and don’t expect top administrators to be that either. Leading others in solving adaptive challenges requires creating opportunities to engage more people more deeply rather than just relying on the thinking of those at the top. Leading is not all about change. To thrive, it is important to strike the

right paradoxical balance between not changing and constantly adapting. It is more important than ever to articulate, reference, and champion your district’s core purpose, mission, and values. These shouldn’t change significantly. Use them to make sense of the changes around you and to continually renew your purpose so that what it means to live the mission constantly adapts without losing its essence. Leading in interesting times requires seeing problems as opportunities. In this environment, understanding how to lead for innovation is an essential leadership attribute. The most important innovation you can make is to innovate the way you lead. n Robert Davidovich is an assistant professor in the School of Leadership at Cardinal Stritch University. John Koehn is a consultant and facilitator of strategic planning. They are co-founders of Leadership Enterprises and co-authors of The King’s Baker: A Tale of a Journey to Innovative Leadership. Reprinted with permission from American School Board Journal. Copyright 2013 National School Boards Association. All rights reserved.

WASB

BUSINESS HONOR ROLL

Recognize the local businesses that support your schools Nominate them for the 2014 WASB Business Honor Roll The WASB invites member school boards to submit the names of up to five local businesses, including newspapers or other media, that 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.

• All nominated businesses will be posted on the WASB website for one year. • Districts will be provided a sample press release and a personalized certificate to present to the business(es). • Select nominees and the stories of their successful partnerships will be featured in the Wisconsin School News.

Submit your Business Honor Roll nominations at wasb.org by Friday, August 15, 2014!

Wisconsin School News

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At Security Health Plan, we know you need to find the right health plan for your school district. Whether you are fully insured or self-funded, we have the experience to help you build a benefit plan that works for your school. Call 800-622-7790 or visit securityhealth.org for more information.

LSB 6229-03

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Mike Blecha

Help Guide Public Education Submit a resolution to the WASB Policy and Resolutions Committee

hen school board members talk, the WASB listens. That, in essence, is how the Wisconsin Association of School Boards directs legislative advocacy through its Delegate Assembly. Resolutions adopted by the Delegate Assembly at the annual State Education Conference in Milwaukee in January guide our lobbyists as they advocate on behalf of public education. Dan Rossmiller, the veteran government relations director for WASB, refers often to those resolutions when visiting the offices of state legislators. Those resolutions carry a lot of weight, as legislators know that resolutions passed by the Delegate Assembly are the official position of WASB, the premier voice of public education in Wisconsin. That’s why, as your WASB president, I am urging you as members of the 424 school boards in Wisconsin to consider submitting a resolution this year. The deadline: Sept. 15. The resolutions submitted by individual school boards go to WASB’s Policy and Resolutions Committee for consideration. That committee meets Sept. 26-27 in Madison and again Nov. 7 prior to the Legislative Advocacy Conference in Stevens Point the following day. The committee consists of two school board members from each of WASB’s 15 regions, as appointed by the regional directors, and the four members of WASB’s Executive Committee. The committee has two basic charges: examine the proposed resolutions to make sure they don’t duplicate existing resolutions already on the books, and to advance resolutions that are worthy of debate by the Delegate Assembly.

Wisconsin School News

Every school district and all 12 CESAs are allowed a representative at the Delegate Assembly. I’ll let Rossmiller explain the significance of the resolution process: “The positions taken by these resolutions inform and guide the WASB’s staff lobbyists as they develop legislation for introduction by lawmakers and as they respond to legislation already proposed or introduced by legislators,” Rossmiller explained. “Because we follow the Delegate Assembly process, the WASB’s policies are member driven, not staff driven.” Listening to school board members debate the resolutions, Rossmiller said, “helps our lobbyists to be able to develop arguments in support of the WASB positions when they are testifying in legislative committees or meeting with legislators to discuss proposals on a particular topics on which the WASB has adopted a resolution.” Here’s a sampling of resolutions on critical educational issues that were passed by overwhelming margins in January:

b The WASB supports legislation

to allow local districts the maximum latitude in determining the number of days of direct pupil instruction using the hours required under current law, and in determining what constitutes a day of school. (This resolution played a role in the Legislature ending the 180-day school calendar mandate).

b The WASB supports adoption

and implementation of the Common Core State Standards at all grade levels in the content areas of English language arts, mathematics and literacy (in all content areas) which are aimed

at placing all Wisconsin students on track to graduate from high school, ready for college or careers.

b The WASB opposes any legislative or regulatory efforts to limit or to dictate the level of the general fund balances that a local school district must maintain.

b Private and parochial schools that accept state funding through taxpayer-financed vouchers must be held to the same state statutory requirements, testing requirements and accountability standards as public schools, without exception.

b Private vouchers schools must be subject to and comply with the Open Meetings Law and Public Records Law that apply to public schools. I chaired the Policy and Resolutions Committee last year and witnessed school board members coming to the process with open minds, willing to listen to arguments made by fellow committee members. Those principled discussions that took place centered around how to best serve the more than 800,000 students educated daily in Wisconsin’s public schools. I’ll repeat the message that I first delivered in January at the State Education Convention as incoming WASB president: Public schools educate every child, every day. Every child, every day. WASB’s Delegate Assembly is true democracy in action. Please consider being a part of that critical process by submitting a resolution. n Blecha is 2014 president of the WASB and a member of the Green Bay Area Public School Board.

