Poker Tells

"Listen, here's the thing. If you can't spot the sucker in your first half hour at the table, then you ARE the sucker."
- Mike McDermott, "Rounders"

So...what's on the Human Resources agenda this week? Hmmm.
Seems innocent enough...Energy Educator/Manager Job Description revision.

Pure as the driven snow...until you recall a few recent events and think a few minutes.
So they want to CHANGE...check that...REVISE and UPDATE the job description for the Energy Educator/Manager.

Here's the part where you think back...to last July. The Energy Manager was the SOLITARY position that was "redlined", which is PC for "frozen". That's right...every one of the "Administrative Support" staff, EXCEPT the Energy Manager that is, got a raise last July.

At the time, we pointed out that it was this ONE position that actually saved the district money.
And so the Situation report notes:

Mr. Klaas’s Job Description Questionnaire did include most of his tasks. The district is fortunate that he approaches every aspect of operating building equipment from the perspective of how it impacts energy usage. After forty-five months of employment (through 12/2009) the district has avoided over 2.5 million dollars of energy usage.

Tom Brooks, Greg Klaas, Phil Frei, and Annette Mikula have reviewed and revised the current job description for the Energy Educator/Manager. The job description is now aligned with the work that is being performed by the position. We have also reviewed what we want the position to be able to do and feel that this is the work that will enable the district to see the greatest energy consumption reduction results. In addition, the district has contacted some other districts who do not use EEI to find out how they go about scheduling rooms and space for use and energy consumption. We have found that Janesville, Waunakee, and Deforest contract out this service with NAMI. NAMI is scheduling, monitoring, and providing scheduled maintenance like filter changes, greasing, etc. for these districts. NAMI's fee is $100 per hour.

And that's where the poker tell lies. Pat yourself on the back and consider a Vegas vacation if you picked up on it. Or ...maybe the district should refrain from playing any poker.
For those that don't occasionally play a friendly game of poker, a poker "tell" is a sign which suggests something about the hand someone is playing.

The key "tells" here are that (A) the job description is being revised, and (B) others that do this job are being paid $100/ hour.

Do we REALLY need to tell you what cards the district is holding?
Care to bet that the NEXT move will be to establish a new pay rate based on the "revised" job description?

The Energy Manager is currently paid $22.20/hour, and the job is not full time. In 45 months, Mr. Klaas has effectively "avoided" $2,500,000 in energy costs for the district. That comes to $55,555 per month. That's about 10-15 times what he grosses per month. File that under: Things that make you go, "Hmmmm".

So...Step 1: Update the JD. Step 2: Request a salary increase. How long before we see that one? Now, after all the pomp and circumstance of the whole admin support job review, we're going to revise things? NOW!? And where is that money coming from given the budget picture? Heck...maybe they'll use the revenue from personal appliance fees!

Wait...here is the bigger question to ask: which one got it wrong last year:

Was it the consultant whom we paid a ton of money to research ALL administrative support staff positions and determine an equitable rate of pay?

Or was it our district Human Resources staff, who really was not clear on what the responsibilities of the Energy Manager were and thus gave bad information to the consultant?

Oh...and did we forget to mention that the chair of Human Resources is none other than Caren Diedrich, who is up for re-election? Might want to watch her for more "tells".

Forgive them; for they know not what they do

As we enter the Lenten season, somehow the following verse seems fitting.

" Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."
-Luke 23:34

Forgive whom?, you ask. Forgive the school district and school board, that's who.

For they know not what they do.

Well...doesn't THAT just go without saying!

What egregiousness have they come up with now?

Why "Personal Appliance Fees"---or PAF for short.

And let's not even get started with the PAF smear jokes.

Let us not forget that this genius idea was presented by none other than King Culver the I and his band of merry minions. Culver's "peeps" suggested that they should recoup the energy costs incurred by the district by those staff members that keep "personal appliances" in their classrooms.

What constitutes a personal appliance? Small refrigerators, small microwaves, small coffeemakers, even space heaters or fans. If it's personal, and electrical, it's fair game.

And get this: Phil Frei even calculated that theses "PAF"s use up to $6,000 of electricity each year! Shocking!

Yep...$6,000 on a budget of $68 MILLION dollars.

So the district wants to "save" $6,000, huh?

Well...how about furloughing King Culver. Culver earns about $715 per DAY. Give him EIGHT furlough days (the same amount as all state employees are getting in both 2009-10 and 2010-11) and you have your $6,000.

Pinching pennies

At a recent Finance Committee meeting, Phil Frei stated that district-wide, staff are not happy about the appliance fees. In fact, several discussions have been had with SPEA regarding the legality of the "fees". Think for a moment: how exactly did they come up with the fees they are charging? And what about equity? Newer schools have a refrigerator per pod, rather than a single refrigerator for like 60 or more staff. Ever try to cram your lunch in a fridge with 60 other people?

Reports are coming in that more than a few staff have paid their "fees" in pennies in order to send a very loud and clear message regarding the staff's view of this ludicrous charge.

The shocking truth behind personal appliances

Here's what we think underscores how ridiculous and inflammatory these personal appliance fees really are. Ask a few teachers WHY they have a small refrigerator at their desk. If the district had taken the time to actually consult their staff before tossing them globally under the bus, they wouldn't feel as sheepish as they will very soon.

Sadly, many teachers keep a small "dorm-style" refrigerator not just to keep a can of soda or their lunch cool. In fact, the growing reality is that many of our students come from impoverished homes. These kids are frankly coming to school hungry. And when your belly aches from lack of food, it's pretty hard to learn. So...if you take the time to ask...you'll find that quite a few teachers keep something to help "fill the void" in their students until lunchtime. We hear that string cheese is a favorite. It gives the kids some nourishment without detracting from classroom learning. Oh...and who's paying for these? Not the taxpayers, Mr. McCourt. That would be yet another un-reimbursed cost borne by teachers without whining about it. So keep eating that sea bass. So...gee...when all is said and done, in many cases, the district is CHARGING the teachers for the energy needed to keep those nutritious snacks, paid for out of their own pockets, from spoiling.

Caren Diedrich and Jim McCourt...since you two so openly and emphatically stated your continued support for these fees last Monday night...don't you feel the slightest bit bad, now?

Best of luck to ya in the election on April 6th.

Where's The Concern, Now?

