This money must be spent prior to June 30th " for the purchase of books, media materials, or computer equipment that is housed in the school library ."
http://dpi.state.wi.us/sfs/xls/libaid12.xls
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Trading Cash for Colleagues - The Oconomowoc Overture
Quietly, this week, Oconomowoc's school board discussed a plan to reduce staff at the high school.
OK...that's being just a tiny bit disingenuous. Certainly, the plan calls for a reduction from 75 teachers to 60. Rigid right wingers will send up a cheer. The left will return fire with a voluminous jeers. And there's the middle. The rest of the world that chooses not to live or think in extremes.
On its face, it's a win for taxpayers. Oconomowoc says it provides instant savings of at least $500K per year. Nothing gets cut, class sizes will not increase. So what's the hub, bub? OK, that's where the disingenuous allegation comes in. The fine print is that, while they cut 15 teachers, remaining teachers that pick up an extra block of teaching (more on that) will be "rewarded" with a $14,000 bump in their pay. Of course, given the new ruling by our Guv, we don't know if that $14,000 will be eligible for consideration as "base" pay....but we're guessing not.
What is "block" scheduling?
Oconomowoc's high school operates on a 4-block schedule of 90 minutes each, while most other schools operate off of a "period" system of 7 periods of 50 minutes or so each. Proponents of block scheduling believe that having more face time with students on a subject at a time enhances learning. Look at it this way...remember back in, say, math class where you were feeling so close to the edge of understanding a concept just as the bell rings. And just like that...you lose that connection, incipient understanding goes fuzzy, and you have to start at square one the next day. Subject matter experts would then argue that having 90 minutes of the subject would allow for more time to fully grasp new concepts.
As the article points out, suddenly going from teaching for 4.5 hours a day to teaching for 6 hours a day can be a burden. Having some experience with conducting both all-day training workshops and shorter sessions, certainly we can attest to the fact that all day sessions can be tiring. But is the construction worker not tired at the end of his/her day? What about surgeons? Or general practitioners seeing 15-20 patients a day? Can that not be mentally grueling? Is work supposed to be a walk in the park? It's called work, people!
The other side of the mountain
Now professional educators --teachers-- likely won't care for this next part, but like the rest of us, they have to at least SEE the other side of an argument and try to understand it rather than just rejecting it out right. We'll say what others will whisper but never say publicly:
How is it that working at your main job (teaching) for just 4.5 hours of an 8-hour day is acceptable? Worse yet...how is asking someone to perform their primary job function--teaching-- for 6 hours of an 8-hour day is an excessive burden? Let's just toss in for good measure the fact that teachers contracts are for 190 days. That's 70 days FEWER than the rest of the world.
Don't shoot the messenger
Don't get us wrong. We are NOT advocating for Oconomowoc's proposal. We simply think that the professional educators of the world have to come to grips with the simple fact that the public has had the profession under the microscope for some time now. With all the intelligence of this group (90% of teachers will earn a Master's degree during their careers), it's only logical to assume they could understand that the public perception is that they have it pretty darn good. Sure...some of you slave away all summer working on continuing education credits or developing new lesson plans. But we know quite a few teachers that relax by the shore with a good book all summer.
Stay in touch with yourselves
Maybe this plan will all go up in a puff of smoke. (OK...let's not get literal here, OK?). Maybe cooler heads will prevail. We all need to see how it plays out. But there is a message in the undertones here that professional educators need to receive. The winds of change are not done blowing. And that fact stands regardless of whether or not the Walker Recall is successful. Backwards should never be a preferred destination.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/education/time-will-render-bold-oconomowoc-school-plan-effects-da56n8d-149398195.html
OK...that's being just a tiny bit disingenuous. Certainly, the plan calls for a reduction from 75 teachers to 60. Rigid right wingers will send up a cheer. The left will return fire with a voluminous jeers. And there's the middle. The rest of the world that chooses not to live or think in extremes.
On its face, it's a win for taxpayers. Oconomowoc says it provides instant savings of at least $500K per year. Nothing gets cut, class sizes will not increase. So what's the hub, bub? OK, that's where the disingenuous allegation comes in. The fine print is that, while they cut 15 teachers, remaining teachers that pick up an extra block of teaching (more on that) will be "rewarded" with a $14,000 bump in their pay. Of course, given the new ruling by our Guv, we don't know if that $14,000 will be eligible for consideration as "base" pay....but we're guessing not.
"The plan calls for most teachers to teach four blocks a day. Add on all the other things that need to be done as part of good teaching, and it's a formidable schedule - impossible, some would say.Would you want to profit from your colleague's misfortune? If Milwaukee provides any clue, those folks weren't willing to renegotiate their contracts last year, costing a ton of positions to be cut. This is where the rubber meets the road, people.
A big trade-off: Oconomowoc is planning to offer teachers with four-block loads $14,000 a year extra. That would mean the starting salary at the high school would be just over $50,000; the top salary would be in the mid-$80,000s. (Even with that, the reduction in staff will mean savings of over $500,000.)"
---Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
What is "block" scheduling?
Oconomowoc's high school operates on a 4-block schedule of 90 minutes each, while most other schools operate off of a "period" system of 7 periods of 50 minutes or so each. Proponents of block scheduling believe that having more face time with students on a subject at a time enhances learning. Look at it this way...remember back in, say, math class where you were feeling so close to the edge of understanding a concept just as the bell rings. And just like that...you lose that connection, incipient understanding goes fuzzy, and you have to start at square one the next day. Subject matter experts would then argue that having 90 minutes of the subject would allow for more time to fully grasp new concepts.
As the article points out, suddenly going from teaching for 4.5 hours a day to teaching for 6 hours a day can be a burden. Having some experience with conducting both all-day training workshops and shorter sessions, certainly we can attest to the fact that all day sessions can be tiring. But is the construction worker not tired at the end of his/her day? What about surgeons? Or general practitioners seeing 15-20 patients a day? Can that not be mentally grueling? Is work supposed to be a walk in the park? It's called work, people!
The other side of the mountain
Now professional educators --teachers-- likely won't care for this next part, but like the rest of us, they have to at least SEE the other side of an argument and try to understand it rather than just rejecting it out right. We'll say what others will whisper but never say publicly:
How is it that working at your main job (teaching) for just 4.5 hours of an 8-hour day is acceptable? Worse yet...how is asking someone to perform their primary job function--teaching-- for 6 hours of an 8-hour day is an excessive burden? Let's just toss in for good measure the fact that teachers contracts are for 190 days. That's 70 days FEWER than the rest of the world.
