3 months ago
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Legitimate Complaint
The person who complained about not being able to post on subjects they would like to discuss makes a very good point I think. Sometimes I don't have inclination or time or enough information on a subject. I try but ....Anyway if someone is interested in starting their own blog you can go to google and under blogs you can start your own blog. I think the more the merrier.
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About Me
- Chief Highknocker
- You aren't local until you have at least three generations in the cemetery.
20 comments:
I think it is great that people can change the subject on this blogsite if they feel like it. The Inquisitor is an open forum for people in the Green Lake area. Maybe Chief could just post "open forum" occasionally between the other blogs and let people contribute to the discussion without feeling that they are somehow changing the original subject.
I was reading the Laker News (the official newsletter of the Green Lake School District) that arrived in my mailbox the other day. I don't have kids in school, but they send the newsletter anyway (?) I guess they have lots of money to spend on paper, printing and postage.
Anyway, I figured I would read the Laker News to see what the latest blunders are on the schoolfront. Page 2 has the School Scoop from Administrator Ken Bates. Another good teacher has left the school, how many does that make since Bates/Tracey have arrived? Somebody should construct a graph so we can all see the reality of their reign. The next paragraph of the School Scoop goes on to say:
A change this year is asking for our students and teachers to pitch in and help maintain our classrooms. We are asking their help to pick up their rooms at the end of the day and place garbage outside of the rooms for the custodians to pick up. We hope this cost-saving measure will be a good life lesson for our students.
Now I am all for kids and adults cleaning up after themselves, don't get me wrong. I am sure that every teacher in Green Lake holds their students accountable for their individual messes, keeping their workspaces clean and orderly. What Bates is suggesting here is that our hard-working, underpaid teachers also begin to function as custodians, since the school has fired (for no apparent reason) the man who has been the custodian at school for many many years. Perhaps the budget did not allow for a full time custodian, since Bates and Tracey have had pay raises and earn a ridiculous amount of money considering the job they are doing. So now the teachers have the added responsibility of cleaning the school, perhaps next they can all bring food from home so Bates can fire the lunch ladies. How about the teachers shoveling the sidewalks and parking lot in winter as well? Why not, think of all the money that could be saved?
Or better yet, let's make the necessary move of sharing an administrator with another school, and have the principal clean the classrooms at the end of the day so he could finally earn his keep.
What a frickin joke. School board, please get busy and make some necessary changes, ASAP.
It’s interesting that certain Green Lake people complain about the school “not providing enough communication” etc. and then criticize the district for spending money on a monthly newsletter.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the person above is actually a Green Lake teacher, posing as an average citizen. Please, pardon Ken Bates for suggesting the students pick up after themselves as a cost-savings move. I realize it would be a tremendous chore for our teachers to supervise such activity for 3-5 minutes a day. These are the same “hard-working, underpaid teachers” who just returned from their yearly three-month vacation and who received a 7.6 percent salary increase between this year and last.
I’m not saying all teachers are lazy. Just providing the facts about salary and vacation.
Funny how these “concerned citizens” condemn Bates and Tracy for receiving pay increases, but fail to mention the unusually large pay increase given to the teachers this year and last, especially during these tight budget times. A salary hike of 7.6 percent over two years is tremendous for a small school that’s making cuts in staff and elsewhere. Just an observation.
The above person criticizes the district for making cuts, but then frowns upon an idea that would save money. Even if the garbage idea saves 1/2 custodial hour a day, think what that would be over time? Those hours add up. Also, Bates is right: It’s a good lesson for students to be responsible for their own trash. To me, it’s logical, reasonable idea. I dismiss the hysterical, knee-jerk reaction of people like the one above.
Another thing I’ve noticed about people who bash Bates and Tracy is this: These naysayers provide little to no specific evidence of wrongdoing or corruption. It’s always just generic comments, like the one above suggesting that Bates needs to “earn his keep.” The man brought us a charter school and the International Baccalaureate program in only two years. I suppose those were bad ideas, too?
