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Green Lake Zobel Park Rec Fund
Green Lake County Government Websites
Green Lake Conference Center/American Baptist Assembly
Green Lake Propery Owners Association
Linden Wood Development
The Estates of Lawsonia
About Me
- Chief Highknocker
- You aren't local until you have at least three generations in the cemetery.
110 comments:
You heard that right Chief. We owe Chuck a thank you for the many years he gave to the program. I do think it was probably time he passed the reigns; it's too bad it had to come during a season.
Coach Mirr: Thank You for your commitment to the program all these years. I hope you’ll continue to attend games and hold your head high. You have a lot to be proud of.
There is an article about it in the Ripon Commonwealth.
It's interesting to see that many of the parents of students in the Green Lake School system will stop at nothing to have their hands in everything their kids do. It's one thing to be supportive of your child but it's quite another to always rush to their rescue when they have to deal with adversity or when things don't go the way the parents feel is "fair" for their child. The petition to get rid of coach Mirr, generated by the players parents, certainly doesn't surprise me. These parents are the same ones who ran the last two school administrators out of town and are trying to do the same with our current one. If you really want to help your child out let them fair for themselves - stop rushing to their rescue when something doesn't go their way. Most importantly, let teachers teach, coaches coach and administrators administrate without always interfering.
The school handled this issue very poorly. Students, parents or school administrators did not even have the decency to go and speak with Coach Mirr and work things out peaceably. E Jon Tracy should have had the professionalism to do just that, but his lack of social skills in an administrative setting is just more of what we've been dealing with this man for several years now.
Did you read the Green Lake Reporter today? How the hell are you blaming the school for what occured. I have to agree with the blog posted at 2:46 PM stating that "parents" not the school handled things very poorly. As that blogger states, parents need to allow their children the oppurtunity to handle their own affairs, without always coming to their rescue.
I have to agree with the blogger above. We as parents need to be more respectful of leaders in the community whether that be a teacher, coach or member of the administration. Even if we don't always see eye to eye with these leaders we need to show a little self restraint and let our children learn to be their own advocate.
I feel bad for Chuck I don't think he was treated properly. It's funny you should be talking about parents not always recuing their kids. In this weeks "Laker News" Jan Hauer had a article reprinted about "Eleven Ways To Raise A Toxic Child". It's a great article for all parents to read. I know I've been quilty of doing some of the toxic things they listed.
Wait a minute! Did any of you see the grivences the boys listed? Apparently Chuck is not a good coach. Calling kids names is no way to build a a relationship with kids. People tell me that has been going on for years. Aren't coaches looked at for their performance? Did anyone ever ask the boys about their coach? Somebody at the school must have known about the boys' feelings. Kids talk!
Maybe it was time for a change...
Perhaps the mayor's performance as a coach is as poor as his performance as a mayor. He may want to do this work but does not have the skills for the job.
My observations... there wasn't a lot of "coaching" going on by today's standard of coaching. One of the paper articles used the term "old school". That's fine, but “old school” only cuts it today in rare circumstances.
I know I don't run my business or deal with employees as I would have 20 years ago. Things change, you have to stay on top of it or you and your coaching/managing program are doomed to fail and fall behind in the times.
How it was handled at the school, I don’t know and the others who think they do must have been the mice in the corner of the room when it went down. IMO, I would have worked it out to at least to the end the season with Coach Mirr and deal with it during the off season, since regular off season is only a week away.
You just don't get it. When the petition was taken to Mr. Tracy, it was up to him to decide what course of action to take with it. The way he dealt with it was inappropriate. Why wasn't Mr. Mirr given a chance to talk with the parents and admistrators and work this out like responsible adults? The students had their little tantrum and won. A good administrator never would have let that happen.
No, I think I do get it. You really don't need to try and explain it to me.
Thanks just the same.
I was in the room when Chuck resigned; Jon Tracy didn't say anthying to him. Chuck stated he did not want to coach students who didn't want him as their coach and made the comment "I am resigning and I'm just going to go home." His only question was: "will I get paid in full for the rest of the season"
Thanks Blogger of Feb.20th at 12:07PM for setting the record straight.
The facts of what transpired certainly make those so quick to blame Tracy or anyone eles connected to the administration look very ignorant. Why don't some of you bloggers get the facts before opening your mouths.
Coaching is an incredibly delicate and difficult task. It is no surprise that coaching vacancies are too numerous to fill across the state. Parents and in this case the lack of support by the school are out of control. The community has to decide if they want a serious athletic program that teaches life lessons or a program that just plays everyone equally without regard to hard work and preparation, etc.
I am embarrassed for Green Lake that the school authorities would allow this kind of revolt without having the team address the coach first and work out issues together. No coach worth his salt would ever work for an administration who won't support the coach as he works on team development.
It is a sad state of affairs and disappointing. Chuck, thank you for your service and commitment to the kids and Green Lake. Green lake staff, shame on you for this embarassing display of support.
Wow- another feather in the cap of our incompetent school administrators. Hopefully, this will set the tone for future situations when students aren't happy with something, or someone, at the school. Apparently, all that students need to do is start a petition, pass it around on the sly for signatures, exert peer pressure to get others to sign, and present it to the administrators. From that point our fine administration will undoubtedly handle the situation in the confidential and competent manner to which we've all become accustomed (See- 'Sarcasm').
Not knowing all the facts one can't defend, nor condemn, Chuck Mirr (it is however nice to see bloggers kick him when he's down by tossing in comments about his performance as a mayor - how understanding).
The statement, "I was in the room when Chuck resigned; Jon Tracy didn't say anything to him", hits the nail on the head and goes to the root of most problems at the school. When the supposed leaders of our school actually SHOULD do/say something they don't. However, they do very well at getting involved in and initiating things (lawsuits; grievances; etc) and putting their noses into situations where they really don't belong.
I find it hard to grasp that nobody at the school knew of the 'horrendous & heinous' things Chuck was doing to these poor, defenseless children (once again -see Sarcasm).
If things were so intolerable as to cause a decent person this type of humiliation, there should have been an intervention long ago by someone within the administration.
This shows how far removed they are from reality. Perhaps too much time is spent on their pie-in-the-sky dreams to address things truly intended of a school administration. Things like the IB Programme (gotta love that little 'e' they put at the end of Program (little "e's" must make things important, hmnn, e. jon?); unnecessary and fiscally irresponsible land acquisitions; The Cornerstone Project (need I mention Mr. Bates) are all interesting but non-essential to the success and education of the students.
The people of Green Lake should reference the childrens book "The Emperors New Clothes" and begin to realize what a high priced sham our present administration is.
Very well said, Flash. I agree with your every word. As someone who is familiar with human resources in a business setting, I would like to make the point that the school is in essence, a business. Anyone who works in school administration should have had business courses in college and be familiar with proper protocal in the workplace. There should also be some degree of common sense and fairness. These are qualities that should be present in the school administration. The treatment of Coach Mirr is inexcusable and as a former blogger stated, an embarrassing display of support. How should this confict have been handled? Let's take a look:
10 Steps to Conflict Resolution in the Workplace
1. Set a time and place for discussion
2. Define the problem or issue of disagreement
3. How do you each contribute to the problem?
4. List past attempts to resolve the issue that were not successful
5. Brainstorm. List all possible solutions
6. Discuss and evaluate these possible solutions
7. Agree on one solution to try
8. Agree on how each individual will work toward this solution
9. Set up another meeting. Discuss your progress
10. Reward each other as you each contribute toward the solution
PS: Conflict isn’t a Bad Thing
Yes, conflict can actually be a good thing. While most of us try to avoid it as much as possible, we should learn to see conflict as an opportunity to grow. I find that all of these points are applicable to the situation with the basketball team's conflict with Coach Mirr. Sadly, the school administration missed a perfect opportunity to help shape the young minds of the team with the challenges of the human spirit, fortitude, and the quest for excellence. Once again, our school administration has failed us miserably, failed our children and set a sour tone for the entire community.
