Public Schools Week Day of Action

media release: Supporters of public schools from around the state - including parents, students, superintendents, board members, referendum team leaders, and state leaders - will gather in Madison to close out national Public Schools Week by celebrating the accomplishments of public schools and connecting the dots from local support of referenda efforts to the failures of the last state budget to adequately meet kids’ needs. Over ⅔ of Wisconsin’s 421 public school districts have held school referendum since the passage of the last state budget.

As Wisconsin moves into the next budget cycle, we will call on state leaders to stop the cycle of gap-widening budgets and listen to these voices and ensure the priority needs of Wisconsin kids are the priority allocations in the next state budget, and issue a call to action to join us in our advocacy.

When: 12:00 - 1:00 pm on Friday, February 28, 2025, Rotunda of the Wisconsin state Capitol

Speakers (subject to updates) include 

Heather DuBois Bourenane, executive director, Wisconsin Public Education Network 

State Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly

State Representative Angelina Cruz

Peggy Wirtz-Olsen, president, WEAC

Jeff Pressley, Adams-Friendship School Board

Tom Wermuth, Adams-Friendship Superintendent

Joni Anderson, Adams-Friendship School Board

Jim Murphy, Mauston radio personality and YES team member + testimony of Ellie Ferguson, Mauston High School freshman

Corrine Hendrickson, WECAN childcare advocate

Chris Bauer, Yes to Tosa Kids referendum team Treasurer

Rita Wiesneski, Wisconsin PTA, Wauwatosa Council of PTA

Kim Anderson, Wisconsin PTA Legislative Chair (Racine)

Denae Walcisak, Prentice School District referendum team

Emily Tseffos, Freedom parent and disability rights advocate

Tiffany Schanno, Fox Cities parent and disability rights advocate

Kristina Sandherr, Executive Director, Wisconsin Progress 

Laurie J. Burgos, Ph.D., Superintendent, Shorewood 

Jessica Wieczorek, Dodgeville School Board and YES for Dodgeville Kids referendum team

Michael Jones, President, Madison Teachers, Inc.

Alondra Garcia, Milwaukee Public Schools bilingual educator

Ishaan Shukla, Katherine Noack and Leela Bourenane, Sun Prairie West High School students