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271 comments:
1 – 200 of 271 Newer› Newest»Apparently not much happening up at school, with nobody posting a response for over two days. The administration is still top heavy, and we are paying far too much in administrative salaries. One good thing to say is that e john is gone. Mary Allen is a great addition to the administration, but now it's time to trim the fat.
There are still too many different programs, schools within the school. Let's get back to the basics of teaching and stop trying to be all things to all people.
Referendum for improvements to the building, I'm not too happy about that. They've been overspending for years and now want to raise our taxes to pay for their irresponsibility. Thanks Bates.
Another referendum to raise taxes again for school's spending? I realize the very real downturn in economy has caused serious cuts to budgets but the economy is also being unfairly blamed to hide the years of crappy prioritizing and bad spending. Top heavy administration is right - too many administrators getting paid hefty salaries at the expense of our kids' education, and the size and the depth of the egos could float a battleship around.
You've got that right! Hopefully things will change at school soon in this regard.
Simply amazing... a year ago this post would be loaded with dozens of nasty comments, long rants and lotsa ugly stuff. Evil assaults on EJT & WS. Funny how a little shift in power makes everything better in peoples minds. EJT & WS must be sleeping better these days.
The school must just be a happier place this year. They got their land at ABA, gave up on the old sunny side farm. Still pushing the IB, which some people are really against. The Charter program seems to be moving along. I see in the paper it was getting some mention at an educational conference.
Is Mr. Bates still Mr Community involvement? Some folks didn't like him having a hand in everything; they must be over that.
Ho Humm.... Go Lakers!!
“Referendum for improvements to the building …”
To be clear, the proposed referendum would be for regular operating expenses. Soon, the School Board will decide whether to hold this referendum. If so, it would probably take place in February.
Meanwhile, the tax increase for the energy efficiency upgrade is a done deal. The School Board recently decided to raise the 2009-10 taxes by $490,000 for an energy overhaul. One Board member voted in opposition.
So, this means voters don't have a choice about the taxes for the energy upgrade, but they would have a choice about a regular operating referendum. Hope this clears things up.
There is going to be a meeting about the REFERENDUM on December 3rd.
What is your opinion on the referendum? I understand that schools need repair and all that, so why has Bates been wasting money like a drunken sailor all these years?
Here's my opinion of a referendum. Slash administrative costs by sharing an administrator and curriculum coordinator. Start over with a new, young guidance counselor at entry level salary. Get rid of the IB "programme" and fast. Turn down the damn heat in the building, it is sweltering hot in there! Quit heating the fitness center, they just open the windows anyway, and often leave them open over night. Combine classes with under 20 kids in them. Any of you have any good ideas to save money at the school?
Great suggestions! If the school had been trying to save money these past several years with these kinds of ideas, they would have had more than the $490,000 they needed for the energy overhall. Instead, they make us pay more taxes in a time when we can't afford anything extra.
Just when does Bates contract expire?
Administrative contracts are reviewed on an annual basis, providing for a rollover feature that if approved, allow for a two year extension. At least that has what it has been in the past.
Interestingly, from what I am hearing, many people agree with all that Vote No said, cut the high paying administrative costs by cutting the curriculum director position - many teachers are qualified; combine the the administrator and principal position as Princeton does - KB spends more time at City committee meetings - i.e. Chamber of Commerce Committee; Kiwanis; Rotary - heard he is president; etc. and the meeting are held in the daytime when he should be at school; cut the AB high cost incentives and even the Charter school - these have not added out of district enrollment, and just cause problems with students not admitted due to enrollment quotas; AND most of all, get a good school counselor that takes the time the HELP the many troubled young people and their families of ALL GRADES in the school due to the effects of today's economy, parents losing jobs, etc.,etc. The compassionate one we had was fired due to being on e.john's black, list (she was too effective). Families and students have suffered a lot since by not having anyone to talk with about their child and give them understanding and encouragement. We moved here 15 years ago and heard complaints then about our high paid but ineffective counselor for our students - especially ignoring students not planning to go to college, but tech schools, etc., which we and our son learned first hand.
Yes, school administrators and Board be warned, so far the general consensus is VOTE NO until they straighten out the spending habits of Ken Bates and Club.
I was under the impression that the school board must approve spending. Isn't that so? If the school is paying for this program and that program, the school board must have approved it. Right?
And the previous blogger hit the nail on the head, the counselor is not only ineffective. She is a leech of public tax dollars.
By a very thin string, school superintendents now fall under the definition of public officials. If you ask me, so are all school administrators then.
Administrators must have a school board's approval for decisions. The problem is when school boards do not hold superintendents accountable and administrators not school board are pulling the strings. School board don't want to look badly because they didn't or aren't doing their job, so they'll defend what they know a superintendent has done wrong.
Charter schools started out as good faith intentions. Now the charter laws are manipulated to support school-within-schools that aren't by law charters at all and hurt traditional system. DPI doesn't seem to mind this method of circumventing state mandated, academic requirements and forcing changes on people.
The " compassionate counselor" being referred to a few blogs above, gossiped and disrespected herself out of a job. Many days at school, she would be right in the thick of the "copy room" patrol. the group that conveniently found many reasons and time, ( talk about wasting taxpayer money), to gather there and get paid to complain, gossip and disrupt efforts for trying new things and focusing on students. She was also among the first to complain about being held accountable.
No doubt she did help some students and families at school, and some of the kids did relate to her. I will give her that. But you cannot do the job and set two sets of rules for yourself.... do my job and then I can say anything I want about anyone, how dare they try to stop me.
Thankfully, most of that hornets nest of gossipers from the copy room patrol, are gone from the district.
It could be true that it is time for a new counselor at school. I have heard a number of parents and students complain that they get little or no time or effort from the current counselor if they are not headed to a 4 year college on a scholarship. Don't know if that is true or not, but hopefully the administrator is evaluating the effectiveness of her ability to go forward or not. But if she goes, we we need to look for someone fresh for the school who can reach out to and relate to the whole scope of families out there. Not bring back someone from the gossip and complaint patrol. Too many good, talented people out there looking for work in this economy.
A college age graduate may be a good start. They're fresh, energized, and kids can relate to them. Just make sure the student is being "friends" with the students so much that the college age graduate isn't effectively doing his/her job and not teaching kids to raise themselves up to the school district's and community's standards. Much of the time kids tune out because we are adults and we adults spend too much time reaching kids instead of teaching them. Just a thought.
And, while gossip isn't good, how DO people connect and let one another know they are not alone? How do people unite to organize against an administration that isn't always looking out for their best interests or the interests of the kids? How are people supposed to relate and comfort each other?
If one hasn't noticed, the venues put in place for people to express themselves are being systematically broken down so that people are no longer allowed to speak out, or feel comfortable speaking up, or expect that anything will be done anyway.
Something I would agree with is the current school board holding Ken Bates more accountable for his time away from the school. There is a reasonable amount of good to be gained from our administrator being involved in the community as well as involved in the culture of education at certain state conferences. Those do help make connections and bring new ideas forward and bring resources to the school. But it seems like Ken talks in his columns a lot about the many conferences he attends or committees he is on. I would ask the school board that they get an inventory of these from him and set some reasonable limit on outside community activities and conference travel, which then would free up more of his time to further address GL school issues.
Of course it is good to have a professional "network" but Bates involvement goes beyond that to the point of power-tripping. I would much rather have an administrator whose ONLY priority is the one he/she is paid to do at the school. People who become over-achievers such as this are trying to make up for their lack of self worth, not looking within for their affirmation but constantly looking for attention and approval from others.
At many of these seminars, the adminstrators and superintendents are being trained to win at all costs with status-quo politics and learning how to force referendums through. We don't know whether we're dealing with politicans or educators in our school districts anymore.
"school administrators and Board be warned, so far the general consensus is VOTE NO until they straighten out the spending habits of Ken Bates and Club."
I am in complete agreement! I plan to attend the meeting and vote NO on a referendum. Let's get our house in order, school board!
I'm with you all the way on this one. Bates and Club have mismanaged our tax dollars and now they are crying for more.
Kids, bring an extra sweater to school.
Big meeting about the Green Lake referendum last night. Good to see so many people show up. A news story is posted at www.riponpress.com. Go to “News” and then choose “Area News” from the dropdown menu.
Excellent, thanks for the heads up!
Chief, how about a new topic about the possible school board referendum.
Does anyone know what happened at the referendum meeting at Green Lake school last night?
Yes, some people came and made asses out of themselves, grinding their old axes and complaining about not wanting a referendum. They didn't hear that the school can't operate effectively under the current funding levels. They automatically say no.
They will be the same ones complaining when it comes down to having to merge with Princeton, when it gets to be too late to save our school. They aren't thinking through what it would be like for our community if there was no school here. I'm all for saving on taxes, but one way or another, the school has to be funded if we want it to stay here.
Just GRANDE that our school district has wasted hundreds of thousands of dollars due to top heavy administration and all this Charter and IB PROGRAMME crappola. If the school ran their business the way I run my household, they would not be crying for more money. It is time for FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY and ACCOUNTABILITY. Time to scale down and be sensible.
Why can't Green Lake just be a school, like it used to be? It reminds me of big government, trying to be all things. NOT necessary. We can do just fine without all the bells and whistles.
I agree! Isn't it ironic that we received a better education when we were young, 40+ decades ago? Most of this spending at schools is overkill.
Yes, give the school administrators more money out of fear. Because there's no reason not to trust their twisted priorities, and good decisions without even worse consequences have always been made out of fear.
Are people more concerned with having a school to send their kids to than they should be with the quality of education their kids are actually receiving? It's not enough to throw money we don't have at education - demand the best possible education we should already be getting with monies we already pay. Don't go at it half ass or we let our children down in a setting second only to good parenting.
How much did Ken Bates waste of our tax dollars on lawyers these past few years? Maybe should have thought of that before you made all those really stupid decisions, Ken. If it were my decision, you would have been canned long ago. From now on, the school board has to word their contracts so that we can let anyone go for any reason we feel merits dismissal with no legal consequences. There are a lot of qualified people who would love that job and excel at it. Lower the pay scale too, while you're at it. He is vastly overpaid. We really should be sharing an administrator with another school.