Maybe there should have been a little investigation. They could have talked to Chuck about the petition and addressed the problems. Also, someone higher up, could have made it their business to drop by practices, listen in, and see if something was going on. Now, the kids do have a right to express grievances. No one would want their child in a bad situation and have no one believe them. Maybe the administration, players, and Chuck could have met to talk about the problems and solutions. It's over now, and I know it's easy to analyze this from the outside without knowing everything.
I think it still might be a good idea to investigate the boys' claims so this does not happen again with another coach. Perhaps a process could be set up to monitor practice/games and see what is happening. Our sons deserve the best possible people to be coaching. We should not take just anyone. Ask questions about any new coach's style!
Sure, our sons deserve the very best of everything, maybe the NBA can lend us one of their coaches. Get real. We are small town Wisconsin, our kids don't "deserve" anything but a good solid education with extracurricular activities. Why is there such an attitude that "our kids need the best of everything" when that simply isn't realistic or even healthy for the children. God forbid that a coach actually pushes them to do their best, calling them horrific names like "doughhead" in the process. Big deal, get over it you woosies.
Wa wa, cry to mommie, mean ol' coach made me mad! Boo hoo.
Perhaps the last two anonymous bloggers, and whichever parent/parents were actually behind this asinine petition, should read the article "Eleven Ways to Raise a Toxic Child" which was in the last issue of Laker News.
To suggest that we "monitor practice/games"...what does that actually mean. I remember when going to "watch" games and support the team, both COACHES and players, was part of being a parent. But, to "monitor" sounds very big-brotherish.
Perhaps part of the unlimited funding (which the school doesn't have but certainly seems to think it has) could be used to install camera's in the gym/school so everything can be recorded. Then we could hire someone to "monitor" the tapes and oh, what a field day we would have. There would be no gray areas, everyone would be held accountable to act in a manner deemed acceptable by our poor, defenseless, and deprived children (and their nurturing parents).
Come on people, open your eyes (and ears)...go to the school and spend some time seeing and listening to what goes on. You walk around with your heads in the sand (or in the clouds) wanting to think these "kids" aren't worldly enough to use the foulest and most inappropriate language; show an incredible lack of respect for their elders and those in positions of authority; and in general, act much worse than anything I read Chuck Mirr supposedly did.
Once again, not to condone/condemn Chuck, but, DEFINITELY condemn the actions of the parents behind the lynch-mob petition; the handling of it by the administration and the parents who continue to allow their children to fall into this "birth-right" mentality which has been propagated for way too long.
For those who have molly-coddled their kids, good luck in the future because without thick-skin many of these "defenseless" babies are in for a harsh reality check. As the great bard Bob Dylan once wrote "The Times, They are a-changin" and in a way that only those with a little moxie and some inner-fortitude will have a chance to succeed. Give your kids a glimmer of hope by doling out a little tough love and by holding them to task.
Remember the axiom, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. The question begs to be asked, who comes away from this ridiculous situation thicker skinned and stronger? Unfortunately, I don't think it's the students of GLSD.
An investigation? Well, Chuck didn't want one, now he does. He has an attorney and they both say that he is still the coach. For you Chuck fans, he has met with the team twice and the administration twice. There was no reason to investigate anything previously due to the fact that he stormed out of the room and quit the team. A coach that quit the team? Yes, and now bring him back? Yes, according to the Chuckster and the taxpayers who love him. Ok, let's do that.
Dougheads? Yes, but how about:
"line up for an @ss chewing, who wants to be first?" or "what the @uck was that?" after the game with the academy, or "you suck more than ------" in practice two weeks ago, not to mention tantrums, walkouts in practice, tantrums two or three days after a loss, and a ton more. Want all of this printed in the press? Well, it is going to be, so now you get what you wanted. Bring him back? Ok, Amy, Dennis, and Harley rule, so let's bring that guy back. Will any of the current players play for him? No, of course not, and he knows that and yet he says he's the coach and that he's back. Ok, I'm with that.
The boy's players invented the "petitioning" to get their way? Oh, please, give me a break! You guys in the community invented this a long time ago. You've run administors out of town with petitions, surveys, "take our school back" meetings, this blog, public back stabbings, monthly bashing at BOE meetings, and those "listening sessions" etc., for decades now. Children learn from their parents and their teachers how to manage life; you taught them well, so don't complain that it has been successful again. Surveys, petitions, and secret meetings, are a way of life in Green Lake. You gave your children a "code to live by" and now you must live with it yourselves.
I want all of the information re: Chuck's conduct with the team made available to the parents, the communtiy, and the press; isn't it the job of the school adminstration to release this to us? When we see this in print we will have a better idea if he should contiue on as the coach. Is he suspended right now?
Petition? How about Chuck's petition that got Marsha fired and destroyed her reputation in the community? How many years ago was that? See, Chuck, you need to give yourself some credit: you are a better teacher and coach that you thought. I support coaches that show great effort, but when you bully kids and parents for decades, the chickens will come home to roost sooner or later.
When Aaron Becker does his next story on this, someone needs to remind him to ask Chuck about how it feels to be on the "incoming" end of the petition. I hope that gets printed in the paper.
Bring him back? Yes, I am with the earlier blogger: let's bring him back for more and see the reaction in the community, the school and the press. Please, Chuck, come on back!
Wow...more fireworks, more BS. I'm waiting for the ABA - not the Lawsonia one but the, American Bar Association, to send a heartfelt thank you to Ken Bates, Wendy Schultz, e.j.t. and the rest of the circus act running the GLSD. If things were this bad WHY wasn't something done long before the ouster of Chuck? Who was Chuck's "boss" at the school, and whom did that person report to. As the saying goes (and I paraphrase), "Muck runs downhill". This situation with Chuck is just a microcosm of the problems within the school. Instead of always looking at the outcome, let's look at what precipitated the outcome by going all the way to the source. Are we all too embarrassed to admit that the problems stem from the top. At a time when everyone is being held accountable for their actions (heads of major corporations, financial institutions, politicians, etc), why aren't we holding the leaders of our school district accountable for what they are being paid a ridiculous amount of money to do. One of the smallest school districts in the state, one of the highest administrative costs per student in the state, and some of the lowest performance numbers of comparable schools in the state.
More money into the coffers of the lawyers and out of the pockets of WE TAXPAYERS. Once again, another action / lack of action on the part of the administration will cost the taxpayers money.
Our administration is definitely providing an economic stimulus package for the legal community and thanks to the recent renewal of Howard Hill's (aka- K. Bates) contract, there should be no reduction in wasted monies for at least 2 years. Kudos for a job well done (Sarcasm comes easy with these "clowns").
