This link will help you to know who are your representatives.
http://waml.legis.state.wi.us/
This link will give you sample letters you can write.
http://www.madison.k12.wi.us/budget.htm#state
This link has the finance committee members.
http://www.legis.state.wi.us/leginfo/CommPages/Committees.aspx?house=Senate

Copy of my letter.

Dear Representative
I am writing to ask for your support of the Governor’s 2007-09 biennial budget proposal to increase funding for special education and bilingual-bicultural aid.
When revenue limits started during the 1993-94 school year, the state reimbursed school districts for almost 45% of costs related to special education. With the Governor’s proposed increase for special education, the rate will be an estimated 29% for the 2008-09 school year — a loss of $9.4 million in resources compared to the reimbursement rate when revenue limits began.
The same is true for bilingual-bicultural aid. The Governor’s proposal provides enough resources to keep the reimbursement rate at 12%, but when revenue limits started, school districts were reimbursed at 33% of related costs. This loss of $2.2 million in resources compared to the reimbursement rate when revenue limits began.
Combined, the loss of resources is $11.6 million compared to the reimbursement rate when revenue limits began. If the reimbursement rate was the same, the district would not have had to cut $10.5 million from its cost-to-continue budget for the 2007-08 school year.
I am a bilingual teacher in the Madison Metropolitan School District. I have seen first hand what the revenue caps have done to my district, my school, my classroom, and my students. Every year there have been more and more cuts. It started with fewer resources for my classroom. So, I spent more of my own money to buy books and materials. Then the resource people who are experts in math, science, literacy, gifted and talented were cut. So, I took more classes after school and during the summer. Then they cut the aides and special education teachers. So, I started tutoring students after school. The custodians were cut, so I bought a mop and bucket. Summer school was cut, so I tutored students during the summer. There was not enough money to add an addition to our overcrowded school, so I taught my students in the corner of the lunchroom for a year. My school asked for a referendum to try and restore some of the painful cuts. So, on the weekends I walked door to door doing lit drops.
That’s just me, one teacher, in one classroom, in one school, in one district, in our state. What more do you want me to do?
Please support the Governor’s proposed increases for categorical aid and work to restore reimbursement levels to the same percentage that they were when revenue limits started 14 years ago.
Sincerely,
Troy Dassler
First Grade Bilingual Teacher
Madison, WI

Arlene

wsjopine@madison.com
tctvoice@madison.com
edit@isthmus.com

Beth