Learn About Our Work & Join the Network

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Be the reason Wisconsin kids thrive! Your support allows us to provide free trainings, workshops, and resources; support local teams; educate voters and provide support for referendum efforts; and so much more.

Join & Support the Network

Get on our list, become a partner district, and stay in touch with our team, resources, events, opportunities, and action alerts.

Actions & Events

See our upcoming events, our partners' events and opportunities, and subscribe to it all on our calendar.

Track Legislators' Education Votes

Wisconsin voters need to know what upcoming legislation means to our communities and our children, and how lawmakers vote on those measures.

Election HQ & Referenda Support

Our Election HQ is a nonpartisan hub of information about upcoming elections, voter education resources, and support for local-level action around voting and school referenda.

Voucher Transparency

Get the facts on school privatization efforts, understand the risks voucher programs pose to kids and their public schools, and take meaningful, well-informed actions to stand up for public education in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Public Education News, Articles & Blog

See all previous blog posts at https://www.wisconsinnetwork.org/blog

What a year!

WHAT A YEAR! As we take inventory of everything public school champions around the state have done in 2023 to protect, support, and defend our public schools, we are full

Voucher Lawsuit News Roundup

On October 12, 2023, a lawsuit (Underwood v. Vos) was filed asking the Wisconsin Supreme Court to find Wisconsin’s unregulated private school voucher and independent charter programs unconstitutional on the

What advocates are saying

Our local advocacy group values the resources Wisconsin Public Education Network offers us and other organizations throughout the state. We are stronger together.

CAROL LENZ

Fox Cities Advocates for Public Education, Appleton
As public education in Wisconsin has endured eight years of marginalization, grassroots groups from school districts, institutions, and advocacy groups have sprung into action to defend public schools. Wisconsin Public Education Network provides a collaborative platform for these groups to coordinate and communicate about ideas that will help public schools stay vital.

BRAD SCHNEIDER

Wisconsin Music Educators Association
Our public schools give depth and meaning to students, families, and communities. Starving our schools through revenue manipulations makes us less as a people and society. That’s why I fully support and endorse the mission and activities of the Wisconsin Public Education Network.

ROGER SPRINGMAN

Stoughton Action Coalition
America was born during the Enlightenment. The Enlightenment was a bright spot in the history of civilization. Privatization of American public education would bring death to the Enlightenment, Democracy and civilization for much of America, and bring a new dark age. I support Wisconsin Public Education Network to keep hope alive for all future generations in America.

DWAYNE BLOCK

retired teacher, Oconomowoc

Network Partners Map

Find an advocacy team in your region!
Zoom in and out to see more groups. Click on a heart to get more details about each group and links.
Get on the map! Email your group's name, contact info, and website/facebook/social media links to our Network and get connected in your community and beyond!

ABOUT

Wisconsin Public Education Network is the hub for public education advocacy in Wisconsin.
We are a project of the Wisconsin Alliance for Excellent Schools (WAES), a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan, nonprofit organization. Our work is supported by the voluntary contributions of our partners around the state.

We are an informal, non-partisan alliance of parents, educators, board members, administrators, schools districts, and groups all over the state who are committed to ensuring the public schools have the resources and support they need so every child at every public school has equal access and opportunity to learn and succeed in the classroom and beyond. Our public schools are the heart of our communities, and a thriving democracy depends on their success.

Click here to see our 2020-21 Annual Report.

We support strong public schools that provide excellent education for all students. We work together to share information, ideas, and actions that help us take local level action that has a statewide impact to benefit children.

Our partners don't always agree on every issue or policy, but our common ground is always rooted in our deep commitment to the success of every student in every school.

Info

Wisconsin Alliance for Excellent Schools
Board of Directors

Sandy Whisler, President
Jim Shaw, Vice President
Julie Underwood, Treasurer
Jill Gaskell, Secretary
Lance Bagstad
Jennifer Black
Patti Clark-Stojke
Jeff Eide
Kevin Lawrence Henry, Jr.
Marva Herndon
Joanne Juhnke
Christina Kintop
Ronald "Duff" Martin
Julie Mead
Pablo Muirhead
Christopher J. Thiel
Amy Traynor
Michael Walsh
Anjalé (AJ) Welton
Peggy Wirtz-Olsen

Wisconsin Public Education Network Staff
Heather DuBois Bourenane, Executive Director
Jenni Hofschulte, SE Regional Organizer
Denise Gaumer Hutchison, NE Regional Organizer
Chris Hambuch-Boyle, NW Regional Organizer
Christian Phelps, Director of Digital Organizing & Communications
Tessa Maglio, Digital Organizer & Communications Assistant
Bryn Horton, Legislative Policy Intern & Administrative Assistant