It’s clear that many Green Lake parents, citizens and teachers simply have a bone to pick with the district. Maybe that’s why this school can’t keep an administrator longer than a few years at a time. The union doesn’t like being held accountable, so they run out the administrators they don’t like by spreading misinformation among the community.
My challenge to you naysayers is this: Show us with real, credible, reliable evidence that either Bates or Tracy has been dishonest or misguided in managing the school. Don’t just make generic claims because I’m not buying them. Prove your points with honest evidence, not half-truths or hearsay, and then maybe you’ll appear credible.
Go ahead. I dare you.
GL parent
GL Parent,
Are you an administrator posing as a parent?
That's exactly what I thought! Who else in this school system would defend Bates and Tracy to such a degree after the fiasco we have all endured these past few years?
Funny thing is that I also read the Laker News and commented to my spouse about the School Scoop column. I have to agree with Pigpen that it is distressing to hear that another teacher has left, how many is that now? I, too, noted that the yet-to-be explained firing of the school's long-time custodian has been rationalized away by making the teachers take over that responsibility in addition to the many other daily tasks they perform. Teacher spend more quality time with our children that we parents are able to. Their pay raises were well-deserved and long over-due. Our teachers in Green Lake do an amazing job.
Now for "the rest of the story". The School Scoop concludes by stating that "...our school board will be asking for community input as we move forward with developing career and technical education skills and courses. The board has a vision of establishing a career and technical education academy.
Well isn't that as ironic as can be, since the Bates/Tracy administration has basically demolished the technical education at Green Lake High School, leaving behind the bleeding and wounded. So now all of a sudden they realize that there is a profound need for such a program?
The current administration basically did away with our tech-ed program and now wants to take credit for bringing them back? How gallant of them!!!
GL Parent, what you call generic claims are more meaningful than that to the concerned parents of the school district. Pull your head out of the sand.
The school will probably bring the tech ed program back now that they finally got Mr. Krahn to quit. If you haven't heard (because it hasn't been printed anywhere yet) is that Gary Krahn is teaching in Ripon this year, If what I heard is correct he has at least 5 classes. I know the kids were sorry to see him leave, but they understand why he had to. At least he was respected by his students and he will be missed in Green Lake.
Another sad loss for our school and our students. Ripon is lucky to have Gary Krahn on their teaching staff, it is disturbing to me that yet another great teacher has left Green Lake High School.
Thank you to “poopa scoopa” and others for proving my point: No evidence about wrongdoing or untruthfulness from Bates or Tracy. Just more generic claims and hysterical accusations. Well that’s Green Lake for you.
A few points to consider:
1. The teachers’ generous raise was not “long overdue,” as “poopa scoopa” says. The union got 7.6 percent for 2007-2009 and 8.3 percent for 2005-2007. Stop pretending they haven’t had a decent raise lately. Those are mighty sweet raises, considering the QEO is 3.5 percent, which would only be 7 percent over two years.
2. Employees come and go. It’s part of any school and any business. Stop pretending it’s all to blame on the Green Lake administration. If it is, show some evidence for once. The Green Lake School has a tight budget.
3. “…yet-to-be explained firing of the school's long-time custodian…” Actually, that has been explained. Publicly and repeatedly. This decision was a cost-savings move to reduce the need to cut a teacher. I’m sorry, but as a parent, I’d rather keep a teacher than a custodian (no offense to Jim Jahnke).
4. “…The Bates/Tracy administration has basically demolished the technical education at Green Lake High School…” Maybe that’s because hardly anyone signed up. It’s not fiscally responsible to offer a program with so few students. I realize that angers a small group of students who wanted tech ed, but tough. Why should our taxes pay a full-time employee to teach so few students?
5. Asking the teachers to supervise a simple, daily clean-up of their rooms is not asking for the moon. It would take 3-5 minutes a day, with the kids pitching in. It would save custodial hours and it’s a good lesson for the students. Stop making a mountain out of nothing. These teachers get a free, three-month vacation every year, on top of a week for Christmas and spring break. Give ME a break already.