We received a copy of the letter, which appeared in the STAR this week, from school board candidate John Welke. It's well written to the point, and attempts to revive an issue that the school board told us was critical two years ago, and yet they have subsequently ignored it.


Dear SP-EYE,
The Op Ed “Thanks But No Thanks” in last week’s edition of The Star was right on the money. This school district has a number of very important things that they should be focusing on rather than what their next conquest will be. Besides the things highlighted in that article here is yet another important issue that is not being addressed: Currently there are three elementary schools that have high percentages of economically disadvantaged students. Two are hovering around 35% and one is at 50% while the entire district average is only about 25%. This information is readily accessible to the District Administration and School Board Members but no one has heard a peep out of any of them on this subject!

As you might recall, several years ago the School Board, with District Administration support made some changes to try and balance socio-economic enrollments within the school district. At that time the Administration and School Board expressed great concern about the economic disparity between schools and made changes to address the situation. The changes they made temporarily reduced the concentrations of poverty in two of the highest percentage schools but, unfortunately the numbers now are actually worse than they were prior to the changes. Some will try to say that the economic downturn is the reason for the increase, but folks I have news for you, 50% is 50%, and that is the point where studies show achievement of all students in the school begins to decline.

So how about taking a break from your charter school study, implementing charge backs for staff appliance use and developing job descriptions for positions we don’t know when we will need and get to work on leveling the educational playing field for all students and staff in the district.

John Welke

SP-EYE Note: Welke is a candidate for school board in the April 6, 2010 elections.
We don't see any other candidates looking to address real issues, just more of the same rubber stamping. That is, those that actually attend meetings, eh Mr. McCourt?

Diedrich & McCourt Hold the Line on Personal Appliance Fees

During last night's school board Finance committee meeting, the budget cuts initiated in November were reviewed. This opened the door for discussion about one cut--or rather CHARGE--- in particular: personal appliance usage fees.

One of only two permanent budget reduction initiatives was the genius idea to

"B. Recoup energy cost by charging employees who wish to have personal appliances in the workplace.

Projected Savings: $ 6,000

Rationale: Many school districts charge a fee for staff to have personal appliances in their work areas. These include coffee makers, microwaves, and refrigerators. This charge recoups the cost of electricity for the items used. A guideline and rates will need to be developed.

Citizen representative Rick Mealy asked Deputy District Administrator Phil Frei to respond to public complaints that there is a lack of equity in the fees. One cited example was lack of space for staff to store their lunches, prompting them to bring in small "dorm" refrigerators. Frei admitted that those staff who work in newer buildings have a refrigerator in each "pod", whereas those in older buildings might share one refrigerator.

Frei also agreed that the charges being assessed were not "reality-based" but simply taken based on Energy Star estimates of electricity usage. Finally, Frei acknowledge that the district has had discussions with the Teachers' union officials regarding displeasure with the fees.

Mealy brought discussion to a halt by making a motion that the district cease the practice of assessing personal appliance fees. Citizen Representative Harold Rayford seconded the motion.

Caren Diedrich vehemently indicated that she would NOT support the motion, stating that, "We went in and said everything must be cut; everyone needs to share the pain of the $2M tax levy reduction." Diedrich further noted that, "because the district has cut out buying pizza for staff, you better bring your own bag lunch to Negotiations Committee meetings."

Jim McCourt stated that he agreed completely with ]Ms. Diedrich]. He said, "the board was looking at everything, and I do not agree with taking anything off [the list of budget reductions]"

Terry Shimek indicated that he needed to abstain [as his wife is a SPEA member], but noted that, "It's only about $10 per employee."

The result of the vote was 2 votes in favor of repealing the Appliance Fees (Mealy, Rayford), 2 votes against (Diedrich, McCourt) and Shimek abstained. The 2-2-1 vote means the motion failed.

Nothing dies in committee!
The good news is that because no issue dies in committee [Thanks MaryEllen, for THAT little nugget of weirdness] this motion will be put to vote by the full school board at the next school board meeting (March 8).

We're pretty sure that the full board will vote the motion down as well. Why? Because with Shimek abstaining (does anybody else notice that that happens a lot?) there will be only 6 effective votes and 4 will be needed to adopt the motion. We KNOW Diedrich and McCourt will vote "NO". We've also heard that David Stackhouse has privately told folks he'll vote "NO" as well. We're also pretty sure that John E. Whalen will vote with his troops, thus ensuring the continuation of the Appliance Fee fiasco.

We're wondering if there's a hint of retaliation tactics at work here. Hmmm....the teachers vote down the idea of volunteering a furlough day, so board members respond by holding the line on a silly fee. Stranger things have happened in this district. We bet the next board- SPEA contract negotiations will be an order of magnitude more icy than the classrooms these days.

SP-EYE: We find it funny that when Mealy spoke out about spending money on Kit Kat bars, pizza, and memorials, board members and district administration got all syrupy talking about how they value their employees, and these are such small costs to bear to keep morale high. Newsflash, people...the morale of your staff is at an all time low and now YOU are the one nickle and diming them with silly Appliance fees. At best you hope to recoup $6,000 with this monumental move? WTF! That's a whopping 0.008% of your $68 MILLION dollar budget. Phil Frei missed a 20% increase in the cost per student charge for the JEDI virtual high school student fee. With 9 kids in the program, that amounts to $7,200 NOT budgeted...or 20% MORE than what the district hopes to regain via Appliance fees. None of the board members seem concerned about the $7,200 unbudgeted charges for JEDI, but they sure want to stick it to the teachers in the form of Appliance Fees!!!

The Kids Are Alright...Right??

Did anyone NOT notice the 3-page spread in the STAR devoted to those middle school and high school students who made the honor roll for the second quarter. Great News! Right?? With that many kids making the honor roll, we can expect huge strides on the WKCE, right? A budding crop of National Merit Scholars, right?

Hold the phone, Tyrone! Sadly, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains had to be placed on the back burner as we hastily scribbled counts on the pages of the STAR. [Gotta love "Boston Rob" Mariano] According to the latest copy of enrollment numbers released by the district (1-4-10), there were 1395 middle school students. Our quick, albeit pretty accurate tally, indicates that 840 of these middle schoolers--or should we more properly refer to them as middle SCHOLARS!-- made the honor roll. A grade point average (GPA) of 3.3 or better is required to make the honor roll. That's 60.2%! 6 out of every 10 students made the honor roll! 60.2% of all middle schoolers are B+ or A students!

