Sun Prairie High Makes "The List"

...unfortunately it's not a list we WANT to be on.

It's one of the lists required as part of the "No Child Left Behind" Act (NCLB) . Whether you agree with NCLB or disagree...it is part of the rules by which schools must play.

This is certainly not a red alert...but it's definitely time to sound some sort of alarm and take some sort of corrective action. Where SPHS "failed" was in the category of "Adequate Yearly Progress", or AYP. The subject area affected was Reading. Recent media reports have indicated that SPHS's first appearance on the list is a result of the reading scores of special education students.

District Administrator Tim Culver is quoted as follows regarding this announcement:

"By no means do I think this is a failing school..."

"It's sad to put the 'F' word on a school when there's a lot more to it than the one test score."

"This is an issue we have to face up to and own."

Culver noted that the high school's overall scores were well above the state's minimum standard and honors are flowing in for the school's jazz bands, academic decathlon team and cheerleading squads.

SP-EYE: Does anyone ever get tired of the re-direction that comes with spin doctoring bad news? Does anyone ever wonder how our students are ever going to face adversity when they see leaders continually focusing away from a problem and highlighting only the good things?

What Culver really said was, "never mind the bad scores...we're working on that. Instead , focus on the successes of the music program, the academic decathlon students, and the cheer team." That philosophy flies in the face of the school board and district's own vision statement which states,

Our Vision: Working together to provide the best education for every student by building a community of learners.

Our #1 priority goal is to "improve reading achievement". Since SPHS has never been on "the list" before, that mean we're not improving....we're falling behind the pace. To simply remark that the failure is due to our special education students is not only insulting, it's borderline discriminatory. Let's not place blame at all. Instead why don't we buck up and make some changes to effect the necessary improvements. All of these kids are OUR kids, and singling out one group or another as the reason for not achieving goals is not unlike blaming and humiliating the child who strikes out at the plate in the 9th inning with the two outs , the bases loaded, and a one-run deficit.

There is no intent here of taking away from any of the students or programs that did meet with success during the year. But we also can't negate a real problem just because we have successes elsewhere.

Finally, we can't just thumb our noses at the NCLB requirements; because they ARE requirements. Certainly, these issues need to be revisited at the national level, but the rules are what they are. Do we want our kids to ignore rules just because they don't like or agree with them? How is THAT attitude affecting student achievement?

Read the Wisconsin State Journal article

Check out the list from the DPI website.
Select 2007-08 for school year and then "Only Districts and Schools that Missed AYP "

Read the news article online

Graduation's Degradation?

Having attended graduation in the last few years as well as watching live on cable on several occasions, it should come as no surprise that our graduating seniors are busting at the seams to get on with their post-high school lives. Has this youthful exuberance finally exacted a painful toll on the celebration of the event by parents and grandparents who guided their kids through this long journey? Have the graduation ceremony hi jinx crossed the line?

One of the community parent groups collected informal comments from those that attended Graduation 2008. A sampling of the comments (uncensored) received appear below. This is a rather lengthy list. Is it enough for the school board to consider it as more than just one or two perennial "wreckers"?

Our understanding is that these comments were being packaged for presentation to district administration with a request to take some measure of action. Being somewhat skeptical that this information would ever see the light of day, SP-EYE brings it to you. Is it time for the school board and administration to do more than get dressed up and paste a smile on their faces as they go through the rote ritual of graduation? Some school board members spoke loudly about the "lack of decorum" at its own meetings...but apparently they don't care about a similar lack of decorum at what is supposed to be a professional ceremony.