Don't shoot the messenger
Don't get us wrong. We are NOT advocating for Oconomowoc's proposal. We simply think that the professional educators of the world have to come to grips with the simple fact that the public has had the profession under the microscope for some time now. With all the intelligence of this group (90% of teachers will earn a Master's degree during their careers), it's only logical to assume they could understand that the public perception is that they have it pretty darn good. Sure...some of you slave away all summer working on continuing education credits or developing new lesson plans. But we know quite a few teachers that relax by the shore with a good book all summer.
Stay in touch with yourselves
Maybe this plan will all go up in a puff of smoke. (OK...let's not get literal here, OK?). Maybe cooler heads will prevail. We all need to see how it plays out. But there is a message in the undertones here that professional educators need to receive. The winds of change are not done blowing. And that fact stands regardless of whether or not the Walker Recall is successful. Backwards should never be a preferred destination.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/education/time-will-render-bold-oconomowoc-school-plan-effects-da56n8d-149398195.html
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Tilting at Garbage Cans
At the April 23rd Finance Committee we were treated to one of S'Cool Board Member Caren Diedrich's occasional journeys into the bizarre. Food Service Manager Rene Slotten-Beauchamp was presenting her annual budget and lunch price report. Any questions, the committee was asked. Caren had a comment.Concerned about kids wasting food, Diedrich requested that Ms. Slotten-Beauchamp stand by the garbage bins for 6 weeks and let Diedrich know how much food is being wasted.
Really, Caren?
You want a *professional* administrator to hang out by the garbage bins and count wasted food?
Really?
What's next...assigning "TP Police" to hand out a finite number of bath tissue squares to those choosing to use the restroom?
Horizon and Creekside elementary schools are roughly 50% larger than Eastside Elementary and have the same "capacities", yet you're concerned about kids throwing away apples?
"It just slays me."
---Caren Diedrich commenting on wasted food during school lunches
Look...we get it...we are a nation of food wasters. But there is not a damn thing you or anyone can do about it! As Mary Ellen would say, "It is what it is". Like a mind, it's a terrible thing to waste food. But that's a society and parental failure...not the school district.
We appreciate your passion, but find it to be sorely mis-placed....not to mention offensive to even remotely suggest that Ms. Slotten-Beauchamp should be dumpster diving to count food. To her credit, Ms. Slotten-Beauchamp remained un-flustered and proceeded to explain to Ms. Diedrich that these are Federal rules, and next year schools will be required to serve one piece of fruit at every meal....and it can't be just apples, either. This will only create more waste, we fear, but we have larger windmills to slay. We have an ongoing achievement gap problem, and we aren't faring too well on the standardized tests. In fact, it would seem that our only hope is that when the standards change in 2014, they'll finally ask our kids the stuff they DO know.
Can we get crazy back on the bus?
Morale Improves at CHUMS. Oh Wait, it was the Pot Brownies.
Oh...wait...it turns out that the giggling may have been a side-effect of the cannabis-infused brownies brought into CHUMS by students last week.
Something of course you won't hear about...unless you read the hardcopy STAR, is that 6 shining CHUMS students (five 15-yr olds and on 14 yr old) were cited for possession of less than 25 grams of Mary Juana. That seems to be the charge that comes with possession of and munching on pot brownies.
One of the 15-yr olds has been referred to the Dane Co. DA to consider charges for bringing a controlled substance onto school grounds. Will that mean one upcoming expulsion? Or 6? We hear that expulsion hearings are cheaper by the half dozen.
Caution: Expectations May Lead To Disappointment
We KNOW you were wondering....but maybe were afraid to ask?
The question of course is: how does Sun Prairie match up against districts of similar size.
Did you think we'd forgotten? Nah. Just a lot going on; and doctor's orders were to IV drip this information to you slowly. Certainly there wasn't anything to jump and shout about.
The results? Sort story is...pretty much the same...middle of the pack. 10th overall out of 21 schools (10 larger, 10 smaller, and SPASD).
We don't think there's much more to say. We're...average.
As with Dane Co. districts, the pattern of improved scores from grade 4 to 10 emerges here as well, as our 10th graders rank 8th out of 21 school districts.
The question of course is: how does Sun Prairie match up against districts of similar size.
Did you think we'd forgotten? Nah. Just a lot going on; and doctor's orders were to IV drip this information to you slowly. Certainly there wasn't anything to jump and shout about.
The results? Sort story is...pretty much the same...middle of the pack. 10th overall out of 21 schools (10 larger, 10 smaller, and SPASD).
We don't think there's much more to say. We're...average.
As with Dane Co. districts, the pattern of improved scores from grade 4 to 10 emerges here as well, as our 10th graders rank 8th out of 21 school districts.
Can We Correlate WKCE Scores to ANYTHING?
It's time somebody looked (at least in the public eye) at some of the demographics and policy/practices and how they may or may not relate to achievement (in terms of WKCE scores).
First a very brief less in the art of correlation. We can take any two pieces of information and mathematically determine whether or not there is a pattern...a correlation. The mathematical tool is the correlation coefficient. It provides a number ranging from -1 (perfect inverse correlation, as X increases, Y decreases) to +1 (perfect correlation, as X increases/decreases, so does Y). Then, all we need to do is apply some statistics based on the size of our data set to determine whether or not the correlation is significant (statistically speaking). For this exercise we looked at the 95% level of confidence, which means that there would be 5% or less chance that the correlation observed resulted from chance alone.
Batting First: Class Size
We had the benefit of the Elementary Task Force having provided the public with data on K-5 class sizes for all 16 Dane Co. school districts. The correlation is a negative one, -0.356, meaning that as class size increases, WKCE scores actually IMPROVE. The interesting thing is that if one removes Madison from the data set, the correlation suddenly becomes significant (-0.615), although not hugely so. To be statistically significant with this small sample size (16), a correlation above 0.497 is required. But every picture tells a story, and this one is interesting. Note that for this exercise we focused on WKCE scores at grade 4, which is the only elementary grade at which all five subject areas are tested.
We can see that Sun Prairie, with an average class size of 20.3 kids in grades K-5, resides in the quadrant associated with lower WKCE scores, but also lower class sizes. Granted, we'll stipulate that the range in class sizes is small to begin with (18-23), but look who resides in that cherry quadrant( higher class sizes, and best WKCE scores): Waunakee, Middleton, Oregin, McFarland. These are the schools that are whipping our butt in WKCE performance, yet their class sizes, on average, are larger than ours.