Wait...it gets better. If you count up the names listed in bold type, those that achieved a perfect 4.0, you find that 103 kids--one out of every 13 middle scholars-- got nothing but straight "A"s. WTF!

Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics
A little stats lesson is in order. In theory, things like grades should follow a "normal" or "Gaussian" distribution. Many refer to it as the bell shaped curve, or simply, the bell curve. Statistically, 68% of all data should fall in the middle, the "hump" of the curve. That would mean that 68% of all kids would be average ("C", 70-79% score out of 100 points on a test) students. Well....no one wants to think of their child as average, but 70-79% is not bad. We just want better. The first two wings ("B" on one side, "D" on the other) account for about 13.5% each of the population. The outermost wings, ("A" on one side, "below D" on the other) each represent about 2.5% of the population . Yes, sadly, that means--statistically speaking-- about 2-3 out of every 100 kids would be expected to be less than "D" students. Grade inflation fixes all that. In a completely Dr. FeelGood approach, the grading curve is shifted forward, very few kids earn a grade of "C" or worse, and students feel good about themselves.

Applying the Gaussian distribution to the middle schools, it would be expected that no more than about 10-12% of kids would make the honor roll. That translates to about 167 kids, instead of 840. Similarly, only about 35 kids, instead of 103, would have been expected to score a 4.0.

High School picture not much better
A quick count of the high school honor roll shows a little movement towards reality...but not enough. We're not certain whether the Alternative Learning Center (SOAR) students are counted in the tally, but let's assume they are. That puts the total at 1831 high schoolers, and a whopping 744 --or 41%--made the honor roll. At the high school level, the honor roll benchmark is set at a GPA of 3.2, perhaps to coincide with the "Dean's List" mark at the college level. A fewer percentage of students receives all straight "A"s: 81 kids, or 4.4% scored a perfect 4.0.

Tip of the Iceberg?
What worries some in the community even more than what we are seeing is what we are NOT seeing. Clearly the grading curve is skewed pretty heavily towards "A". If the honor roll metric is established at a GPA of 3.3 in middle school, how many kids obtained a GPA of 2.7 to 3.3 (B- and B)???? Based on this curve, it sure looks like at least 80% of middle school kids are scoring a "B" average or better. And that just shouldn't sit right.

Are our kids just smarter? Has the curriculum been "dumbed down"? Or have expectations about the degree to which subject matter knowledge is retained lowered?

Post-High School Culture Shock
Newsflash: we're not doing our kids any favors by mollycoddling them with inflated grades. We have anecdotal reports that SPHS kids entering college are faced with the shock of grading reality. Many that were straight "A" students through high school struggle to maintain a low "B" grade (or worse) in college. Similarly, we hear from others that kids hired right out of high school are not meeting expectations of basic knowledge skills.

Several years ago, the school district initiated a "post-graduate" survey. It was designed to capture the degree to which our kids felt that they had been adequately prepared for life beyond high school. Has any report ever been released? Details discussed at a school board meeting?

Last September, the district made a presentation on a new approach to grading called, Grading for Learning. It sounded like a new grading schema would be implemented for middle school this year. Is that what we're seeing?

No News is Bad News
The Sun Prairie school district continues to operate under the "Sunshine and Roses" doctrine. They report only the really nice news....and bury the items that don't smell very nice. We need to know about the good and the bad so that we--the community-- can tell our elected leaders --the school board -- how they need to direct school administration.

Oh...wait...that would mean...um...er...Community Engagement. And we wouldn't want that, would we?

[SP-EYE: SP-EYE gets a bad rap for writing about the not-so-good things. That may be true...but our position is that this district is never going to be all that it can be until we talk about the good and the not-so-good. We can't take corrective action unless we know what needs correcting. Right?]

2nd Quarter High school honor roll from the STAR

2nd Quarter Patrick Marsh Middle School honor roll from the STAR

2nd Quarter Prairie View Middle School honor roll from the STAR

Finally! School Board Talks Turkey (and Budget)

This past Wednesday night, the school board, possibly bowing to public [cough, cough] pressure, held a "work/study" meeting to discuss the status of the 2010-11 budget.

School District Budget Projections

• General Budget: $72,000,000 [ 4.8% increase over 2009-10- $68.65M]
• Enrollment Growth: 133 students [based on UW-APL estimate]
• State aid: 11% increase
• Property value growth: 1% [last year was 0.92%]
• Levy Increase: 8.6% = $48.05M [last year= $44.25M]
• Mill Rate Increase: 7.6% = $12.10/ $1,000 [last year was $11.24]
(That's an additional $0.86 per $1,000, or $215 on a $250K home)
• Below state revenue limits by at least $600,000

The budget is based on 9 Parameters:
1. Adherence to the "Mission Statement"
yada yada

2. Dedication to the district "Priorities"
more yada yada

3. Compliance with statutory, regulatory, and policy requirements
yada yada continues

4. Maintain existing district class size guidelines, including SAGE criteria for Bird and Westside; no "+/- 2" used for Creekside.
(Note: 9th grade will be moving from a 7 to 8 period day. This will require a 15% increase in staffing due to contract requirements.
We know. The day isn't any longer, but there are 15% (8÷7) more classes to teach. WTF!

5. Open the new high school and upper middle school safely, effectively, and efficiently
Secondary staffing plan Grades 6-12. Calls for hiring 22.2 new staff:
•Teachers: 11.1 FTE
•Support Staff: 9.3 FTE
•Admin. Support: 0.8 FTE
•Ass’t Principal: 1.0 FTE
Culver seemed to indicate that this was less than originally planned, but we were told $1.1M in new costs to open the new high school, and the district uses a figure of about $50K per FTE for budgeting. Funny thing: 22.2 X $50,000 equals $1.1M

6. Fulfill SPEA contract
Sheee-ah! like there was a choice!

7. Do NOT ask voters to exceed revenue limits.
This is big. That being said...sheee-ah!

8. Balanced budget; use fund balance to pay any tax charge-backs
Notified to date of about $110,000 in property tax charge-backs.
This from the folks that were screaming to never touch fund balance 6 months ago.