WASB INSURANCE

John Gibson

Driving Personal Cars for School Use Minimize your district’s risk with policies & coverage options

here are many situations in which an employee drives his or her personal auto to perform a school-related task or activity: travel between buildings, home visits, transportation for cooperative activities, travel home from work-related events and even quick stops to pick up food for a meeting. It is important to consider the risk that occurs in these everyday school sponsored functions. Driving a personal auto in lieu of a school-owned vehicle may seem to minimize the school’s liability, but schools can be held partially liable for damages in the event of an accident, and if an insurer discovers the individual was driving for the school, it may take action against the employer for subrogation purposes. If the employee is making a school-related phone call or taking part in any school-related activity, the employer will be held accountable. When employees will be driving their own cars for school, there are several actions you can take as an employer to mitigate risk. | Purchase Hired and

Non-owned Coverage Any company that allows or requires employees to use their personal vehicles for school business should either purchase hired and nonowned coverage or add it to an existing automobile policy by having a symbol 1. Hired coverage is for situations in which autos are not owned by the

school or the driver, and non-owned coverage protects the school against liability when vehicles that are owned by employees are used on behalf of the school. In the event of an accident, these policies supplement the driver’s personal auto policy, which is typically activated first and the cost to add this coverage is minimal. Having high uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage above the minimum statutory limits is an important coverage as well. A school would be protected under the uninsured motorist coverage if an employee was hit by another driver. Worker’s compensation would protect the driver. The school’s policy would be secondary to the driver’s personal auto policy. | Use a School Policy to

Reduce Risk According to estimates by the National Safety Council, over one million car crashes annually are attributable to cellphone use while driving. Since distracted driving accidents can have serious implications for schools, a school policy that emphasizes the importance of driving attentively and restricts the use of mobile phones is essential to preventing employee accidents in all vehicles, both personal and school-owned. In addition, the policy should clearly state when the use of a personal vehicle will be expected or allowed, and all employee job descriptions should specify when driving a personal vehicle will be a job function. The WASB Policy

Services is a great resource for sample driving policies. As a condition to employment and thereafter at least on a yearly basis, those employees driving personal vehicles should be required to provide: b Proof of a driver’s license. b Motor vehicle safety inspection certificates. b Copy of insurance certificates proving liability coverage at or above an established company limit including personal injury and medical limits. Proof that the employee has b declared the use of the auto for school to his or her insurer. Exhaustive lists of all prescribed b controlled medications. Further, you should reserve the right to check motor vehicle records annually or more frequently. | Enforce the Policy After the driving policy has been instated, it should be actively communicated and enforced. Administrators of employees utilizing personal vehicles should be directed to monitor the safety and maintenance of those vehicles. Employees found out of compliance with the school policy should be subject to reassignment or termination. It is every school’s responsibility to ensure its employees’ safety on the job, and those that use personal vehicles on school use are no exception. n John F. Gibson, CIC, CSRM, is vice president of TRICOR Insurance.

Any company that allows or requires employees to use their personal vehicles for school business should either purchase hired and non-owned coverage or add it to an existing automobile policy.

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

Upcoming Events A look at Fall Regional Meetings and Pre-Regional Meeting Workshops

WASB Fall Regional Meetings

he WASB Fall Regional Meetings bring together school leaders in their respective WASB regions to recognize accomplishments, listen to a feature presentation, and hear about WASB’s activities and plans. This year, the feature presentation will highlight two integrated tools to help school boards enhance their board development and create excellence in public education:

b The Key Work of School Boards developed by the NSBA. The Key Work is a framework for effective school governance consisting of eight action areas.

b The Annual Board Development

Tool created by the WASB and School Perceptions. The Annual Board Development tool is an online evaluation survey that allows board members to rate their work in 12 governing areas.

The WASB and School Perceptions are pleased to announce that the Annual Board Development Tool will be available to all WASB members as a complimentary service in 2014-15. Attend the Regional Meeting to receive your district’s implementation packet. In addition to the feature presentation, the Regional Meetings take time to recognize school board members who have reached a new level in the WASB Board Development Program. School board members earn points by attending WASB and National School Boards Association (NSBA) programs and activities. WASB Executive Director John Ashley will wrap up the meeting with the Executive Director’s Report, which will inform members about the activities and future director of the WASB.

For more information, visit wasb.org.

This year, the Regional Meetings feature presentation will highlight two integrated tools – the Key Work of School Boards and the Annual Board Development Tool.

Wisconsin School News

Pre-Regional Meeting Workshops

n order to serve and govern effectively, school board members must comply with a variety of legal and financial requirements. The WASB is offering workshops prior to the 2014 Regional Meetings to address these critical roles and responsibilities.

