|
|
 |
|
        |
|
 |
 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
SWEIO—An Epitaph
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
When the last speaker left the stage at Monona Terrace on February 25,
2012, the Southern Wisconsin Educational Inservice Organization closed
its doors after 121 years of annual conventions.
SWEIO, known for most of its tenure as SWEA (Southern Wisconsin
Education Association) was created by the state of Wisconsin in the
late 19th century to fill a need for staff development among the
state’s teachers. It covered twenty counties of southern Wisconsin,
while a handful of similar entities covered the rest of Wisconsin’s 72
counties. (Only one, NWEA, based in Eau Claire, had as successful a run
as SWEIO, and it ended its tenure at almost the same time).
Centered in Madison, for many years SWEIO used Madison schools as a
home base, using multiple facilities to deliver training on timely
topics at its signature fourth Friday in February conventions. While at
one point drawing more than 10,000 participants, SWEIO attendance
started tapering off in the seventies and eighties. The convention was
consolidated into one location, the Dane County Coliseum, then settled
into the newly built Monona Terrace for its final run.
Because of its broad base, SWEIO was able to attract top talent to
headline its convention, while at the same time charge very little per
person. Annual dues never exceeded $20 and the final 2012 convention
was free. Most of the speakers at SWEIO conventions addressed timely
topics in curricular areas such as math and reading, or focused on
skills necessary to all teachers, such as discipline or organizational
skills.
But
every SWEIO convention within memory contained rising stars, achievers,
one-hit wonders, and fading personalities who were household names in
their era. Here are a few of them. Journalists: Edwin Newman, Linda
Ellerbee, Daniel Schorr, Jack Anderson, Dr. Bob Arnot, Joel McNally;
Sports figures: Reggie White, Vince Lombardi Jr., Al McGuire, Dick
Bennett, Don Morton; Silver screen idols: Mia Farrow, Mike Farrell,
Danny Glover, Ben Vereen, Henry Winkler, Richard Dreyfus; Writers:
Frank McCourt, Robert Fulghum, Erin Gruel, Michael Feldman, Homer
Hickham; Astronaut Mark Lee and Alan Ladwig from the Teacher in Space
team; and Civil rights activists: the Brown sisters (Brown vs. Board of
Education), Mary Frances Berry, Coretta Scott King.
Active teachers made up the vast majority of SWEIO attendees, but other
members of the education community were welcome. The last administrator
left the SWEIO Board of Directors in the 1970s. Student teachers and
retirees were allowed in for free. Support staff participants increased
somewhat as they gradually became unionized.
SWEIO had contested elections until fairly recently, when declining
interest forced it to rely exclusively on a small, but dedicated, Board
of Directors. At the end, virtually all of them had retired from
teaching. The final convention, ironically, focused on the future. It
was in collaboration with the Department of Public Instruction and the
University of Wisconsin on the topic of Global Education. It spent down
SWEIO’s treasury and fulfilled a commitment to the convention facility.
SWEIO’s demise was probably inevitable given prevailing trends. Similar
“sit and git” conferences such as the WEAC convention also shut down
recently. Staff development was no longer delivered in one-shot doses
to teachers from multiple districts at the same time. By the 1980s
school districts preferred to provide their own staff development and
had the resources to do so. At the same time, staff development was no
longer considered the province of the teachers themselves as the focus
changed from self-improvement to school improvement.
Finally, as the political environment grew increasingly toxic, SWEIO
lost its last anchors, the two largest districts in Dane County. Sun
Prairie’s participation had already been dwindling when Madison
suddenly exited during the turmoil of 2011. With that SWEIO lost 80% of
its funding and the ability to continue the convention.
It
was a great run, and those of us left to turn out the lights thank you
for all your support, encouragement and participation over the years.
It has been a labor of love for us and we will miss it.
Jeri Kortkamp, Executive Secretary
Ashley Schultz, President
Bob Ayer, Treasurer
Glenn Schmidt, Communications
Brion Pagel, Program Chair and Web Editor
Ann Perry, Membership Rep
Nancy Richter, Membership Rep
Barb Grabow, Membership Rep
May 2012
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ann Perry: Membership Letter
|
|
| |
|
|
|
March 29, 2012
Dear SWEIO past and present members:
Thank you for your help over the years. Without the support from
many individuals, school districts, and exhibitors, the 121 years of
successful conventions would not have been possible.
We did have enough resources and location commitments for this year’s
2012 specialty convention on Global Education, co-hosted by UW-Madison
and DPI. It drew 319 people and featured such luminaries as Tom
Still, Neil Heinen, Gilles Bousquet, Tom Guerin, and Tony Evers.
It was a great convention and represented an elegant exit for the
Southern Wisconsin Educational In-service Organization.
Due to changes in districts’ commitments to in-service and the loss of
funding, SWEIO will no longer be able to provide an annual conference.
SWEIO Executive Board Members are in the process of closing down our
remaining responsibilities and assets and looking back on all the fine
speakers, friends, professional colleagues, and facilitators we’ve had
the privilege to meet.
Please don’t hesitate to contact Ann Perry at annmperry@hotmail.com, or call (608-756-5778) if you have any questions.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Past President Ashley Schultz Reflects on the Impact of Sweio
|
|
|
|
|
|
Growing Up With SWEIO
In my final president’s letter I would like to
take the opportunity to reflect on the wonderful experience I have had
being able to grow up within the SWEIO organization.
My father, Bob Ayer, has been the treasurer of
SWEIO for my entire life. Since SWEIO was such a big part of our
family, it was only natural for me to spend the last Friday of every
February with a large group of educators. I had the privilege of
knowing the SWEIO board members and getting to meet some of the
exceptional talent that was presented on the various stages that SWEIO
used. Whether it was listening to Coretta Scott King on the main
stage of the Civic Center or Henry Winkler on the main stage of the
Monona Terrace, I was in the audience enjoying every minute of
it.
Some of my favorite SWEIO memories come from
occurrences off the main stages. When I was younger, I loved knowing
that the gourmet lollipop vendor would always be there with a lollipop
for my sister and me. When I was in high school, Richard
Dreyfuss taught me that rubber bands can be cleverly used to fix shirt
sleeves that are too long. Then when I was in college, Caroll
Spinney and Oscar the Grouch taught me that you are never too old to be
able to play.
In 2008, I took the next step in becoming a
part of the SWEIO family and joined the board as a membership
representative. I became the president the next year and had the
joy of working with the people that had watched me grow up for all
those previous years.
With SWEIO coming to an end, so too is a part
of my life. I will miss seeing that large group of educators on
the last Friday in February and I will miss having the chance for any
future generations to be able to grow up with SWEIO in the way that I
was privileged to.
As a final note, I leave you with a reminder
that another fabulous SWEIO speaker instilled in me. As Corwin
Kronenberg’s yellow buttons always said, "I make a
difference." Even though SWEIO won’t be there in the future to
help remind you of this, I hope that everybody who reads this farewell
is reminded each and every day that what you do does make a
difference.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