9. As small an increase in the local levy & mill rate as possible

The Budget Projections are based on 7 key assumptions
1. Budget was developed using the RW Baird forecast model

2. Use UWAPL data to predict enrollment of 133 more students

3. No changes in state law, DPI regulations, or district policies

4. No cuts in state equalized aid in the 2nd year of this biennium

5. 4K Grant is received (budget assumes $575,000 received)

6. Property Values Grow 1 %

7. The 2010-11 budget includes all the borrowing needed for the new HS, 8/9 school and the pool.
The borrowings were done at much lower interest rates than were used during the referendum saving $39.9 M in interest costs compared to what was originally projected


The district propaganda, meeting notes, and questions from the board to the district can be found here:
District Powerpoint overview of the budget

Meeting Notes

Follow-up questions from the school board

In Memoriam: Policy ABA

Does anybody remember "Community Engagement"...you know...the committee chaired by Jim "McSeaBass" McCourt? The same Jim McCourt that is currently seeking re-election? Of course, it's also the Jim McCourt that is so busy starting his new personal business that he missed 1 out of every 4 school board meetings in 2009, and is already accelerating that pace in 2010, having missed 1 of the first 3. When he does show up for Finance Committee meetings, he also has a tendency to show up late, as reflected by meeting minutes.

We understand that Mr. McCourt is busy starting his new venture, and we respect that. But he was elected to serve on the school board, and is SEEKING re-election to said school board.

There's is no seat open for a half-time, 2/3 time, or even 3/4 time school board member.

Since Mr. McCourt seems to have forgotten "Community Engagement", we thought we should take a a moment and pause to reflect on the memory of school board policy ABA, last reviewed in 2002, which speaks heavily on the matter of involving citizens in board decisions.

POLICY ABA
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN DECISION-MAKING
Adopted by the School Board: September 26, 1988

Revised by the School Board: January 8, 1996; August 26, 2002

CROSS REF.: BCE, School Board Committees; BDDH, Public Participation at Board Meetings

1. The School Board believes that the schools belong to the community and that the Board was created to serve the community and the children in the community.

Therefore, the Board shall exert all reasonable efforts to identify the desires of the community and to be responsive, through its actions, to those desires.

Board members shall remain mindful that they are elected to represent the citizens of the district.

2. All citizens of the Sun Prairie Area School District shall be encouraged to express ideas, concerns and judgments about the schools through such means as: written suggestions or proposals, presentations at hearings; responses to surveys, written instruments or other means; comments at Board meetings; and service on ad hoc committees as defined by the Board.

3. The recommendations of the community will be given careful consideration. In evaluating these recommendations, the first concern will be for the educational program as it affects students.

[and we especially like this one..]

All decisions will be consistent with the Board's goals and policies, the best educational practices, and the financial resources of the community.

Board to actually discuss the 2010-11 budget!

No...it's not an April Fools joke...too early for that.

There is a trick, though...

Since it's a "work-study" meeting, the board does not have to take any public comments.
Of course, if the board truly wanted to support community engagement (Hint!, Hint!!) they might do so. At times, ex-board president Stackhouse would ask the public for its thoughts, even during "working" sessions.

We'll see what President John E has in store.

02/17/2010 (Wednesday)

SCHOOL BOARD WORK-STUDY ON 2010-2011 ANNUAL BUDGET,

6:00 p.m. at the District Office (Room 100),

501 S. Bird St., Sun Prairie.

President: John Whalen

Agenda Type: Discussion

You don't suppose the board actually read this blog and decided to get some movement on the budget, do you? Naaaaaahhhhhh.

You Can Tune A Piano, But You Can't Tuna Fish

Oh, where to begin?

The Sun Prairie Area School District will open its new high school next fall. The massive project includes a "state-of-the-art" Performing Arts Center (PAC). Any self respecting PAC worth its salt should be equipped with a concert grand piano. Sadly, one was not budgeted within the $100M confines of said construction project. Yeah...we know. Unbelievable.

Not to worry. The Bernie Powers Band Foundation is hard at work fundraising to purchase a Steinway Model D concert grand piano. Nice piano--very nice. The price tag of $135,000, however, is a little (gulp) intimidating.

It seems that there's AT LEAST $1.1 MILLION dollars available in referendum money to put some "finishing touches" on the high school. A list of tentative projects to spend that money was presented this week at the FTT meeting. A concert piano did not appear anywhere on the list. Lots of lights for sports fields, bleachers, a hallway addition for the pool appeared. Even the prospect of purchasing sweat-soaked, used wrestling mats for $8300 each was considered amongst the options. Negatory on a piano though, good buddies.

What does a Steinway Grand Piano Cost (ballpark)?
Model S is 5’1”.
Model M, 5’ 7” comes in Mahogany, Walnut, Ebony and Satin Finish and the price range for new runs from about $53K to 56 K.
Model O, 5’11” come in Mahogany, Walnut, Ebony and Satin, and cost from $53K to 66K.
Model A, 6’2”, Mahogany, Walnut, Ebony, $60K to 75K.
Model B, 6’11”, Mahogany, Ebony, Walnut, Satin, $67K to 84K.
Model D, 9’, Mahogany, Ebony, Walnut Satin, $99K to 120K.
-- Colorado Piano Buyers Guide

Also check the "eBook of Pianos"/Steinway

What do other schools have?
A little Googling yields the following information. It's not hard...and most schools are proud to share their commitment to the arts.

School District________Seating Piano size _ Model
Verona _________________ 705 ___6 foot ____ Steinway-likely an "O"
Middleton-CrossPlains __ 891 ___7 foot ____ Steinway-likely a "B"
Fond du Lac ___________ 1020 __ 9 foot ____ Steinway D
Wisconsin Rapids _______ 833 __ 9 foot ____ Steinway D
Edgerton _______________ 598 __ 9 foot ____ Steinway D

Do we need a Steinway "D"?
A Steinway "D" is classy...top shelf...perhaps fitting for a "state-of-the-art" Performing Arts Center. Having a world class piano would undoubtedly attract more upscale (read; higher ticket prices and revenues) artists.

On the down side... a "D" is pretty pricey, and many famous artists would prefer something like a top shelf Yamaha.

It's not unlike buying a car. Sure...you'd LIKE to have a Jag, a Mercedes, a Lexus perhaps? or even a HumVee. But realistically...you're going to wind up purchasing something durable, functional, practical, and affordable. So you buy a...(not goin' there!).