OMG! Yes, finally someone has said it! Yes, yes, yes, bring back Chuck! Bring back Chuck! Bring back Chuck! Bring back Chuck! BBC! BBC! BBC! Shout it to the hills, the mountains, the lake, the fish, etc. If I had a hammer, I'd hammer BBC! I love that man for the way he whups down on my kid! Gives him the stuff that I can't as a parent! BBC! Oh, yeah, BBC!
Oh, yes, me too! I just loves that Chuckie Doll!
Right, no more legal expenses! Continue on with the coach or pay him off; don't spend a dime on extra money for nothing.
The Board will change significantly in at the May meeting. Why not approach the new members with the idea of either firing the administrators (for whatever) or asking them what it would take to get them to go far away from GL? Everyone in town knows this is going to happen in time anyway, so let's just get it done now.
What's your opinion on weather this would result in another law suit and could we win?
I agree with the ealier blogger, the lack of success with the team and their dislike of the coach and his abuse of them is the fault of the principal. We shouldn't take this just sitting on our -----; that principal should be put directly in charge of the team! Let him coach! Let's see how far he goes in the tournament with these guys. Next year, too, he's the coach and their bus driver!
Don't pay extra for zero results. Let's teach him a lesson re: letting the real coach walk out on the team. He thinks he's a big man, so he could have at least tackeled Chuck, or restrained him, or something. He didn't do his job, so now make him coach. I love that idea!
what a bunch of misconstrued dough-heads. Did anyone suggest the principal coach (perhaps he'd do a better job of that than what he currently does / doesn't do).
Follow these simple steps:
1) READ the information; 2) understand the information; 3)formulate opinion based on information; 4) respond.
If you follow these simple steps (pay close attention to #1 & 2) both you, and the rest of us, will be much better off for not having to sift through a bunch of mindless blather.
If Chuck Mirr was/is such a bad coach, then why was he hired to coach again this season? Let's not blow this out of proportion (OH, too late!) If it comes down to whether I support the administration for not dealing with a relatively simple problem in a diplomatic fashion, or stand behind Coach Mirr for doing the job he was hired to do, then I stand behind the coach 100%. I don't know why Coach Mirr has hired a lawyer, (or if in fact this is true), or what his intentions are in continuing to resolve this matter.
The bottom line is that this matter was not handled correctly by the school administration. I would bet money that it was a parent of one of the team members who instigated this petition (and I have a pretty good idea who it was) and I know that at least several members of the team were coerced into signing the petition. The parents of every one of these students should have been informed of the situation, as we are all concerned and (yes) responsible for our children's actions. I know there were parents who did not even know about this petition until after the coach had been fired. This just isn't right.
In all actuality, the petition NEVER should have circulated. If there was a problem (and apparently there was) it should have been addressed much earlier than this. Of course the coach quit and walked out, do you have any idea what a LOW BLOW this must have been to him? How would you have reacted?
I was thinking of starting a website devoted to why people should not send their kids to Green Lake schools. But thankfully, we have the
Dartford Blogspot so this information is already available to the public.
The suggestion that we simply fire the current administration sadly is not that easy to accomplish. I wish it were. We have two more years with Master Bates at the helm. Will our school even exist by then? Great work Ken, you are doing such a fantastic job here. The next administrator, if our school does survive that long, should have a contract that allows the school board to act in the best interest of the students and not the administrator. The current school board members who voted to renew Bates contract should be publicly tarred and feathered in the town square.
It is obvious from the number of posts that this is a hot topic. For more information please reference the Aaron Becker article in the Ripon Commonwealth. There is far more info in the article than what we've seen in Green Lake (odd that once again Green Lakers have to get their information from Ripon...who is the GL reporter??).
I am appalled that Ken Bates actually gave credibility to the kids actions by stating that "they handled the situation properly". I find it commendable that the school encourage students to express opinions and concerns. Empowerment is a wonderful thing. However, empowerment without a system of checks and balances leads to anarchy. The administration should have been that system of checks and balances, but, once again the administration has assumed the role of Pontius Pilate and washed their hands of their ultimate responsibilities.
At any rate, I do like Chuck's remark on the petition, "I've been trying to get these kids to work as a team the whole year. They finally did it." To this I say,Touche'!!
I have read both the articles regarding this topic in the Green Lake and Ripon newspapers. The Ripon paper once again had far more information about what is going on in Green Lake than our own newspaper. I realize that Kristin covers an amazing array of writing by herself, and for that I give her credit.
Nobody yet has addressed the responsibility of Green Lake Athletic Director Rachael Ryf in this entire fiasco. As the athletic director, she should have addressed the conflict that the team was apparently experiencing with their coach before the petition was conceived. In my opinion it was up to her to take control of the situation and act in the best interest of both the team and her employer. It seems that Ms.Ryf did neither.
As per the article in the Ripon Commonwealth, Mirr knew nothing about the student petition until the administration presented it to him. He stated "This came so far out of left field, I'm shocked."
It is apparent that Ms. Ryf did not have the common decency to talk to Coach Mirr about the concerns of the team but instead went right for his jugular. Coach Mirr was never given the chance to address the conflicts with the team and make things right. Since Ms. Ryf had met with Mr. Tracy and the team before presenting the petition to Coach Mirr, neither Ryf or Tracy had the professionalism to deal with the situation in an equitable or ethical manner. Shame on both of them.
Tracy and Ryf felt a parent of a player had written the petition, and to that parent (I know who you are) I say that you have done a great disservice to your son, his team, the school and the community. You are one of four people who owe an apology to Coach Mirr.
If it is true that the coach uses this form of language to coach his kids then it was right for the school to dump him. As a kid involved in sports I was very put off when a coach I had called me stupid. It seems that many of these small town hicks are only concerned about winning. So act and talk anyway you want in order to win. These kids also look to the coach for example. I would rather lose 100 games with a proud respectful coach that win 100 games with a smartaleck undereducated foul mouth like Mirr. When I talk to parents around town they say that the coach was like this with their child in the past. Also, the green lake reporter is nothing but a shopper type of publication, they are only interested in advertising and not the real news so you must read the ripon paper for your local news. It's the only real newspaper around here.
If Coach Mirr was really so bad then he shouldn't have been hired to coach this season, or at least should have had strict guidelines set forth to avoid problems such as this. It's still the administrations fault, no matter how you look at it.
I agree with that, why was he hired if he was such a threat to the students? He's been coaching for several decades in Green Lake and this is the first that we're hearing about it now (?) Quit making excuses for our lame school administrators.
Imagine a coach that is concerned about winning and tries to light a fire under his team. I am sure that any swear words that might have been used in an effort to motivate are words the kids use themselves. I am not condoning the use of bad language while coaching, but kids should know not to take it personally. I am sure that Coach Mirr never meant any harm and his intentions were to help the team to strive. I know Chuck Mirr, and he is not a mean person.
If your kid can't handle the pressure of team sports then he should stay home and play by on his computer while Mommy makes him a sandwich and cleans his room for him.
What a bunch of mindless chatter. As usual most of the bloggers don't have a clue what the hell they're talking about. Also to see the blame somehow laid on the administration is totally ridiculous (although not at all surprising). Lets get real and put the blame squarely where it belongs - with the parents. As several bloggers already alluded to "children learn from their parents". In this community parents have long had a history of "revolting" against literally anything and everything that isn't exactly to their liking. I believe these parents have crippled their children rather than helped them out. Instead of learning to deal with adversity they've taught to them to "uprise against the man" if you don't like what life deals you. As the song from Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young goes "Teach your children well", unfortunately I think many of you have don't a clue how your actions have rubbed off on your children.