Batting Second: District Diversity
We hear it all the time...unfortunately most of it is discussed in hushed tones. Face it folks, this country...and this community with it...has become much more diverse. We need to talk about it more and better embrace that which comes with diversity. Not being shy, we correlated district diversity to district-wide WKCE rank for the 16 Dane County districts. We found a correlation (0.486)just slightly below one significant at the 95% level. Once again, however, if we take Madison out of the equation, the correlation changes substantially, dropping to 0.286. This of course, also highlights one of the considerations with the correlation coefficient. You have to look at the data! One outlier data point can skew the resulting correlation. Madison clearly is an outlier here. But that's not surprising for a district that has nearly 4 times the enrollment of the next largest Dane Co. district.
So...we couldn't see a correlation between diversity and WKCE scores. Slight, but insignificant. Do the schools with lower diversity fare better on school testing? Certainly Waunakee, our overall number-1 ranked district for WKCE scores also haves the lowest diversity with "white" students comprising over 90% of the population. But what about Middleton, with a diversity of over 20% and yet a WKCE rank of 2 out of 16?
Batting Third: District Socioeconomics (Poverty)
Socio-economic Status. We most often hear it expressed as the percentage of kids eligible for free or reduced price lunches. It means poverty, folks. And over the past 3 years of this "blip" in the economy, the numbers have soared all across the state. Interestingly enough, this is where we found the highest correlation to WKCE scores. Imagine that...it might be that kids who just don't get enough to eat don't fare well in their learning. We couldn't possibly imagine that just living in a home that struggles monthly to pay the mortgage or make rent might have some bearing on learning. Could we?
The correlation here, 0.768, is definitely statistically significant. And it remains pretty much the same (0.74) even if one excludes Madison. What's interesting about this data, however, is there seems to be a direct correlation from Waunakee to Sun Prairie, but from there, things fall to pieces. First the correlation takes a downward turn, and then it rises meteorically for the districts with the lowest WKCE scores...and highest poverty levels.
The CleanUp spot
Sorry folks, all batters got left on base. We looked at average teacher...excuse us..."professional educator"...salary and average years of teaching experience and we got bupkis. The plots look like a shotgun blast. Zero correlation. We hoped to have something to wow you fro the Braun spot, but that's not the case.
All in all, some interesting data. Wouldn't it be nice to see this from the board and hear them discuss it instead of that snoozefest "Monitoring Report" document? Hell, this district could wrestle the Cherry-Picking title away from Door Co. what with the way our administration cherry picks the data to show the community. If data supports what they want to do, we'll see it. If it doesn't, it will never see the light of day.
Batting First: Class Size
We can see that Sun Prairie, with an average class size of 20.3 kids in grades K-5, resides in the quadrant associated with lower WKCE scores, but also lower class sizes. Granted, we'll stipulate that the range in class sizes is small to begin with (18-23), but look who resides in that cherry quadrant( higher class sizes, and best WKCE scores): Waunakee, Middleton, Oregin, McFarland. These are the schools that are whipping our butt in WKCE performance, yet their class sizes, on average, are larger than ours.
Batting Second: District Diversity
So...we couldn't see a correlation between diversity and WKCE scores. Slight, but insignificant. Do the schools with lower diversity fare better on school testing? Certainly Waunakee, our overall number-1 ranked district for WKCE scores also haves the lowest diversity with "white" students comprising over 90% of the population. But what about Middleton, with a diversity of over 20% and yet a WKCE rank of 2 out of 16?
Batting Third: District Socioeconomics (Poverty)
The correlation here, 0.768, is definitely statistically significant. And it remains pretty much the same (0.74) even if one excludes Madison. What's interesting about this data, however, is there seems to be a direct correlation from Waunakee to Sun Prairie, but from there, things fall to pieces. First the correlation takes a downward turn, and then it rises meteorically for the districts with the lowest WKCE scores...and highest poverty levels.
The CleanUp spot
Sorry folks, all batters got left on base. We looked at average teacher...excuse us..."professional educator"...salary and average years of teaching experience and we got bupkis. The plots look like a shotgun blast. Zero correlation. We hoped to have something to wow you fro the Braun spot, but that's not the case.
All in all, some interesting data. Wouldn't it be nice to see this from the board and hear them discuss it instead of that snoozefest "Monitoring Report" document? Hell, this district could wrestle the Cherry-Picking title away from Door Co. what with the way our administration cherry picks the data to show the community. If data supports what they want to do, we'll see it. If it doesn't, it will never see the light of day.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Seabass Resigns from School Board
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As a result of his bush league tactics
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The Seabass has been an infinite source of amusement for us over the past 5 years. We wish him the best of luck...sincerely.
Many likely have not notice but the school board officer elections this week pretty much declared that gale force gusts of change (OK...so maybe that's a teensy smidgeon of exaggeration) have descended upon the school board. Maybe we misunderstood, but we thought we heard that new board President Tom Weber's first official act was to request that board members surrender any and all rubber stamps in their possession for immediate disposal.
Seabass Smoked; Whalen Shock and Awed
This past Monday, the school board meeting opened with officer elections.
Happy Blind-Side, Mr.President
John Whalen, who has presided for the past 3 years, didn't flinch when Tom Weber's name was tossed out along with his own during nominations. But when the voting came in 4-2 for Weber as President, Whalen couldn't help but speak in his native tongue: body language. His face contorted as if he was waging an inner skirmish with serious gas. This was a blindside of monumental proportions that even shocked Jeff Probst.
VP - Whalen withdraws his name
Then came Vice President and there was Whalen's name tossed out along with current Vice-President John Welke and Jill Camber-Davidson. In a surprise move, Whalen withdrew his name from contention. Was he taking his basketball and going home after being denied the top dog slot? The vote came back 4-2 in favor of Welke. Hmmmm 4-2 again. Wonder if the same people were the 4 and the 2.
Clerk - Unanimous!
Only one nomination was provided: Jill Camber-Davidson, and so the vote of 6-0 was not a surprise.
Treasurer - For All the Marbles
This has been Seabass McCourt's sandbox for the past two years. In a surprise move, only two names were nominated: newcomer Mike Krachey (who has a financial background) and John Whalen (who does not). Hey! Did someone forget about Seabass? The first vote came back deadlocked at 3 votes each for Krachey and Whalen. Hmmmmm did one of the "4" go another way? Clearly somebody did something unexpected.
On the second ballot, Whalen received 4 votes to Krachey's 2 and became Treasurer. Does that seem odd only to us?
Deputy Clerk
Two names were tossed out: Caren Diedrich and Mike Krachey. Diedrich indicated that she did not wish to be Deputy Clerk, so Krachey's position was sealed on a 6-0 vote.