But we DO need a concert grand piano
It seems patently obvious that a pretty nice piano SHOULD have been built into the budget.
It's just as obvious that even with $1.1+ million in available referendum money, purchasing a piano isn't even on the district's (school board?) radar screen. Sad, isn't it. They talk a good game about equality in education, but the list of proposed projects said it all: sports! And...we're sports guys. But label us sports guys that favor equity for ALL aspects of curriculum and education. And the arts is still a necessary part of a well-rounded education.

As good leaders, we'd be looking for a school board to step in and offer some compromise. Perhaps work with the Bernie Powers Band Foundation to alter their dreams for a Steinway "D". And, in return, offer up a sizable chunk towards the purchase...say at least $50,000 to $75,000? Heck...the FTT just voted to reduce the number of computers to be purchased by 60...and that would free up about $30,000 of referendum money. Let's cut back some more, and put the money towards a concert grand piano.

Pop Quiz, Hotshot!

If the Sun Prairie Area School District was an appetizer from a national chain restaurant's menu, what would it be?

Some might answer: "Hot Wings".

Others might suggest, "Fried Cheese Curds" or "Cheese Sticks."

We're certain that a few might quietly chuckle and suggest some type of dip.

And we have to admit that a case could easily be made for that old staple of our youth from a Chinese restaurant --the "Poo Poo Platter".

But there's something even more fitting. We've got it.

The SPASD is like...

a "Bloomin' Onion"!

A "Bloomin Onion", you ask?

Yep. Because the more you dig at it, the more layers there seem to be. And the deeper you get towards the core, the greater the impact on your social graces--if you catch our drift.

The Computer Purchase Example

To illustrate the many layers of the district that one must peel to get at the "core", look no further than the recent announcement regarding computer purchases for the new High School (HS) and Upper Middle School (UMS). It's unfortunate that the Sun Prairie Star failed to cover ANY of this discussion from last Monday's school board meeting, because the more you know, the more you get ticked off.

The District initially announced plans to purchase 1375 computers. No...that's not a typo. At about $500 each, that amounts to a sizable chunk of referendum dollars. So you ask a few questions. How many for the new high school: 1100. 275 for the UMS. Whoa! you plan on opening the doors with 1400 kids and you want to buy 1100 computers????!!!

You ask a few more questions...like how many computers are at the existing HS (which will become the UMS). The answer is quite foggy...something along the lines of the fact that they don't really know exactly which computers are where. They have tag numbers, and when they have to be replaced, a technician just kind of hunts through the school till they find the computer? You mean a $68M "business" cannot track copmputers better than that? Wouldn't that facilitate quiet "movement" of computers from place to another? What about those purchased with referendum dollars? WTF?!

And then you get some information from a district insider and find that they want to have 779 computers in the UMS--for about 900-950 kids. And then they want to have 884 computers in the new HS--for 1400 kids. Do a little math, folks. Of course THIS information hasn't been shared with the community--or even the FTT.

Then they come out and REVISE the proposed purchase and want to buy MORE than 1100 computers for the new HS. What?! And then, you read a little further and see that....

" We estimate that 120 computers will be needed for adding classrooms in the next five years. We propose using these computers to create two additional computer labs at both the 8/9 school and the new high school. As computers are needed in the classrooms, they would be transferred from the computer labs."

WHAT!? You want to buy PCs for FIVE years in advance, when you KNOW district policy is to replace PCs every 5 years? Huh?

Anyone else smellin' what we're smellin'? It's kind of foul, innit?

Collateral Damage

As if trashing two coaches were not enough, we recently learned--thanks to the detailed reporting of the STAR sports reporters-- that Ashley Bartow has left Sun Prairie Lady Cardinals basketball team.

... last Tuesday night ...Sun Prairie traveled to its least favorite place – Janesville Parker. And the Cardinals’ trip came under abnormal circumstances with head coach Liz Hrodey and her assistant Steve Bartow on paid administrative leave. Taking their place were interim head coach Lance Annen and interim assistant coach Peter Gumina...
The two interim coaches entered their first game shorthanded without sophomore Ashley Bartow – one of the Cardinals’ top scorers and rebounders – who left the program after her dad was dismissed for the remainder of the season.
The Cardinals, who lost to the Vikings, 49-39, back on Dec. 17, returned home with a 57-32 defeat.

--- Sun Prairie Star

Oh sure...there will be a VERY few that might label her a quitter. To those, we say, "Shame on you."

Here is a girl, with an apparent love for basketball that every bit matches her skills. And Ashley is quite good...up to this distasteful disruption, she was the

8th leading scorer in the Big Eight conference (averaging 13.4 point per game) --as a sophomore. With the top 50 scorers rounding out at 16.9 ppg, she most certainly ranks in the top 100 statewide.

So...what's a girl to do? Continue playing the game she loves despite playing on a team in absolute turmoil? No. She chose solidarity for her family--displaced assistant coach Steve Bartow.

Tell us school board...how does THIS affect student achievement? More to the point...how could you sit back and allow YOUR employee to make decisions that caused this upheaval?

We'll tell you that the young lady will ultimately grow as an individual for making a difficult choice. But that has nothing to do with you. Sadly, depending on what the future holds, she also risks the potential to draw scholarship offers--at the least from a D2 school. We applaud her strength and convictions.

Ms. Bartow...you are a class act. And we're sorry this all had to turn out so badly.

Who Dat! Revealed

School board elections are about 6 weeks away. We think that the community--particularly those that don't have cable access to watch meetings---have a right to know who is seeking their vote.

Al Slane and Jim McCourt have their pictures posted on the
school board webpage...but Caren Diedrich choose not to do so.

It's time to put a face to a name. So...we answer the question:
Caren Diedrich?
WHO DAT!

Getting Rich through "Enrichment" Classes

On Tomorrow night's school board agenda is a an item labeled, 7.08 Summer School - Summary Report 2009/Planning for 2010 .

Remember when we were young? Summer school was what you wanted to avoid...right? Not so any more. Now summer school is so cool, we want to EXPAND enrollment! We're thinking a new slogan could be,

" You just ain't cool if you don't attend summer school! "

In a recent article in the STAR, Director of Instruction Alice Murphy is quoted as saying,

“We want summer school to grow and it did [last year]..."