Thanks blogger on Feb 22 at 5:13 PM
I totally agree with everything you said. These parents are the same ones who cowardly write the Anonymous blogs back stabbing their fellow community members in secrecy. Chief, wouldn't it be interesting to see how the blogs would change if people were required to actually sign them before they would be published. It would force them to intelligently research the subject as well as hold them accountable for their words. Just some food for a thought from another anonymous coward.
The chef takes his direction from the angry people in town. He isn't going to publish anything that has to be signed.
Maybe he should publish his own name for starters.
Most people on here don't sign their names. What's funny is that friends or neighbors could actually be bashing each other on here unknowingly. I'm afraid to sign my name because anonymous bloggers could just rip me to shreds if they wanted to, and I'd have no idea who they are.
Don't blame the Chief for comments posted on this blogsite. There is no reason to for blame, as Chief has no say in who blogs or what they say. Being a man of peace, Chief would rather that we all get along. However, we are all free to express our opinions. For that I am grateful.
Quit trying to shift the blame from the school administrators to [anyone] else. It is shallow and transparent. We all know better by now.
The blog earlier suggesting the Chief make it "mandatory" to sign your name before he would publish a blog would have a huge impact on the aggressiveness of the blogs. You would see much more civil and intelligent responses. People would be held a accountable for a change. What a double standard we're setting, we expect our leaders to be transparent yet we don't have the courage to do likewise. Sounds pretty hypocritical to me.
Jim, do you have children at the school? If you did, you would understand why bloggers on this site cannot sign their names. Our families still have to live here, function at school and other events and retain a healthy degree of civility and order. This blogsite is out only outlet to express our opinions about what is going on in the community. If you understood the bias that is inflicted on our children by the present school administration, you wouldn't even suggest that we sign our names. If you think I am making this up, you are sorely mistaken. Things are different at the school than when your kids might have attended there. The e jon tracy rantings are just one classic example, his immature, egotistical verbal displays have driven both students and staff permanently away and the ones who remain behind still have to endure until graduation. As sick as this sounds, it is in fact reality. Perhaps you will begin to understand why Green Lake so badly needs a new school administration. If you want to know why I don't sign my name, it's "because I can". (that's an e jon tracy-ism!)
To Feb 22 anonymous - please tell us more about the situation with Chuck petitioning to remove a Marsha. Please tell us about that issue for those of us not familiar with it. Thanks.
Did the Board discus this issue (in closed session)? Did the Board take action on this issue?
"The hour of departure has arrived, and we go our ways--I to die and you to live. Which is the better, only God knows." -Socrates
Who is Marsha, and what does she have to do with any of this?
aMarsha is the sister of Nunnya Bisneniez from Gittoutia
Marsha is the former girl's basketball coach who had a run in with Chuck because he wanted to be the coach; if you lived in WI then you know about it.
I want Jon Tracy to stop doing things because he can. I still have children in school; they shouldn't have to listen to talk like that.
What? That guy is still doing things because he can? A very bad man!!!! See what we have to put up with?
You don't understand what we are talking about, so be quiet.
Right; just stop it! Leave us alone.
I think all of you @holes should go back to school and get a degree past the 3rd grade and get a major in school administration because obviously you all know how to run (or should I saw run over a school). This is the most mean spirited community I have ever lived in and am ready to pack our bags and move on to a friendly community. Why in the world anyone would want to come to this community to vacation is beyond me, probably if they read your nasty blogs they would not come back. Don't forget your hand baskets on your way down south.
What evil lurking in the metropolis of Green Lake will be eradicated next by our self-serving vigilante group. Could they be preparing for "The Mother of All Battles" against the sinister Judge McMonical, who against public support and while the townsfolk were occupied with hand to hand combat up at the school, fiendishly began building his his 25 million dollar evil empire. If the local Lynch Mob was angry about spending $10,000 to make sure Lindenwood (who would sell-out their own mother to make a buck) was kept honest in a potential mutimillion dollar land transfer, I can't wait to see their response to the new city building. What do you think that will cost tax payers? Kinda reminds me of the movie "The Burbs".
I went to the doctor today and was told I have hemorrhoids. When I asked the Doc how I could have got them he told me he was certain they were caused by the school administration. Sound familiar, you idiots that want to blame everything on the school board. Get a life!
A guy walks into a bar in Green Lake and orders a mudslide. The bartender looks at the man and says, "You ain't from 'round here are ya?
"No," replies the man, "I'm from Pennsylvania." The bartender looks at him and says, "Well, what do ya do in Pennsylvania?"
"I'm a taxidermist," said the man.
The bartender, looking very bewildered now, asks, "What in the world is a tax-e-derm-ist?"
The man says, "I mount animals."
The bartnder stands back and hollers to the whole bar, "It's okay boys, he's one of us!"
Okay is this issue that big of a deal. Cancel the rest of the season and close this chapter of "Don't you people have better things to talk about?" And if this was the big distraction from the County Building going up you are easily distracted. The footings are poured, let it go already you all had your say and it is going forward.
Isn't it amazing what these blogs bring crawling out of the woodwork. How far off on a tangent can people take the initial postings before they turn into "stream of consciousness-like" blathering (aka: diarrhea of the mouth).
This post originally addressed Chuck Mirr not coaching; the subsequent article "explaining" what transpired; and then comments followed addressing (or at least somewhat addressing) the same issue.
Unfortunately it evolves into some type of ridiculous rambling where people need to see their comments posted in order to justify their existence. Very sad.
For those of you with nothing better to do than sit at the computer and let your hands glide over the keyboard randomly punching keys with reckless abandon - save us the space and stop wasting our time.
Based on what's transpired in Green Lake in the 5 years I've lived here it seems fairly evident that critical thinking isn't a strong suit for many of you. Sometimes the message says more when you don't say anything at all.
I was planning on sending my children to Green Lake next school year because of all the wonderful things I had heard about the school. My friend told me to check out your blog before I made a final decision. After reading all this ranting I decided to keep my children where they are, and not because of the school and its' administration but because of the community and the people in it. If this blog is a snapshot of what people are like in Green Lake I am sure you people will not even have your own school there for long. I have been told you drive every administrator out and believe me your reputation for doing is catching up with you, no person with half a brain would want to work for your school district in a leadership capacity. Your school mascot should be a blog instead of a frog. I'm sure that Chief guy could come up with a good redneck drawing of a blog.
Okay, for the record, exactly HOW many administrators have been "run out" of Green Lake? I haven't lived here my whole life, so somebody please do us all the favor and list each and every one of them. I know of one, Nancy Burns and yes she was run out of town unfairly in my opinion. Or rather, since the reason(s) she was terminated were never made public, I do not know if she was dismissed for good reason or not.
The current administration, on the other hand, is far more transparent.
The fact is that the general public is extremely dissatisfied with the current school administration, and for many (valid) reasons. If you want to minimalize the situation, you go right ahead and live in your own little world of make-believe. The rest of us who are concerned parents and tax-payers will continue to live in the real world.