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• [Student]...– no control so I figured I may as well “join them” –
  
• [Student]...– really felt sorry for the kid a row ahead of me – he got his cap knocked off at least five times and was really frustrated
• [Student]...– was not worth attending – got nothing out of it – should have kept my work hours and got something out of the 2 hours.
• [Student]...– Really sucks that some kids could not hear their name announced.
• [Student]...– who cares, it is fun and nobody cares about the speeches. Not like we had weapons
• [Unknown]...–It was out of control. Teachers looked ridiculous trying to maintain control – but give them credit, as at least somebody appeared to care as our board obviously does not care – behavior gets worse every year and no changes are made
• [Watched on TV]...–I was not able to be in attendance but did watch on cable channel. I’m glad I did not waste my time. This is a disgrace to our community
• [Grandparent]...–As a grandparent in attendance; I was shocked by the lack of control the school has over these kids. Is there no discipline anymore?
• [Unknown]...–Time to clean house from school board, superintendent, SPHS administration – they do not care about the quality of student – no principals or assistant principals in line to shake hands of graduates – of course I guess I would distance myself if I was responsible for this calamity
• [Unknown]...–Enough is enough – time for new principals and assistant principals and some teachers are to blame too. I’ve heard teachers allow disruptions in classroom, but choose to ignore and just try to talk/teach over the noise. I didn’t really believe that until Friday night.
• [Unknown]...–And to think that our school leaders want TWO high schools! Can’t control what they have now –
• [Parent of pre-high schoolers]...–I have 2 kids in Sacred Hearts – After what I witnessed I’ll be sending them to Edgewood High School.
• [Unknown]...–I would say that the conduct was about the same, but that the sound system was better indoors so you could hear over the noise a bit better. I think Dr. Culver had some good things to say, but kids didn't hear any of it which was too bad. I felt bad for the kids that were going across the stage when the beach balls were taken out of circulation and then the students booed. Unfortunately, I think the kids remember graduation for the beach balls and not the speeches. I'm not sure how decorum can be restored without doing searches for blow-up toys before the procession. Or, it can be acknowledged that there will be beach balls, but appeal to the graduates to hold them 'til the end. I have my doubts that would work.
• [Unknown]...–The ball/blown up condom/beach toys was going to far. We saw people starting to point at the number of beach balls in the air while graduates were walking across the stage. I think it was disturbing to some of the students that weren't interested in the game and most disrespect to the staffs.
• [Parent of a graduating senior]...–My first child graduated Friday, and I attended last year's ceremony when my niece graduated. I was appalled at the behavior of the students. Beach balls are one thing, but making all of that noise when people are speaking and announcing graduates is very rude and disrespectful and should NOT be tolerated in my opinion. Teachers are trying to take away the balls, they are booed by the students and the audience, which causes even more of a ruckus.
• [Parent of a graduating senior]...–My 2 sets of parents, my in-laws and aunt and uncle-in-law were all there, appalled, and I was embarrassed! It is pretty sad when you are there to see your child graduate and some parents couldn't even here their student called, or people were booing over the balls when a student was called.
• [Parent of a graduating senior]...–My dad said that the administration ought to stop the ceremony and not begin again until students are under control. If it takes too long, he believes the ceremony should be cancelled. My husband thinks that there ought to be a committee, made up of graduating seniors, that works with the administration to come up with a solution. Speaking of the administration, what is with Paul Keats? It is obvious he is not passionate about the students of SPHS and I find it horrible that he did not shake the hands of all of the students graduating. Isn't that what a principal does? Wouldn't one that cared about the kids want to be up there congratulating them? His speech was very short, which I don't blame him too much for as he was booed and horns were blowing during his speech last year and they were starting this year. Even still, what message is that sending?
• [Unknown]...–I say good for Dr. Culver for attempting a speech, even one that the students that wanted to hear couldn't due to the beach ball scene. I also say good for him for standing there and shaking hands with and speaking to the students.
• [Parent]...–As a parent of a graduating senior: Graduation is an emotional event for any parent. My thoughts on the graduation are a little mixed. I know that kids will be kids. And since I graduated over 30 years ago, kids have been doing the beach ball thing at graduation. It is kind of a tradition they don't want to miss out on. At times I felt that the audience was more disrespectful than the kids. Maybe if the teachers that are guarding the sides would just ignore the ball and not try to interfere with them, there would be less booing, etc. It just makes the kids want to get it back even more. I do feel sorry for the parents who could not hear their child's name called.
• [Unknown]...–Thanks to those that made it possible for having this event outdoors. The work done to prepare a wet field.
• [Unknown]...–My tax dollars paid for this event. Waste of money. My dollars pay the salary of SPASD employees. Waste of money. Time for people to be fired and people with higher standards to be hired that run a school. Time for school board to hold some feet to the fire. Perform and strive for excellence or don’t let the door hit you in the ass on your way out.
• [Unknown]...–Graduation ceremony no different than what happens in classrooms. This was normal everyday activity for disruptive students. Teachers allow horseplay – children learn what they live!
• [Unknown]...–Nothing short of total embarrassment! Apology is in order. Changes need made in administration.
• [Unknown]...– I’m sorry.....but one of us is delusional and I don’t think it is me! I was at Ashley field on the 13th of June. I guarantee you what was taking place was not a graduation ceremony! I was there and after my son walked across the stage I left.
• [Unknown]...–School officials should be ashamed of themselves. We must have attended different events – I was obviously at a seminar for “Clownin’ Around” I cannot remember the last time I was so embarrassed.