Of course, she adds that they want to add more staff and another school (those fall on the COST side of the equation for those following at home.

Since when do we WANT to see more students enrolling in summer school?
Well...since it's all about the benjamins, kiddies. You know...there's this little thing called the "Revenue Cap", which limits the amount of money a school district can spend. So...if you want to spend more money (can you see the Pavlovian response SPASD has to that!), then you need to increase the revenue cap.

How exactly does one increase the Revenue Cap (spending limit)? Simple. Add kids.
That's right. It really is "all about the kids", because each one of your precious cherubs brings in about $6500 in state aid! That's why you see all these advertisements now for open enrollment. If a district can "snatch" away one of your ids, that's about $6500 more in their coffers and %$6500 LESS in yours.

But there's another little bonus income source, and it's none other than...you guessed it...summer school enrollment! You see the DPI allows a district to include 40% of its summer school enrollment numbers to it 3rd Friday count!

" Compute a "current" three-year membership average. This average uses the 2 previous year's membership plus membership for the current year, the year for which the limit is being calculated. (Again, districts are allowed to add 40% of their FTE summer school membership to the FTE September membership before computing the three year average.) "--Wisconsin DPI Publication

So...while it used to be that summer school wasn't really viewed as a good thing, NOW we wrap it up in a shiny wrapper and call it "enrichment" classes.

Ultimately...they want the money.

Top 10 in 2010

Yes...we know...2010 is only 1 month old. But you have to remember...this is our school district here. Most of what they do has the community's head shaking. And...for fear of the ever looming fear of being labeled "micro-manager", our elected leaders --the school board--- simply refuse to manage at all.

Who needs Letterman, Carson, Leno, or what's that other guy's name? We have our very own top 10 list.

1. Basketball Coach Fiasco
Been there; done that. Head Coach Liz Hrodey and Asst. Coach Steve Bartow were "suspended--with pay-- for the remainder of the season. Nothing of a sexual, physical, or criminal nature was involved. Based on multiple community commenters, many with involvement, it seems that 14 of the 16 varsity&JV girls bballers threatened to stage a walkout. They didn't like their coach's style, including making them run laps after losses (can you just feel the tears welling up?). The athletic Director, Jim McClowry, offered a resolution. The girls and their parents declined. So plan "B" was to remove the coaches.

Say Dr. Culver...is this what you were referring to when you were quoted as saying,

“Doing this is like being in the middle of a flight on a 747 and deciding what parts you’re not going to use for the remainder of the flight...”

2. PAC but no Piano
Does 'PAC' stand for Piano-less Arts Center? This fall we will open the brand new high school, complete with a stunning Performing Arts Center (PAC). They did not budget for a grand piano. The hope is that the Bernie Powers Band Foundation will raise private money to purchase one. The district is now looking to hire a PAC Manager. The high school is $1.075M under budget, but not one of those remaining dollars is planned to purchase a grand piano for said PAC. We have just one question: Can you even call it a PAC if it doesn't have a grand piano.

3. Winning Bidder writes the Bid Specs!
That's right folks, we budgeted $1.5MILLION dollars for furniture for the new high school. And then solicited a vendor of such furniture to write the bid specs. Then---who would have guessed?!----this same vendor won the bid!!!! It was the LOW bid, mind you....but...ya know?
The STAR said all that needs to be said

“A lot of concern you have for that process is addressed in the way that the process worked through the system.” He said there was no cost to the district to work with him in developing the bid specs. The only way for Marshfield Book and Stationary to recover costs for those planning meetings is to participate in the bidding process.
---Dan Bubolz of Marshfield Book and Stationary (who wrote the bid specs and was winning bidder)

4. Tax to the 'max; (we'll out-vote the community, so) then just relax
The teachers union (SPEA) would like to continue getting big raises. So they suggest that the district tax the community up to its full DPI revenue authority. And just in case 200 of those whiny taxpayers show up to cut the levy next year (as they did this year), SPEA members promise to come out in force (enforce?) to outvote said whiny taxpayers.
SP-EYE report on the SPEA response

5. Budget Crisis? For 2010-11? Really?
There has been talk at the board table that the budget outlook is even worse for 2010-11 than for this year. That's is especially true because we are opening a new school (plus the new 'upper middle' school) and there are always mega-cost that go into opening a new school. So...wouldn't you think the board would accelerate the pace on the budget planning? If you thought "yes", you'd be wrong.

Other districts have already presented a draft budget--including MORE cuts--to their communities. Not so, Sun Prairie. Culver and Frei are in no hurry. It requires Finance Chair Terry Shimek and Board President John Whalen to get the their riding crops out.

"Keep in mind the message that came through [last Monday]. If the economy doesn't change we could be doing this all over again next year. I don't want to sit up front like that ever again." -(Finance Committee chair Terry Shimek 10-19-09 )

"The electors said that they do not want a 12.5% tax increase this year so I'm sure they don't want a 14-18% increase next year. " -(Finance Committee chair Terry Shimek 10-26-09 )

"What's important [from the annual meeting] is the message that came through that the people think we're spending to much and we have to cut back". -(Incumbent board candidate Al Slane 10-26-09)

6. Who Dat!
Can you imagine a FIVE TERM (hoping to make it 6) school board member would refuse to follow the vote of the school board to have each board member's picture appear on the district website? It's called "Community Engagement"...you know, as in, it's nice for the community to be able to recognize their elected leaders. Well, Caren Diedrich, "doesn't like her picture", so she refuses to have her likeness appear on the web. Maybe the community should decide they don't like her picture either and refuse to re-elect her.

Tomorrow, every time a Superbowl commentator utters the words "WHO DAT", we will laugh so hard we'll be exhaling bits of hotwings through our nasal orifices.

7. Charles in Charge? Who the hell is Charles?
Who's REALLY in charge of the school district?

8. Supersizing the Alternative Learning Center
Quietly...oh...you've NEVER seen this on a board agenda...has anyone noticed that enrollment at the "alternative learning center" has risen 23% since the start of the school year? That's right folks...enrollment now stands at 119, up from 97 as of the infamous 3rd Friday count. In fact, alternative learning now accounts for nearly 7% of total number of high school aged kids.

