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- Chief Highknocker
- You aren't local until you have at least three generations in the cemetery.
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12 comments:
What was discussed at the 11/11/08 meeting about Career Technical Academy? What communities were there? What are they considering (what is it)?
We need members of the community at every school board meeting to ask questions and demand information about new programs and the running of the school. Since this participation has slacked off as of late, the administration takes it as an endorsement of everything they are doing. Is it? Or have community members just given up? True democracy requires active participation at the local level.
I have heard that the school board will be voting whether (OR NOT) to re-new the contracts for Ken Bates and e jon Tracy. The above blogger is right, we NEED members of the community to show up! You don't have to say anything, just be there and show that you care.
If you are happy with the way things have gone these past few years, then by all means stay at home on the 19th at 7:00. But if you are concerned for the future of the school and more importantly our kids, the reason the school exists, then please attend this meeting.
I personally have had enough of Bates and Tracy and hope that their contracts are not renewed. Since their arrival in Green Lake, they have succeeded in driving half the teachers away, and are working to continue to alienate the students as well. Enrollment continues to fall. Many of the teachers who have left were excellent, and it was truly our loss when they found jobs at other area schools. The morale at school is very low, and we cannot afford to sit by and watch our school continue to fail because of the present administration.
Why does the budget continue to force more cuts for teachers but not for administration? Their salaries are far too high, and considering the aftermath of their actions, I will be extremely upset if these contracts are renewed.
Ken Bates says in his weekly newspaper column that our school district is striving to develop good "global citizens". Notice that there is no mention of being good Americans. This is the consciousness of the IB program.
The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), based in Geneva, Switzerland, offers three different International Baccalaureate (IB) programs and is responsible for assisting schools with implementation so that children learn how to become "engaged world citizens" (IBO, 2006).... All of the programs come with tests administered by the IBO.
To offer IB programs, schools undergo a process governed by the IBO. Once complete, the schools operate with the guidance and support of the organization.
In its Rules for Authorized Schools, the schools must "abide by all the IBO regulations and procedures"
Neither Switzerland nor the United Nations operates under American law, which seems to be further proof our children and IB schools in America become a subject of so-called international law once the school signs a contract with the IBO.
If this doesn't worry you, then you have no brain.
If Ken Bates was as concerned about educating students as he is with creating "good global citizens" maybe our students would get a better education at Green Lake High School.
It's time for change! Let's change BACK to a good old fashioned education and leave this new-age international crap where it belongs, in Switzerland.
For the above mentioned poster. Like it or not "global citzens" are the future of the world. This is not new age crap. If you don't understand the world trade, the reasons for the current financial dilemmas or just how the world is working today you are living in a past century. But, on a local "american citizen" level I think the school administration is over paid for current needs and people should be participating more in the local school board meetings. They do need more oversight and do think people are not paying attention. This IS how a democracy works for an American Citizen.
How about focusing on the basics, like Reading? Only 47% of last year's third graders scored proficient or advanced on that state WKCE test. Which means 53% read at a minimal or basic level. Yikes!
Yes, why don't we get back to a basic education?
We all need to attend tonights school board meeting as concerned citizins but especially concerned for our childrens future. Our school board has decided to "KO" the idea of a serious study of blending a few of our high schools.Our high school students at green lake have very few elective classes to chose from and therefore our enrollment is declining. Many students are consistantly asking for a "school to work" program and are told either we don't have the money or are just being ignored by Bates and Tracy. We need to step forward or we are going to loose our school all together! What is going on in our present school seems to me a last ditch effort to keep a school in Green Lake! Our children are paying the price for our expense administration trying to "find themselves!" I urge you to please attend tonight!!
Why stop at Bates, perhaps some new school board members are in order who are more concerned with getting a handle on the budgets and creating a stable school system. Instead, they hire some high buck Madison lawyer to try take land from the ABA.
The Lindenwood people and the ABA offered some great property to the school board for nature,wildlife and environmental studies. Do they smile and accept this as a huge gift? No! they get greedy and want the developer to give up more land worth more money. I'm not sure what the heck they are thinking, but mark my words... When greed takes over and the lawyers get involved, bad things are sure to follow.
Yes, when greed takes over bad things happen. Too bad ABA/Lindenwood have learned this! They want us tax payers to pass the Bond to pay for them to get rich!!!! WHY should GL tax payers do that when they can't give the school district decent property instead of junk they don't want?
The spending for the Green Lake school district is out of control, and Bates and his little gang keep talking about MORE spending like we are not in the midst of a massive economic crisis! Interesting that they have refused to comply with Harley Reabe's request to see an itemized statement for the school credit card, a request Mr. Reabe made back in August.
Just a few of the projected expenses include over $230,000 to purchase land so that the students can study forests and nature. HELLO people, students can study forests and nature without OWNING the forest. THIS IS MONEY THAT OUR DISTRICT DOES NOT HAVE and CANNOT AFFORD. Another expense is new math books because the old ones don't comply with International Baccalaureate standards. Do you realize what the cost is for 1 new textbook? Try to guess.
Is something wrong with the old textbooks? Has math changed a lot in the past 10 years or so? I learned math over 40 years ago and my math skills far surpass those of the youth today. Why are new math textbooks being purchased? Because we have a handful of IB students? How many IB students do we have at the school?
Bates is even talking about purchasing laptops for EVERY student at the school. Yes, this is his hope, based on the "success" of laptop usage that the charter students are assigned.
Then they want to implement a school breakfast program, because poor little Suzy forgot to eat breakfast. Feeding children breakfast is the parents responsibility, NOT the schools! If a family is too poor to afford breakfast for their kids, they should be referred to Social Services for help.
Apparently the roof at school will need repairing to the tune of $600,000. Yes, you heard me right. Bates is already talking about a referendum in two years, and another one after that. And the projected budget is already borrowing from the next school year to pay for this years budget, over $300,000. They intend to the the same next year, and the year after that...
SPENDING HAS TO STOP! Cuts in administration are necessary to live within the annual budget. Do you realize that between Ken Bates, e jon tracy, Deb Kneser and Jan Hauer, the four of them are paid over $300,000 per year? That is over $2,000 per high school student just to have those 4 on staff. This is ridiculous. Where I attended high school, the administrator was also the principal, and the guidance counselor was also multi-functional. Green Lake is a tiny school. Parents and the school board helped to decide the curriculum, NOT a high-paid staff member. It is time to make serious cuts in administration staff in order to balance our budget and steer the school back to a functional direction.
Harley, get out your fine tooth comb. You are going to need it. The public has a right to know what our school is spending our tax dollars on. I hope Mr. Reabe's findings will be made available to the taxpayers.
What happened at the School Board meeting Nov. 19th?
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