The Legal Roles and Responsibilities of School Boards. This two-hour workshop will provide an overview of key areas of Wisconsin law, including open meetings, public records, conflicts of interest, liability and risk management, and a board’s power and duties.

Sept. 17 | Elkhorn, Region 13 Sept. 30 | Rothschild, Region 5

Oct. 7 | Green Bay, Region 3

Oct. 8 | Kiel, Region 8

Oct. 14 | Fennimore, Region 9 Oct. 21 | Washburn, Region 1 Oct. 28 | Madison, Region 12

The Financial Roles and Responsibilities of School Boards. This twohour workshop will provide an overview of key areas of school district budgeting for school board members, including relevant statutes, the budgeting process, effective and efficient resource utilization, and community participation.

Sept. 18 Sept. 23 Oct. 1 Oct. 9 Oct. 22 Oct. 23 Oct. 29

Workshops will be held immediately prior to the Regional Meetings from 4-6 pm. The workshops will be in the same facility as the Regional Meeting. Registration is separate. The cost is $85 per person. Members are welcome to attend workshops in multiple regions.

WASB Partners with BoardDocs®

he WASB is partnering with BoardDocs® paperless meeting solutions to help Wisconsin districts streamline meeting information, reduce staff time, and improve board effectiveness. With WASB BoardDocs, the goal is to help school leaders improve their governance processes so they can further enhance educational opportunities for all students. As the pioneer of eGovernance, BoardDocs has unparalleled experience helping school districts improve communications, reduce costs and ease the process of producing board meeting packets. Since the national launch of BoardDocs in 2002, over 750 organizations in 42 states have selected this technology for eAgenda, ePolicy, MetaSearch and eGovernance document management. N For questions or to arrange a Web demonstration of WASB BoardDocs services, please call 800-407-0141 or visit www.boarddocs.com.

August 2014

L E G I S L AT I V E U P D AT E

Dan Rossmiller

Looking Ahead School budget outlook is set for 2014-15; Beyond that, the picture is unclear

t a time of year when many school boards are wrestling with budget issues, how many board members wouldn’t wish for a crystal ball to help predict the future? It would be nice for school boards to have a way to see ahead farther as they plan (and budget) for the future. As school boards develop their budgets for the 2014-15 school year, they have a number of markers to guide them. For example, revenue limits will be adjusted upward by $75 per pupil in 2014-15 compared with 2013-14. In addition, the state will provide each school district with an additional $75 per pupil in the form of “per pupil aid” in 2014-15. Further, boards with a levy for community service and program funds (i.e., Fund 80) may not levy more for those services and programs in 2014-15 than they levied in the most recent year preceding 2013 in which the board levied for community programs and services. For the short term, at least, boards have a fair amount of certainty. However, for boards seeking long-range budget guidance beyond the 2014-15 school year, there is precious little to go on. The Legislature was silent on a

number of key issues. Current statutes, for example, provide for no increases in either revenue limits or “per pupil aid” beyond the 2014-15 school year. Why is this silence a concern? By saying nothing, lawmakers and the governor created no expectation they will have to live up to. While it’s true that a given two-year session of the legislature cannot legally bind the next legislature, what the lawmakers in a given session write in the statute books creates expectations that are hard for lawmakers in the next session to disregard. However when nothing is written in the statute book, there is nothing upon which school leaders can form an expectation. The silence is also a concern given that Gov. Scott Walker has pledged that, if he is re-elected, property tax bills in December 2018 will be no higher than those in December 2014. One way to keep property tax bills low is to keep allowable revenue limit increases low. But that could force cuts that might irreparably harm many small, rural schools. An alternative is to allow revenue limits to grow slightly more but also increase state aid to “buy down” the levy. That approach, however, requires

additional state spending to increase in proportion to the amount of the upward adjustment in revenue limits. A third and a fourth alternative is to remove a program from the property tax altogether or to provide a state credit to property owners on their property tax bills, both of which also require additional state spending. School leaders may recall that when Gov. Walker introduced his original 2013-15 budget proposal, it called for no increase in revenue limits and only a modest increase in state aid. Clearly, that proposal aimed to keep property taxes low. (It was only later when tax collection numbers showed marked improvement that lawmakers and the governor found they had more money available, prompting them to increase school funding and cut income taxes at the same time.) One way the governor and lawmakers found last session to actually reduce property taxes was to “buy down” technical college levies by increasing state aid to technical colleges by over $400 million and imposing tighter levy limits on tech colleges. Essentially, state aid replaced property taxes as the source for tech college funding. Although lawmakers did this on a one-time

For the short term, at least, boards have a fair amount of certainty. However, for boards seeking long-range budget guidance … there is precious little to go on.

