A memo the state's largest teacher's union sent to Joint Finance Committee members yesterday offers a compromise position on repealing the qualified economic offer that would put off the move for one year.

Repealing the QEO has been a top priority for WEAC for years, and Doyle has been pushing for it since taking office.

But Doyle announced a plan last week to reduce school aids and tighten revenue limits to prevent a huge property tax hike. He also talked about the possibility of keeping in place some kind of limits on teacher salaries

The WEAC memo urges JFC members to support the governor's original recommendation to repeal the QEO. But in lieu of that, the memo offers the alternative of keeping the QEO in place until July 1, 2010, and provide a one-year "hiatus" on interest arbitration proceedings for resolving contract issues.

Administrators still have concerns that changes to arbitration proposed by the governor will lead to unmanageable compensation increases. Doyle's proposals would de-emphasize school district revenues in arbitration with employees.

The WEAC memo urges the committee members to keep these modifications intact.

WEAC lobbyist Dan Burkhalter said the alternative was offered as districts deal with a tough economic climate.

It would keep management from being able to impose arbitration in the first year without a union's consent, Burkhalter said.. If a contract would go to arbitration in the first year, the contract would be settled under the new arbitration rules under the compromise offered by WEAC.

Burkhalter said the reaction of lawmakers was positive to the compromise, but he didn't know what the committee would ultimately put forward.

See the memo here.

-- Sources tell WisPolitics that it is expected Dems will offer a motion to reduce the allowable per pupil spending increase, which currently is about $274. The sources indicated the allowable increase under the proposal will be more in the range of $200 to $210.

Gov. Jim Doyle had said that he wants to ratchet down revenue controls to prevent a large property tax increase to make up for the proposed cut in school aids. Under a proposal announced last week to fix the additional $1.6 billion budget problem now facing the state, schools would receive $290 million less than what they would have received under the governor's original budget.

-- State Sen. Lena Taylor, D-Milwaukee, is working on a compromise that would address concerns raised about proposals Doyle included in the state budget to increase regulations and accountability measures for the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program.

In February, Doyle called for a series of changes to the program that would require choice schools to meet many of the standards now imposed on public schools. That includes requiring the same number of instruction hours each year as public schools, administering standardized tests, and requiring all teachers and administrators to have a bachelor's degree.

"What I've offered as a modification is really in many ways more stringent than what the governor has done," Taylor said.

Taylor said today the compromise package had not been drafted yet.

But some key changes to the governor's proposal include:

*Removing a requirement that schools must be accredited prior to accepting MPCP students, which Taylor said would be problematic for newly formed schools. Accreditation agencies require schools to be operating before they can be accredited. In its place, the compromise would require schools not yet accredited and wishing to enter the choice program to be screened by the Department of Public Instruction to determine whether they have the financial wherewithal to properly operate and have their educational plan and curriculum approved by a pre-accreditation agency. Furthermore, schools would have to undergo yearly academic audits by the accrediting agency.

*Requiring teacher's aides to have at least a high school diploma, an area the governor's proposal does not address.

*Giving schools two years before having to administer the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examination to students, whereas the governor's proposal would require that to happen within one year.

See more in Milwaukee Notes.

-- By Greg Bump and David Wise