Wow. Seabass got smoked. Skunked. Denied. Rejected. Not nominated for ANY position. Was this a referendum on Seabass's inappropriate stunt at the annual meeting? Or did these folks know something we did not?
Happy Blind-Side, Mr.President
John Whalen, who has presided for the past 3 years, didn't flinch when Tom Weber's name was tossed out along with his own during nominations. But when the voting came in 4-2 for Weber as President, Whalen couldn't help but speak in his native tongue: body language. His face contorted as if he was waging an inner skirmish with serious gas. This was a blindside of monumental proportions that even shocked Jeff Probst.
VP - Whalen withdraws his name
Then came Vice President and there was Whalen's name tossed out along with current Vice-President John Welke and Jill Camber-Davidson. In a surprise move, Whalen withdrew his name from contention. Was he taking his basketball and going home after being denied the top dog slot? The vote came back 4-2 in favor of Welke. Hmmmm 4-2 again. Wonder if the same people were the 4 and the 2.
Clerk - Unanimous!
Only one nomination was provided: Jill Camber-Davidson, and so the vote of 6-0 was not a surprise.
Treasurer - For All the Marbles
This has been Seabass McCourt's sandbox for the past two years. In a surprise move, only two names were nominated: newcomer Mike Krachey (who has a financial background) and John Whalen (who does not). Hey! Did someone forget about Seabass? The first vote came back deadlocked at 3 votes each for Krachey and Whalen. Hmmmmm did one of the "4" go another way? Clearly somebody did something unexpected.
On the second ballot, Whalen received 4 votes to Krachey's 2 and became Treasurer. Does that seem odd only to us?
Deputy Clerk
Two names were tossed out: Caren Diedrich and Mike Krachey. Diedrich indicated that she did not wish to be Deputy Clerk, so Krachey's position was sealed on a 6-0 vote.Wow. Seabass got smoked. Skunked. Denied. Rejected. Not nominated for ANY position. Was this a referendum on Seabass's inappropriate stunt at the annual meeting? Or did these folks know something we did not?
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Not Looking Pretty
If you caught the State Journal yesterday, you really couldn't miss the front page, full cover graphic showing the 2012 Madison assessment picture. Everyone believed that last year would be our last negative blip on the equalized valuation. Things had to tick upward...right?The Sun Prairie school district even "conservatively" used a figure of 0% change in the equalized valuation that may not have anything to do with the district tax levy, yet has EVERYTHING to do with effective (district-wide) mill rate.
Remember folks, that if spending remains the same as last year, and equalized valuation of district property also remains the same (0% growth), then the mill rate remains what it was last year. If spending remains the same and valuation drops 3 %, then the effective mill rate GOES UP 3%.
So let us take one little happy dream away from you. Do not think for one second that school district expenses will either drop or stay the same. They WILL spend more folks. District Administration was even nice enough to set aside 2% of this year's salary expenditures for raises next year!
Now...most of us (and the district too) are hoping that new construction such as the Woodman's will help push the equalized valuation of all real property above 0%. We can't say for sure that won't happen, but a big piece of the puzzle is in: Madison assessments. And it sure looks like the area of Madison which falls within the Sun Prairie School district (a significant chunk thereof) looks to be DOWN at least 4% and as much as -5.9%.
Ruh Roh, Raggy.
Here's the Data...You Decide
The Sun Prairie School District has "use data to drive decisions" as part of its credo.
So...here's the data. This is how we stack up against other Dane Co. school districts.
As always, we highlight grades 4,8, and 10 because at these grades students are tested beyond reading an math. At these grades, all students are tested in Language Arts, Science and Social Studies in addition to Reading and Math.
You decide...are we doing as well as you think we should?
How about instead of some 200 page Monitoring Report that could cure the world's worst case of insomnia, the school board hold a working session where they talk candidly about our district's educational performance on the WKCE?
The district makes statements regarding the number of our students scored as "Advanced" in Reading and Math. But they don't give us any measuring stick to gauge the true merits of that performance. So we provide that.
A closer look at how we fare in Reading. This graphic perhaps better compares how we measure upo to other Dane Co, districts relative to the Dane Co. average.
A closer look at how we fare in Math. This graphic perhaps better compares how we measure upo to other Dane Co, districts relative to the Dane Co. average.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Anyway You Slice it -The Middle of The Pack (2011-12 WKCE)
That's what we are...if we compare ourselves to the 16 Dane Co. school districts regarding this year's WKCE performance.
So...if we were to spin this like Tim Culver, we say something like, "In a tumultuous year, Sun Prairie students maintained footing with students throughout Dane Co.". Yup, that's about what we did, alright.
We're not aspiring to be leaders, we're striving for--and achieving--mediocrity!
Actually, we moved two slots up to 12th out of 16 Dane Co. districts, largely on a huge leap at the 8th grade tier. Last year, the 8th grade (15th out of 16 districts) pulled the district average down from about 10th to #12.
Sorry folks, but we expect better. We'd rather rank 12th in cost of schools or overall debt, and be 1sxt or 2nd in WKCE scores. In a year that all our heads are certain to all be spinning from all the political number manipulation, we just can't see this as anything other than a clear statement that we offer an average education. Anything else just wouldn't pass the straight face test.
If you look at our rank by average score of tests on 5 subjects time 3 grade levels (4,8,10): 10 of 16
If you look at our rank by average rank of 3 grade levels (4,8,10): 9 of 16
If you look at our rank based on average percentage points above state averages: 10 of 16
Honestly, any which way you look...we're average.
Perhaps we are narrowing the achievement gap, as the news release issued in March indicates...which would be awesome. But otherwise, we are merely treading water.
District Spin Doctoring
OMG...They Failed Kenny!
Let's face it. We all knew (or know) a "Kenny". For us, Kenny was a neighbor kid that...um...let's say..."didn't test well". He was also the kid you could get to do any wacky thing you wanted... but that's a different story. Let's just say that Kenny didn't go far. Last we saw, he was hanging out at the dead end doin' doobies and desperately seeking an STD. When we wanted to monitor our kid's educational progress, we were more interested in Charlene's grades. Charlene brought home the grades, baby. Granted, sometimes we wanted to egg her (OK...maybe some of us DID egg her) because her Shiny Happy People shtick was annoying. But Charlene is who you were chasing for grades. You wanted all your teachers to note that you were following in Charlene's footsteps. Minus the eggstains, albeit.