Wisconsin School News

2015-17 State Budget Funding Concerns  Given

basis and are not obligated to continue this funding, they have created an expectation of continued funding. They have also set up a situation where pulling back on state funding will almost assuredly result in a property tax increase. One might rightly question whether the state can afford to continue this practice on an ongoing basis. In late May, the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB) released an analysis of how the spending increases and tax decreases approved by the 2013-14 Legislature will affect the state’s budget balance in the next two-year budget cycle. In particular, the LFB analysis projects that in the current 2014-15 fiscal year just underway, the state will spend about $559 million more than it will take in. And while the LFB projects the state will finish the current 2013-15 budget with a positive gross balance of roughly $165 million, the memo notes, “$559 million becomes $165 million (only) when the $724 million opening balance is considered.” In other words, the state is spending down a projected surplus that may not continue into the future. The LFB memo projects that for 2015-16, the state’s general fund will need additional revenue growth of $226 million to meet commitments under current law, maintain the required statutory balance, and balance the budget for that year. In 2016-17, another $416 million would be needed ($190 million above the 2015-16 amount). Those figures do not include the $400 million or more per year needed to maintain technical college system (WTCS) funding and keep that levy at its current reduced level. As noted above, taking $400 million per year out of WTCS funding would mean a property tax increase. Those figures

the weakness in the national economy in the first quarter of 2014, are state tax collections growing in line with LFB assumptions? Will state tax collections continue to grow in-line with those projections?  What

impact will state tax cuts approved in both the 2011-12 and 2013-14 legislative sessions (and that are still phasing in) have on revenues in the next (2015-17) budget?  Are  Will

the state continue to provide $400 million-plus in aid to the state technical college system?

 How  How

further tax cuts on the horizon?

will the state fix the transportation budget?

much more state funding will be needed for the state’s voucher and independent charter programs?

also do not include any increases in K-12 funding or any expansion of private school vouchers. (It has been estimated the state will need an additional $49 million just to fund increased costs of the Milwaukee and Racine voucher programs, in which enrollment is not capped.) Wisconsin’s Transportation Fund is facing a potential $600 -$700 million shortfall in the next (201517) state budget. Historically, state transportation spending has been supplied almost entirely from a separate segregated fund, supported by fuel taxes and license plate and registration fees. The long-range forecast for the Transportation Fund is even more troubling. A bipartisan commission reported last year that if Wisconsin wants to maintain current service, traffic flow and road condition levels under the existing funding system, the state will be short $15.3 billion over the next decade. That’s largely because more fuel-efficient vehicles, including hybrids and electric cars, are eroding state revenues from the gas tax, the largest source of state transportation funding. The Legislature hasn’t voted on an increase to the state’s gas tax since

1997, and the state stopped automatic indexing of the gas tax for inflation in 2006. To address shortfalls that until now have been relatively minor, lawmakers have approved transfers into the Transportation Fund from the state’s general fund, which comes from income and sales taxes (and also funds school aids). In 2013-14, about $61 million was transferred from the general purpose revenues (the state’s general fund). In 2014-15, roughly $140 million will be transferred. Will the Legislature approve additional, bigger transfers in the next budget or will it finally “bite the bullet” and vote to raise gas taxes? Because this is an election year, school leaders should raise concerns about the lack of clarity in school funding with candidates for the legislature and gubernatorial candidates to make sure these concerns are “on their radar screens.” If school leaders fail to do so, they may risk finding that with all the other competition for scarce budget resources in the 2015-17 cycle, the school budget picture will go from unclear to gloomy. n Rossmiller is director of WASB Government Relations.

August 2014

LEGAL COMMENT

B oardma n & C l ar k LL P

Recent Cases and Important Issues Related to Public Participation

he public comment period during a meeting of a school board remains a long-standing means of connecting school boards with the public. However, boards must recognize that certain laws address public participation in order to properly manage participation at meetings. The Wisconsin Open Meetings Law and the First Amendment of the United States Constitution are generally the most pertinent legal obligations for boards to consider when adopting policies and procedures on citizen participation. However, when employees participate in the public comment period, Wisconsin Statute Section 111.70(2) also becomes relevant because this law affords district employees the right to engage in lawful, concerted activity for mutual aid and protection. Recently, there appears to be an increased level of participation during the comment period as a result of numerous factors, including the enactment of 2011 Wisconsin Act 10. In April 2010, a Legal Comment was published that provided a comprehensive overview of the legal issues surrounding public participation at school board meetings.1 The insight provided by that Legal Comment is still relevant and important for any board addressing issues associated with the public comment period. This Legal Comment will highlight recent cases and important issues that arise when citizens and employees participate in a public comment period.2

| Public Forum Analysis The Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment provides that “Congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom of speech.” The First Amendment protects a broad range of speech, including discussions on matters of public concern during meetings on public property. The extent to which a school board is allowed to regulate speech during a school board public comment period depends upon the nature of the forum that the board has created. For purposes of free speech analysis, the United States Supreme Court has recognized different types of forums, including a public forum (i.e., an area traditionally open for public speech), forums open to the public under a limited or designated basis, and a non-public forum (i.e., an area not open for public disclosure). The Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (the federal appeals court whose decisions are binding in Wisconsin) recently held in Surita v. Hyde3 that audience time during a city council meeting constituted a “designated public forum.” Thus, school boards must be aware that their meetings may need to meet such forum requirements. A “designated public forum” is created when the government intentionally makes property or a channel of communication open or available to a class of speakers, rather than permitting only selective access to particular speakers. In such

