I'm sure all of you have heard about Judge Frost's recent decision that found Act 10 unconstitutional. When I read it, I froze. This fight is what brought me home to do union work in Green Bay. I can't tell you how many national union conferences I have attended where we've been used as the dire example to create a sense of urgency. I'd regularly hear, "Don't let them do to you what they did to Wisconsin!" I always knew in my heart we'd build the union and come back but somedays it felt easier to believe than others. All that floated around in my head in a surreal way while I read the news that we were in fact, dare I say? Winning!

While much is yet to be defined as to what it means for the future of public workers in Wisconsin, it's important to appreciate the moment and celebrate the win. For over a decade we've put in the work to build union power by strengthening membership. We've educated and mobilized members to reclaim our gerrymandered maps. We've developed leaders that understand the power of collective problem solving and aren't afraid to talk about what matters most to students and staff. There's always going to be another challenge on the horizon but for right now let's be proud to be a part of this decision.

I attended the Governor's budget listening session this week and that was an important reminder that politics are a lot more than a presidential race every four years. It felt nourishing to be in a room full of dedicated, thoughtful people sharing their hopes for fully funding public education. I encourage you to attend an upcoming session or submit your thoughts online here: https://wi.accessgov.com/public/Forms/Page/governor/voice-an-opinion/0

Together we can build the Wisconsin we want!

In Solidarity,

Kristin Lytie

WEAC Director

The Appleton Education Association has long been and continues to be an advocate for Appleton professional educators, paraprofessionals, and administrative assistants. In 2012, a workload committee was formed to address the implementation and impact of the Common Core Standards. The committee has been made up of two elementary classroom teachers, one middle school teacher, one high school teacher, one special education teacher and one “encore” or specialist educator. A dozen years later, this same committee continues to monitor the rising number of tasks and responsibilities placed on educational staff.

Last winter, AEA members completed a workload survey that demonstrated how the drastic increase in workload has led to circular, ripple effects on educators, paraprofessionals and other staff. The workload survey was conducted to provide up-to-date data regarding the workload of the Appleton educators and paraprofessionals. Members had not been surveyed regarding their workload concerns since prior to the pandemic.

After conducting the survey and analyzing the results, the AEA workload committee found three areas to be of greatest concern to our members:

1. Inappropriate and disruptive student behaviors
2. Not enough self-directed prep time
3. Lack of autonomy and flexibility for staff on Professional Development (PD) days

Our workload committee has prided itself on always offering solutions when we present concerns to our administration. This survey was no exception. We asked members to share what would help alleviate these workload concerns and here were those results:

1. Effective policies to address student behaviors
2. Increase staff autonomy and flexibility during Professional Development (PD) days
3. Reduce initiatives/requirements in general

After this data was analyzed, two representatives from the committee along with our local president met with three representatives from district administration, including the AASD superintendent, HR director and another assistant superintendent. We discussed these results and developed a plan for moving forward to address these issues.

A joint AEA/AASD workload group has been formed and we will begin meeting on a regular basis to address member concerns. We believe this joint group is a step in the right direction to finally get down to solving the problems that educators face. We also presented our findings to our members and shared our plans for moving forward at our spring and fall general membership meetings and through our newsletter, the Applecore. Finally, the AEA workload committee drafted a workload concern form to be distributed to members so that when new concerns arise, members have a way to contact us and inform us of issues in their classrooms and buildings.

For Appleton to continue to be a great public school system, faculty, staff, and administration must conduct courageous conversations and work side by side to overcome barriers created by workload and morale. As we move forward, it is imperative that all stakeholders work collaboratively for positive change. Our hope is that you can find similar success in your locals with your administration.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Noelle Mudrak, AEA Workload Committee Chair, or Corey Otis, AEA President.

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