• [Parent of a graduating senior]...–Both sets of grandparents traveled distances to attend my daughter’s graduation. It was humiliating. They said of all the grandkids' gradations over the last few years in the Midwest this was the worst they’ve ever witnessed. I was embarrassed for the administration. They had to have their tail between their legs as the disrespectful display, yelling, running, booing - - - these are the kids our education system has produced.
• [Unknown]...–No wonder principals were not in line to acknowledge graduates. I’d distance myself as far as I could too if this happened under my watch. As tax payers we pay their salary! Time to fire staff and get people in who can do the job from board leadership– to superintendent – to principals and probably ½ of the teachers. Time we stand up for our kids because the school leaders don’t give a sh**.
• [Unknown]...– The schools have been yapping about “connectedness” yet they only talk about it and put in writing. They are not putting it into action. There was no evidence of any “connect” between graduates and administration. Not one principal or assistant principal stood in the line to congratulate the students. That is pathetic!
• [Parent of a high school student]...–My son has told me for two years the security guards are a joke and the assistant principals are the laughing stock of the school. He’s told me how the principals are in the lunch room, but they sit in their own little group just like the students do. No interaction except for buddying up with the bullies and trouble makers. Time to wake up! You are not paid to be our kids “buddies” they have plenty of buddies. You are an authoritative figure who should lead. Maybe if you’d get out of your personal lunch click you’d wise up to the fact that 1-2 distract you as the others are “up to no good”. If you provided leadership these kids would not be walking all over you and their peers.


• [Unknown]...–Where was Keats? How sad when the principal of the school does not even acknowledge each individual graduate. Kudos’ to Dr. Culver for taking the time. Thank you to the few teachers who made an effort to control the unruly situation. It is unfortunate that the school board members and administration could not make any kind of asserted effort or give you any support.
• [Unknown]...–The grounds staff did a wonderful job of preparing the field so we could hold outside. Last year it was inside, which provided a better sound system, but to be outside for graduation is so much nicer.
• [Unknown]...– Our kids got screwed by administration – please encourage parents of next years seniors and other underclassmen parents to apply pressure on SPASD administration so the disrespect our kids experience is not experienced by them.
• [Unknown]...–Blown up condom – how much more repulsive can we get. Ceremony should have stopped. Instead the board members and administration sat there like bumps on a log with glued on smiles like nothing was happening. Stop ignoring the issues and do your jobs. Your lack of ethics is an embarrassment.

School board....these are the voices (and a lot of them) of this community....and not just seniors that complain about taxes and don't vote. These are parents of children attending YOUR--OUR school district. You might want to listen. You might want to include this as an agenda item on an upcoming board meeting. How about in September, when everyone is back from vacation and re-engaged in the schools?

1 and Done; Carrel Steps Down from School Board

For the second year in a row, the Sun Prairie School Board will have to pull out its playbook for replacing a school board member outside of the election process.

With little fanfare--other than an 11th hour, subtly changed meeting agenda item to "discuss Procedure BBE-R, Guidelines for Filling Board Vacancies"--- Jim Carrel announced at last night's meeting that his recent change in employers will require him to relocate out of state. Consequently Mr. Carrel will be stepping down effective August 1, 2008.

That means that in addition to filling committee vacancies, the board will have to accept applications, interview, and select someone to finish the rest of Mr. Carrels' year in office. Next April, there will be elections for John Whalen's seat (3-yr), Terry Shimek's seat (1-yr), and Jim Carrel's seat (1-yr).

