Chapter 15

15.347(22)(a)8. 8. One member who is a statewide wetland consultant.

15.347(22)(a)9. 9. One member who is a department of natural resources biologist or hydrologist and who is a wetland expert, appointed by the secretary of natural resources.

15.347(22)(b) (b) The wetland study council shall research and develop recommendations on all of the following:

15.347(22)(b)1. 1. The implementation and effectiveness of statewide wetland mitigation programs.

15.347(22)(b)2. 2. Program elements that would be necessary for the department of natural resources to implement if the department assumes from the federal government the authority to administer the state’s own individual and general permit program for the discharge of dredged or fill material into the navigable waters of the state under s. 281.12 (2).

15.347(22)(b)3. 3. Issues related to the analysis of practicable alternatives that avoid and minimize the adverse impacts of a discharge into a wetland on wetland functional values and that will not result in any other significant adverse environmental consequences.

15.347(22)(b)4. 4. Storm water management ponds and their potential to serve a role in wetland mitigation.

15.347(22)(b)5. 5. Statewide incentive programs for creating, restoring, and enhancing wetlands.

15.347(22)(b)6. 6. Statewide wetland trainings for department of natural resources staff, wetland consultants, and wetland delineators.

15.347(22)(b)7. 7. The simplification of regulations associated with creating wetlands on farm drainage ditches for the purpose of phosphorus pollution retention.

15.347(22)(b)8. 8. Ways to improve the in lieu fee subprogram of the wetland mitigation program, under s. 281.36 (3r) (e), including subcontracting the management of a program to a nonprofit organization.

15.347(22)(b)9. 9. The possibility of a professional, whose wetland delineation work is assured under the department of natural resources’ wetland delineation professional assurance initiative, performing a wetland delineation confirmation under s. 23.321 on behalf of the department.

15.347(22)(b)10. 10. Methods of financing wetland mitigation requirements for local units of government.

15.347(22)(b)11. 11. Any other item related to wetlands at the discretion of the council.

15.347 History History: 1971 c. 100 s. 23; 1971 c. 164, 211, 277, 307, 323; 1973 c. 12, 301, 318; 1975 c. 39, 198, 224, 412; 1977 c. 29 ss. 51, 52, 52d, 1650m (1), (4); 1977 c. 377; 1979 c. 34 ss. 39g, 39r, 2102 (39) (g), (58) (b); 1979 c. 221, 355; 1979 c. 361 s. 112; 1981 c. 346 s. 38; 1983 a. 410; 1985 a. 29 ss. 87h, 87m, 3200 (39); 1985 a. 65, 296, 332; 1987 a. 27, 186, 399; 1989 a. 11, 31, 335; 1991 a. 32, 39, 269, 302, 316; 1993 a. 16, 464; 1995 a. 27 ss. 169 to 175b, 9116 (5) and 9126 (19); 1995 a. 227; 1997 a. 27, 300; 2001 a. 109; 2005 a. 168; 2007 a. 20 s. 9121 (6) (a); 2009 a. 394; 2011 a. 32 ss. 117b, 125, 126; 2011 a. 104, 168; 2013 a. 16, 69; 2015 a. 55, 168, 170; 2017 a. 183.

15.348 15.348 Conservation congress. The conservation congress shall be an independent organization of citizens of the state and shall serve in an advisory capacity to the natural resources board on all matters under the jurisdiction of the board. Its records, budgets, studies and surveys shall be kept and established in conjunction with the department of natural resources. Its reports shall be an independent advisory opinion of such congress.

15.348 History History: 1971 c. 179.

15.37 15.37 Department of public instruction; creation. There is created a department of public instruction under the direction and supervision of the state superintendent of public instruction.

15.37 History History: 1971 c. 125; 1995 a. 27; 1997 a. 27.

15.373 15.373 Same; specified divisions.

15.373(1) (1) Division for learning support. There is created in the department of public instruction a division for learning support.

15.373(2) (2) Division for libraries and technology. There is created in the department of public instruction a division for libraries and technology.

15.373 History History: 1983 a. 27 s. 2200 (42); 1993 a. 335; 1995 a. 27 s. 9145 (1); 1997 a. 27; 2001 a. 48; 2011 a. 158.

15.374 15.374 Same; offices.

15.374(1) (1) Office of educational accountability. There is created an office of educational accountability in the department of public instruction. The director of the office shall be appointed by the state superintendent of public instruction.