Yup.... let's go back to 40 years ago. Let's get rid of computers, provide no opportunities for kids to have access to advanced classes.I'm sure some people can bring down their old typewriters from their basements and donate them to the school, so the kids can type just like the good old days 40 years ago. And while we are at it, let's pay teachers what they made 40 years ago. It was good enough back then.
I am so tired of people complaining that it's not like it was 40 years ago. Well, it's not. There have been good and bad changes in education. That is true in most settings.
Money was spent on lawyers because too many administrators before, had allowed some poor teaching situations to develop and some teachers thinking they could run the school.
Most school districts are having financial difficulties. It is not unique to Green Lake. Berlin will soon be facing decisions such as closing their Red Granite location.
It has to do with the funding formula from the state more than anything.
If the projected numbers are true on what the financial picture next year would look like, if the community votes down a referendum, the district will have to cut $500,000 from the budget. There will be those who will jump on the bandwagon to say, "good, cut it all out." But what does that really mean to have to cut out a number like that from a school our size. It would go deep. Teachers gone, programs gone, some sports gone,
and on an on. We'll have a shell of a school. Teachers will look elsewhere because they will have no confidence of their employment. And some of our very good younger teachers will be the first to be cut, because of union rules. That means the Amanda's, Stephanie's and Chris's of our school will have to go.
I just hope people take time to truly understand what they are saying no to, because it's easy to say no to referendum, and go around High-fiving themselves as a group, shouting, " yeah... we did it, we stopped this thing." Without really thinking about the consequences of what will happen the next year for our school and the future. Be careful what you wish for, as the saying goes.
Do you not understand that the government spends millions on a failing education system, regardless of technology? Tip your hat to the lobbyists, unions and politicians for that.
Do you not understand that increasing costs of everything that isn't nailed down are shrinking already limited school budget, but school admnistrators mispending what little monies they do have on what is eroding the quality of our children's education, is what is threatening a bad situation from terrible to worse?
Johnny takes my lunch money every day. He doesn't like that he can't afford a better lunch on my dime so he's forcing me to bring more money to give him. Do I give him more money that I can't afford so he can eat a free lunch mor to his taste? Or do I stand up and fight to do the right thing, and make the best of the lunches I afford myself with my own money and send a strong message to Johnny to manage his own finances and buy his own lunch?
I don't know what the hell you are talking about with Johnny's lunch.
But let's look at it another way.
Last night, the school gym was packed with people for the boys basketball game. A sea of green supporters, a high school band on stage, cheer leaders, a student council group selling concessions. It was all good for our community. Builds community pride, helps our young people grow, and gives us a reason to be a community.
If we don't have funds to do this anymore, the school on a Friday night like this will just be dark.
We'll all be off to Princeton or Ripon, where only a few of our kids will be able to participate. Just think about all of that.
This is not some evil government takeover situation. This is about our community, our town, our kids, our school.
You're right. You don't just say no to the referendum, high five yourselves, and walk away as if the fun has ended. You vote no and make the effort to sit on the school administrators, curtail their spending, to really figure out what is consequences due to economy and what is consequences due to school district's twisted priorities. Then you'll have a better idea of exactly are the problems and what is the biggest problem that needs to be eliminated immediately.
The school administrators are not going to stop what they're doing for themselves at the expense of our kids' education, it's too good of a high paying set up for them. Let's not base the decisions we make for our children's quality education on the fear-card they are using to avoid accountability. Raise our standards up from basic survival to best possible situation for our children.
I see your reasoning but it's a tad surface and shallow. Keeping it all looking pretty and unscathed on the outside does nothing to stop the whirlpool of pending failure on the inside. Making more mistakes to the mistakes is a dangerous game to play - raise your standards for our kids' education sake.
We have new people on our school board who are very aware of the problems of the past, and doing their best to find ways to keep our school, avoid mistakes of the past, and provide our children with a good education - and Green Lake with the above mentioned Community Spirit! As was said at the meeting, they will be exploring details of fiscal decisions made in the last few years - and present their findings before a decision is made on the referendum. Give them a chance to keep our school AND run it efficiently. P.S. FYI - Ken Bates is not a voting member of the school board so is NOT in on the decision making.
I assume most people understand the difference between education and pie eating. Do people really understand the difference between poor education and quality education for our children?
Do people realize technology and textbooks can not teach a whip of academics by themselves, while a good teacher can teach lessons and impart passion without technology and books? Like the difference between a parent spending no time with their best dressed child, and the parent who spends lots of quality time with a child wearing worn out, hand me downs.
Getting back to the basics entails understanding what good basics really are so we don't shoot ourselves in the foot with misguided intentions and efforts.
Exactly! Having access to a computer is one thing. Giving every student in the charter program their own laptop is another thing. This wasteful act is yet another of Bates attempt to lure students to Green Lake. A computer is not going to make a student smart, help them to learn or get good grades.
Use this analogy for the rest of the school. Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and he eats for life.
People don't care if their kids are smart these days. They only care if they and their kids look smart.
Who cares if Johnny can read or write. If he can play sports he'll make money and buy his way in this world. If his accountant steals his money one day because the kid didn't know how to add or think for himself, society would be hard pressed to blame it on Johnny's ignorance on Johnny's parents who paid little attention to his studies or blame the school that slipped him through the system with a shiny lap-top on a brand new football field.
Charter schools are bunk. Just the next attempt to cater to kids' whims, placate parents too lazy to pay attention to their kids' studies, circumvent academic requirements and water down standards, segregate the smart kids who are the real hopes for success from the dumb kids who are doomed to fail (this creates more divisions and discrimination on the streets), and look spiffy to the government to get more governent funds to mispend on more twisted, superficial priorities.
Wake up, people.
You are full of shit (and yourself).
Right on, last blogger.
People are fascinated with "the good ole days." Has anyone noticed the job options around here, with a high school education? Not too good, unless you want to get excited about packaging cookies in Ripon, stuffing inserts in the paper at the Commonwealth, bagging groceries at Pik n Save, or making beds at the Heidel House. Just ask the carpenters and electricians waiting for work this winter, or the people who used to make things in our communities, that are now made in China.
I think we do need options such as charter schools and equipment like lap tops, for kids to learn to use.
Those are tools of the future for good jobs that pay well. We do need to give our kids opportunities to succeed. A number of the options that were available years ago, do not exist anymore, and it is more competitive out there. If we want our kids to have chances at decent jobs, they have to have the tools and skill sets and exposure, to compete.
Talk candidly with any teachers lately who aren't afraid of repercussion? They'll tell you that kids are not smarter with all this technology and that this nation's academic status is falling hard. Test scores are being gauged by lower adademic standards. Statistics don't lie but liars manipulate statistics.
Talk to college professors and employers? They're convinced kids are not learning enough or learning well enough. Teachers have to re-teach basics before teaching at an appropriately higher level and expectating common sense progress in the classroom.
Keep sending your kids into the child driven, charter schools and then wondering what mentality is driving Western culture's education system and economy intot he ground. You'll see the smoke billowing from your ears as the wooden gears splinter and smolder from the insanity of it all.
Options are good. There's a big difference between good options and bad ones. Or is it that good options are okay as long as the bad options only happen to others. Sacrifice of a few of those uneducated, grocery baggers, newspaper stuffers, and cookie counters to benefit the many suit wearing, degree boasting, money making, corporate policy makers sort of thing?
Raise your standards, expect education of our future to follow, and give our children the tools they so desperately want and need. Don't lower standards to fit society's sloppy definition of what quality education and life's successes really are.
Like it or not gang, computers and technology are here to stay. Get over it!
Anonymous said, "Don't lower standards to fit society's sloppy definition of what quality education and life's successes really are."
Try telling that to a single mom with a high school education, whose husband deserted her, making $8.00 an hour at McDonald's in Ripon. See how far that gets her with rent, ( because she sure won't be owning a house on that income), food, gas, clothes for herself and her kids.
Then ask her how she's doing with health insurance? Then check out how her car is doing, the one she bought on credit and is now falling apart. Then ask her when was the last time she could put any money away.
Say what you want about society values.... I am not talking about
the mega rich people. I am talking about what it takes to make a decent living in today's economy, and the cost of that does not generally get covered by most of the hourly jobs around here. I think if you asked that mom if she wanted better for her kids, the first thing she'd hope for is a better education for them to be able to compete for jobs that can produce a decent (not extravagant) lifestyle.
Wake up. The kids who get the best jobs have the best skill sets. If we can help some or as many as possible of our Green Lake kids to be competitive and get competitive job skills, then I am for it. And that means yes to a referendum to keep our school in Green Lake and providing opportunities for our kids.
What is up with our school board president at the last meeting? Harley Reabe was allowed to be as rude as could be to one of the school staff, the way he asked a question in public about some language in a document? Seems like he could have checked that out earlier, had he done his homework?
Why aren't the school board members reading their material sent to them ahead of time, to be better prepared for the meetings. You can watch some of them unsealing their material for the first time as the meeting gets started, and trying to shuffle through it, to keep up.
Couldn't our board president show some leadership and ask these board members in public, to come better prepared, and to be respectful in the way they ask their questions?
I hope these same ones are doing a better job of reading and understanding the facts presented to them regarding important issues such as this referendum. How they vote is up to them. I just want them to understand the facts from all sides to make a good decision for the community.
You could have three computers for every student and it wouldn't help them to learn squat. Sure everyone should know how to use one. They should also know how to use a calculator, but they better know how to add, subtract multiply and divide before they learn how to use a calculator.
Take Milwaukee Public School students for example. Newly released figures show that 40% of sophmores (that's 10th grade for you illiterates) are proficient at reading. 27% are proficient at math and 26% are proficient at science. Milwaukee Public School have an annual budget of over one BILLION dollars. Yes, you read that right. It's not a matter of how much is spent (wasted) if you don't have good teachers and the kids come from homes that are apathetic about education. Teachers should be paid based on performance, but their union obviously thinks otherwise.
Throwing more money (computers, smart boards, etc etc) does not fix the problem, and it really means jack to how good an education our young people are receiving. So what if Johnny and Suzy can open a WORD document when they can't spell, use proper grammar or even think logically. Public Schools are raising a bunch of computer addicted TV watching morons....Oh I mean children. I know home school families that are vastly smarter than their public school counterparts, and they don't depend on a computer, that's for sure.
You hit the nail right on the head with that one. The math/calculator analogy says it all. You wonder why kids are not proficient at math,it's because they are not taught math the way we were taught "back then". Now teachers actually teach the kids how to use a calculator instead of thinking for themselves. Technology has it's uses, but in my opinion, technology in school is a crutch.