Last year proved interesting when the board selected Tim Boylen to keep Jim Gibbs' seat warm, offering not a single board member vote for Rick Mealy....despite coming in less than 35 votes behind Jim Carrel and a very close 3rd to John Whalen in 2006. Hmmm....fill the board seat with someone that the public clearly showed significant interest in? Nahhhh. The board members don't like Mealy or his views. Damn what the public wants...its all about what the board wants.

Even more interesting was that Boylen's interview lasted about 5 minutes via cell phone from his vacation in lake country up north. Perhaps Boylen's appeal was that he served in a Phil Frei role in another school district. Our board likes its members to be in tight with district administration.

If last year's actions suggest that the board gives no credence to how someone fared in a recent election, then I guess that means its unlikely the board would select Mary Ellen Havel-Lang (who came in 4th this past April) should she choose to vie for Carrel's seat....or Al Slane who also garnered quite a few votes this past April...and who continues to stay engaged with the school board. Maybe the board can call back Tim Boylen for an encore performance!!! There ya go...Tim Boylen, the "Replacement School Board Member".

SP-EYE wishes Mr. Carrel the best of luck in his future endeavors.

Buried on page 8

We've been meaning to mention this one for a bit....because it DOES merit mention. Sun Prairie tries very hard to reward staff and students for performance. Sadly, rewards are usually based on food...such as pizza or subs. Not only do those kind of rewards not sit well with a general district wellness policy, but they don't (ahem) stay with us very long.... period. If you get my drift. So not only does the offer of a pizza party for good performance in the classroom fly in the face of healthy eating, but it's hard to get all jacked up for.... pizza or subs.

Certainly some of the incidents in Sun Prairie during the past year have added some pockmarks to the complexion of our schools and our community: trouble on the "Monkey Bus"; 400% increase in expulsions; presence of a meth lab, shootings in the city.

So, cultivating character is a "to do" list item that has to be shuffled to the top of the deck. Recently, Westside elementary schools recognized two students from each of grades 3 through 5 for demonstrating good character. Historically, this event would have drawn even odds of culminating in a pizza or sub party for the honored students. Thankfully, we have a teacher who thought outside the box, drawing on her personal six degrees of separation (or one degree in this case) to offer a really innovating and long-lasting reward for the students.

Music teacher Letrice Stanley reached out to her brother, St. Louis Rams receiver Derek Stanley, who provided authentic NFL footballs autographed by members of the St. Louis Rams!

Anyone who follows local sports or the NFL will recognize Derek Stanley as a standout athlete for Verona High, who went on to star at UW-Whitewater and was the first UW-Whitewater player ever drafted (7th round) in the NFL last year. Last December, Stanley saw the field as a kick returner and showed some of the speed and vision he translated to success at the high school and college level.

A hearty thank you to Ms. Stanley for providing these kids with a tangible reward that not only adequately punctuates their classroom performance in building character, but provides something that can awe and inspire them further. Coming from tiny UW-Whitewater, many wouldn't have give Stanley (or anyone) any hope of a shot at the NFL. But here is Derek living his dream and serving as a role model to others for both his determination, and his willingness to help give back to the community. Each football contains the autographs of quite a few NFL stars. Certainly that's something that will stick with these kids a whole lot longer than a meal of pizza.

We don't know what the criteria are to earn a "Piece Keeping" award from Dr. Culver, but in our book, Ms. Stanley and her colleagues at Westside certainly deserve one. Maybe it went unnoticed because the story was buried within a photo caption on page 8 of the June 5th edition of the STAR.

Proficient in Reading & Math? Then you get promoted!!!

Are you sitting down? At the school board meeting this past Monday, June 9, the board actually discussed education. You heard it right. The major topic wasn't boundary wars or buildings, but promotion requirements.

The plan that was submitted to the board for approval calls for grade promotions for grades 3 to 8 to be based on proficiency (as determined by WKCE test scores) in Reading and Math. Yep. That's it. You can flunk everything else...as long as you score at least "proficient" in Reading and Math, you move to the next grade level.