15.374(2) (2) Office of literacy. There is created an office of literacy, to be known as the Wisconsin Reading Center, in the department of public instruction. The director of the office shall be nominated by the state superintendent of public instruction after consultation with the council on early literacy curricula, and with the advice and consent of the senate appointed, to serve at the pleasure of the state superintendent of public instruction.

Effective date note NOTE: Sub. (2) is repealed eff. 7-1-28 by 2023 Wis. Act 20.

15.374 History History: 1993 a. 16; 1995 a. 27; 1997 a. 27; 2023 a. 20.

15.375 15.375 Same; attached boards.

15.375(2) (2) School district boundary appeal board. There is created a school district boundary appeal board in the department of public instruction. The board shall consist of 12 school board members appointed by the state superintendent of public instruction for staggered 2-year terms and the state superintendent of public instruction or his or her designee. Four board members shall be school board members of school districts with small enrollments, 4 board members shall be school board members of school districts with medium enrollments and 4 board members shall be school board members of school districts with large enrollments. No 2 school board members of the board may reside within the boundaries of the same cooperative educational service agency.

15.375 History History: 1979 c. 346; 1983 a. 27; 1989 a. 114, 299; 1991 a. 39; 1993 a. 399; 1995 a. 27 ss. 179 to 182, 9127 (1) and 9145 (1); 1997 a. 27.

15.375 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also s. PI 2.05, Wis. adm. code.

15.377 15.377 Same; councils.

15.377(1) (1) Blind and visual impairment education council.

15.377(1)(a) (a) Definition. In this subsection, “visually impaired” has the meaning given in s. 115.51 (4).

15.377(1)(b) (b) Creation. There is created a blind and visual impairment education council in the department of public instruction.

15.377(1)(c) (c) Members. The blind and visual impairment education council shall consist of the following members, at least one of whom has been certified by the library of congress as a braille transcriber, appointed by the state superintendent for 3-year terms:

15.377(1)(c)1. 1. Three parents of children who are visually impaired.

15.377(1)(c)2. 2. Three persons who are members of an organization affiliated with persons who are visually impaired.

15.377(1)(c)3. 3. Three licensed teachers, one of whom is a teacher of the visually impaired, one of whom is an orientation and mobility teacher and one of whom is a general education teacher.

15.377(1)(c)4. 4. One school board member.

15.377(1)(c)5. 5. One school district administrator.

15.377(1)(c)6. 6. One school district special education director.

15.377(1)(c)7. 7. One cooperative educational service agency representative.

15.377(1)(c)8. 8. One person who has experience in educating the visually impaired or in educating teachers of the visually impaired and is affiliated with an institution of higher education.

15.377(1)(c)9. 9. Three other members, at least one of whom is visually impaired.

15.377(2) (2) Deaf and hard-of-hearing education council. There is created a deaf and hard-of-hearing education council in the department of public instruction. The council shall consist of the following members, at least 3 of whom must be hearing impaired, appointed by the state superintendent of public instruction for 3-year terms:

15.377(2)(a) (a) Two parents of children who are hearing impaired.

15.377(2)(b) (b) One licensed teacher of pupils who are hearing impaired.

15.377(2)(c) (c) One person who is licensed as a speech-language pathologist under subch. II of ch. 459.

15.377(2)(d) (d) One school district special education director.

15.377(2)(e) (e) One person who is licensed as an audiologist under subch. II of ch. 459 and whose expertise is in educational audiology.

15.377(2)(f) (f) One person who is experienced in educating the hearing impaired, or in educating teachers of the hearing impaired, and is affiliated with an institution of higher education.

15.377(2)(g) (g) One person who is an instructor in a technical college interpreter training program.

15.377(2)(h) (h) One person employed as an educational interpreter.

15.377(2)(i) (i) Three other members.

15.377(4) (4) Council on special education. There is created in the department of public instruction a council on special education to advise the state superintendent of public instruction about the unmet educational needs of children with disabilities, in developing evaluations and reporting on data to the federal department of education, in developing plans to address findings identified in federal monitoring reports, in developing and implementing policies relating to the coordination of services for children with disabilities and on any other matters upon which the state superintendent wishes the council’s opinion; and to comment publicly on any rules proposed by the department of public instruction regarding the education of children with disabilities. The state superintendent of public instruction shall appoint the members of the council for 3-year terms, and shall ensure that a majority of the members are individuals with disabilities or parents of children with disabilities and that the council is representative of the state population, as determined by the state superintendent. The council shall be composed of individuals who are involved in, or concerned with, the education of children with disabilities, including all of the following:

15.377(4)(a) (a) Teachers of regular education and teachers of special education.

