Wisconsin’s Special Committee on State-Tribal Relations proposed a package of legislation to protect students who wear tribal regalia, increase transparency and grant tribes more say in American Indian language studies in K-12 public schools at a Joint Legislative Council meeting Wednesday.
Rep. Jeff Mursau, R-Crivitz, and staff attorney Abby Gorzlancyk presented the recommendations drafted by the special committee which included plans to reintroduce three proposals that passed the Assembly but never received a vote in the Senate last legislative session, in addition to two new proposals.
One of the bills the committee plans to reintroduce would give tribes a say in which applicants can receive a lifetime license to teach American Indian languages associated with the tribe.
This bill would allow tribes to notify the state Department of Public Instruction (DPI) in writing that they want the right to approve applicants. If a tribe exercises this right, DPI would not be able to issue a lifetime license unless the tribe deems the applicant qualified.
Another bill would require school districts to report information about American Indian children attending school in the district to the DPI.
At Wednesday’s meeting, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, expressed concerns about the cost of reporting children’s age, tribal affiliation and DPI.
In response, Mursau said there would be no additional cost to school districts to produce that information since many districts already collect it. Gorzlancyk added that under this proposed bill, the state would have more complete data by making it mandatory instead of optional for districts to report this information to DPI.
The last bill the committee recommended be reintroduced this legislative session would protect pupils’ rights to wear traditional tribal regalia during school-sponsored events. Fourteen states have laws that protect public school students’ rights to wear their tribal regalia at graduation ceremonies.
Additionally, the committee recommended a bill that would revise requirements for a tribal school teacher to serve on the Professional Standards Council for Teachers and a bill that would add tribal governments of a federally recognized American Indian tribe to the list of entities and persons who are authorized to copy a certified copy of a vital record for administrative use.