As is typically the case, 99 times out of 100, anything submitted by committee for board approval usually gets rubber-stamped at the board level. Things were looking like that in this case. Thankfully, Jim Carrel donned a pair of BBPs and spoke his mind. We've grown so accustomed to board members simply responding "This is so wonderful..." or "I'm so excited by...", that when Carrel essentially said, "I don't think it's enough", everyone in the room was stunned.

SP-EYE has been hard on Mr. Carrel...deservedly so in most cases....but we also give credit where credit is due, and Carrel deserves applause for his comments here.

Too many school board members simply rubber stamp whatever is presented for approval---even if they actually disagree!!! We've now heard several school board members even privately agree that perhaps locating the Creekside elementary in Smith's Crossing was not the right move. There are other instances in which unanimous board decisions are questioned privately by one or more board members after the vote is in. Publicly, however, they won't admit that. Sadly it goes with the territory when we're dealing with politics. SP-EYE recalls one current City Council member privately (off the record) supporting a single new high school, but then saying that they could never publicly state a position because of repercussions within their constituency.

When it comes to educating our children however, politics have no place. Yes, holding back any student from promotion to the next grade level is a serious decision. But passing on a student to more challenging material who hasn't mastered the existing material has consequences as well. We in Sun Prairie talk a good game about the quality of our school system and the education we provide. Sure...it's good. But is it great? As Simon Cowell would say, "If I'm being honest...", then things are as great as we think they are or as great as we'd like them to be.

For a high school population second only to Madison high schools, do we see kids earning National Merit scholarships? State Academic recognition? Are our kids adequately prepared for life beyond high school. Certainly, for some, we can answer "Yes". But do we have the percentage of high-achieving kids one would expect from a high school of this size? Be honest. The answer is, "No". Toss in the question of grade inflation, and we should really start thinking.

Carrel made a very bold move Monday night...frankly a move that was long overdue from someone at the board table. Yes, it's difficult to hold any child back a grade, but is it really a feather in our cap to promote a child who is not ready? Which is the greater disservice to the child? While highly unlikely, a child in 8th grade could receive failing grades in all subjects, but as long as they scored at least proficient in Reading and Math on the WKCE test, this policy would allow them to promote to (gulp) 9th grade...high school.

The argument can be made that as long as you earn a "D" (i.e., not an "F") in all subjects, technically you "pass". Therefore isn't that enough for promotion to the next grade? Let's answer that with a different question, "Would you choose a doctor that has his/her M.D. but was the last in his/her class?" If you have ever done any hiring, have you ever considered absolute grades of candidates when making the selection? Passed over someone with passing (but not stellar) grades for someone with higher grades?

We agree with the board's decision to table this issue and think it through. Hopefully, now that the building issues are solved for a bit, we can take the time to get this one right. Maybe that means approving the policy as presented. But maybe it doesn't.

Conflict of Interest breach in the Boundary Decision Vote?

On May 12th, The school board voted 4-3 to RE-AFFIRM its initial (March 11th) vote regarding boundary changes. As noted earlier, this vote was made despite documentation of over 500 community residents who voiced their opposition to the board's vote. Board members John Whalen, Jim McCourt, Terry Shimek, and Caren Diedrich voted against reconsidering boundary changes.

At this past Monday's school board meeting, board member Caren Diedrich indicated publicly that her grandchildren attend Bird elementary school. Now that this information is in the public arena, Ms. Diedrich's comments [regarding her vote on the Boundary decision], that, "Bird is over crowded, I need to get some children out of Bird." are far more troubling.

Many would say that this Ms. Diedrich holds a distinct personal interest in Bird school, and therefore she should have abstained from the Boundary decision vote. If Ms. Diedrich had abstained, the vote would have been tied at 3-3-1, opening the door for further discussion on the issue--and another vote. Perhaps one of the other 3 may have "seen the light" . There is no "I" in "school board" (of course there ain't no "we" either!). Ms. Diedrich was not speaking for her constituents--or even the school board; she was speaking for herself. Hear for yourself; play the video clip below.

WKCE test results - spin not included.