On top of that, expectations are much lower than they used to be. Teachers treat kids like stupid little creatures instead of amazing, creative individuals who are capable of learning so much easier and faster than adults. We as a society have dumbed-down the playing field. Of course, you can't make the bottom 10% feel bad about themselves because they can't perform with the rest of the class. Let's forget about learning anything and just help everyone to feel good about themselves.
Do you know what the proposed school referendum is for? I was under the impression that money was needed to pay for repairs and upgrades to the heating system at the school. Then I found out that the money for heating repairs and upgrades is already arranged for by a one year (only) property tax increase of $21 per $100,00 assessed home value. The proposed REFERENDUM HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS!
So what is the referendum for, you ask. That is a damn good question. I would like an answer from a school representative, but in the meantime, this is what I am to understand about this matter. The school is not operating within it's budget. Hmmm. Imagine that. We pay an administrator six figures and he cannot even balance a budget. Yes, I know times are hard. We all know times are hard. We've all had to tighten our belts and live and spend more responsibly. But apparently Ken Bates lives in a separate reality from the rest of us. Perhaps with his six figure income and cushy benefits he has not had to buckle down and do with less like the rest of us. And he seems to run the school with this same flagrant attitude. School Board, I am talking about you, too. This top- heavy administration needs to be streamlined BIG TIME. Green Lake Schools pays more per student than ANY OTHER PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT IN WISCONSIN. This is INSANE.
Green Lake schools used to have two (2) full time custodians. Now we have (3) THREE full time custodians PLUS TWO (2) PART-TIME custodians. As if that weren't enough, they have recently hired a CLEANING SERVICE to clean the bathrooms and locker rooms. How dirty are the bathrooms and locker rooms that they need "special cleaning". This is a school system of less than 300 students!
The school used to have two lunch personnel, now they have three even though there are less students each year. WTF!
Mr. Bates wants this "one-time" property tax increase to be yearly tradition, indefinitely. This is NOT ACCEPTABLE. Let's all work together and get our school back on track. Cut out the crap. It shouldn't have to be like this. We should be more responsible than this.
You cannot compare Green Lake school system to a Milwaukee system. Obviously much bigger numbers and much bigger problems there.
That would be like trying to relate our crime rate with Milwaukee's.
And what's with the "dumbing down" comments? Our kids did great on a number of state test scores.
We have a good track record of kids from Green Lake going on to higher education.
Spend some time around some of these kids and you will meet some very nice young people. Not all perfect, but then neither are we adults.
And the comment about " Bates can't keep the school operating within it's budget"? You obviously haven't looked at the books over the years since he's been here.
In fact, Ken has made cuts each year as directed by the school board, based on the budget. At the same time, he has had his staff find extra grants outside of the budget, ( thank you Deb Kneser), to allow the school to do some programming, even in tough times,
that many other schools couldn't offer their kids.
All this talk about "getting the school back on track". What does that mean? We have some very good programs, we have a number of kids testing well, we have some kids going on to do good things after high school. We have some dedicated teachers.
You sound like part of the 5 big mouthed whiny women who did all the complaining at the last board meeting during the public comments.
Keep whining. You can whine us all the way into closing the school, with your rallying cries for no more taxes. Then you will be whining as your kids head on a bus to Princeton or Ripon, and you find out your taxes are actually higher than they are if we just kept this school going and had our own school to be proud of and serve as the heartbeat and center of Green Lake.
The blogger who commented about home schoolers being smarter than traditional students. I think there is some truth to your statement. I'm not convinced that they are smarter. I think it's that they get more individualized attention, without other interruption. The teaching ratio at home is probably 1-1 or 1-3, depending on number of children. They also have no issue of having a range of learning levels around them, such as is in a regular classroom. The teacher (parent), also does not have to deal with other behavior issues of other students, other than their own.
So in a typical day, they are in the position of being able to focus concentrated time on a very low student ratio, and base it on that child's learning style, since different kids learn best, in different ways.
They also have more flexibility in figuring out recreation, field learning trips, and can control who their kids play with and are around.
A public school teacher has to deal with whatever is assigned to their class. That could include kids from homes of neglect, or kids being abused, kids from homes where they are unemployed and struggling to put food on the table. They also deal with kids with learning disabilities, kids who have some mental issues, kids who are considering suicide, kids who are around pressure to use drugs, alcohol, or have teen or pre teen sex.
Plus teachers have the responsibility of meeting state standards for all of their kids, whether they are capable or not.
So all I am saying is that the comparison between public and home school cannot be the same.
So if things are oh so great at the school, what does Bates want to do with the referendum money? What is the reason for it?
Whining? Is that what you call it when concerned citizens want to see fiscal responsibility within the school administration? Maybe we should all whine a lot louder and a lot more often.
For those of you who are not familiar with the the truth behind the International Baccelaureate "programme", here is all the information you will need:
http://truthaboutib.com/
For those of you who want their children indoctrinated with values that put down the Constitution of the United States and bash our free society and Christianity, then you just keep your head in a hole where it belongs.
"So all I am saying is that the comparison between public and home school cannot be the same."
You missed the point. Home school is successful because it is good, solid basics without the state of the art, whoopdie doo, technology that causes almost as much damage as it does benefit. Kids are not smarter because of technology. Technology blows without smart people utilizing it. It is dangerous to let mindless machines do our thinking for us.
"For those of you who want their children indoctrinated with values that put down the Constitution of the United States and bash our free society and Christianity, then you just keep your head in a hole where it belongs."
Don't forget that they should pay for the hole themselves! Stay out of our schools and away from our children with this progressive garbage!
Gee, I wonder who is paying for all the extra expenses that go along with the International Baccalaureate classes. Who is paying for this "school within a school" that has fees for everything? Are the IB students paying all of their extra fees? The rest of us taxpayers should NOT have to pay for this (brainwashing) IB crap if we do not participate in it.
Who is paying for the laptops that each charter school student receives? The "regular" public school students are not receiving laptops. Why am I paying for YOUR kid's laptop? My kid doesn't get a laptop.
To make me angrier yet, I find out that the Green Lake Schools have been hiring a steady stream of substitute teachers because our "regular" teachers are always off on some special "training" for the IB or the Charter School. So we should pay for MORE salaries because of Bate's circulating three-ring circus act. And the travel and lodging expenses? From what funds are these expenses being paid?
Our tiny little Wisconsin school does not need to be so complicated. Don't you feel that all of these "schools within a school" is overkill? Green Lake is such a tiny school system, one of the smallest in the state. Do we really need to segregate our children from each other. I don't think this is healthy.
We should rally together to help this school be all that is should be. This means making many changes in the next several years. A unified program could easily lead to an outstanding school that puts focus on nature studies/science and accelerated classes in math and science for our college minded youth. I hope that our school board comes to it's senses soon and starts to act accordingly.
How about ONE SCHOOL, one really great school? Why don't we try to excel at education and quit dancing around like fools.
Anonymous said, "You missed the point. Home school is successful because it is good, solid basics without the state of the art, whoopdie doo, technology that causes almost as much damage as it does benefit."
Actually, I think you missed the point. There are plenty of homeschoolers that work with computers. Computers do not cause damage. Abuse of computers or misuse of computers is what can cause damage. Which is why kids should be educated on proper use of computers and laptops because they will be using them all of their lives in the world they are going into.
And homeschooling is good, solid basics. I do agree with that. But they can teach that because all they are dealing with is their own children in a quiet setting, very different than a public school classroom.
Anonymous said, "Whining? Is that what you call it when concerned citizens want to see fiscal responsibility within the school administration? Maybe we should all whine a lot louder and a lot more often."
I am for fiscal responsibility. I think there are people who just whine at these meetings without knowing the facts. They just hear the word referendum and they say no without looking at the problems.
They don't want to fund the school, but they haven't thought about what happens when there is no more school and what Green Lake will feel and be like as a ghost town.
They way no to more referendums asking for more money because adminsitrators are blowing the money they do have and the technology they've already been afforded is not making the kids smarter.
Hmmm....do I want a smart kid flipping burgers or a dumb arse kid tripping through life in some heartless, paying job that he looks good to others in??? You want status quo drones that don't know enough to speak up or people that aren't wealthy but are hold government accountable and make a difference in this world?
Keep raising drones. Nothing will change and even the "comfortable" now will feel very "uncomfortable" later. KNOW what good education is and stop handing well intended monies hand over fist to the people that are helping to screw up the system!!
I'm with Harley. Time to close the school. Green Lake will continue with or without a school. Paying for the school is like keeping a circus elephant.
Anonymous said, "I'm with Harley. Time to close the school. Green Lake will continue with or without a school. Paying for the school is like keeping a circus elephant."
You opinion is ignorant and Harley is an ignorant, blowhard who enjoys grandstanding at meetings and making people feel small.
If the school closes, what do you think will happen? Do you think your taxes will go down? They will not. All the kids in Green Lake district will have to go somewhere and we will be taxed in that district they go to. Ripon and Princeton are taxed at a higher rate than Green Lake.
Not only will our taxes go up, but much of the fabric of life as we know it in Green Lake will go away.
No more High school band at Memorial Day or 4th of July parade. No more school play. No more community gatherings for basketball or baseball games. No more Christmas concerts. No more graduation ceremonies, proms, student councils, community improvement projects.
And really, no more reasons for our young people to want to stay around, work here or live here.
And those who are here will still have to pay taxes for the privilege of their kids going to Princeton, to watch other kids play in a band or on a team.
All of you naysayers will needed to put the padlocks and closed signs on the doors of the school. After that, you can sit around at a local bar, have a few beers, congratulate each other for "winning" on this one, and then head outside and notice that nothing is going on. Then the light bulb might go on that your stupidity is only outranked by your ignorance. Dartford Cemetery will expand its' borders to cover the whole city boundaries.
Boo hoo. Look who's whining now. You may think that Harley is a "blowhard", but I think he is a sensible, rational thinker. Sometimes it's not about what we want, but what is prudent and wise.
Our school board and administration has been overspending for years now, with hardly a concern for tomorrow. Now Bates wants even more money to continue with his every delusional whim. Enrollment continues to decline every year. There are no jobs here. Middle class Homes sit on the real estate market for years because nobody is moving here. Most of you want to pretend this is not happening, but it is.