Dane Co.'s "Kenny" is the Madison school district. We don't expect much...we KNOW they'll always be on the bottom of the Dane Co. WKCE scores. But we DO care about the Middletons, the Waunakees, and some others. Those are our Charlenes. But we're chasing NINE of 'em! Now we're behind DeForest, Monona Grove, Oregon, Mount Horeb, Wisconsin Heights. WTF? Wisconsin Heights? We can't even outperform Wisconsin Heights? C'mon, man! Wisconsin Heights is the school district equivalent of Flick from "A Christmas Story" ...you know....the kid the gang cajoled into sticking his tongue to the pole? Well...in fairness, it WAS a triple dog dare....but...C'MON MAN! We're not doing very well.
Was it awful to compare districts to characters? Pardonne nous. But a point had to be made.
In Math, we definitely fare better. Only 7 other districts have a higher percentage of students scoring as Proficient or Advanced. Again, Waunakee has over 90% of its kids scoring as Proficient or Advanced. In sports, Middleton may be our prime nemesis, but in academics, its Waunakee.
And...really...Other than the ongoing achievement gap, the district has exactly ONE "Indicator of Concern" with these results? THAT, mes amis, is an indicator of concern in and of itself!
Anyway you slice it folks, our students' learning is about average when compared to school districts in one of the better counties in the state. Is it the curriculum? The level of teaching? Teaching to the test? NOT teaching to the test? Poverty? Diversity? Class size? All things we looked at and will share with you.
Because this got so long, we'll post the data/graphics separately. We think they speak for themselves anyway.
So...if we were to spin this like Tim Culver, we say something like, "In a tumultuous year, Sun Prairie students maintained footing with students throughout Dane Co.". Yup, that's about what we did, alright.We're not aspiring to be leaders, we're striving for--and achieving--mediocrity!
Actually, we moved two slots up to 12th out of 16 Dane Co. districts, largely on a huge leap at the 8th grade tier. Last year, the 8th grade (15th out of 16 districts) pulled the district average down from about 10th to #12.
Sorry folks, but we expect better. We'd rather rank 12th in cost of schools or overall debt, and be 1sxt or 2nd in WKCE scores. In a year that all our heads are certain to all be spinning from all the political number manipulation, we just can't see this as anything other than a clear statement that we offer an average education. Anything else just wouldn't pass the straight face test.
If you look at our rank by average score of tests on 5 subjects time 3 grade levels (4,8,10): 10 of 16
If you look at our rank by average rank of 3 grade levels (4,8,10): 9 of 16
If you look at our rank based on average percentage points above state averages: 10 of 16
Honestly, any which way you look...we're average.
Perhaps we are narrowing the achievement gap, as the news release issued in March indicates...which would be awesome. But otherwise, we are merely treading water.
District Spin Doctoring
"The 2011 Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam (WKCE) results were announced today and again reveal strong academic achievement for students in the Sun Prairie Area School District."Strong? That's a Randy Jackson or J.Lo analysis. As Simon Cowell would day, "If I'm being honest, it was rather mediocre." Everything is relative...right? If your kid brings home "B"s on his report card, you're pretty jazzed (except this is in Sun Prairie and it would be "A"s...oh...wait..."4"s.). But if your kid is getting "B"s, you're not so amped when your learn that every other kid (or at least the ones you monitor) is getting "A"s.
OMG...They Failed Kenny!
Let's face it. We all knew (or know) a "Kenny". For us, Kenny was a neighbor kid that...um...let's say..."didn't test well". He was also the kid you could get to do any wacky thing you wanted... but that's a different story. Let's just say that Kenny didn't go far. Last we saw, he was hanging out at the dead end doin' doobies and desperately seeking an STD. When we wanted to monitor our kid's educational progress, we were more interested in Charlene's grades. Charlene brought home the grades, baby. Granted, sometimes we wanted to egg her (OK...maybe some of us DID egg her) because her Shiny Happy People shtick was annoying. But Charlene is who you were chasing for grades. You wanted all your teachers to note that you were following in Charlene's footsteps. Minus the eggstains, albeit.
Dane Co.'s "Kenny" is the Madison school district. We don't expect much...we KNOW they'll always be on the bottom of the Dane Co. WKCE scores. But we DO care about the Middletons, the Waunakees, and some others. Those are our Charlenes. But we're chasing NINE of 'em! Now we're behind DeForest, Monona Grove, Oregon, Mount Horeb, Wisconsin Heights. WTF? Wisconsin Heights? We can't even outperform Wisconsin Heights? C'mon, man! Wisconsin Heights is the school district equivalent of Flick from "A Christmas Story" ...you know....the kid the gang cajoled into sticking his tongue to the pole? Well...in fairness, it WAS a triple dog dare....but...C'MON MAN! We're not doing very well.
Was it awful to compare districts to characters? Pardonne nous. But a point had to be made.
"Combining all grade levels, 88% of Sun Prairie students are proficient or advanced in reading and 87% are proficient or advanced in math! Math increased a percentage from last year, while reading remained the same."Compared to Dame Co. districts, we rank....11th! So...sure...88% proficient or advanced in reading is awesome. But again, if there are 10 other Dame Co. districts doing even better than that....does it not taint our performance just a tad? Over 90% of Waunakee and Wisconsin Heights kids are Proficient or Advanced in reading. So again....you need to consider the data RELATIVE to the rest of the world.
In Math, we definitely fare better. Only 7 other districts have a higher percentage of students scoring as Proficient or Advanced. Again, Waunakee has over 90% of its kids scoring as Proficient or Advanced. In sports, Middleton may be our prime nemesis, but in academics, its Waunakee.
Indicators of ConcernAdditional growth is desired? Ummmm... ya think? Once again, for reading, we rank ....wait for it....9th among Dane Co. districts at the 4th grade level. Math we fare better, ranking 6th. But relative to the statewide average, at grade 4, SPASD (87.1% proficient or advanced) is only a mere 3.2% above the state average (83.7% proficient or advanced).
• Elementary reading scores remain consistently above the state average, but additional growth is desired.
• The achievement gap persists in some areas.
And...really...Other than the ongoing achievement gap, the district has exactly ONE "Indicator of Concern" with these results? THAT, mes amis, is an indicator of concern in and of itself!
Indicators of SuccessOK...here we go again. Sure it's nice that 50 and 50% of our students are "Advanced" in math and reading respectively. But that's like toast without butter. We SHOULD want a benchmark against which to evaluate those numbers. So again we looked at the combined grades 4,8,and 10 for all Dane Co. districts. Doing all the calculations for "all students" is just too much like work. And once again, we rank squarely in the middle of the pack in terms of percent of students at these grade levels scoring as proficient in reading and math. 9 out of 16 for reading and 8 out of 16 for math.
• Math scores in grade 4 and 7 have improved three years in a row.