Reader note: If you prefer your school information to be served sunny side up, you should probably not read any further. We subscribe to reality here. We're happy to point out sunshine and roses along the way, but we also believe you deserve the complete picture. We don't crop the not-so-good news out of the camera shot.

District administrator Tim Culver has issued a press release on the subject of the annual test scores (WKCE = Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam). He specifically identifies 4 areas of success and 3 areas of concern. Dr. Culver's job understandably is to point out any shimmer in such data to focus on the positives. As residents and parents, however, most of us want the straight scoop....an unbiased view of how are kids are doing relative to state standards as well as to area schools.

Some use the "not-so-positives" to point fingers at the teachers. We have to be realistic and understand that teachers teach to a curriculum. While certainly some teachers are better than others at enhancing the learning process, they all sing from the same song sheet, so to speak. Therefore, a better focus for areas of concern is the curriculum content itself. Additionally, some like to "spin" lower scores by pointing out the disparity in ethnic or socioeconomic demographics of one school district or another--or even v=between schools within a district. Again, we need to "keep it real". ALL of Sun Prairie's students are OUR collective students. The job of the school district administration is to find ways to enable all children to learn and grow equally.

With that as a preface, let's take a look at the scores. The state DPI focuses more heavily on scores of 4th, 8th, and 10th grade students. In the figures below, percentage scores represent the percent of students district-wide that scored as "proficient" or "advanced" on the WKCE tests. The District goal is for 90% of all students to score "proficient" or "advanced" in both reading and math. Decide for yourselves...how are our kids REALLY doing?

High School - 10th grade
As the table shows, when all 5 subject areas are considered, relative to the other 15 local school districts, Sun Prairie ranked 8th out of 16 (subjects ranged from 4th to 11th). Last year we ranked 6th. Last year 4 of the 5 subject areas had scores 12-13 %age point above the statewide average. This year only 1 subject ranked as high as 10%age points above the statewide average. The great news is that that subject was Language Arts (grammar/writing skills). The even better news is that, relative to the other 15 schools, our 10th grade Language Arts score ranked 4th of 16. Language Arts skills have been identified as a weakness by both state colleges and employers. The math score fell below 80% this year. Last year, all 5 subject areas scored above 80%. Considering only Reading and Math, 10th graders ranked 14 out of the 16 area districts. Considering the big "3" (which adds Language Arts), our 10th graders ranked 8 of 16.

Middle School - 8th grade
As the table shows, when all 5 subject areas are considered, relative to the other 15 local school districts, Sun Prairie ranked 11th (subjects ranged from 9th to 12th). Last year we also ranked 11th. Both this year and last year all 5 subjects ranked 4 to 8 %age points above the statewide average. Even though the Language Arts score ranked only 9th, last year we ranked 13th. This year 8th graders increased their Language Arts percentage by 2 points over last year. This is of note in light of the fact that half of the area school districts' Language Arts scores dropped by 4 or more percentage points.

Considering only Reading and Math, 8th graders ranked 9th out of the 16 area districts. Considering the big "3" (which adds Language Arts), our 8th graders ranked 11 of 16. Of interesting note is that of the 16 area districts, only Middleton-Cross Plains scored at least 80% (80%) proficient or advanced in Language Arts.


Elementary School - 4th grade
As the table shows, when all 5 subject areas are considered, relative to the other 15 local school districts, Sun Prairie ranked 9th (subjects ranged from 3rd to 10th). Last year we ranked 12th. Both this year and last year all 5 subjects ranked 4 to 9%age points above the statewide average.

Even though the Language Arts score ranked only 9th, last year we ranked 13th. This year 8th graders increased their Language Arts percentage by 2 points over last year. This is of note in light of the fact that half of the area school districts' Language Arts scores dropped by 4 or more percentage points.

Considering only Reading and Math, 8th graders ranked 10th out of the 16 area districts. Considering the big "3" (which adds Language Arts), our 8th graders ranked 10 of 16. Of interesting note is that of the 16 area districts, only Madison scored LESS THAN 90% proficient or advanced in Social Studies. Only Waunakee scored at least 90% proficient or advanced in all 5 subject areas. Cambridge was close with subject scores ranging from 89% to 100% proficient or advanced.