I am not saying that we should close the school and consolidate, but in order to ensure the survival of the school, massive cuts must be made and maintained. The biggest savings will be in administration. We must downscale staff to be more in line with a small-town Wisconsin school with 275 students. Small classes must be combined, several teachers will have to go. Maintenance staff must be cut (three full time custodians plus two part time, PLUS a cleaning service???) My school of 1200+ had less custodial staff than this! Paying for substitute teachers because our teachers are continually traveling to special training for the IB and Charter schools. This has to end.
The IB and Charter School sucks money from our regular programs. I want them gone. The school board has a responsibility to do what is necessary to finally become fiscally responsible. Face it, people. Do you want the school to survive, or do you want it to continue to dig it's own grave by overspending like a bunch of drunken sailors in a whorehouse? (no offense to drunken sailors intended)
We got an interesting letter today from Michael and Patricia White. The letter was sent to 700 Green Lake waterfront home owners. The letter is asking for a contribution to the "Green Lake Revitalization Effort". This money will be used, with the approval of Ken Bates and Mary Allen, for enrollment advertising begining January 2010. It hopes the "many unique,highly desirable qualities" can be a positive marketing agenda. The list includes:
International Baccalaureate School
Global and Environmental Academy Charter school.
Lake Study program and water conservatory.
ACT exams above area,state and national ave.
Highest WKCE test scores.
85% of grads attend 2 or 4 yr colleges.
65% get college scholarships.
Music and band in top state competition.
Elementary foreign language program.
99.5% Graduation rate
"The IB and Charter School sucks money from our regular programs."
Charter schools are, by law, required to operate autonomously in a seperate building with a seperate entrance. DPI is letting those requirements slide in order to force these charter/school within schools to take hold against the public's will because DPI and the politicians believe it's for our own good to do the "charter" thing. In other words, these charter schools in this area parasite off of the more "conventional" system's monies and resources. That's how they're getting around spending our money against our will to help circumvent the legally mandated, academic requirements.
Charters were a good idea when they were started. Now the term "charter" is being abused and parents are being convinced, with manipulated data, that a charter school is the bestest thing since sliced bread. Our schools as they were and are are failing our kids, but instead of putting blame where it belongs to fix that, they just cause more problems with a newfangled mess parents are not aware of.
With the statistics quoted two comments above, just how is the Green Lake school failing? Sounds like great outcomes to me.
Statistics don't lie. Liars manipulate statistics.
I attribute the college matriculation rate to the fact that most of these students are upper-middle class white students. The scholarship thing is a joke, that can mean anything from a $100 scholarship from the garden club to the Caestecker which is never given out fairly. The guidance counselor always play favorites, and that is one of the things that has driven students out of the district.
"I attribute the college matriculation rate to the fact that most of these students are upper-middle class white students."
Is this comment meant to be divisive and start accusations against anyone not middle class and white? If not, I apologize but that's the way it started out for me.
I'd submit that even when students are getting into college, they are not getting in because they are smarter than the kids they left in their high school. I'd submit that many employers and college professors are complaining at the lack of commense sense, ability to think analytically, and knowledge of certain basics that is a big problem. We're getting these kids to college with loans and scholarship, why are WE also getting them through college because they are so behind?
I received my Mike and Patty White Letter in today's mail. If I was disgusted with our school before, now I am angry AND disgusted. Who the HELL do these people think they are BEGGING homeowners and taxpayers to give cash donations to the school??? What a totally classless boner move on their part.
So now Green Lake schools want more of our money so they can "advertise" for new students. I hope none of you are gullible enough to send any of your hard-earned money to support your failing school administration. They get enough of your money as it is! This administration has mismanaged funds beyond any logical explanation and we are supposed to give them MORE?
The reasons the school is faltering are numerous. You can thank Ken Bates and Wendy Schultz for most of the downfall.
The White's state in paragraph 3 that "Our school staff and related activities offered have been minimized to stay in step with the student and family population." REALLY? Minimized? Are you delusional? What school system are you dreaming about? Gee, if the school has been minimized, why is there a projected shortfall of $778,965 in 2010-2011? What about $1,189,877 for 2011-2012? Someone PLEASE explain to me why, with vastly lower enrollment (30% less students in a ten year period) Ken Bates wants a much LARGER budget? Maybe he thinks he's BARACK OBAMA!
Go ahead and blame the state for all your problems Ken. Learn to operate the school within the budget, PERIOD. If you have to cut 10 teachers, then cut them. They should have been cut years ago. You and your "private school" mentality have done your damage and the last thing we need is more of the same.
Harley and Meade, sharpen your pencils and keep your back to the wall. I have faith in both of you. If the school wants to survive, then some drastic changes have to be made. The very first priority should be to find a new administrator who knows how to run a school system in a responsible manner.
Mr. and Mrs. White, why don't you just dress in rags and crawl around downtown with a tin cup? How dare you go soliciting for OUR PERSONAL money because Ken Bates has run our school into the ground. I am appalled by your actions.
Excellent Blog! I also received a letter in the mail and was trying to figure out the logic in the fact that the school has been minimized, yet in the past few years this administration has started an IB School and a Charter School. How are these two costly ventures (that segregate the students and take funds away from my public school student) in any way to be construed as minimizing?
What about all the money Ken Bates blew on attorneys because he greedily coveted land that was no in any way, shape or form available? Don't even get me started.
Who are Michael and Patty White, anyway?
Where I come from, people who solicit personal funds so that other people can get screwed are called prostitutes.
This letter is unmitigated gall, to say the least. I also wondered who are the Whites? Who does the school think it is? Who do the Whites think they are? Were they put up to this by a school district that can not pan handle for itself? Smells like the district's REALLY desperate for that money and knows the referendum is a boner-move to hide the boner's misspending.
Can we get that Ripon lady to come over here and file another lawsuit? For incompetence?
Not you again. Go away.
When we received the letter we told friends, "This is going to backfire on Bates." We have never read the Inquisitor, but the friend told us to look it up. By the comments this is one time I wish we were not right. The school is vital to Green Lake. We agree with several fellow parents that our children are getting a VERY good education here - due mainly to the excellent, devoted TEACHERS. Also we agree that if the school closed, we would move rather than have our children bussed to another school. Therefore Green Lake would be a ghost town like another person said. For many reasons, we feel it is vital that the School Board find ways to keep the teachers - and yes, cut the high paying administrative positions, a few janitors, DEFINITELY the cleaning service, plus as a person said, the IB and Charter schools - eliminating the cost of substitute teachers so the teachers can fly all over the U.S. for training. Our children frequently come home and tell us they had a sub again.
So this is a plea to the School Board, use your common sense and find a way to keep our school - like it was, no IB and Charter that divides the students from their friends. AND make the FIRST priority to keep our good teachers - and allow many of us families to stay in Green Lake! Thank you.
Excellent, well said.
I'm just surprised that people are "outraged" that they got a letter in the mail asking for support for something. So what? I probably will get 30- 40 letters this December, asking for support for all kinds of causes.
Lot of schools ask their communities for support, in a variety of ways, whether it is for a program, a sport, a special trip, an initiative. Green Lake is not the first or the last to do this.
Last time I checked, this is America.
If you don't like the letter, or don't want to support the cause or causes, just throw it in your wastebasket and move on.
Get a life!
Mr.& Mrs. White are very generous and genuine people with excellent intentions. They are acting on their own initiative to help revitalize the school and community as a whole. They have an idea which created this revitalization foundation. They simply asked for the District's blessings. Anyone who has any common sencse at all knows that the community problems may best be solved by attracting new growth, business, and families to the area and school.
If you do not wish to participate in revitalizing the area then don't. Do not sit there and damn these people for trying. Personally, I think it is the best idea I have heard in a long time. If you do not have anything good to contribute, then keep your big mouth shut. You people really piss me off when spout off garbage about good people like these. It is a more worth-while effort than say a festival or fireworks. So piss right off!
Mr. Bates work hours (during school hours)with the Chamber Of Commerce and donated $5000 from the school to promote Green Lake and the school in an excellent movie/TV presentation. Adds have been placed (& more money paid) in area newspapers to bring students to the IB and Charter School. So far since then the enrollment has continued to decline. That is why we hesitate to send more money, especially with the economy as it is, for more publicity since other efforts have failed.
"a fistful of dollars said...
Mr.& Mrs. White are very generous and genuine people with excellent intentions. They are acting on their own initiative to help revitalize the school and community as a whole."
Right on to this blogger. Someone in the community tries to think of something that will help and they get stepped on.
If it doesn't fit in to backwoods, moonshine makin, trashtalking, beer guzzlin, not in my back yard thinking, the naysayers jump right up and start screaming through their toothless grins. Yahoo! Let's have a good ole lynching party.
Some nice people tried to come up with an idea to help. Thank you, Mr & Mr. White, for your generosity on other projects in the community, and for trying to rally support.
It's a shame you are hearing the ugly side of Green Lake.
I'm not happy when churches pan handle with form letters sent a few times a year reminding one of how much they have or have not donated since the years began. No matter how good this is for business or what the good intentions are, I think it makes the church look desperate, money grubbing and out of line.
Sames goes for the White's written effort and insult to taxpayers who already give more than enough to the school! They wouldn't have done it if the referendum asking for money wasn't causing so much angry and looked like it would be successful.
The referendum is the school whining for more money that the school is to blame for not having enough of. The White's are doing what the school can't do in light of what looks to be a failing referendum - pan handle outide of legal requirements.
...and with Ken Bates stamp of approval, obviously.
Chief's BLOG from May 16th, 2008:
The School and Discover Wisconsin?
Did anybody read the notice in the Ripon paper about the Green Lake School District paying $15,000 to Discover Wisconsin, a PBS show, to feature Green Lake? The school district got rid of Jimmy Janke a 32 year employee because they couldn't afford it.
This is article is right next to an article about the school board cutting people because of budget concerns. What about administration cuts? Does Green Lake need a full time superintendent? I understand Princeton has a part-time superintendent. Couldn't we share one with them?
How do they afford this?
From Paris to New York.
From Ripon to Green Lake. The ugly fashions take time to infiltrate and take hold.
Deja vu???
As I recall, that $15,000 was spent without my approval. Did Ken Bates have the school board's approval on this huge waste of TAXPAYER MONEY?