For a change, it would be nice if the people who sat behind their computers and typed anonymous slanders against the administration would have the guts to address the School Board publicly on these “concerns.” The fact that hardly anyone does tells volumes about the legitimacy of these claims.
So go ahead. Keep spreading accusations anonymously. And again, I challenge you: Provide some specific, credible evidence to prove any wrongdoing or untruthfulness from Bates or Tracy. I still haven’t seen any.
To the Gl Parent, on point #4
My guess your kids are girls. Did you know that no one signed up for the tech ed classes because they weren't offered? Ask any parent of Jr. High boys, did they even have the chance to sign up for a tech ed class? No, because they were not being offered. Did the High School kids get to decide which class they wanted? NO, because there was only one being offered. So I guess you can say that no one signed up for them so that's the reason not to offer them. On the other hand, how can a student sign up for a class that wasn't offered? I guess that's why the art classes have increased too, that's about the only elective left for these kids to take. Of course the arts fit better with the IB program and the charter school. There is no room for tech or home ec programs in those programs.
As you know, the tech-ed issue has been going on for a few years. Gary with the backing of a teachers union and/or foundation sued the school district and won his case of unfairly cutting his FTE position. Is that specific enough for you?
The claim that there was not enough enrollment in tech-ed classes is complete and utter hog-wash! The classes were not offered or advertised. It is purely based upon the agenda of certain school board and administration memebers.
Let's take a look at the old tech-ed classes: photography/film developing, yearbook publishing, wood shop, metal works (welding, forging, fabricating), drafting, silk screen, housing electrical, and many more. The safety test for one piece of equipment alone with Mr. Krahn was more intellectually challenging than most other subject courses.
The Administration and their followers should go right back to where they came from. OH, that's right they ruined that too. They are not weelcome back there either.
I hope in ten years from now, you get some nice global-minded environmentalist at your door to install your wiring!
GL Parent, I get the distinct feeling that you work at the school since you know so much about the inner workings. In your previous blog, you state that Bates "brought us a charter school and the International Baccalaureate program in only two years. I suppose those were bad ideas, too?"
In my opinion, YES, those are both bad ideas. You want "proof" of that I suppose? For the record book:
How the charter school experiment is falling short
Only 13.6 percent of charter schools are performing better than
their public counterpart — results too disappointing to warrant expanding the experiment. It would be folly to increase the number of charter schools before thoroughly examining the reasons why they have fallen short of the promise they
were created to fulfill.
1. Contrary to the claims of charter school advocates, charter schools are not surpassing public schools in improving student learning and achievement.
In a side-by-side comparison of each charter school with a comparable public school in the same district, fully 86.4 percent of the public schools equaled or surpassed the charter school’s performance. Only 13.6 percent had student achievement on state tests that outperformed the comparable public school in their home school district. Charter school advocates typically avoid comparing their student test scores with comparable public schools. Instead, they seek to compare their performance with their district as a whole, an unfair comparison because district test results include significantly more special ed students, significantly more financially disadvantaged students and significantly more students who are
English language learners than the charter schools in their midst
2. Charter schools are not offering expanded learning opportunities to at-risk students and, in fact, tend to serve students who are more advantaged than the population of their district.
3. Based on the State Education Department Annual Report on Charter
Schools, these schools are using educational approaches that are readily available to public schools, undercutting the state goal of innovation and
enhanced options.
4. Charter schools are expected to offer professional opportunities to teachers, administrators and other school personnel that are not available in the public schools. In fact, there are anecdotal reports of significant staff turnover at most charter schools.
5. The test scores from charter schools indicate that charter schools do not offer parents and students better choices or results than are already available in public schools.
6. Charter schools are not being held accountable to the same extent as public schools for student performance. Many charter schools have operated
under the accountability radar by offering grades where state tests are not required. Public schools are performing better and
are more accountable than charter schools.
++++++++
Now, regarding the International Baccalaureate program, this is MUCH WORSE that the charter schools, I am appalled that this is going on in our GL school district:
IB Schools undermine the beliefs and values of the United States!