15.377(4)(b) (b) Representatives of institutions of higher education that train special education and related services personnel.

15.377(4)(c) (c) State and local education officials.

15.377(4)(d) (d) Administrators of programs for children with disabilities.

15.377(4)(e) (e) Representatives of agencies other than the department of public instruction involved in the financing or delivery of related services to children with disabilities.

15.377(4)(f) (f) Representatives of private schools, charter schools, and tribal schools, as defined in s. 115.001 (15m).

15.377(4)(g) (g) At least one representative of a vocational, community or business organization that provides transition services for children with disabilities.

15.377(4)(h) (h) Representatives from the department of corrections.

15.377(4)(i) (i) Parents of children with disabilities.

15.377(4)(j) (j) Individuals with disabilities.

15.377(6) (6) Council on library and network development. There is created in the department of public instruction a council on library and network development composed of 19 members. Nine of the members shall be library science, audiovisual and informational science professionals representative of various types of libraries and information services, including public libraries, public library systems, school libraries, public and private academic libraries, special libraries and library educators. Ten of the members shall be public members who have demonstrated an interest in libraries or other types of information services. The members of the council shall be appointed for 3-year terms. The council shall meet 6 times annually and shall meet also on the call of the state superintendent of public instruction, and may meet at other times on the call of the chairperson or a majority of its members.

15.377(8) (8) Professional standards council for teachers.

15.377(8)(a) (a) Definition. In this subsection, “labor organization” means an association of employee organizations that represents the public policy, labor and professional interests of teachers.

15.377(8)(b) (b) Creation. There is created a professional standards council for teachers in the department of public instruction.

15.377(8)(c) (c) Members. The professional standards council for teachers shall consist of the following members, nominated by the state superintendent of public instruction and with the advice and consent of the senate appointed:

15.377(8)(c)1. 1. Two persons licensed and actively employed as elementary school teachers in the public schools, recommended by the largest statewide labor organization representing teachers.

15.377(8)(c)2. 2. Two persons licensed and actively employed as middle school, junior high school or senior high school teachers in the public schools, recommended by the largest statewide labor organization representing teachers.

15.377(8)(c)3. 3. Two persons licensed and actively employed as pupil services professionals, as defined in s. 118.257 (1) (c), in the public schools, recommended by the largest statewide labor organization representing teachers.

15.377(8)(c)4. 4. One person licensed and actively employed as a special education teacher in the public schools, recommended by the largest statewide labor organization representing teachers.

15.377(8)(c)5. 5. Two other persons licensed and actively employed as teachers in the public schools, recommended by the largest statewide labor organization representing teachers.

15.377(8)(c)5m. 5m. One person licensed as a teacher and actively employed in a private school, recommended by the Wisconsin Council of Religious and Independent Schools.

15.377(8)(c)6. 6. One person actively employed as a public school district administrator, recommended by the Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators.

15.377(8)(c)7. 7. One person actively employed as a public school principal, recommended by the Association of Wisconsin School Administrators.

15.377(8)(c)8. 8. One faculty member of a department or School of Education in the University of Wisconsin System, recommended by the president of the University of Wisconsin System.

15.377(8)(c)9. 9. One faculty member of a department or School of Education in a private college in Wisconsin, recommended by the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.

15.377(8)(c)10. 10. One additional faculty member, appointed from the list of persons recommended under subd. 8. or 9.

15.377(8)(c)11. 11. Two members of public school boards, recommended by the Wisconsin Association of School Boards.

15.377(8)(c)12. 12. One person who is a parent of a child who is enrolled in a public school.

15.377(8)(c)13. 13. One person who is a student enrolled in a teacher preparatory program, located in this state, that leads to initial licensure as a teacher.

15.377(8)(c)14. 14. One person licensed as a teacher and actively employed in a tribal school, as defined in s. 115.001 (15m), recommended by a federally recognized American Indian tribe or band in this state that has a tribal school.

15.377(8)(d) (d) Recommendations. For each vacancy on the council under par. (c) 1. to 9. and 11., the entity authorized to recommend a member shall provide the names of 3 qualified persons to the state superintendent of public instruction.

15.377(8)(e) (e) Terms. Members of the council shall serve 3-year terms except that the student appointed under par. (c) 13. shall serve a 2-year term.