That TV show really brought a lot of new families to Green Lake, didn't it Ken?
I am sure that Mr. and Mrs. White are very nice people, but the fact is their attempt to usurp more money for Ken Bates to blow is extremely inappropriate and perhaps even illegal. My guess is that they are friends of Ken Bates and he is totally in on this ploy for more money.
I truly cannot wait until we get a new administration up at school.
"From Paris to New York.
From Ripon to Green Lake. The ugly fashions take time to infiltrate and take hold.
Deja vu????"
Thank you Michelle for the uplifting post from your nuthouse in Ripon....
There is some serious ignorance going on, on this blog.
Did Ken have the board approval to spend the $5,000 toward the Discover Wisconsin project? Yes. It's in the records. Try getting off of your rear end and go check out the facts. That is assuming you can read.
Did he need your permission? No.
We as a community elect the school board to represent us and make the decisions. They talked about this at a number of meetings before going forward. Check the records. If there was going to be some groundswell of disapproval, I don't think there were big crowds in attendance giving the school board community input.
Is it illegal for someone to send a letter asking for support for the school? No. They sent a letter legally through the US Postal service asking for consideration of support for a local school to help promote getting more people here, to grow the community. There is nothing illegal about doing either of those things.
If you want to be upset, fine. But please, do it with some reality and
reasonably intelligent comments or assumptions.
That was my post and my name's not Michelle. What gives??? Slither back to your sewer, Mayor Crankbait.
"That was my post and my name's not Michelle. What gives??? Slither back to your sewer, Mayor Crankbait."
Thank you Michelle, for another enlightening post.
Since Michelle is ubiquitous, I thought I would now take the time to say hello and Merry Christmas to the REAL Michelle. Know that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purposes. May God continue to bless and protect you and your family in the coming year.
Your Pal in Green Lake.
Thanks Michelle for the previous message to yourself.
Someone's very afraid of Michelle. This is what she gets for standing up for what she believes and because the rest of us won't show our faces to support her. I don't know anyone in Green Lake that would unravel and act so vindictively against anyone. Ripon sounds like a cesspool then.
"Since Michelle is ubiquitous, I thought I would now take the time to say hello and Merry Christmas to the REAL Michelle. Know that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purposes. May God continue to bless and protect you and your family in the coming year. Your Pal in Green Lake."
Oh and I second this post!!!!
Geez, can we give this a rest. Who cares if someone named Michelle is blogging or not. Obviously, someone is blogging. Let it be.
Rumor has it Harley will not be running again when his term expires.
Turns out he wants to save the district the stipend he is paid, to be added to the IB budget.
What's obvious and ODD is your silence when whoever is attacking Michelle posts continues to do so. You only speak up to post a could-care-less attitude when others post defense of her and wish her a Merry Christmas. Now that's odd.
Administrators push the envelope to test what the taxpayers will and won't accept or follow, and let them get away with. When the tough get going, they get going the hell out of dodge. They foolishly think their past will not follow them and they can hide from firmly being held accountable. Solly Chollie.
There was a secret community meeting held recently in Green Lake by a select group of no nonsense, return to the good old days crowd, to decide what to do about getting their agenda moved forward for the school, to get things back to how they were in the 1950's. after much thought, they decided there was only one person they could turn to, who could show them how to carry out a revolution, oust the administration, relieve the board, establish discipline and make sure that kids would just focus on a narrow curriculum and save on taxes, which the savings could be used to bring back technology for black and white TV, bomb shelters and cheeze whiz..
He was available, so they passed the hat and had him flown in for a midnight gathering. It was all very hush-hush.
But word leaked out and a picture was taken. It should be in next week's Ripon Commonwealth with the blockbuster story.
Yes, it was Fidel Castro.
You're a jerk.
Repukelicans are shocked:
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/11/13/republicans-franken-shocked/
Oh, oh.
Sounds like somebody woke up with Mr. Grumpy next to them.
House Repukelicans Vote to Eliminate Tax Cut for Middle Americans:
http://www.hillbillyreport.org/diary/965/house-republicans-vote-to-let-tax-cuts-expire
As a out of state(and therefore unable to vote locally) owner of property, my reaction to the letter asking for money to advertise the school was not to consider it. What the owners like me would prefer is a school capable of living within its budget and therefore not subjecting property owners to excessive property taxes. I think I read the rate the school spends per student is in the top percentage of all school districts nation wide. Not heart warming to property owners who do not have students in the district.
Simple common sense and fiscally responsible planning and spending! If this school administrator can't handle the most basic of tasks, why is he still employed by us?
School Board, you better turn things around because you are not looking any better than Bates. We need to get rid of several school board members in upcoming elections. We as a community need to put the right people on the school board for a change. All we need to do is look at who has been sitting there the longest, spending WAY more money than we can afford on programs we DO NOT NEED. This has to end.
Who's school board term is up next year? Who can we get to run for school board that we can trust to be responsible?
Put term limits on school board members. Our school board isn't a place to relax outside of full time jobs.
What limits would you like to see? Two terms? I agree that term limits are a great idea, especially in state and federal government. However, with a small town like Green Lake, don't you think that limiting terms might eventually result in empty seats?
Good point. But look at the number of school board members who've been too relaxed with they expect from themselves and complacent in their duties. 3 two terms for consecutive six years at a time seems reasonable. Depending on the size and dynamic's of a small community, maybe also place appropriate limits on the total number of years allowed for service.
3 two-year terms for 6 consecutive years.
A blogger said, "Who's school board term is up next year? Who can we get to run for school board that we can trust to be responsible?"
What about asking Fidel to come back? Maybe he liked Green Lake.
Not sure term limits are necessary, since we have free voting democratic election process in place. I would think the school board should be a reflection of what the community desires, by their votes.
At least people are starting to become aware of the problems at school. The errant spending and misuse of taxpayer money should reflect in the next elections. If and when we finally get a good group to run things, I would probably be happy letting them stay as long as they want to. The school board members that have been there the longest need to GO! Wendy, Jody, and Gordy have truly failed us, nearly to the point of ruin.
I heard today that Celeste King is considering running again! She was simply awful on the school board. I was so relieved when we lost the last election. Nothing personal about Ms. King, but she was certainly part of the problem and not part of the solution. (Just my opinion, but I'm not sure she's "all there".)
The right people on the school board can hopefully salvage what is left and make Green Lake into a well-run and fiscally responsible institution. That is pretty much our only hope if we are trying to avoid consolidating with another school.
"The right people on the school board can hopefully salvage what is left and make Green Lake into a well-run and fiscally responsible institution. That is pretty much our only hope if we are trying to avoid consolidating with another school."
I do not understand how the bloggers on here do not understand that the school has been fiscally responsible. Ripon's mill rate is just under $10 per thousand. Green Lake's mill rate is less than $5, For example a $200,000 house in Green Lake will pay less than $1000 in school tax. A $200,000 house in Ripon will pay a little less than $2000!!!! How is that not fiscally responsible? Wake up, your taxes are not high!
Hmmm....low mill rates but one of the highest per student costs.
Translation, a large percentage of this community's taxes go to pay for the schools. Which means, the schools are SPENDING too much of the money they have if they're still crying they don't have enough.
Spending to keep up with rising costs of supplies and unionized salaries that school can not control is one thing, but spending way too much money on highly paid administrators (and too many of them), legal costs, allowing charter schools to usurp money being used on imperative basics, etc. is ridiculous.
What didn't you understand about the reasons given for the lack of fiscal responsibility, before you jumped in defending the school with talk of mill rates? In this realm, isn't that like comparing apples to oranges?
Not at all...we are comparing what it costs the taxpayer to support the school.
And by the way, the charter school has not cost you any extra dollars. Everyone keeps touting this information, but there is no factual basis for it. It does not cost any additional money to operate the charter school. In fact grant dollars have made it cost less!
It wasn't said that taxpayers are paying the price in more dollars because of the charter school. But there is evidence of the tremendous cost to the system while parasitic charter schools are usurping existing educational dollars and resources, as nothing more than school-within-schools receiving charters from the State.
No factual basis for it? Only if you refuse to look for it or if the district refuses to provide the answers to anyone bothering to ask the questions.
Grant dollars are temporary and not forever. What happens when there are no more grants to pay for the extras and what the charters are unable to usurp from the system? Without the State's intervention once the grants have ended, who will then be in control of making the rules in favor of what priorities?
"Not at all...we are comparing what it costs the taxpayer to support the school."
You may have been comparing what it costs the taxpayer to support the school, but your assertion did nothing to refute people's upset at the lack of fiscal responsibility regarding how, why, and where the taxpayers' money paid to the district is being spent.
So, by your logic, if I pay a minimal $5 in taxes to the school, it's silly of me to care how that money is spent or care that $3.50 of it is irresponsibly spent on what I don't want? If I get punched in the stomach, I should be happy I didn't get shot in the head and shake the hand of my assailant?
I don't give a damn about mill rates and taxes. If I thought that my tax money was being spent wisely, I would be fine with that. The fact is that Green Lake school district has the luxury of collecting taxes from wealthy lake residents, most of which own second homes here. Ripon, in contrast, does not have a HUGE lake surrounded by multi-million dollar homes. Just because Green Lake has this benefit does not mean that we should be taken advantage of!
The root of the problem at school is the OVERSPENDING. The Whites were foolish to advocate for more money for Ken Bates, as their 700 letters simply drew attention to the fact that the school is fiscally irresponsible.
In the 1999/2000 school year, Green Lake Schools costs per student (member) was $10,209 as per the WI DPI website. In 2007/08 it was $14,320. That is a HUGE increase. Statistics for the past two school years are not yet available, but I would venture to guess that it is even higher than 07/08. If any of you have those figures, please post them.
The Faculty cost per "member" in 1999/2000 was $393. In 08/09 it was $798. TWICE AS MUCH! What do you think it is now? Again, anyone with figures, please post them.
The real clincher is that in 1999/2000, Green Lake Schools had 393 students. In 2007/08 student population decreased to 324. This is a substantial decrease, and yet the costs doubled for "faculty" per member. It is obvious we are paying too much for administration, and that we have too many teachers and staff.
The "average" students per class in Green Lake? TEN STUDENTS. Do you know how many teacher's aides we are paying for? Other staff? WHY DOES A TEACHER WITH TEN STUDENTS NEED A TEACHER'S AIDE???