Some of the key things that good coaching can teach you are about earning and keeping your dignity. Win or lose, play to your best ability, when you lose, play your hardest and play fair. When you win, win with pride and humility. Celebrate your victories in an appropriate manner. Congratulate the other team, despite their playing abilities, superior or less than your own, for a hard fought game. Support all your own teammates and cheer them on. Respect the other team, for they too have practiced and worked hard to earn the right to challenge you on the court, field or track. Never stoop to the antics of poor losers or poor sportsmen, it will only take you to their level, and it will take a while to earn back your respect and your dignity. Lastly, good coaching and playing on a team will teach you that things don’t always go your way or the way that you think they should. It is at these times, that it is most important to remember your dignity.
How amazing that someone would keep their children out of the Green Lake schools because of a blog-sight. That is some kind of focused parenting (sarcasm).
Not sure what wonderful things you'd heard about the school but please let someone know where the info came from. My family and I moved here 5 years ago and did so because of the quaintness of the area and because of the school which boasted of "a private school atmosphere in a public school setting". They even sent a wonderful DVD so that we could all look forward to imaginative courses and fantastic education. Let's just say...if it appears too good to be true, it probably is.
Please don't rely on what the school tells you, and don't rely on what this blog tells you.
If you need something to dissuade you from sending your children to GLSD, look at the statistics on performance levels as compared to other state schools. Look at the matriculation rate to college AND beyond to those that actually make it through college. In short, it is a sad state of affairs at the school and continuing in a downward spiral IN SPITE of the influx of newer, better teaches (tongue-in-cheek); and a newer, better administration (biting tongue).
If you look at areas of growth around the country there is a common theme...excellent schools. Having come from a very highly touted school district in Wisconsin (Arrowhead) and looking at the unparalleled growth that accompanied the communities which were served by that school district, I can attest that more people, businesses, and MONEY were brought to that area because of the excellence of the schools.
Seems rather stupid of us not to want our schools to attract, rather than push people out. We are a dying city that needs something...not sure what it is but the current situation with GLSD and it's administration aren't helping any of us.
Thank you Anonymous Blog dated Feb.24th at 7:20 AM for an outsiders perspective on the situation. It's interesting that you've identified the reason you had a change of heart about sending your children to Green Lake and it had nothing to do with the school or the administration but rather the attitude displayed by some of our "community" members. Based on reading many of the blogs I can't say I can blame you for your decision. However, having lived in Green Lake for most of my life, I can also tell you that the majority of people in our community are very unselfish, nurturing and compassionate people. Most would not hesistate to help out a neighbor or donate their time and/or money to make Green Lake, or for that matter the world, a better place for all of us to live. Unfortunately, as is common in these situations, sometimes people let their emotions get the better of them and they take things to a personal level. The format of this web site, allowing anonymous posts, encourages these personal attacks all the more. People aren't held accountable for their accusations or the accuracy of their statements. Only when people begin addressing the "issues" with rational dialogue and avoid these anonymous character assassinations will we ever be able to resolve our differences and move forward. I also own a small business in town and can tell you from my personal experiences there is usually more than one method to solve a problem. If we all are more civil and respectful of others ideas I'm confident there is no obstacle we can't overcome.
PS - To "Show Me The List"
Two other names you could add to your list of administration members being run out of town would include Dr. Roy and Dave Dillman. Additionally, if you look at how some in our community have treated school board members over the past half dozen years it becomes apparent just how vindictive people can be.
I personally do not believe that the 7:20 a.m. blog was genuine. I believe it was contrived to once again throw the blame away from the administration.
If in fact the blog was genuine, then the writer should know that the people who are on this blogsite, the people you inferred are not good enough to live in the city where your child attends school, are actually very good, caring and thoughtful people. This is just one more reason why the anonymity of this blogsite is essential to it's success. Just because we don't agree with the current school administration does not mean that we are evil-doers in society. We are the people that you meet every day, and we have a voice. The primary election results for school board clearly shows that people are fed up with the BS at school and want better for this community and for our children. We are not the enemy.
I reiterate, I do not believe that the blog was genuine. Nice try, though.
Anonymous 4:47 PM
It takes a lot of balls to write an anonymous post about how you don't believe another anonymous post is genuine. Sounds a little hypocritical to me. No one is calling you "evil-doers", to use your term, because you don't agree with the current administration. If you read the blogs you'll notice a theme that regularily comes up is that people can disagree but they need to do so with civility and be respectful of others opinions. Just sounds like common sense to me.
A FISCAL RESPONSIBLE JOKE
A little old Jewish man is walking down the street one afternoon when he sees a woman with perfect breasts.
He says to her, "Hey miss, would you let me bite your breasts for $100 dollars?"
"Are you nuts?!!!" she replies, and keeps walking away. He turns around, runs around the block and gets to the corner before she does. "Would you let me bite your breasts for $1000 dollars?" he asks again. "Listen you; I'm not that kind of woman! Got it?"
So the little old Jewish man runs around the next block and faces her again; "Would you let me bite your breasts for $10,000 dollars?"
She thinks about it for a while and says, "Hmmm, $10,000 dollars; OK, just once, but not here. Let's go in that dark alley over there."
So they go into the alley, where she takes off her blouse to reveal the most perfect breasts in the world. As soon as he sees them, he grabs them and starts caressing them, fondling them slowly, kissing them, licking them, burying his face in them, but not biting them. The women finally gets annoyed and asks, Well? Are you going to bite them or not?"
"Nah" says the little Jewish man..."Costs too much..."
In response to Anon: February 24, 2009 7:20 AM
Take anything you read with a pinch of salt. I'm not recommending the school but I'm not defending it either. This is a blog, an anonymous blog where literally anyone can post and can post whatever they like. You might be surprised at what you really don't know about the people you "think" you know very well. Behind closed doors people change. Behind the shroud of anonymity here people will be a lot braver, more outspoken and more rude. They do and will continue to say things they would never say in public. Separate to the article I am simply trying to give you a little insight to the behavior of man on the internet. It is a modern culture that you seem to be a little naive about.
Anyone posting anonymously is saying something they feel guilty, embarrassed or in some way awkward about and would not say openly for whatever reason. That is why things are only magnified on this blog, people can unleash.
If you happen to read this I hope that before you so quickly judge a community of 1000 you think about how naive you may be being. How many posts have their been here? Let's say 100 and with that assume that many people who post are posting multiple times for many different reasons. To respond to someone or respond to themselves! I could have posted apposing views in here and I'm one person! I could pretend to be 7 different people posting the exact same view... I could be posting from Korea having never stepped foot in Green Lake.
Please people, just try and be a little rational about this.
Someone brought up the Court House being built off County A. I knew they had public meetings some time ago and at that time the majority of the people didn't favor such a investment when the third floor of the existing building was vacant. When did they decide to move forward? I wasn't aware of any public meetings in recent months, and when I ask others in the community no one seemed to know what was going on. It appears whoever pushed this huge undetaking through was very sneaky. What are the ramifications for Green Lake tax payers?
This is happening because they did it wrong 30 years ago. While other counties built smart one level access building in the 70's gl added on poorly to the existing building. They had to use this addition over the years because of the poor design and tremendous expense. Now they decide to do it properly but at a tremendous expense again. Why are we building a 28 million dollar jail for bad people but we honest people cannot have a sidewalk to access it.check out completestreets.org
Wasn't this post intended to address Chuck Mirr no longer coaching the basketball babies? How is the courthouse / county justice center attached to the original post?