instances, the government has limited ability to regulate expressive activity. In short, in a designated public forum, the government may only enforce reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions, and any restrictions must be content neutral, narrowly tailored to serve a significant government interest, and allow for ample alternative channels of communication. Content-neutral restrictions limit expression without regard to the content or communicative impact of the message. In Surita, the Waukegan city council set aside ten minutes at the end of its bimonthly meetings for “audience time.” During this time, the public could talk for up to three minutes on any subject. Jose Surita wanted to discuss a recently amended towing ordinance that had been the subject of controversy during audience time. However, he had criticized a community liaison officer during a rally two days earlier and was told by the mayor that he would not be allowed to participate until he apologized to that officer. After the mayor’s remarks, Surita did not speak at the meeting. Surita later filed suit, alleging a First Amendment violation. The Surita court found that audience time during the meeting created a designated public forum; therefore, any restriction by the city needed to be content neutral as well as reasonable in time, place, and manner. The mayor argued that his restriction was content neutral, asserting that

The WERC has established a high standard for the level that employee conduct must reach in order for concerted activity to no longer be protected.

Wisconsin School News

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LEGAL COMMENT he barred Surita’s speech because of how he confronted the community officer, rather than the content of his speech. However, the court rejected that argument, concluding that no reasonable jury would find a total bar on Surita’s speech to be a valid time, place, or manner restriction. According to the court, restrictions that favor or disfavor certain speech based on the identity of the speaker are still considered content based. Further, because the mayor barred the speech based on conduct that had occurred days earlier and not at the meeting, his arguments about restricting the speech based on disruptive conduct also failed. Boards need to be aware that any actions restricting speech during public comment periods may be subject to this analysis and must ensure that any restrictions are content neutral and qualify as reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions. Determining whether a restriction is content neutral is not always a simple task. Courts, however, typically examine whether any restriction was adopted because of agreement or disagreement with the message conveyed. | Negative Remarks at

Meetings Boards may be tempted to adopt policies that do not allow criticism of school officials or employees at open meetings. However, such policies can be vulnerable to First Amendment challenges. For example, in one case, the court struck down a policy that prohibited “attacks or accusations regarding the honesty, character, integrity, or other like personal attributes of any identified individual or group,” when the policy was imposed to prevent a citizen from stating his concerns in open comment session about the performance of school officials.4 Similarly, another court struck down a rule that prohibited “charges or complaints against any employee of the district,” which was imposed to prevent a citizen from criticizing a principal and superintendent.5 Despite the decisions above, courts have upheld rules restricting

Wisconsin School News

[continued]

certain types of negative speech in other instances. In one case, the court upheld a rule prohibiting “personal attacks” on the ground that personal attacks are “irrelevant” to agenda items unless a person’s qualifications are being discussed, and because personal attacks can be disruptive by causing counter-attacks and defensive remarks.6 Thus, there appears to be some inconsistencies in the courts. However, considering the number of courts that have found such policies unconstitutional, the safest route for boards may be to avoid enacting policies that prohibit such complaints or critical comments. Public participation can be a particularly thorny area when the participant who seeks to make negative statements is a school employee, as the public may give the comments more credibility. In some cases, however, a board may be able to restrict such comments if the employee has alternative channels for discussion, such as an established grievance system. This was the case in one recent decision, Fairchild v. Liberty Independent School District,7 from the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. While not binding in Wisconsin, this case offers an example where a board’s restrictions were permissible under the First Amendment. Julie Fairchild was a special education teacher’s aide, who did not get along well with the teacher within the classroom to which she was assigned. Fairchild was eventually terminated and filed a post-termination grievance, alleging that her termination was retaliatory because she suggested that the teacher with whom she worked was a danger to the children and should be fired. The grievance policy required employees to follow a three-tiered administrative process, in which school boards heard the matter at Level III. After her grievance was denied at Level I and no agreement was reached at Level II, she filed her grievance at Level III. Fairchild also reported the classroom teacher to Child Protective Services and started a parents’ petition, which included a demand that the

District not retaliate against employees who shared information about children in danger. Fairchild had three children who were attending school in the District at the time. During a school board meeting a few months after Fairchild’s termination, the Board scheduled her to speak during the public comment session to present her petition. During the public comment period, Fairchild presented her petition without interruption, but did not mention any school employees by name. The Board also considered Fairchild’s Level III grievance during this meeting, but, as required by board policy, the Board closed the grievance session because Fairchild also sought to level charges against the teacher and comment specifically on why the teacher should be dismissed. It was board policy that personal grievances or examinations of individual performance were beyond the scope of the open session. Fairchild filed suit, alleging that the District’s public comment rule that did not allow her to complain against named teachers in open session was unconstitutional and that her First Amendment rights were violated when the Board conducted her grievance hearing in closed session. The Fifth Circuit held that the Board’s actions did not constitute a First Amendment violation. The Board rule limiting comments during open session did not restrict participation based on the content of the speech, but just limited the time, manner, and place of its expression. The court observed that the District’s only concerns were with frustration of the Board agenda and divulgence of private information, not with the content of any particular dispute. The court stated that the Board had an interest, if not a duty, to protect teacher and student privacy during open session. The court also noted that, in this case, the Board appropriately provided alternative paths for expression of her speech and complaints, including the grievance system. The Fairchild case serves as a reminder to school boards that there are certain instances where boards

