Government Relations Committee

Regional Advocacy Town Hall Meetings

(Virtual): 4-5pm

December: Dec 3-CESA 12 • Dec 10- CESA 11 • Dec 17-CESA 10

January: Jan 7-CESA 9 • Jan 14-CESA 8 • Jan 21-CESA 7 • Jan 28-CESA 6

February: Feb 11-CESA 5 • Feb 18-CESA 4 • Feb 25-CESA 3

March: Mar 4-CESA 2 • Mar 11-CESA 1

This year, we’re bringing advocacy directly to you with virtual listening sessions in every CESA region. These one-hour conversations are your chance to share what’s happening in your schools, connect with counselors across the state, and shape the advocacy resources WSCA will create to strengthen our profession.

Zoom registration links will be available soon.

Afternoon on the Hill

WSCA’s in-person and virtual Day on the Hill events continue to be cornerstones of our association’s year.

• Preconference Afternoon on the Hill
  • When: Wed, Nov 5, 2025 | 1:00 pm – 6:00 pm
  • Where: Kalahari, Capitol
  • Registration Opens: Now Open! Register via Preconference Registration Form
• Virtual Day on the Hill
  • When: Tues, Feb 3, 2026 | 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
  • Where: Virtual via Zoom
  • Registration Opens: November 2025

Why Attend?

In 2025, once again, the Joint Finance Committee restricted funding under the Aid for School Mental Health Programs to school social workers only, despite Governor Evers and Superintendent Underly requesting in the past two budget cycles that eligibility be expanded to include school counselors and school psychologists. Now is the time to speak with our elected officials about the need for local school districts to have the flexibility to hire the best-qualified professional, whether a school counselor, school psychologist, or social worker, to meet their students’ mental health needs, rather than limiting this funding to just one role.

School districts with legislators on the Joint Finance, Education, Workforce Development, Economic Development, or Mental Health committees are especially important connections. As you can see, these committees make vital decisions that impact schools and students in the state, and having a seat at their legislative table is our way to advocate for our students and profession.

Building relationships is the key to our advocacy! Even in a “non-budget year,” the connections created and maintained can and do have lasting impacts. Recently, in Sun Prairie, 48th Assembly District Representative Andrew Hysell spent a morning at Prairie View Middle School speaking with staff and shadowing school counselor Rick Hudson after they met during the Virtual Day on the Hill in February. Representative Hysell admitted that, although he thought he knew what to expect, actually setting foot in the school was a huge learning experience, and he was grateful for the invite and connection. He later made a floor speech on Assembly Joint Resolution 55, designating May as Mental Health Awareness month in Wisconsin, directly stating inspiration from the stories shared by counselors at Day on the Hill previously that year.

If you choose to register for Afternoon on the Hill, you can be assured that counselor-specific talking points and resources will be provided to you ahead of time, and also discussed on the day of. Tips and advice for how to have an impactful and successful conversation with your legislators will also be provided. 

This is your chance to share your story and to start building long-term relationships with your elected officials; we would love to have you there!