As a side note (getting back to the original post), I see the school is presently running an advertisement for track coaches. This presents a perfect solution to the mishandling of the Chuck Mirr situation.
1) Chuck is given the head coaching job of the track team (I heard he can really kick-it-out in the 110 meter dash)
2) He whips the 'dough-head' athletes into shape and they don't like it because he actually makes them run, and jump and do things that track-a-letes (my new workd for track athletes- I've already got a copyright) are supposed to do.
3) One of the track-a-letes parents doesn't like the way things are going so their child sprints through the school getting others to sign a petition, and then "hurdles" the proper channels to get something like this addressed.
Now, all of this happens on a Friday so e.jon.tracy. doesn't find out about it until Monday (those of you familiar with ejt's Friday arrangements will understand this part). This causes a problem because the lynch mob formed over the weekend and the Chuckster is being held hostage in the multi-purpose room while the 'community' demands justice. Into e.j.t.s office the angry mob marches only to find the three amigo's e.Jon (hear no evil); Bates (speak no evil) and Jan (see no evil - hard to see anything when you don't spend much time in the office).
Just keep telling yourself that all is good in Green Lake...
that is the funniest thing that I have ever read on this blog!
Mirr Took His Ball and Went Home
For starters lets get the facts straight, Chuck wasn't fired by the school - He Quit!
The school was presented with the petition which they promptly addressed with Mirr. At that meeting, Mirr's actions spoke for themself, if the kids/parents don't like the way I coach then I don't need them either, and he quit. There was no convincing him otherwise.
For those of you who question the way the school handled matters, what the heck would you have done differenly?
Mirr is a big boy and needs to be responsible for his actions. He also has some expertise in the petition area. Most of you remember the Marsha petition Chuck organized some years ago to remove Marsha Krahn as the girls Basketball coach so he could coach his daughters "what goes around comes around".
Then Chuck had a change of heart, almost a week after he quit, and expects the school to welcome him back with open arms, I don't think so.
I believe the school acted fairly and appropiately given the circumstances. I also believe that the actions of the group that has a bug up their butts against the administration, have proven time and again, they simply can't be objective when it comes to fairly critiquing anything the school does. They're not interested in trying to make things work for the better, their only interest is tearing down the current administration, even if in the process it ends up tearing down our school and community.
Feb. 25th at 2:29 PM
WTF was that! That is the most stupid thing I've ever read on this blog!!!
Nice Blog "Mirr Took His Ball and Went Home".
I think you make some good points.
Mirr made his bed now he has to sleep in it. To somehow blame this on the school is irrational and just another attempt to get a dig in.
If people could just put their bias behind them and work together, the school as well as the community will be the big winners.
You have to be kidding me that people are actually in agreement with the way this situation was mishandled. Do people have no business sense. Nobody has said anything to condone Chuck's actions if they did in fact occur. The unfortunate reality is that Chuck's actions are overshadowed by the actions (or inaction) of the administration. Cut and dried, end of discussion...the administration screwed up and now they will probably have to defend their actions / lack of action with the taxpayers money.
These are people entrusted with the future of your children and they continuously flub things up at the most basic levels of administrative duty. Dealing with such conflicts is HR 101 and yet lawyers will now have to get involved to do damage control. Hello folks...wake up and smell the dog-do.
Great article in today's newspaper about the Chuck Mirr story. Once again we are shaking our heads because because our current school administrators do now know what the hell they are doing. It is unbelievable how inept Bates and Tracy are. What is more unbelievable is that they still work at for us, the taxpayers. Enough is enough.
Anonymous 8:33 PM
You don't have a clue what your talking about. You talk about Chuck's actions being overshadowed by the actions of the administration. What basis do you have to make such a statement?
You obviously are one of the people hell bent on bringing down the current administration at "any" cost.
Now Mirr says the school shouldn't have even let him know about the petition until after the season. Give me a break! Not only would that have been the wrong thing to do from an ethical stand point but also from a legal one.
I don't know what creditials you have that make you such a business expert. I'm a MBA and have successfully run mutiple businesses, been on several board of directors as well as consulted others in business. Attributes that virtually every successful business have are respect for one another and an atmosphere that encourages "team work". Your blog, like so many others that preach running the school as a business, never seem to identify these most important traits.
You said it yourself:
Attributes that virtually every successful business have are respect for one another and an atmosphere that encourages "team work".
The lack of respect (and just plain common human decency) on the part of Bates and Tracy and their employee Ryf, along with absolutely no attempts at conflict resolution (AKA "team work") in this matter are EXACTLY THE PROBLEM. Bates and Tracy have failed miserably (once again) in their jobs as administrators.
So what point were trying to make????
To the person who blogged about having an MBA and running several successful businesses, kudos to you. I too have an MBA with an emphasis in Human Resources and have acted as a consultant to other businesses.
You made some fantastic points and I have to say, as impressive as your credentials are, I absolutely agree with the person who blogged "after you".
As you well know, respect is earned, and can just as easily be lost. I've never been one to lend credence to the phrase (paraphrase), "If you don't respect the man, respect the position". In my dealings the two can not be separated as they are integrally entwined. The person and the position are homogeneous with respect to the persons actions.
This philosophy is applicable at any level of business administration. Unfortunately, respect for the administration of GLSD (and many on the school board) was tenuous at best prior to their most recent bout of poor decision making. With occurrences such as this (the Coach Mirr saga)and the recent egg-on-the-face land conflict with Lindenwood, something really needs to be done. A change of some sort, whether it be personnel or operating philosophy, is long overdue.
It's kinda hard for conflict resolution when the employee quits!
How can you totally ignore this critical fact and make it appear that he somehow was fired or forced out - let's get real.
Why can't we all just get along!!!!
Forced out? No way! Let's see...blindsided by a petition generated by some p.o.'ed parent(s); signed by players/students who were coerced (in many instances)to do so, and perhaps most importantly, not given any backing by his superiors.
Yeah, I guess you're right, he's just a quitter.
9:30 blogger, have you paid any attention to this story? The administration nailed Coach Mirr with a petition, completely out of the blue. This never should have happened. It was a low blow.
The matter was never brought up and discussed like adults. There was no attempt made to make things right.
i just want to say, ive heard from some players on the GL team, and their side of the story is way different from the one mirr has told us all. They all say that he told them they had no skill at all and were worthless at the game of basketball...and if my coach told me all that..i would want him fired also. and also, i have heard that when Ejon told mirr about it, it wasn't pretty.
This story needs a fact checker just like they do with the political speeches to verify content.
The last blogger claims "they all say" referring to the players unanimity on the petition and their feelings toward Mirr. And the "I have heard" statement referring to what transpired when Chuck was told of the petition.
First off regarding the "all" or unanimous support of the petition by the players.
I actually have spoken to both players, and parents of players, who were not in consort with this whole debacle. Did you know that some parents were not even aware of a petition? Did you know that some of the "players" did not want to sign the petition (good old school bullying, oh wait, now its called peer pressure).
Second, the "I have heard" statement says volumes about where people get their information. Idle gossip, rumors, second and third hand information. Put it in a pot and stir it up and you've got yourself a blog topic that will tear apart a community.
I'd suggest we all take a step back and let the facts speak for themselves. Unfortunately with most school dealings it is almost impossible to get the "facts" since they are typically skewed by both sides.