may use discretion to limit remarks, including instances where districts offer alternative channels of communication for individuals to voice complaints about particular employees. | Concerted Activity When district employees participate at board meetings through their union representative or on behalf of their co-workers, school officials should consider whether the employees are engaged in protected lawful, concerted activity. Wisconsin Statute Section 111.70(2) affords district employees the right to engage in lawful, concerted activity. It is a prohibited practice for districts to interfere with, restrain, or coerce employees in the exercise of their rights as guaranteed under that statute.8 The determination of whether employee activity is “concerted” for mutual aid and protection is not always clear and requires an examination of the facts of each case. The Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission (WERC), the state agency that governs public sector labor relations, will determine what constitutes concerted activity by examining the context of the situation and whether the behavior involves purely individual or collective concerns. The WERC has concluded that when employees express work-related concerns on behalf of others, with or without a union, that behavior is classic concerted activity.9 Therefore, concerted activity can include the work-related statements of employees during the public comment period. However, if the employee’s participation is an individual gripe session with no intent to truly facilitate a meaningful discussion, it is not concerted activity.10 The WERC has established a high standard for the level that employee conduct must reach in order for concerted activity to no longer be protected. Specifically, unless concerted activity is marked by flagrant

misconduct, it does not lose its statutory protection. Flagrant misconduct is not clearly defined and will depend upon the nature of the work place and the effect on the employer’s authority. If the concerted activity of employees during a school board meeting results in a tense atmosphere, this alone will likely not suffice for a loss of protection. In fact, the WERC has reasoned that sometimes it is the vehemence itself of certain concerted activity that renders it effective. However, if the activity is accompanied by violent or threatening behaviors, it is likely not protected by the statute.11 However, school boards are not required to let their meetings become inundated with employee concerted activity if it completely frustrates the furtherance of legitimate school business. Employer interference with the exercise of statutory rights may not constitute a violation if the interference was carried out because of a valid business reason.12 However, the interference cannot be motivated in part by any hostility towards the lawful, concerted activity. If a school board contends that any restriction on certain employee participation during the comment period was justified by business needs, the WERC will conduct a balancing test in determining whether the restriction was lawful. Thus, boards must be aware that, while narrowly tailored restrictions on participation may withstand the balancing test, broad restrictions that extend beyond what is necessary for the board to conduct school business may not. | Conclusion While the public comment period is a valuable tool for hearing the concerns of parents, employees, and others, school boards must always be aware of speech restrictions under the First Amendment as well as concerted activity implications. School boards should ensure that

restrictions are content neutral and reasonable in time, place, and manner. Further, employees have the right to engage in lawful, concerted activity for mutual aid and protection which may involve speaking at board meetings. However, when employees speak on the employment practices of the district during the comment period, the board may restrict comments in limited circumstances. With these concerns in mind, school boards should be equipped to provide public comment periods in accordance with their legal obligations. n | End Notes 1. For additional information on related topics, see Wisconsin School News, “Recent Cases Address Employee Speech Rights” (March 2014); “Defamation Claims Against Public Employers and Officers” (August 2011); “Employee Speech and the ‘Chain of Command’” (January 2009); “Compliance with Wisconsin’s Open Meetings Law (Parts 1 and 2)” (September and October 2004); “Defamation Claims by Board Members and District Employees” (May 2005). 2. See Wisconsin School News, “Public Participation at Board Meetings” (April 2010). 3. 665 F. 3d 860 (7th Cir. 2011). 4. Bach v. School Bd. of the City of Virginia Beach, 139 F. Supp. 2d 738 (E.D. Va. 2001). 5. Baca v. Moreno Valley Unified School District, 936 F. Supp. 719 (C.D. Cal. 1996). 6. Steinburg v. Chesterfield County Planning Comm’n, 527 F.3d 377 (4th Cir. 2009). 7. 597 F. 3d 747 (2010). 8. Wis. Stat. s. 111.70(3)(a)(1). 9. Village of Sturtevant, Dec. No. 30378-B (WERC, 2003) 10. City of LaCrosse, Dec. No. 17084-D (WERC, 1983). 11. Clark County, Dec. No. 30361-B (WERC, 2003). 12. Brown County, Dec. No. 28158-F (WERC, 1996). This Legal Comment was written by Michael J. Julka, Richard F. Verstegen, and Ashley Rouse of Boardman & Clark LLP, WASB Legal Counsel.

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.

August 2014

Q&A

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

Service Associate Q&A

Kim Hassell of Plunket Raysich Architects says school buildings need to accommodate change

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

What is a big challenge facing school districts when building or renovating a school? What are some solutions to these challenges?