• 50% of Sun Prairie students are “advanced” in math
• 53% of Sun Prairie students are “advanced” in reading
• Prairie View Middle School increased achievement in all grades and subject areas.
Anyway you slice it folks, our students' learning is about average when compared to school districts in one of the better counties in the state. Is it the curriculum? The level of teaching? Teaching to the test? NOT teaching to the test? Poverty? Diversity? Class size? All things we looked at and will share with you.
Because this got so long, we'll post the data/graphics separately. We think they speak for themselves anyway.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
What's In a Title?
Is this Title Envy Part 2?
At the Human Resources Committee this week, Part II of the Employee Handbook (i.e., replacement for bargaining union contract) will be discussed. Part I was general information for all district employees. Part II is for the teachers....er...better make that "Professional Educators".
Beneath the surface the (former) teacher's union (SPEA) has long desired to be treated as "professionals"...and so now, to underscore that, they now will be known as "Professional Educators".
Will this mean that there will now be "Parent-Professional Educator conferences"?
Now you leave an apple on the desk for "Professional Educator"?
Does Van Halen need to re-release the single from their "1984" CD as "Hot For Professional Educator"?
Will we be changing "janitor/custodian to "Professional Custodial Engineer"
...Teacher's Aides to "Assistant Professional Educator"?
....Secretary to "Administrative Professional"?
We think you get the point
Look...we get it...underscoring "professional" increases value...right?
There's an endgame here, and we're betting it comes down to dollars (not so sure about sense).
OK, Fine...but let's look at what else comes with being "a professional".
1. You get paid by the job...not by the hour.
That means your work is not done and you don't rush to go home until everything is complete. That means making yourself available for students who need you on their time, not necessarily your time. That means you don't get paid extra for developing a new course. That's what professional s do as part of the job. That means you aren't guaranteed a "duty-free" lunch. Most professionals wolf down a sandwich at their desks while working. That means driving between buildings is part of the job, not something for which you collect $0.50 per mile.
2. Pay for things like building Council goes out the window.
Yeah...that's right. For the rest of the "professional" world is part of being a professional....you don't get paid extra for it. And...you still have to do your job...you don't get to have someone cover for you when you attend meetings.
3. Being professional means meeting your responsibilities and being held accountable for results. (...and taking heat when results are less than desired)
4. Continuing education is part of the territory.
Like other "professionals", continuing education is part of the job...and not something your employer is expected to pay for ...or increase your salary to cover associated costs.
In short...be careful what you wish for.
____________________________________________________________
http://schoolboard.spasd.k12.wi.us/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=8T7LP9577BFB
HISTORY/SITUATION/RELATED ACTIONS:
At the Human Resources Committee this week, Part II of the Employee Handbook (i.e., replacement for bargaining union contract) will be discussed. Part I was general information for all district employees. Part II is for the teachers....er...better make that "Professional Educators".Beneath the surface the (former) teacher's union (SPEA) has long desired to be treated as "professionals"...and so now, to underscore that, they now will be known as "Professional Educators".
Will this mean that there will now be "Parent-Professional Educator conferences"?
Now you leave an apple on the desk for "Professional Educator"?
Does Van Halen need to re-release the single from their "1984" CD as "Hot For Professional Educator"?
There are three good reasons to be a professional educator -What about other positions?
June, July, and August. ~Author Unknown
Will we be changing "janitor/custodian to "Professional Custodial Engineer"
...Teacher's Aides to "Assistant Professional Educator"?
....Secretary to "Administrative Professional"?
We think you get the point
Look...we get it...underscoring "professional" increases value...right?
There's an endgame here, and we're betting it comes down to dollars (not so sure about sense).
OK, Fine...but let's look at what else comes with being "a professional".
1. You get paid by the job...not by the hour.
That means your work is not done and you don't rush to go home until everything is complete. That means making yourself available for students who need you on their time, not necessarily your time. That means you don't get paid extra for developing a new course. That's what professional s do as part of the job. That means you aren't guaranteed a "duty-free" lunch. Most professionals wolf down a sandwich at their desks while working. That means driving between buildings is part of the job, not something for which you collect $0.50 per mile.
2. Pay for things like building Council goes out the window.
Yeah...that's right. For the rest of the "professional" world is part of being a professional....you don't get paid extra for it. And...you still have to do your job...you don't get to have someone cover for you when you attend meetings.
3. Being professional means meeting your responsibilities and being held accountable for results. (...and taking heat when results are less than desired)
4. Continuing education is part of the territory.
Like other "professionals", continuing education is part of the job...and not something your employer is expected to pay for ...or increase your salary to cover associated costs.
In short...be careful what you wish for.
____________________________________________________________
http://schoolboard.spasd.k12.wi.us/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=8T7LP9577BFB
HISTORY/SITUATION/RELATED ACTIONS:
Employment and management practices that in the past were defined in the collective bargaining agreement must now be defined in different district policies and documents. Much of this will be in the new employee handbook. The School Board adopted Part I of the Sun Prairie Area School District Employee Handbook on October 10, 2011. Part I contains rules and procedures applying to all district employees.
Part II of the Sun Prairie Area School District Employee Handbook is specific to ‘Professional Educators.’ Professional Educators are district employees formerly referred to as bargaining unit members within the Sun Prairie Education Association (S.P.E.A.) and covered by that collective bargaining agreement, which expires June 30, 2012.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
School District Correlates School Cost to Achievement
Sun Prairie, WI
Educational subject experts here released a study this week revealing that test scores and achievement are strongly correlated to the value of the school buildings in which they learn. Toss out theories on small class sizes, quality of teachers, and all other factors, they concluded. It all boiled down to brick and mortar.
........................................................................
OK...so maybe THAT was an April Fool's day parody.
But this next story ain't no joke.
If one were to read today's Wisconsin State Journal, one might happen upon a small blurb about school referenda in this week's spring elections. One of those is Beloit's referendum attempt for $70M.
Beloit has a plan for a school with a capacity of 660 kids for $17.2M ($26,060/kid).
Meanwhile, as part of the Sun Prairie School Board's Elementary Task Force, an estimate of $19.1M was presented for an elementary school with capacity of 500 ($38,200/kid).
The rendering looks pretty spanky...
...and the architect for Beloit is our very own Bray & Associates!
So...how come we need to spend 50% more per student on bricks and mortar?
Put in another way...how come Beloit can come up with a design that costs $2M less than our estimate with a capacity for 32% more kids?
It begs the questions...dontcha think?