With the amount of play this story is getting maybe everyone will come clean for a change and we can actually find out what transpired as opposed to the "they said / we said" scenarios we are so used to.
Right...and immediately after everyone tells the truth about this watch for monkeys flying out of my butt! Truth doesn't seem to be part of the curriculum at Green Lake schools...not important any longer because it is not required as part of the IB or Charter School doctrines.
The International Baccalaureate program is a subversive attempt to take away parental rights in raising their own children. Supporters say the program's international focus and rigorous curriculum is one of the best ways to prepare students for "globalization". While Ken Bates might think that "globalization" is a good thing, it's intention is to strip away AMERICAN rights. This might be happening to us all, sooner than you think:
Sen. Barbara Boxer (CA)is urging the U.S. to ratify a United Nations measure meant to expand the rights of children, a move critics are calling a gross assault on parental rights that could rob the U.S. of sovereignty.
The proposed bill would intrude on the family and strip parents of the power to raise their children without government interference. It even strips parents to their right to discipline their children. I am not just talking about spankings here, a time-out in the corner is considered as an infringement on children's "rights".
The convention has established a Committee on the Rights of the Child, an 18-member panel in Geneva, Switzerland, composed of "persons of high moral character" who review the rights of children in nations that are party to the convention.
International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) promotes the United Nations as being the highest court of appeals on issues of human rights. It is anti-American, anti-parent, anti-Christian, and should be removed from the Green Lake Public School as soon as "humanly" possible.
Globalization is just another step towards a one World Order. If anyone isn't aware of what that means (and it would seem many folks in GL aren't even aware of what goes on in GL - read Aaron Becker's most recent entry in the Ripon paper titled, "Hey, What's Being Built?")...read the following.
The “One World Order” involves the elimination of the sovereignty and independence of nation-states and some form of world government. This means the end of the United States of America, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights as we now know them. Most of the One World Order proposals involve the conversion of the United Nations and its agencies to a world government, complete with a world army, a world parliament, a world court, global taxation, and numerous other agencies to control every aspect of human life (education, nutrition, health care, population, immigration, communications, transportation, commerce, agriculture, finance, the environment, etc.). The various notions of the “One World Order” differ as to details and scale, but agree on the basic principle and substance.
You be the judge...we keep having things "taken" away from us by those looking out for our best interests. Maybe folks should just say enough is enough and take care of things in their own back yard. Doing things on a grand scale seems to be the norm, and it is helping to ruin what was developed at the grass-roots level.
In light of GLSD's poor performance on state mandated tests, even though the student-to-teacher ratio's rival, if not surpass pricey, high-performing private schools, the best advice I have is teach them the basics! Reading, writing and arithmetic are still in vogue when it comes to education. When our students can not even compete within the state on the standardized achievement tests there should be major concern, and outcry, from the parents of these kids. When you take into consideration the expense PER STUDENT for JUST the administrative function of GLSD it makes you sick to think of the return on investment!
Is being coach of GL basketball like being the Pope or a Supreme Court justice; the only way you stop is to die? Good grief, Chuck’s had 20+ years, give it up, time to let someone else have a shot at it. Most coaches have five good years in them. There are a few exceptions, but not many, and Chuck’s not one of them.
And if Chuck really did a petition once to have Marsha Krahn booted from girls B-Ball coach so he could coach his daughters, then suck it up Chuck and let it go. Turn about is fair play, revenge is a bitch, time to resign and move on Chuck.
You gotta be kidding. I think some people have nothing better to do with their time. "The International Baccalaurate program is a subversive attempt to take away parental rights in raising their children." Ya right! Kinda reminds me of the same mentality of the 1950's and McCarthyism.
Rodney-Blogg-ovich whether you like it or not "globalization" is here to stay.
It is the result of advances in communication, transportation, and information technologies.
Although people live as citizens of a single nation, they are culturally, and psychologically engaged with the lives of people in other countries as never before.
The most dramatic evidence of globalization is the increase in trade and movement of capital. From 1950 to 2001 the volume of world exports rose by 20 times. As for capital, in the early 1970's only $10 billon to $20 billon in national currencies were exchanged daily. By the start of the 21st century more than $1.5 trillon was traded daily.
By not acknowledging the reality of globalization in the education of our children we would only be cheating them by not properly preparing them for what they will be exposed to in the real world.
Hey, you hit the nail on the head. And look at how well things have gone since we've established an enormous trade and budget deficit through that process. We have become a weak nation as a result of all of this. Mark my words...just because it is here doesn't mean it is good. We used to stand for something as a country...now we are just one of them.
If you actually read what is being suggested with regard to the Grande Plan of the school, it is, GET BACK TO THE BASICS and show a mastery of the core disciplines (reading, writing, arithmetic, science, etc)before you proceed with some other pie-in-the-sky program(s).
I won't apologize if I put some tarnish on the glow of "high-priced" but failing folks with whom we've entrusted our school and our children. However, based on the extremely troubling results of state mandated,formalized testing, our school district continues to fall short at the most basic levels.
Let's talk about reality...in the past 2-3 years the school has completely changed directions - several times, and still nobody seems to know where it is going. IB Programme, Charter School, eliminate the tech ed. program because it is was a bad thing and it didn't fit in with the new direction of the school; and NOW, they want to reestablish the tech ed. program (how unbelievably shortsighted was that). If the administration and school board can't decide on a true and steady course, how are the students supposed to succeed.
Teach the basics, afford the opportunity for more AP (advance placement courses) which not only give the students a more rigorous ACADEMIC challenge but allows them to attain college credits (more knowledge / less $$$ when they get to the college level), and chart a course for ALL students to achieve success at their level.
Perfect example (true, Factual information) - in the primary grades (1st/2nd) a classroom of 10-11 children are failing at reading (below set "standardized" levels). They have a teacher, AND a teachers aide (Hmnn- for 10/11 kids). So instead of finding out what was not happening with the teacher and the aide, the school wanted to hire an additional tutor to help with the situation. This gives credence to the saying, if the student hasn't learned, the teacher hasn't taught.
Hello administration, parents, taxpayers!!! What are we paying for if not the education of our children. Who is holding whom accountable to performing their job. It all starts at the top.
You talk about the real world...pull your head out of your arse (Olde English - talk about globalization) and see where things are going. This community lives in a vacuum thinking it is something that it isn't. Once again...one of the highest cost per student schools in the state that at best can only produce mediocre results.
If we held the administration and the teachers accountable to doing their job we wouldn't be in this quandary. Too many "feel good" programs where students aren't held to high levels because that would mean hard work, dedication and persistence (yes, on both the teacher and student's part).
Who is living in a fantasy world? Please, don't let facts stand in the way of a good argument.
Could The International Baccalaureate Program Change U.S. Education?
Recent statistics portraying the U.S. educational system as losing its position as a world leader recently motivated the Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce - a bipartisan group of business, government and education leaders - to call for a complete restructuring of everything from preschool to higher education.
Some of the statistics that motivated the Commission to call for such a radical change included:
Eight developed nations have surpassed America’s high school graduation rate.
Among U.S. students that graduate from high school, less than half are ready for college-level math and science coursework.
Almost 30 percent of incoming college freshman require remediation in reading, writing, or math.
The Commission recommended the introduction of an exam which would allow students as young as 16 to move on to a two-year college preparatory program similar to an international baccalaureate (IB).