One of the biggest challenges we encounter is that many school district staff members have yet to experience the build new or renovation process. This inexperience causes them to fall back on previously used operating methods and processes, which may no longer be relevant. In my 30-plus years of designing schools, the one thing that has remained constant is change in instructional delivery methods. This ever-changing pedagogy is the result of new research, social/economic shifts, political environments, and/or emerging technology for education. When designing a school building, districts often rely on their experience providing instruction in the past to form the basis for the new building. It is our role as trained educational planners and architects to expose administration and staff to new methodologies, instructional tools and career offerings. Our challenge is not only to expose our clients to new approaches, but also encourage them to implement these approaches into the design of their new building.

Q. How do you balance designing a school that is safe and secure but also welcoming?

A. It is important to continually restate that the primary purpose of a school is to educate students. Recent school violence tends to influence design decisions away from this priority to one that concentrates on security. To assist school districts in keeping the primary focus on educating stu32

Wisconsin School News

dents, we’ve developed several security strategies that are not overtly obvious to students, parents and the community and provide a welcoming rather than prison-like environment. These strategies are further refined after each violent episode.

Kim Hassell is the Partner in Charge of the Education studio at Plunkett Raysich Architects, LLP.

Q. What are some of the biggest

changes in school design in the past decade or so?

A. The biggest change in school design is, quite simply, creating a building that accommodates change. Industrial revolution school design required durability of structure. Post-war era schools were highly energy inefficient buildings that were built quickly. The close of the 20th century brought compact school models that aligned different spaces in a neatly efficient yet inflexible arrangement. The 21st century mantra, however, is flexibility and changeability. It is difficult to predict the next new teaching approach, but what can be confirmed is that a new approach will undoubtedly arrive before a building reaches its life cycle. Q. Are there any new building mate-

rials or design ideas that are changing the way schools are being designed?

A. New building materials are constantly being created and introduced, and incorporating adaptability and flexibility into facility design requires materials to accommodate change differently. Highly durable materials like brick and block are replaced with light steel framing and wall board. Materials used for building floors or roofs need longer structural spans to allow for space reconfigurations in the

future. Designers also aim to increase natural light to enhance learning while minimizing the impact on heating and cooling systems.

Q. Ideally, how do you think a school building should serve its students and community?

A. The key words in this question are “building should serve its students.” Student-centered learning environments place students at the very top of the prioritization list relative to building needs. This does not mean that there is a single set of building standards to follow. We’ve learned that each student learns differently and that the building must accommodate a variety of learning modalities. Schools must offer spaces not only for different types of learning but also for differently sized groups of students, from small and large groups to the individual learner. What is most rewarding about new school architecture is that it provides students the highest degree of achieving their goals and aspirations. It is a very exciting time to be a school architect. n The WASB Service Associates Program includes more than 20 businesses and organizations that have been recognized by the WASB Board of Directors as reputable businesses and partners of public education in Wisconsin. For more information, visit wasb.org and select “Service Associates.”

Quality Educational Services And Products 2 0 1 4 WA S B S E RV I C E A S S O C I AT E S ARCHITECTURE, ENGINEERING, PLANNING, INTERIORS AND CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT BRAY ASSOCIATES ARCHITECTS INC. 1202A N. 8th St., PO Box 955 Sheboygan, WI 53082-0955 Phone 920-459-4200 www.brayarch.com Architecture, Interior Design, Planning, Referendum Support

DLR GROUP 520 Nicollet Mall, Suite 200 Minneapolis, MN 55420 Phone 612-977-3500 www.dlrgroup.com Architecture, Engineering, Planning, Interiors, Construction Management

HOFFMAN PLANNING, DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION, INC. 122 E. College Ave. PO Box 8034 Appleton, WI 54911 Phone 800-236-2370 www.hoffman.net Planners, Architects and Construction Managers

PLUNKETT RAYSICH ARCHITECTS LLP 11000 W. Park Pl. Milwaukee, WI 53224 Phone 414-359-3060 www.prarch.com Architectural and Interior Design Services

COMPUTER HARDWARE, SOFTWARE, CONSULTING SKYWARD INC. 5233 Coye Dr. Stevens Point, WI 54481 Phone 715-341-9406 www.skyward.com Developer of student, budgetary and human resource administrative software exclusively for K-12 school districts.

CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT, CONTRACTING, CONSULTING J.H. FINDORFF & SON INC. 300 S. Bedford St. Madison, WI 53703 Phone 608-257-5321 www.findorff.com Construction Services

J.P. CULLEN & SONS INC. PO Box 1957 Janesville, WI 53547-1957 Phone 608-754-6601 www.jpcullen.com General Contractor

VJS CONSTRUCTION SERVICES W233 W2847 Roundy Circle Dr. Pewaukee, WI 53072 Phone 262-542-9000 www.vjscs.com Construction Services

CURRICULUM ROWLAND READING FOUNDATION 6120 University Ave. Middleton, WI 53562 Phone 866-370-7323 superkidsreading.org info@rowlandreading.org Rowland Reading Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving reading instruction in the primary grades.

