GBEA – Green Bay Education Association

Spotlight on Locals: Green Bay Education Association

April 26, 2018

In her latest Spotlight on Locals column, WEAC Vice President Peggy Wirtz-Olsen highlights the Green Bay Education Association, whose success is rooted in efforts to reach out to members and potential members and help them learn and grow as both educators and as union leaders. Programs include Emerging Voices, Early Career Learning Labs, Early Career Leadership Fellowship and National Board Certification support. “The greatest strength of the GBEA is that our members understand the value of unions — locally, statewide, and nationwide,” says GBEA Treasurer Dan Gage.

Wisconsin must demonstrate that we value our teachers, Governor Evers writes

October 16, 2019 By Bill Hurley

In a column released Wednesday, Governor Tony Evers says Wisconsin must do better in demonstrating that it values its teachers. “We must … recognize that part of supporting our kids in the classroom means supporting the educators who teach our kids,” Evers writes. “Wisconsin pays our public school teachers less than the national average, which makes it harder to recruit and retain talented educators. According to recently-released data, Wisconsin has fallen to 33rd in the nation for average teacher pay. Teacher salaries in our state are some of the lowest in the Midwest. Teachers moving across the border to Illinois or Michigan can see pay bumps of $10,000 or more. That’s just not good enough, folks. As we continue to fight for the resources our schools need to invest in our kids, we must do everything in our power to ensure that educators know the work they do is valued and that they mean something to our kids and the people of our state.”

Taxpayers’ bill for private voucher schools soars to $350 million

October 16, 2019 By Bill Hurley

Wisconsin taxpayers will be spending $349.6 million to support private schools this year through the state’s voucher program, up from $302 million last year, according to figures released by the Department of Public Instruction. According to DPI, the taxpayer-funded voucher programs will support a total of 43,450 private school students this year, up from 40,039 students last year.