Note: In all fairness, there have been studies attempting to correlate academic achievement with building quality. Typically, these focus more on older buildings. One such article can be found here: http://www.ncef.org/pubs/outcomes.pdf
Educational subject experts here released a study this week revealing that test scores and achievement are strongly correlated to the value of the school buildings in which they learn. Toss out theories on small class sizes, quality of teachers, and all other factors, they concluded. It all boiled down to brick and mortar.
"If you build it,
and it costs a really lot of money,
they will achieve."...W.E Think
........................................................................
OK...so maybe THAT was an April Fool's day parody.
But this next story ain't no joke.
If one were to read today's Wisconsin State Journal, one might happen upon a small blurb about school referenda in this week's spring elections. One of those is Beloit's referendum attempt for $70M.Beloit has the largest proposal before voters, a $70 million question for improvements to schools and construction of a $17.2 million middle school for 660 students.So...let's get this straight....
Read more
Beloit has a plan for a school with a capacity of 660 kids for $17.2M ($26,060/kid).
Meanwhile, as part of the Sun Prairie School Board's Elementary Task Force, an estimate of $19.1M was presented for an elementary school with capacity of 500 ($38,200/kid).
The rendering looks pretty spanky...
...and the architect for Beloit is our very own Bray & Associates!
So...how come we need to spend 50% more per student on bricks and mortar?
Put in another way...how come Beloit can come up with a design that costs $2M less than our estimate with a capacity for 32% more kids?
It begs the questions...dontcha think?
Note: In all fairness, there have been studies attempting to correlate academic achievement with building quality. Typically, these focus more on older buildings. One such article can be found here: http://www.ncef.org/pubs/outcomes.pdf
McCourt Tries To Squelch Public Comment
Stardate 3-26-2012.At the school board's Finance Committee meeting, the big ticket item on the agenda was the 2012-13 budget...the "35,000 foot view". Seeing that we were less than a week from April and this was the first hint of any budgetary info coming from the district, one would think that time for public commentary would be reserved.
Not so!
Despite having 10 or so minutes before the start of the full school board meeting, McCourt took comments from committee members and then proceeded to adjourn. Hold the phone, Tyrone.
Resident Rick Mealy felt that a few questions were in order.
McCourt responded that according to policy there was no public comment allowed foir informational agenda items?
REALLY, Mr. McCourt?
Which policy would that be? Because the only one that discusses public comment (PROCEDURE BAA-R) relates to meetings of the full school board. In fact, the full board has told the public time and time again that the place for asking questions is at committee meetings. So now McCourt wants to cut off that avenue as well?
And even if McCourt was referring to policy BDDH, that policy states that the Board will schedule time at the beginning of the meeting for residents to comment on items not under "New Business". McCourt made no such time available...and never has.
One could even posit the argument that, were it not for bold community members pushing for their right to comment, McCourt would have been in violation of board policy BBF, Board Member Code of Ethics.
To add insult to injury, other school board committees operate under full sunshine, allowing community members to comment during any agenda items.
Where's the consistency, Jimbo?
Is that how you deal with questions and comments in the real world?
Perhaps it becomes no wonder why you "haven't received a paycheck in years"...as you so often have stated.
Shame on you, Dr. No...err...Mr. McCourt.
Community engagement much?
..........................................
POLICY BAA - BOARD OPERATIONS
6. Conduct Board business openly, soliciting and encouraging broad-based involvement in the Board's decision-making processes by the public, students and staff.
............................................
BDDH PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AT BOARD MEETINGS
2. The Board shall schedule time at the beginning of each regular Board meeting for members of the public to speak to items not on the agenda and items on the agenda that are not listed under “New Business.” This time may be extended beyond one-half hour upon majority approval of the Board members.
...........................................
POLICY BBF - SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER CODE OF ETHICS
6. Encourage the free exchange of ideas and opinions by all Board members in a courteous manner; encourage communication between the Board and students, staff and community members; and, abide by the rule of the majority.
Losing My Articulation
That's me in the corner...
That's me in the spotlight...
Losing my articulation.
Trying to keep a view
And I don't know if I can do it
Oh no, I've said too much
No...I haven't said enough
So the 2011-12 WKCE scores are out. You've probably been smacked upside the head with the typical district spin doctoring to make these scores appear as if Sun Prairie should be proclaimed the best district in the state. Um...No. Sorry. Not the case. But let's savor that for a bit shall we? Let's talk about something that NO ONE is talking about: Language Arts.
Your SP-EYE blog has discussed for years the decline of Language Arts skills. This year, Sun Prairie eschewed instituting something like Latin--which would absolutely benefit all students and enhance our Language Arts skills--- and instead brought in Mandarin Chinese. There. That's something that's certain to raise our grammatical skills. Not!
Alas, we are not alone. We're all in this together. We looked at the 16 Dane Co. school districts and then focused on the 20 school districts closest in size to ours (10 larger and 10 smaller). Sadly, this epidemic is not going to be contained. No matter where we looked, Language Arts (you know...writing and communication ability in our prime language...English) is consistently the lowest scoring of the five subject areas covered by the WKCE.
Consider this
Consider this,
the hint of the century
Consider this, the slip
That brought us to our knees, failed
What if all these fantasies come
Flailing aground
Now I've said too much
Hasn't No Child Left Behind (NCLB) been declared DOA? Isn't it time we focused on more than just reading and math? Sure, text messaging is so gr8 and kewl ...but have we completely thrown writing out with the bath water? Has three truly become a crowd instead of a Charlie Sheen fantasy? This may come out wrong, but we're sidin' with Charlie on this one. Reading and Arithmetic go so much better with Writing as the pickle.
Consider this the hint of the century folks....we're fast losing our ability to communicate in our own world. Mandarin Chinese is not going to be the solution. We need to get back to basics in our own language. English is recognized as the business language of the world...and yet it's the subject on which our performance is worst? Shame on us.
If you look at the numbers, it seems clear that we do OK at grade 4, where we generally are 50/50 with Language Arts and Science as the lowest scoring subject. But at Grade 8, in 100% of the 35 school districts evaluated, Language Arts is low subject on the totem pole. Shameful. Our performance picks up a tad by Grade 10, but still...Language Arts is the poorest performing subject for 14 of the 16 Dane Co school districts and over half of the school districts similar in size to ours.
Frankly, while Dane Co. is viewed overall as one of the best counties in the state for schools, our performance in Language Arts isn't so hot.
But that was just a dream
Try, cry, why try
That was just a dream
Just a dream
Just a dream, dream
We hoped for the longest time that our school district administration would get with the program here. We had hoped our elected leaders would push the issue from the board table. Unfortunately, there are not 4 votes right now that will stand up and tell the district that the time is past due for the district to re-focus on Language Arts. We once imagined being leaders in ALL subjects.