Now, don't get us wrong. We believe in the value of an alternative learning high school. In fact, Madison's Shabazz High School is a shining example of how alternative learning centers can reach those kids that cannot learn in a typical classroom environment. Does anyone realize that Shabazz serves as the alternative high school for the entire Madison school district, and it's enrollment total is 123 students--a scant 4 more than ours? Hello! McFly! Madison has nearly FIVE TIMES the high school level enrollment and our alternative learning center enrollments are the same? Is there a problem here? Shabazz has a rigorous application process. That's right...students don't get "put" there...they must apply and be accepted. The disparity begs a question...and we're just askin'.

9. A Charter School? NOW?
We would say that a looming budget crisis, opening a new high school, implementing a new 'upper middle school', and year 2 of the 4-year kindergarten program trumps Culver's dream of implementing a full-immersion Mandarin Chinese charter school in Sun Prairie. School board...you really need to move that one to the far back burner. And turn the burner off.

10. SuperNintendo? District Administrator? Superintendent?
Which is it? WTF!

Missing Minutes Located!

Have you ever wondered why we never see the meeting minutes from the Annual Elector's Meeting until the next year's elector meeting booklet comes out?

Oh...they're out there.
Despite the fact that the school board has never shared them.
They're not highlighted anywhere, of course.

But we found 'em. (hopefully they remain here and don't get "relocated".
It's in a directory called "businessfiles", which--interestingly enough--you cannot access.
"http://www.sunprairie.k12.wi.us/businessfiles/"

Read the minutes from the October 12, 2009 Annual Elector's Meeting

Finally...an agenda not so vanilla

The school board and FTT committee meetings slated for this coming Monday (Feb 8) have some very interesting items to discuss. Here's hoping to pique the interest of more than the handful of community members who show an interest in these meetings. Remember folks...this your chance to tell your elected leaders what you -- the ones they represent---think.

FTT (Facilities, Technology & Transportation) Committee Meeting 5:30 pm at the Municipal bldg

3. Committee Business Items
3.01 Review of UW-APL Enrollment Projection
It's always fun to see what the projections are for future enrollment. And even more fun to compare with history. These projections usually come just before the board plans to start thinking about building another school. (Hint! Hint!) We're just sayin'.

3.02 Approval of Furniture Bid for New High School (2nd Phase)
This is phase 2. See the same item under the school board meeting for the full story here. Hint: There's a surprise side story on this item!

3.03 There's $1.075M surplus on the high school construction- how are we gonna spend it!
That's right folks...it now appears the high school construction is $1.075M UNDER budget. Let's see...as the report suggests...the board could vote to return all or part of the amount to that taxpayers. Nahhhhh...let's buy stuff. Appearing on this list: greenhouses (2), pool hallway (Gee...Phil...we thought you said referendum money couldn't be used for that), lights for the sports field, replace bleachers in the existing high school, an extra wrestling mat, equipment for the auditorium. Hmmmm...$1.075M extra and still not even a thought about purchasing a grand piano. Here's a new twist on the old "If a tree falls in the woods" question. We wonder...if a 'Performing Arts Center' doesn't have a grand piano...can it even be called a 'Performing Arts Center'? And hey...we can add a new PAC Manager position...but we cant affords a grand piano. Jut sayin'.


3.04 Computer Deployment at New High School and 8/9 School
This is great...remember we suggested that they cut back on the 100 new computers for the high school (about 1 per 1.5 kids) and use the money to buy a grand piano for the PAC? Now look at what the grand plan is. Let's buy a bunch of computers and stash 'em in a lab somewhere until we need 'em!

4. Policy Review
4.01 Committee Citizens Representative E-Mail Accounts
Brought forward by candidate for school board John Welke...an interesting concept. We want community engagement but don't provide a means for the community to contact their "representatives" at the committee level? Not to mention that using private e-mail accounts to discuss school board business could be viewed as shenanigans. How many current school board members have EVER written a Situation Report? Exactly.

5. Informational Items
5.02 Discussion on Staffing of Pool with District Employees Versus Contracting Out This Service
Note that this is for "Information Only". Remember we posited the idea that a Pool Manager job would be coming soon? Here's where the idea will be "discussed".

School Board meeting 7:30 pm at the city municipal building

6. New Business
6.01 Personnel
Shouldn't there have been something here about the "replacement" coaches for girls basketball...hmmm?


6.06 Administrator Contract Extension
Where else but in Sun Prairie does the District Administrator (what happened to 'Superintendent', Tim?) write his OWN recommendation for another contract extension??? True story. Culver wrote this recommendation himself. Board president John Whalen doesn't have the time to write a 63 word Situation Report? Tell us again...who voted for this guy???

6.08 Performing Arts Facilities Manager Job Description
Here it is folks...the cart before the horse yet again. We're going to spend time and money writing a job description for a position that does not--and perhaps should not--- exist. Up to you, community...speak now or pay the property tax hit on another $75K plus position. By the way...Caren Diedrich (WHO DAT!), of the currently seeking re-election Caren Diedrich, is the chair of the HR committee who approved this.

7. Consent Items
7.03 Approval of Furniture Bids for New High School (Phase 1)
What if the school district actually had one of the vendors prepare the bid specifications package? And what if the vendor who prepared the bid specs and list of companies to receive the bid request didn't even include some of their main competitors? And what of Office Depot--with whom the district has a purchasing contract for "40-80% off list" and a volume purchase rebate??? Oh...they didn't even get asked to bid! And then wouldn't it be interesting if the vendor that prepared the bid package won the bid?! True story!

7.04 Routine Personnel - Hires, Resignations, Retirements
Naming a $94,000 salaried replacement for an elementary school principal should be anything but "routine"...right?

8. Informational Items
8.02 Review of 2010-11 Budget Calendar
The budget picture is even gloomier than last year. Think you're gonna see even one minute change in elevation of priority this year? NOPE! Same plan as usual. Of course, one might think that it might be a good idea to accelerate the pace of sharing the budget projection with the public since 85% of it is cast in stone.

Second Verse? Same as the First!

Wisconsin State Journal Channel3000.com

Here we go again. Basketball players (girls this time) and their parents are upset with the coaches. Facts from there are a tad hazy (and being held close to the vest). It IS clear that the girls AND the parents complained. That much is factual.