ENERGY SERVICES CONTINUUM ENERGY 113 South Main Street #200 Lodi, WI 53555 Phone 608-576-3592 www.seminoleenergy.com Retail natural gas services into all Wisconsin utility companies, including national and commercial customers.

FINANCE, BANKING, CONSULTING SPRINGSTED INCORPORATED 710 Plankinton Ave., Suite 804 Milwaukee, WI 53203-1100 Phone 414-220-4250 www.springsted.com Advisors to the Public Sector in Finance, Human Resources and Management Consulting Services.

INSURANCE ARTHUR J. GALLAGHER RISK MANAGEMENT SERVICES 1289 Deming Way, Suite 208 Madison, WI 53717 Phone 608-828-3741 Fax 608-828-3757 www.ajgrms.com Gallagher specializes in serving the risk management and insurance needs of public schools.

ASSOCIATED FINANCIAL GROUP, LLC 8040 Excelsior Dr. Madison, WI 53717 Phone 608-259-3666 Al.Jaeger@associatedfinancialgroup.com www.associatedfinancialgroup.com Our focus is financial security options that protect and assist growth. We go beyond simply protecting against the loss of assets and property.

COMMUNITY INSURANCE CORPORATION 18550 W. Capitol Dr. Brookfield, WI 53045 Phone 800-236-6885 www.communityinsurancecorporation.com Community Insurance Corporation is dedicated to providing school districts with the tools they need to economically and efficiently address today’s changing insurance and risk-management environment.

EMC INSURANCE COMPANIES 16455 W. Bluemound Rd. PO Box 327 Brookfield, WI 53008 Phone 262-786-1800 www.emcins.com Property and Casualty Insurance

HUMANA N19 W24133 Riverwood Dr. Suite 300 Waukesha, WI 53188 Phone: 800-289-0260 www.humana.com Insurance Company

KEY BENEFIT CONCEPTS, LLC 2717 N. Grandview Blvd., Suite 205 Waukesha, WI 53188 Phone: 262-522-6415 www.keybenefits.com Actuarial and employee benefit consulting services.

M3 INSURANCE 3113 W. Beltline Hwy. Madison, WI 53713 Phone 800-272-2443 dale.vandam.m3ins.com M3’s dedicated education specialists combine more than 100 years of experience and expertise to provide schools with the very best in risk management, employee benefits and property and casualty insurance.

MARITIME INSURANCE GROUP 832 Niagra Ave. Sheboygan, WI 53082 Phone 920-457-7781 Fax 920-459-0251 mmrdjenovich@hubinternational.com www.hubinternational.com

R&R INSURANCE 1581 E. Racine Ave. Waukesha, WI 53186 Phone 262-574-7000 www.myknowledgebroker.com R&R Insurance’s School Practice Group has more than 25 years of educational institution experience and a dedicated Resource Center designed with school district’s risk and claims management needs in mind.

TRICOR INSURANCE 2001 W. Beltline Hwy., Suite 201 Madison, WI 53713 Phone 877-468-7426 john@tricorinsurance.com 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 experience) 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 53005-4273 Phone 800-627-3660 slaudon@nisbenefits.com 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.

UNITEDHEALTHCARE 10701 W Research Dr. Milwaukee, WI 53226 Phone 414-443-4094 www.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.

WILLIS OF WISCONSIN, INC. 400 N. Executive Dr., Suite 300 Brookfield, WI 53005 www.willis.com Public sector practice

LEGAL SERVICES BUELOW VETTER BUIKEMA OLSON & VLIET LLC 20855 Watertown Rd., Suite 200 Waukesha, WI 53186 Phone: 262.364.0300 www.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 Rd. Mequon, WI 53092 Phone: 262.241.7779 www.phillipsborowski.com tlhe@phillipsborowski.com Phillips Borowski, S.C. works with schools throughout the state to guide them through the complex system of laws and regulations affecting school operations.

SUPPORTING, PROMOTING AND ADVANCING PUBLIC EDUCATION

2014 FALL REGIONAL MEETINGS & WORKSHOPS S u p p o rt i n g , p r o m ot i n g

Dates: sept. & oct. VaRies peR location

locations DeteRMineD by Region

2014 Regional Meetings HigHligHts:

and

a d va n c i n g p u b l i c E d u c at i o n

pRe-Meeting WoRksHops:

• Legal Roles and Responsibilities of School Board Members • Financial Roles and Responsibilities of School Board Members Check to see which workshop takes place before your Regional Meeting.

• School Board Member Recognition Awards • WASB Director Elections (Regions 3, 6, 7, 8, 12 and 14) • Feature Presentation: The Key Work of School Boards and the Annual Board Development Tool • Executive Director’s Report

and more!

v i S i t wa S b . o r g f o r co m p l E t E i n f o r m at i o n a n d to r E g i S t E r

Ph: 608-257-2622 Fax: 608-257-8386