But that was just a dream.
With acknowledgement to R.E.M. for the use of their track "Losing' My Religion" to highlight this issue. We are forever in debt to the individuals who turned us on to R.E.M. back in Aiken in '84.
That's me in the spotlight...Losing my articulation.
Trying to keep a view
And I don't know if I can do it
Oh no, I've said too much
No...I haven't said enough
So the 2011-12 WKCE scores are out. You've probably been smacked upside the head with the typical district spin doctoring to make these scores appear as if Sun Prairie should be proclaimed the best district in the state. Um...No. Sorry. Not the case. But let's savor that for a bit shall we? Let's talk about something that NO ONE is talking about: Language Arts.
Your SP-EYE blog has discussed for years the decline of Language Arts skills. This year, Sun Prairie eschewed instituting something like Latin--which would absolutely benefit all students and enhance our Language Arts skills--- and instead brought in Mandarin Chinese. There. That's something that's certain to raise our grammatical skills. Not!
Alas, we are not alone. We're all in this together. We looked at the 16 Dane Co. school districts and then focused on the 20 school districts closest in size to ours (10 larger and 10 smaller). Sadly, this epidemic is not going to be contained. No matter where we looked, Language Arts (you know...writing and communication ability in our prime language...English) is consistently the lowest scoring of the five subject areas covered by the WKCE.
Consider this
Consider this,
the hint of the century
Consider this, the slip
That brought us to our knees, failed
What if all these fantasies come
Flailing aground
Now I've said too much
Hasn't No Child Left Behind (NCLB) been declared DOA? Isn't it time we focused on more than just reading and math? Sure, text messaging is so gr8 and kewl ...but have we completely thrown writing out with the bath water? Has three truly become a crowd instead of a Charlie Sheen fantasy? This may come out wrong, but we're sidin' with Charlie on this one. Reading and Arithmetic go so much better with Writing as the pickle.
Consider this the hint of the century folks....we're fast losing our ability to communicate in our own world. Mandarin Chinese is not going to be the solution. We need to get back to basics in our own language. English is recognized as the business language of the world...and yet it's the subject on which our performance is worst? Shame on us.
If you look at the numbers, it seems clear that we do OK at grade 4, where we generally are 50/50 with Language Arts and Science as the lowest scoring subject. But at Grade 8, in 100% of the 35 school districts evaluated, Language Arts is low subject on the totem pole. Shameful. Our performance picks up a tad by Grade 10, but still...Language Arts is the poorest performing subject for 14 of the 16 Dane Co school districts and over half of the school districts similar in size to ours.
Frankly, while Dane Co. is viewed overall as one of the best counties in the state for schools, our performance in Language Arts isn't so hot.
But that was just a dream
Try, cry, why try
That was just a dream
Just a dream
Just a dream, dream
We hoped for the longest time that our school district administration would get with the program here. We had hoped our elected leaders would push the issue from the board table. Unfortunately, there are not 4 votes right now that will stand up and tell the district that the time is past due for the district to re-focus on Language Arts. We once imagined being leaders in ALL subjects.
But that was just a dream.
With acknowledgement to R.E.M. for the use of their track "Losing' My Religion" to highlight this issue. We are forever in debt to the individuals who turned us on to R.E.M. back in Aiken in '84.
It's Krachey...With a Bullet
Election day comes this Tuesday. Of course, it's spring break and many have already voted. For those of you that are holding out til Tuesday, our advice is to cast a single ballot for school board--a bullet vote-- for Mike Krachey.
Why the bullet?
To send a message. Loudly, and clearly.
In each of the past two years we've added welcome change to the board in John Welke and Tom Weber. Change on our school board tastes so well, we'd like a little more please. And we believe that Mike Krachey is that guy. Mike is a born-and-raised community guy who knows our schools from the inside. He also appears to have an aversion to Kool-Aid. Mike understands finances, the value of a quality education, and the need to consider the taxpayer.
So...yes...you get two votes on Tuesday...a twofer Tuesday if you will...but we recommend you hold one back. Cast ONE vote this year....for Mike Krachey.
As for John Whalen.... He's a really nice guy. He most likely will get re-elected anyway because the third choice has ...well...issues. Sadly, John is a Kool-Aid-aholic. Closet, binge-drinking, Kool-Aid lover. He's never heard a Tim Culver idea he didn't embrace without a tinge of restraint. And being one of Sun Prairie's elite....taxes don't mean much to him. He has no compassion from the senior citizens now struggling to make ends meet that have footed the bills here since long before Whalen moved to Sun Prairie. And did we mention that he's a nice guy? Save your vote. He doesn't need it...and a low vote total may make Whalen think before he takes his next swig of Kool-Aid.
Gary Alan Naud is your third option. He's a little like having to Choose between Peyton Manning (Krachey), Rex Grossman (Whalen), and Ryan Leaf (Naud). His financial issues and shoplifting transgression just simply don't make him a credible choice for any elected office, let alone the school board. Also, for someone that wants to run for office, he sure doesn't attend meetings. It just looks like he's seeking that wonderful school board salary.
Why the bullet?
To send a message. Loudly, and clearly.
In each of the past two years we've added welcome change to the board in John Welke and Tom Weber. Change on our school board tastes so well, we'd like a little more please. And we believe that Mike Krachey is that guy. Mike is a born-and-raised community guy who knows our schools from the inside. He also appears to have an aversion to Kool-Aid. Mike understands finances, the value of a quality education, and the need to consider the taxpayer.
So...yes...you get two votes on Tuesday...a twofer Tuesday if you will...but we recommend you hold one back. Cast ONE vote this year....for Mike Krachey.
As for John Whalen.... He's a really nice guy. He most likely will get re-elected anyway because the third choice has ...well...issues. Sadly, John is a Kool-Aid-aholic. Closet, binge-drinking, Kool-Aid lover. He's never heard a Tim Culver idea he didn't embrace without a tinge of restraint. And being one of Sun Prairie's elite....taxes don't mean much to him. He has no compassion from the senior citizens now struggling to make ends meet that have footed the bills here since long before Whalen moved to Sun Prairie. And did we mention that he's a nice guy? Save your vote. He doesn't need it...and a low vote total may make Whalen think before he takes his next swig of Kool-Aid.
Gary Alan Naud is your third option. He's a little like having to Choose between Peyton Manning (Krachey), Rex Grossman (Whalen), and Ryan Leaf (Naud). His financial issues and shoplifting transgression just simply don't make him a credible choice for any elected office, let alone the school board. Also, for someone that wants to run for office, he sure doesn't attend meetings. It just looks like he's seeking that wonderful school board salary.
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