" Both coaches for Sun Prairie High School's varsity girls basketball team have been put on paid leave pending an investigation triggered by complaints from players and their parents, according to Superintendent Tim Culver. "

It's clear that there was a meeting last Thursday involving the parents, players, and Athletic Director Jim McClowry. McClowry present a resolution plan; the parents rejected it [ahem...WHO's running this show????] and so plan B--putting the coaches on leave--- was put into place. Ummm...anyone else get the idea that Plan B was exactly what the disgruntled parents wanted in the first place? So, to summarize, McClowry presented some option; parents rejected it, so the coaches suffer.

The bottom line, however, is that in the prime portion of the Big 8 conference play, the head basketball coach (Liz Hrodey) and Assistant Coach (Steve Bartow) were placed on (paid) administrative leave. Of course, Culver wasn't very clear that the suspension is for the rest of the season. Hmmm...even if the coaches are absolved...they still lose, huh?

Sure looks pretty darn close to the way boys varsity BBall coach Jeff Boos was railroaded because of disgruntled parents 2 years ago...right? Not so says Culver:

But Culver said that situation appears different than the latest one, and he
denied that some disgruntled parents are running the show.

It would be "premature to draw that conclusion," he said.

We're wondering why Culver is so certain about anything being premature. Hmmm?

Here's Our Analysis
1. Administration has screwed up again. Did we learn NOTHING from the Boos fiasco? Didn't the school board say "Never again."?

2. Who got what they wanted? Not the coaches. If the girls wanted the coaches gone...guess what...THEY got what they wanted.

3. It has been verified by the media that the complaints involved are not of a sexual, physical, or criminal nature. So...what's left? And--more to the point-- doesn't this smack directly of a classic winning grievance on the part of the suspended coached? How exactly did they violate their contracts in any way?

4. Newsflash, people. Do any of the administrators actually FOLLOW any sports? Coaches MUST be in complete command of their players. The players aren't in charge. Neither are the parents. This isn't Tee Ball.

5. Here's another newsflash, girls. God forbid you want to play this game beyond high school. Because if you think college coaches will put up with your crap, you have another think coming. And, in college, mommy and daddy can't intimidate the coach or administration.

6. Here's an idea the administration didn't--(but should have)---consider for Plan "A": "Girls...here's the deal. Your coaches are Coach Hrodey and Coach Bartow, If you do not like that, may we point out that the door is over there. You want to walk out? Don't let the door hit your overly pampered keesters on the way out. You walk out? Fine. We'll just a forfeit the rest of the games this season. If you can live with that, so can we."

Aren't we in a budget crisis?
How can we be paying TWO MORE coaches? The suspended coaches are on PAID leave (as they should be). But what about the two replacement coaches? As SPEA members, their contract specifies a coaching stipend. You're not telling us that they VOLUNTEERED without pay...are you? We doubt the union would approve of THAT. So where is that--unbudgeted-- expense coming from?

And it's clear that Coach Hrodey has retained an attorney. Good for her! Excellent move. You don't really think the district is going to win on this, do you? So HOW much in legal fees is it going to cost us THIS time? School Board? Ferris Bueller? Anyone?


What does our spinally challenged school board say?

...the school board president said he worries about a perception that parents are telling administrators what to do. John Whalen said the coaches' paid leave could send that kind of message, and he said he finds the whole thing "troubling."

You're worried about PERCEPTION, John? Good grief! How about being a little concerned that the administrative staff of YOUR employee [Culver] has screwed this up again. Look...if you had reason to replace either/both basketball coaches, don't you think that should have been done BEFORE or AFTER the season? Once in it, unless violations of a sexual/physical/criminal nature are alleged, administration's job is to BACK their people.

You find it "troubling", do you, John? How about "unacceptable"?

"The coaching community is pretty tight, think a lot of us want stories like this to come out so that people know the kinds of things we deal with."
--suspended coach Steve Bartow (who resigned Monday

What the community is saying (Are you LISTENING School Board )?

"Our AD and administration is hanging this woman out to dry in the community and our employees deserve better that this. Plus the $4,000.00 they are paying the two interim coaches also [frustrates the hell out of me]. Just when I think they can't screw something up any worse they prove me wrong !!!"

" The S.P. Administration needs to get a backbone and stop feeding into parents egos. I
understand ,from personal experience, how hurtful untrue accusations by the district can ruin good teachers for everyone. Hang in there Mrs. Hrodey."

" This is just typical, gutless cowering by the SP Schools Admin. The people in charge of the district need to tell the cry baby parents, whose precious little gem athlete isn't really all that good, to go screw themselves when faced with complaints about their kid....As usual, the SP Schools Admin. acted gutlessly and copped out. Absolute stoneless milque toasts running the Admin. that make these kinds of gutless decisions!! "

" 99% of coaching complaints on ANY level come from disgruntled parents who are delusional about their child's actual ability. Good Luck, Coaches Hrodey and Bartow...hoping you stay in the game and coach at place where you are actually appreciated and respected. Shame on you Sun Prairie! "

"...the administrators are afraid to make" mommy & daddy" mad or are uncomfortable doing the right thing and support the coaching staff because they may feel uncomfortable in social settings in a small town? Get over it and do the right thing this time- because it seems as though you totally screwed up on the Boos situation. "

" Money, power and politics = Sun Prairie "

" We don't even know what the complaints are; yet, they suspend these coaches w/o a hearing. It gives the appearance of something serious even if it is not and ruins these peoples reputations even before it is know if they have done anything wrong. If you are going to name the coaches then you also need to name the parents that are complaining. "

" Sun Prairie has a long history of letting power-charged parents throw fits and RUN the school. Isn't the first coach they've tried to run out of town and sadly won't be the last. "

" Sure sounds to me like a bunch of over-involved parents having a hissy fit because their daughters didn't get enough playing time. If the issue is not of a sexual, physical, or criminal nature, what else could it be? "

" While it is true that the players had some legit concerns and complaints (I had heard that the players went as a whole to the admin and said they wouldn't play for Hrodey anymore), there is no way admin can get rid of her. The complaints were about her coaching style and her coaching in general, not over the safety of the players. This sets an awful precedent that the coach is not in control, what happens when players in the future don't like a coach, does that mean every coach in Sun Prairie will get run out of town? Of course what do you expect from admin that thought it was a good idea to have co-coaches in the boys basketball program a few years back. Shows a high level of incompetency in the Sun Prairie admin. "