IBO not only teaches its own worldview, it simultaneously undermines the beliefs and values of the United States. (there is much on the internet about the United Nations and the IB program if you are interested).
IBO also attacks Christianity. IBO lumps Christianity into the category of what it calls "fundamentalism"— along with the Taliban and various terrorist groups, saying that these "fundamentalist" groups are all "dangerous." It would be difficult to imagine a more clear, and repugnant, attack on Christianity.
Why this crap is in OUR local school system is beyond me! Let's get rid of it and the person who brought it here, NOW.
Keep it up, Phil. Tell us another one. The tech ed classes were reduced because there wasn’t enough interest to justify them. Period. Just because your kid and a small group of others wanted them, that doesn’t mean there was widespread interest. Otherwise the classes wouldn’t have been reduced. It’s that simple.
Also, thanks for yet another unsupported accusation: “The administration and their followers should go right back to where they came from. Oh, that's right, they ruined that too.” Any proof of that, Phil? Or are you just spreading hearsay again?
And no, Gary Krahn’s case against the school does not prove corruption or lying by the administration. All it means is that the School Board made a mistake in giving a less-senior teacher a study hall when Gary Krahn could have taken it to increase his full-time equivalency. Big whoop. Let’s just fire Bates and Tracy because of an oversight that was long ago resolved.
Any other theories on the “corruption” in the administration? I’m waiting.
I have a theory, by the way. It’s that Green Lake will never, ever be satisfied with a school administrator because people like Phil, Poopa Scoopa and others go into hysterics when anything new is proposed (charter school, IB, etc.) or when any positive changes take place. As long as these people hold a grudge against the district, it won’t matter who is at the helm. The naysayers will smear the administrators and try to run them out. Frankly, it’s fun to watch because it shows how juvenile Green Lake is.
I challenge you critics on this blog to speak publicly to the School Board about your “concerns.” I seriously doubt you ever will, because you don’t have the guts and you don’t have the facts.
It seems strange how Green Lake goes through so many superintendents and principles in the last 15 years. I believe the school is dieing because there is no new enrollment and that is because this area does not welcome families with children. Everyone here loves their school, but they do not want outsiders living here because they may find their secret fishing hole. This is the same disfunction that has haunted this town since 1979. The school constantly has to reinvent itself in order to stay in operation. As far as firing teachers and janitors, you people make such a big deal about the Green Lake teachers when really they are not very good. They are discovered for what they are. They show up and put their time in and that is about it.
There are not enough kids in the school because family housing in Green Lake has been too expensive.
Many homes in town that once held families are now owned by people from Illinois who use them on the occasional weekend.
Not wanting this to continue to happen has nothing to do with fishing holes.
Maybe the housing bubble bursting will bring the prices back in line with local wages.
What does everyone think of last night's monumenal decision by the Green Lake County Board?
I haven't heard...what happened?
I guess we gotta wait for the paper to find out what/if anything happened. News sources for this area are a little lacking. That would explain why gossip and speculation are rampant around these parts. "everyman" must not be checking back in after posting.
Check out page 7 of the Ripon newspaper.
For heaven's sake, can't somebody speak up and tell us what was decided?
Appears as though we're building our county a new $28 million dollar "Justice Center". This will allow the one we built all not that long ago 20+ years, to become the next issue of what to do with it?
The new building will house the Health & Human services divisions as well.
So, we'll have an empty jail and an empty Health and Human services building. Oh, wait, this will allow us to add new programs, hire new staff, raise budgets, increase taxes... isn't it grand. You conservative minded Republican folks in this county ought to rise up and stop this nonsense. I thought you were opposed to bigger government?
I’d like to see a comparison of how much this county has grown in population in the last 20 yrs, compared to the growth in the size of its government and Sheriff’s dept. Oh, I know, but now we have a pro-active approach to government and law enforcement when we used to be reactive. I really can’t see a lot of difference. I guess we need a bigger jail because we’re locking more folks up.
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