Ken Bates just doesn't get it. WE need to SLASH spending and cut the side-shows. I know one student in the "Green" Charter school who informed me that her class spent a week out at the ABA, playing games AND they had a banquet meal! If you think that I am happy to have my tax dollars go to this flagrant waste of money, you have another think coming.
"WHY DOES A TEACHER WITH TEN STUDENTS NEED A TEACHER'S AIDE???", you ask. I think if you spent some time in the school instead of just looking at numbers, you might find some answers to some of your questions.
For example, there are students in our schools who have severe disabilities. They walk minimally with the aid of braces, crutches and the assistance of an adult. Or they move about in a wheelchair. Their mental capacity is limited and they have limited ability to speak. They need help with most of their bodily functions. They too, have a right to an education in this state. But their participation requires a full time aide throughout their day as they are mainstreamed into our educational system.
And there are other cases where kids just cannot function normally in traditional teaching, due to....
all kinds of things. Fetal alcohol syndrome, or neurological disorder, or psychological problems. Those children require special attention and that is where some of these aides come in. Not all, but some.
Try looking a little deeper before you go around spouting off your statistics, to maybe understand why some situations exist that are part of our requirement to educate children.
So out of our piggy bank is being taken funds to support unecessary charter schools and to support necessary education. All the while, the LARGEST percentage of kids, the ones who aren't accepted into the charters and who aren't special ed, are getting cheated out of the quality education that supposedly EVERYONE is entitled to, and taxpayers are being cheated out of the fiscal responsibility they have a right to from our school board and administrators.
We're right back to get the pseudo-charters out of our schools and away from our tax dollars, and demand that what money the district has is spent correctly.
I've spent alot of time volunteering in school. Those teachers have a darn time trying to keep up with cramming so much into a day, and I don't envy them doing their best teaching with the differentiations born out of original differentiations, and to the average kids who come to school with little or no respect for any rules or regulations. I've watched it.
As far as telling someone to look deeper than statistics, I agree. Try telling that to the school board who blindly follow the school administrator's interpretations of stastics. Nobody questions a thing, let alone does any research on their own time and think for their self against the status quo grain.
For God's sake, don't look at statistics! People might (gasp!) learn the truth!
Of course the At Risk teacher might need an aide, and other special needs students. But that is not what we are talking about here. We are talking about the "regular" teachers, many of whom have a master's degree. If a teacher cannot handle 10-15 students, by themselves, then they should not be teaching. Oh, they work so hard, oh, they have such a long day...blah blah blah. Cry me a river. How horrid that the teachers in Green Lake have to endure their hideous jobs trying to teach kids with "attitudes". So you are telling me that the aides can handle these problem kids but the teachers cannot? Are the aides serving as policemen in the classrooms so that all hell does not break loose? Sorry, I don't buy it. If a teacher cannot handle their class, no matter what size, then they are inept and should be replaced. The teacher's union protects bad teachers. Salaries and reviews should be performance based, but I guess that makes too much sense and therefore will never happen.
I volunteer at the school and have wondered for a long time why they are paying for aides to do what volunteers would do for free. I know a lot of parents who would gladly spend a few hours per week in the classroom. Why isn't there an organized volunteer base at the school?
Also, the upperclassmen are willing and able to do the same. Ken Bates would rather spend the taxpayers money than think of creative solutions.
Here is the thing that deeply disturbs me about the IB program and the Charter School. The teachers are always away on "special training". Why do they need special training if the already have a master's degree? Gee, maybe they are learning how to indoctrinate our children with their demented UN crap agenda and politically based "environmental" propaganda.
Not only are teachers going to "training" - but fly to places like Florida and far away states and stay in luxury hotels - Ritz Carleton in one instance - and then they pay subs to come in for the teachers. WHERE is this moneh REALLY coming from? REALLY IS THE KEY WORD HERE.
COME TO THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETING AT 7:00 TONIGHT AND INSIST ON GETTING THE TRUTH. IT IS YOUR OWN FAULT IF YOU DON'T COME AND ASK THE QUESTIONS. JUST BE SURE TO SIGN UP AHEAD OF TIME SO YOU CAN SPEAK.
I am hoping Michelle shows up - she knows everything
Interesting to note that while the Ripon tax rate is higher (2007), there is still the fact that Green Lake schools spend $13,707 per student vs. $9,578 in Ripon.Ripon is just below the state average of $9,746,and Berlin is $9,222, Princeton at $10,139, while Green Lake spending is 40% more than the average and there are only 6 other districts in Wisc that spend more per student.I guess the other 400+ districts do not have the same special needs that Green Lake has.
Im madder than hell that my taxes support communism at Green Lake school. Yes Im referring to Inter. Bac. What the hell is happening to this country? Check out the facts
http://mygunblog.blogspot.com/2007/04/midland-mi-schools-give-control-over-to.html
You are just figuring this out now? I have been madder than hell since this IB "programme" was implemented in Green Lake!
For those of you too lazy or busy to look at the link, here is an excerpt:
This curriculum will meet international standards and the UN already has made the content of its international standards perfectly clear. Professor Allen Quist of EdWatch outlines those standards. "Required content will include "education for sustainable development," as defined by its Earth Charter, which includes abortion rights, gay marriage, indoctrination in Pantheism, universal disarmament, income redistribution between nations and advocacy of all the UN environmental treaties, to identify just a few of it's doctrines. The UN's required content also will include its Universal Declaration of Human Rights which says that people have no "inalienable" rights, only those rights the UN says they have. This UN document also clarifies that education must promote the UN and all its activities and that the UN is the highest court of appeals on all human rights issues, higher even than our own Supreme Court.
The UN's required content also will include the dictates of its Treaty on the Rights of the Child, which says that parents have no right to decide what their children will be taught. That right will now belong to the UN. All of education will be geared to"international standards." That means that the UN sets the standards. Since the tests are geared to the standards, the UN will dictate the content of the tests.
Have you opened your tax bill? Mine was a $1,000 more and the school was the biggest chunk.
Now they want a referendum for more money!!!!
Time to get off the lake?
Ouch. That is a sad reality. Many folks have family homes on the lake and can't afford to keep them because of the taxes. Why don't we raise taxes even higher so that Ken Bates can start a few MORE schools within our school? This insane spending has to STOP!
Ken Bates is saying whatever he thinks he needs to say to get this referendum on the ballot. Guess what Ken. It's NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
The money for the upgrades to the school building has already been approved, Ken. This referendum is about getting more money from taxpayers for YOUR frivolous spending.
Please read Bates column in today's paper: "Since it deals with operations, this referendum is about keeping the lights on."
REALLY? Ken, have you mismanaged the budget to such and extent that you can't afford to pay the electric bills? This is inexcusable!
He goes on to say: "It is also about maintaining our fine academics and activities". Well then, Mr. Bates, I guess you need to figure out how to do that and work within your budget.
Here's a few pointers, Ken (since you don't seem terribly bright to me). Get rid of the IB School and the Charter School. Cut administrative staff, custodial staff, and teaching staff as needed (and other superfluous staff). 10 kids per classroom? Double UP! Ever hear about conserving? Everyone else is doing it. We can still have fine academics, just get rid of the extra, unnecessary expenses.
I don't know ONE person who is in favor of this referendum. Especially after all the money that has been wasted these past several years by Bates and company.
I think Ken Bates is being coached by Richard Zimman over der' in Ripon. Same cards being played almost verbatim, and right before those referendums they're taught how to get passed regardless of what voters want.
Bates' contract comes up in January. You can bet he is going to use the referendum as a way to sway some board members to keep him on. The two have nothing to do with one another!! Get rid of him. Pass a referendum if you think you need to (you don't, but...) just don't let Bates get his hands on the $. It would perhaps attract a quality administrator. Don't be fooled by his timing of this referendum. Probably has more to do with him wanting to keep his cushy job than needed operating funds.
A blogger three posts ago said, "Ken Bates is saying whatever he thinks he needs to say to get this referendum on the ballot. Guess what Ken. It's NOT GOING TO HAPPEN."
Wow, you must be some amazing kind of prophet to predict that.
Oops, don't look now, but guess what? The school board just voted last night, 6-1, ( everyone but Mr. Grumpy), to put the referendum on the ballot for February
This same blogger also said, "I don't know ONE person who is in favor of this referendum."
I have a suggestion. Widen your circle besides the three people you sit around and drink beer with.
The school board meeting last night was packed with people and just about all of the comments from the public were to speak in favor of a referendum.
What do you know... there clearly is another view toward what the future for the school should be.
Just because 30 people show up at a school board meeting doesn't mean that hundreds will vote for an expensive referendum on the ballot.
I opened my tax bill yesterday, and was not happy with the huge increase. The school already gets enough money, they just keep wasting it. No mas!
Bates contract is up in January? I thought it wasn't up till spring.
They're contracts must be decided in January, and its usually done without much fanfare and before people are angry due to referendums and end of the school year realizations. They can not be terminated without 3 months notice which doesn't bode well with the necessary preparation for next school year in September. Vicious cycle that ends up protecting superintendents who aren't wanted in a district.
These superintendents wreak havoc in school districts and then play carousel as they skip off to other districts. Someone else gets our poor superintendent, we end up getting someone else's poor superintendent. But school boards don't do their research and they don't realize the need for drawing up detailed job descriptions and contracts that don't render the district vulnerable to any superintendent games.
Well, I hope to God that our school board doesn't blow this one. We need to get rid of Bates as soon as possible. Period. We also need to share an administrator. I hope the school board is seriously looking into this.
I agree! We need to share an administrator and cut down on other administrative staff. How is the new guy doing in Princeton?
To the blogger who posted, "They're contracts must be decided in January, and its usually done without much fanfare and before people are angry due to referendums and end of the school year realizations. They can not be terminated without 3 months notice which doesn't bode well with the necessary preparation for next school year in September".
I don't think that timeline is correct. As I understand it, these contracts are on a 2 year basis. And then the board can "roll over" the contract, at the start of the second year, to add another year. In other words, extend the contract for a total of two years. The one in the existing contract, plus one year more. In that scenario, the school district is committed for two years as of the date of the rollover. If a district wants to get out of the contract, they would, in January, choose not to exercise a rollover of the contract. Then, the administrator would basically have one year left on their contract, with a clear message that there would be no further contracts. But once a contract is signed, the school district is obligated for the contract.