Once thought of as another way to pad a student’s academic transcript, the IB is becoming increasingly more important as education leaders seek ways to help students excel academically and prepare earlier for a postsecondary degree. Giving even more credence to the IB are recent Department of Education regulations allowing the IB to fulfill the "rigorous course of study" requirement for Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) funds.
Source: http://www.nasfaa.org/publications/2007/couldibchangeus010507.html
Great article. What membership status does anyone at GL hold in this organization? Don't be confused thinking that the NASFAA is a government agency. It is a 35 person organization that represents those getting financial aid...they have a vested interest.
I reiterate..."failing at the most basic level". Unacceptable results in state mandated standardized tests.
Struggling at the core competencies of reading, arithmetic, science.
The aforementioned article does state, "Almost 30 percent of incoming college freshman require remediation in reading, writing, or math".
Based on this 30 percent statistic, presumably we should feel good about what's happening with education at GLSD because most of our graduates will be right in that ballpack.
Why don't we just have better coursework, better (committed,dedicated) teachers and just overall better education without having to be at the mercy of a paid for program. Yes folks, it costs money to be an IB school - AND GUESS WHO IS PAYING FOR IT. If you answered us, the taxpayers of Green Lake, then you would be correct. Take a look at the IBO.ORG website for more information and ask the GLSD administration who is paying for the IB Programme.
Failing reading, arithmetic, science? What are are the past five years data for all the grades tested? Tell us where that information and interpretation of results can be obtained.
I just wanted to be blogger 100
In most schools, the International Baccalaureate fees are paid for by the student, NOT the taxpayers who are in strong disagreement with the "programme" I see one school that charges $88 per subject, per student, plus $48 PER EXAM.
Here is a IB Exam FEE schedule for another school: (NOTE, THIS IS JUST THE FEE FOR THE EXAMS, NOT THE ENTIRE PROGRAM)
2008 Diploma Candidate (Seniors)
Exam Registration Fee $123 ($350 after deadline)
Subject Fee $84 per subject
Processing Fee (per student) $20
Diploma Candidate taking six exams: $647
For some mindless reason, Green Lake Schools are picking up the tab for these extra expenses, and I am very much opposed to this on several levels (ethically, financially, spiritually, sensibly!)
The fact is other schools make the PUPIL pay for the fees, and the reason the Ken Bates is so generously throwing our tax money around for these extra costs that our regular school students do not incur is quite simple:
If the student has to pay for the IB Programme, nobody would be enrolled in this program (at least I can spell it correctly).
I agree with the blogger:Why don't we just have better coursework, better (committed,dedicated) teachers and just overall better education without having to be at the mercy of a paid for program.
Especially one as anti-American as the IB Programme.
There is much controversy about the International Baccalaureate Curriculum. Many say it is anti-American, anti-Christian, promotes Marxism and socialism, and advocates their own religious worldview of New-Age-Pantheism.
There is an excellent link that explains these concerns intelligently. For those of you who are interested in learning the truth behind the IB Program, please read the information posted on this website:
http://www.ednews.org/articles/9228/1/The-International-Baccalaureate-Curriculum/Page1.html
The IB is a serious threat to our national security and nationhood. You should be concerned about what is being taught at our Green Lake schools.
Why did Green Lake basketball blogging turn to IB? What dumbasses.
As far as I am concerned, you blogheads opposed to IB and UN principles should have your reproductive freedom eliminated.
Listen up because I will only say this once. I have conquered worlds, destroyed civilizations, crushed monoliths of epic proportions with my bare hands, built international businesses with nothing but a piece of copper and a stick of lip gloss. I have walked to Pluto and back (it was cold) in nothing but my saddles, my slightest utter has inspired millions and I am in fact both a man and a woman. BUT that alone is not enough for me, just like you to make a complete fool of myself on an blog online!
You are all acting like 10 yr-olds flashing credentials and talking tough. Honestly... arguing online is futile and pointless. I can't stand this blog anymore. Ask your children how they feel. I would bet that they have a lot more internet wisdom than you do.
I'm off to go pwn some n00bs with my 1337 skillz. BOOM! Headshot! Leeeeeeeroy!!!!! JENKINSSSSSSS!
*sigh* I'm tired of this.
I don't think that arguing online is futile or pointless!
I looked up "futile" in Webster's Dictionary, it means "that easily pours out".
I looked up "pointless" and it means "without a point".
These carefully worded blogs are labors of love and hardly futile or pointless! Leroy Jenkins, your blog was totally brilliant until you did that headshot thing. What is that, like "gangsta" talk?
I think the International Baccalaureate program is an important topic and bears discussion, even under the basketball blog title. Here's why it is important:
The IB students are pulling more money out of the school budget than the regular students, and this simply isn't fair. Other schools charge the families for these expensive fees, which is sensible to say the least. Our economy is in trouble, our school is in trouble, the Administration is already borrowing from the future budgets because they can't live within their means (Great job you're doing, Ken).
The IB school has been a fierce issue in other school systems. One school spent over $200,000 in legal fees fighting over their IB program.
Our school can't afford to pay more legal fees. A word of advice to the Administraton: start charging the students and their families for these extra fees or there will be legal problems, you can pretty much guarantee it. Trust me, I am not the only GL parent who feels strongly on this subject.
Green Lake already has one of the highest per student spending in the entire state of Wisconsin, and the school hasn't mustered the wherewithal to give our kids the quality of education that WE are already paying for. There simply is no excuse for this. Now you are adding thousands of dollars per (IB) student per year into the equation. I strongly disagree with the the International Baccalaureate creed and it's new-age agenda and refuse to have MY tax dollars going to pay for IB students extra costs!
Hopefully things will turn around after the school board election and we add a few more sensible, intelligent folks to the mix.
OK, let's stop and get a grip on reality. Seldom have so many said so much about a subject of which they know so little.
"We Have Met the Enemy and He Is Us"
Quote from Walt Kelly, creator of the old Pogo comic strip.
What are you talking about? What extra fees for each student? IB students do not have to pay a per student yearly fee. You have your information totally wrong!! Also, IB will be for all students, not a select few. PYP will be for all students in grades 4K-6 and MYP will be for all students in grades 7-10. The Diploma classes will be for grades 11 and 12. Students that take the exams (just like AP exams) will receive college credit. Students will pay for the exams, just like they pay for AP exams. Stop speeling your distorted untruths!
You discuss AP classes like they are free. Do you realize that the school has to pay a fee ($350 - $400) for the online coursework for every student that takes an AP class? Because Green Lake is a public school and must provide a free education, students that take advanced placement classes must be paid for by the school. The school will not be paying a per class fee for the diploma classes. You are spinning a very distorted view of IB. Get your facts straight.
You have philosophical issues with IB so you try to distort the truth. I agree with the blogger that stated that your posts sound like McCarthyism. And remember the board voted 7-0 to implement IB.
What I mean is that most schools that offer the IB program charge the student for this "special" education. I don't believe that the school must pick up the extra ccost for these IB classes, where is this written? If other schools charge the student for IB costs then so should Green Lake.
You say "You discuss AP classes like they are free. Do you realize that the school has to pay a fee ($350 - $400) for the online coursework for every student that takes an AP class?"
Exactly! AP is different than IB. AP classes at Green Lake would be great. Bring on the AP, get rid of the IB.
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