I'm not saying all of this as for or against. Just trying to get the facts out there.
Thank you. That is very helpful to know.
“The school board meeting last night was packed with people and just about all of the comments from the public were to speak in favor of a referendum.”
This person is twisting the facts. The reason many people in the audience were supportive of the referendum is because they were primarily teachers, or spouses of teachers. I was there. It’s unfair to pretend that dozens of common citizens showed up carrying a “vote yes” torch. Teachers don’t speak for everyone because they have a clear interest at stake.
Also, what’s with the School Board moving the referendum date, again? Now people will be more confused and angry than ever, rightfully so. Say whatever you like, but the School Board cleverly flip-flopped and changed the referendum back to February for four reasons.
1. Pressure from teachers in the audience
2. Another shot in April if it fails the first time
3. No need to decide preliminary budget cuts
4. February will have lower turnout. Many lake people and old snowbirds (who are more likely to vote no) would be gone
It’s absolutely asinine to expect that all the snowbirds and seasonal lake people will even realize that the referendum is taking place on such short notice, and be able to get an absentee ballot in time. Don’t be fooled. This was a calculated move by the district.
An April 6th referendum was the better choice for the public, because turnout would be much higher (it’s a regular election day) and it provides time to make an educated decision. Apparently, the School Board doesn’t want that.
I’ve got to hand it to the School Board, though. They’ve figured out how to sneak this under the radar screen, all the while claiming that “It’s all about the students.” Baloney. It’s about their own damn hides.
Green Lake School Board, your games are unbelievable. Go ahead, keep changing the referendum date, and then railroad it through in the dead of winter. Maybe at the next School Board meeting, the district will switch the referendum to a Sunday in January. Or perhaps even sooner. Who knows? It’s another Green Lake Public School circus.
Then, after 15 people show up (mostly teachers) and narrowly pass the referendum, the district can strut around, crowing that “The public supports us!”
Next thing you know, we’ll be spending tens of thousands in legal fees for another silly piece of land that we’ll buy with all the referendum money.
Teachers and spouses are also legal voters as well, so to discount them is also twisting the facts.
If the public wants to voice their opinion, they should show up.
And they should vote.
If they don't, they should shut up.
"Teachers and spouses are also legal voters as well, so to discount them is also twisting the facts."
Comprehension problem? No one was discounting teachers. It was being pointed out that teachers have different motives and interests.
I am extremely disappointed in the school board members who went along with this ridiculous February referendum. This is an underhanded move by the school board to push through a referendum that the public will not be able to fairly vote on. I suppose this is one of the tactics that Ken Bates learned in his special referendum-passing class that we the taxpayers paid for him to attend.
Amy and Meade, you have failed your constituents. Why wouldn't you want this to be a matter of fairness? While I never expect Wendy, Jodene or Gordy to do the right thing, I really did expect more from you two.
"It’s absolutely asinine to expect that all the snowbirds and seasonal lake people will even realize that the referendum is taking place on such short notice, and be able to get an absentee ballot in time."
I am one of those much-maligned seasonal lake people and, just to set the record straight, we are not allowed to vote at all. Talk about taxation without representation! So your suggestion that the school board is moving the date to try to keep us from voting shows only that you are, at best, misinformed.
That said, I think the Green Lake Schools are doing a fabulous job - I've seen firsthand some of the excellent teaching and learning going on there. So, even though I think the taxes in Green Lake are insanely high (and I would not purchase here if I had it to do again), I do think the Green Lake Schools are one really good thing that my tax dollars are doing. Can't say the same for many of the boondoggles of the local governments.
Wait a minute here. Do you mean to tell me that with a budget of 5.7 MILLION DOLLARS that Ken Bates cannot figure out to properly educate less than 300 students? Now he wants MORE money? You have got to be kidding. This is insane.
This means that we are actually paying almost $20,000 per student, per year. Of course, the number gets bigger every year that Ken Bates is the administrator. This is more than many PRIVATE schools cost! This is OUTRAGEOUS!
How could the school board, in good conscience even consider putting a referendum on the ballot?
Please, talk with your neighbors and friends and let them know: We need to pass the word about this greedy money-grabbing attempt (aka "referendum") by Ken Bates to support his spending habit.
Regarding Ken Bates contract, I cannot believe this man is still employed by our school district after all the harm that he has inflicted on our school. I am considering starting a petition to be passed around to every taxpayer in the district, gathering names in support of ending Mr. Bates contract early. His salary is paid by OUR TAX DOLLARS, the school is funded by OUR TAX DOLLARS, and he has failed to spend OUR MONEY responsibly. In reality, we are HIS boss. If it were up to me, he would have been fired years ago. Since our school board is sitting in their chairs playing pocket pool (or whatever), it's apparent that we cannot trust them to do what is right for the school or the taxpayers.
What do you think of the idea of a petition? I would like some input on this idea.
I heard that Roger Williams Inn is being considered as the location for the charter school. The school plans to offer lodging for out of town students. Anyone else catch wind of this?
“I am one of those much-maligned seasonal lake people and, just to set the record straight, we are not allowed to vote at all. So your suggestion that the school board is moving the date to try to keep us from voting shows only that you are, at best, misinformed.”
Yes, perhaps YOU personally cannot vote, but that doesn’t apply to everybody who owns a part-time home around Green Lake. A person’s ability to vote depends on a number of factors. I’m sure there are numerous seasonal home owners/snowbirds around Green Lake who legally could vote because this is their primary residence, but won’t because they’ll be gone in February. Many of them may not even know about the referendum. That’s what makes this a poor decision.
Even aside from the snowbirds, if the Green Lake School Board is truly concerned about having citizens make an informed decision, the district probably shouldn’t rush the referendum by holding it in the dead of winter, less than two months from now. April is the logical choice, but the School Board will have to sleep in the bed they make.
"I heard that Roger Williams Inn is being considered as the location for the charter school. The school plans to offer lodging for out of town students. Anyone else catch wind of this?"
I didn't hear of this. If it's true, will the nonsense ever end?
You are confused about the Roger Williams Inn/ Charter School connection question. Actually, they are moving the Charter School to Rhode Island, which is where Roger Williams was Governor of that colony back in the 1600's. This will allow the teachers and students greater freedom of speech and freedom from persecution for religious beliefs from certain bloggers on this page.
The cost of paying for all of this will come from the money savings Harley has secretly figured out by turning out the lights throughout the school day, and going back to candlelight. Additionally, all the computers will be sold as the kids are going back to ciphering.
And the sports program will be drastically cut with Harley's new conference league of "kick the can." The room space freed up from charter school classrooms at Green Lake school, will be turned into a
child labor camp, making cheap clothing, so 6 year olds can earn their lunch and pay rental on their lockers as well as cover the costs of them flushing the toilet.
Har-dee-har-har. You're a real riot. Making fun of people because they have good reason to be concerned and are attemping to participate in the management of their kids' education. What's your idea of good education, clown school?
Try looking now in the classrooms at Green Lake. I think you'll see plenty examples of a good education being executed and examples of a number of parents participating in their children's education. It's a good school. We are fortunate to have a good school, as many communities out there do not.
Participating in the classrooms and doing the hands-on work is extremely important. People on here are questioning the management of educational dollars needed to create and sustain the classrooms for anyone to teach and learn in.
Trim the FAT = Keep the SCHOOL
I think there have been examples of trimming the fat. As I recall, there used to be 3 PE teachers, now there are 2. There used to be 2 counselors, now there is 1.
I know there are more in the past 4 years. Surely that shows some thought on the budget.
A blogger said, "People on here are questioning the management of educational dollars needed to create and sustain the classrooms for anyone to teach and learn in."
I think it is a good thing to question. I am wondering if those who are questioning have taken the time to make an appointment with Ken Bates, to go through the budget, to truly understand what the expenses are for, and why. That might be helpful to really understand where there is excess and where there is not, from really understanding the facts.
Fair enough, but do you honestly believe the one responsible for the fiscal management in question is going to provide accurate answers in their entirety, and possibly incriminate himself on some such grounds, from the goodness of his heart?
Because it is a public school system, substantial documentation is available and can be found after some digging, with extensive comparisons made between what is actually being reported to DPI, what is verbally explained at school board meeings, and what is outlined for public knowledge in local media.
It is also quite helpful to reach out to others to determine similar frustrations they've experienced and to know one is not alone with their concerns.
Loads of information must be gathered from all sorts of sources and proper channels must be followed, before there is enough evidence to be taken seriously by authorities who seem to drag their feet to avoid doing any investigating of well researched suspicions that may necessarily hurt respected colleagues or noble institutions.
My point: when one finds themselves caught in a hornet's next they never imagined, it's just not as simple as your logical suggestion to merely speak with Ken Bates in this situation. :)
The numbers on the budget are public record. Anyone can go in there and ask for the past few years and the details. They can also speak up after looking through the detail and get specific questions asked.
I have done it on a number of occasions for a variety of reasons.
And it was helpful to get my questions answered or find out if my concerns were valid or not.
The staff, including Ken, have accommodated my requests. I didn't see anything being hidden or covered up.
I didn't necessarily like everything I heard and I have questioned certain expenses or staffing. But the point is, I think citizens also need to own the responsibility of finding out the facts for themselves so they truly object to something factual, not hearsay.
I think that citizens should also sit in on the classrooms when state and federally mandated tests are being taken by the students. There should be volunteer parents who quietly sit and observe. Since there is such pressure on school administrators to meet certain standards, many school districts throughout the country have been caught in the act of falsifying results. That is one reason this Charter school nonsense has become so prevalent. It is one way for schools to get around the stricter standards that the no child left behind act imposed.
For the record, I wasn't stating or implying Ken Bates would falsify any information. I was outlining the importance of researching for oneself different perpsectives before falling victim to someone else's misguided or manipulated version of the facts. Be informed and well prepared, not pie-eyed over someone else's information and preparation.
Charter schools have to take all state assessments. They have to abide by the requirements of NCLB. The blogger that stated "Since there is such pressure on school administrators to meet certain standards, many school districts throughout the country have been caught in the act of falsifying results. That is one reason this Charter school nonsense has become so prevalent. It is one way for schools to get around the stricter standards that the no child left behind act imposed" is wrong.
This is a false statement. Charter schools are actually held to higher standards of accountability.
"Charter schools are actually held to higher standards of accountability."
Untrue. Charter schools are responsible for satisfying the DIFFERENT standards using DIFFERENT teaching methods in a DIFFERENT class environment put in place to interpret the DIFFERENT testing results. And they are circumventing the existing rules regarding academics. If they weren't, they wouldn't go to such lengths to decorate these charters with such sparkle and allure. They'd simply change the way the system is operated to benefit ALL the kids. But they aren't and they won't. ALL kids are not the focus - only the "smart" ones that'll do them proud and any subsquent government subsidiaries.
Furthermore, the government is only involved as long as the grants are being issued (3 years?) to get the charter school off the ground. When those charters end, who do you think decides what is fair and balanced enrollment requirements or academic testing? When you find out, it'll be too late. It's not easy to get new rules implemented; it's even more difficult to change those rules when it's all said and done.
Administrators conveniently blame taxpayers for resisting change. Take away administrators' salaries and control, and see how they react to the change.
Read your recent tax bill. Mine went up 20%. For WHAT? Get out the big eraser.
Our taxes went way up, too. We weren't expecting this major increase from the City and the County! It's bad enough to paying more to the School, especially when our tax money is being wasted on lawyers and trips for school staff.
What is the City's reasoning for jacking up our taxes? What do they need the extra money for? Wouldn't it be nice, in this economy and with so many folks struggling to make ends meet, to not have to pay MORE taxes? Obama didn't keep his campaign promises, and getting getting shafted locally feels just as bad as getting kicked in the gut by Washington.
Green Lake taxpayers should be furious about this sneaky business of changing the referendum (again) to February. Interesting that we’ve heard zero comments in favor of the switch.
Just because some teachers want the referendum in February doesn’t make it a good decision. Just because the district doesn’t want to decide preliminary budget cuts doesn’t make it a good decision. A winter vote is clearly unfair to seasonal residents. School Board, shame on you for bowing under the pressure. Does a fair, accurate vote mean anything to you?
Furthermore, it’s obvious that the district wants to hold the vote in February so that ANOTHER referendum can take place in the spring, if it fails. Why should we even vote if the district isn’t going to honor the outcome the first time?
"Why should we even vote if the district isn’t going to honor the outcome the first time?"
Gee, that line of forcing costs on taxpayers sounds eerily familiar. The name of the game is to just keeping hitting voters over the head, with referendum after cleverly re-worded referendum, until voters quit saying 'no' out of exhaustion. They quit bothing to vote altogether. Only ones left to vote are the ones who say 'yes' to what the administrators and the like want.
You could not have said that any better! My spouse and I are VERY pissed about the February referendum. Sneaky, unfair, YES!
Watch the verbiage on these referendums. The wording may hold the district to spending money in one area, but it may not hold the district to ONLY spending money on what the district said it needed the money for in that area. Follow?
Also, any subsequent referendum can not be a mirror image of the last failed referendum. The wording must be changed (subtly but significantly) to satisfy the law.
It's not in their best interest to wait too long in the between these referendums, so that the marketing of certain issues that the people care about the most does not lose its momentum, and so people remain discombulated in too short of amount of time to watch, research, and fight back, and so 'no' voters are not given enough time to rest up for another fight.
Really, it doesn't take much to trick people. It's all in the presentation and timing. The shame is in tricking people at all.
Anyone who's been trained to get referendums pushed through against the voters' will knows exactly what I'm talking about (if they were listening during the training). Funny, I've never attened these training sessions and yet, I've still been able to catch on how they do what they do. Well, not funny for those of us who pay the price of all the shenanigans.
Merry Christmas, all!
We need a new administration at the school. Enough is enough.
To the previous poster: Short, sweet, to the point, and absolutely correct. ;)
"Charter schools are responsible for satisfying the DIFFERENT standards using DIFFERENT teaching methods in a DIFFERENT class environment put in place to interpret the DIFFERENT testing results. And they are circumventing the existing rules regarding academics."
Where do you get your information? This is not correct. NCLB and ESEA require all public schools to meet their state standards and accountability rules. This is the law, period. All school districts have the opportunity to write their own tests for accountability and have them approved by the state that they reside in. You do not have to be a charter school to do this. However, the rules are so strict and the amount of money that it would cost to develop the tests impede any district from doing this. You will not find a public charter school in the state of Wisconsin that has written their own accountability test. They all take the WKCE, just like the rest of the schools. Charter contracts require the school to identify what their accountability measures are going to be. Charters are granted for 3-5 years. Each time the school board has the option to not renew the charter. School boards can also revoke a charter if it is not meeting the accountability requirements in the charter. You are printing very skewed untruths.
Anything the board cut, they added back somewhere else. Consider the astronomical costs of the IB training, the addition of aides they supposedly cut, a secretary for ejon, two bookkeepers instead of one, and on & on. If I hear one more time about the grants, I will ... Why not go out and get grants that help with real education there, not just image boosting pie in the sky programs? Administration has just done some shape-shifting--they are actually spending more money than they ever did before their "cuts."
Thank you to this last blogger for getting some facts on the table. I get so tired of hearing all the whiners blah blah on about charter school, and how much they are costing, and how they are not the same. Get over it. I think the facts are the facts as stated above, which sound pretty fair to me. No doubt, people won't like the facts, ignore them and go back to whining some more or making up more untruths about the program.
I am glad we have a charter school and that we are trying some new and different things.
I didn't mean "last blogger". I meant two bloggers ago.
I agree with the basis of your beliefs about charter requirements. And I'm sorry you feel my opinions of today's charter schools represent some skewed truth.
But I stand by what I said. Charters have traveled far from what they were intended to be, and ARE a clever way to circumvent rules (okay, certain rules but important rules that everyone else must follow) in order to bring CHANGE in the way kids are being taught in schools. Also to circumvent those people who "resist change" just to resist change and "resist change" because they know what is not good for their kids, until those who "resist change" become complacent and accept it.
I believe this way after researching state statutes regarding charters, taking note that some (many?) charters are not following the spirit of the law, and after spending hours on the phone with a very helpful and patient DPI representative.
If the government told the money handlers they'd have to rule that all high schoolers would have to wear batman underwear, before the school would get any money from the government; then that school would go to the ends of the earth to find the reasons needed to convince parents their kids needed to wear batman underwear because the "super hero" affect would help them learn better.
In ten years, the new fad in government's idea of quality education might be Winnie-the-Pooh nite lites in all classrooms because children learn better in the dark, but they need a little "comfort" light to go to the bathroom.
They say how high, we're supposed to jump...and pay for the fall.
I'm all for trying new things. But I don't like being pushed to play a game I'm not told the rules of, until it's too late to protect myself from those who made up the game and are making up rules as they go along.
Potential to possibility to probability to preponderance. Just the growing stages that red-flags like to travel, but people choose to ignore because they're so into "trying new things".
"This is the law, period."
The letter of the law or the spirit of the law, or both? This here is the law, period; that over there is a law abuser, period. Are you aware of all the many ways the law abuser can take to abuse the law? What path do you think you'd have to wind back around and get at the one who abused it? Would you really know unless you'd been directly affected?
It's just not as simple as "This is the law, period." Laws are funny that way, so are the authorities that are supposed to investigate those that are suspected of abusing the laws and stop the wrongs, without exception.
I don't think our government is going to insist our kids wear batman underwear or everyone will have to have "Winnie the Pooh" lights. That is not a reasonable comparison to what is taught in charter schools.
They are working on science, math, environmental studies, just to name a few. That does not sound like manipulative curriculum to me.
The point I was trying to make went right over your head. We are being so manipulated in so many different ways in so many different areas, it's no wonder most people can't tell the difference anymore or and prioritize the "feel good" path of least resistance. You people fight more amongst your neighbors than you're willing fight against school districts and government turning society, academics, and wallets inside out.
Classrooms on a bad diet. Malnourished curriculums. Sugar happy parents. Turning our kids' brains, expectations and self esteem into cream puffs.
Brilliant. Just f-ing brillant. Your analogies of excessive sugar and education is more than stupid. Get over your preachy self.
For sure. The previous "feel good" blogger is nuttier than the fruitcake I intend to donate to the GOP. Green Lake's version of Al Qaeda.
Hey! What's wrong with batman underwear? It works for me.
School Board candidate papers need to be filed by Jan. 5
Gordy Ferrell is running. Jodine Deppisch is not.
Who else? Celest king? Dr. Jim Williams? Julie Dosogne?
Doc. Williams is a parent with intelligence. I would vote for him.
Don't like "feel good" analogies from a concerned taxpayer but you'll fall hook, line and sinker for the "feel good" sound bites fed to you from the ones spending your money? You deserve to remain an idiot - the rest of us shouldn't have to pay for it though.
Sorry, above blogger, you're way off base. You are the idiot. You realize the benefits of public education, but are too stupid to know it. Keep grinding away at whatever you can't do right.
Julie Dosogne should save her time and money and forget about running. Her husband did quite enough damage when he was on the school board, we don't need any more from that family thank you.
Hey, I got an idea, let's hire some big search company to come in here and find us a new administrator we'll all like! ... Oh. Wait, that's how we got Mr. Bates.
Vote for Julie Dosogne?? Wasn't she on the board once before and then resigned; now she wants back in? Sounds like that Palin woman in Alaska, had what she wanted, left that to try and get more and failed, went back to what she had before, then quit that to go fishing. Maybe Julie should try fishing?
Hey, the schools in financial trouble, let's start a new one... Oh, that's how we got the Charter School, hmmm.
Lastly, the referendum in February has nothing to do with who can vote. It has to do with timing. It's very common for referendums to fail at first vote, this way, if it fails in February we can vote it again in April.
"You realize the benefits of public education"
And I know the difference between poor education and quality education too. Try to keep up.
Here's an idea. How about if everyone takes a break from this blog for the next two days from name calling and attacking, and focus on the Christmas season, and the reason for the season.
Everyone can get back to fighting and saying nasty things about others, starting on Saturday.
Merry Christmas!
Bah Humbug you stupid arse! Why would you take away the most important part of many peoples lives! What the heck are we to do now that you've suggested peace on earth and good will toward men?
Right on, Scrooge. F- you right into the new year.
We somehow got stuck with Bates because of his buddy Burr Zeratsky. Do us all a favor Burr and stay the hell away from school matters. I'd rather have a monkey run the school than Ken Bates, at least a monkey could be fiscally responsible.
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