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For more information:

Read the 5-30-08 Wisconsin State Journal article comparing WKCE scores of area schools

Read District Administrator Tim Culver's Press Release appearing in the STAR

Read the 99 page Sun Prairie school district 2007 Monitoring Report

Engaging the Community = Chastising Citizens who DO Care?

While the school board continues its quest on how to better engage the community, one has to wonder: by "engage" is the board intending the meaning "enter into conflict with" its citizens? Because the few times citizens have the courage to speak up about what they see, they seem to get lambasted.

OK, perhaps the few that do consistently speak up don't always sugar coat their message. But is that a reason to verbally slap them upside the head --or worse--ignore them? But perhaps the reason for these citizens' approach is their frustration at TRYING to speak to the board only to be perennially rebuffed. Has the board president ever considered talking one-on-one with the "troublesome" citizens? Is the board capable of listening and just once not simply voting against whatever these citizens speak about simply because they don't like the messenger? Once again, is THIS the role model these board members wish to be for our children?

At Monday's school board meeting, Roger Fetterly spoke out about what he (and many others who agree but don't wish to waste their time speaking to an unyielding board) believes to be overly generous contracts for administrators. Fetterly said,

"These contracts are overly generous. The people that are really doing some work in our society, putting their life on the line, are getting 3.5% increases and they get shot at every day. In every case, I don't think you're being realistic."

Board President David Stackhouse's ivory tower response to Fetterly:

"Why is it that you have to wait until the very end to say 'gotcha'? If you care about this district the way you say you do, you would have come to us earlier and shared your experience for the betterment of the district."

WHOA, Mr. Stackhouse. Your facts are grossly in error. SP-EYE has witnessed Mr. Fetterly stating similar concerns on this issue at numerous full school board meetings and finance committee meetings. He also attends many administrator compensation meetings...but the board NEVER asks his or anyone else's opinion at these sessions.

Furthermore...what is the purpose of the "public input" and "citizen presentation" segments at board meetings if not to speak to the board???

To be perfectly clear and accurate, input is taken committee meetings, but this board disregards those that believe differently. SP-EYE has attended these compensation negotiation sessions on occasion as well. In fact, citizen visitors to these meetings are treated quite coldly, making it clear that while state laws require that their attendance be allowed; they are tolerated, NOT welcomed.

It is unacceptable for you or anyone to use your board seat--to which no public response or rebuttal is allowed-- to mis-state the facts. You KNOW that this issue has been raised previously. You support all raises provided to administration and staff...we get that. Just try to remember that yours is ONE OPINION only, and that you represent the entire district.

Exactly What Do they Direct?

Got a minute or 2?

Go to http://www.spasd.k12.wi.us/web/glking/about and check out the titles of our school board members. These self-appointed titles also appear on their name placards at board meetings.

We elect 7 board MEMBERS. 5 are elected within the board to officer positions:
President: David Stackhouse
Vice-President: John Whalen
Treasurer: Jim McCourt
Clerk: Jim Carrel
Deputy Clerk: Caren Diedrich

Then we have DIRECTORS: Terry Shimek and Caren Diedrich

Directors? What? What exactly do they direct?
Why is the board giving itself titles that don't exist in statute or policy?
Is being simply a "Board Member" not elitist enough? Do we all need to have a fancy title to feel good about ourselves?

Once again...how does THIS affect student achievement?



Food for thought.

Will the health benefits divide between Administrators and support staff be narrowed?

As past posts have shown, school district support staff pay a far larger share of their health insurance benefits than do teachers or administrators. Tomorrow (Monday May 19 @ 5:30 pm), the school board's Administratiove Compensation Benefits subcommittee meets to discuss/exchange proposals for the next contract between the School District and Administrators.

Although they can go into closed session on occasion, this is a public meeting and attendance will offer a window into the high-stakes negotiation tactics employed. Feel free to attend and see how hard our elected "leaders" bargain. Think the board will be as hard-nosed as they were on the boundary issue? Think there will be pizza or subs?

Download a copy of the Public notice

120 SPHS Students missing?

It's 9:00 am...do you know where your high school students are?

A "Concerned Citizen" was wondering about the recent numbers of high school students posted. Concerned Citizen (do you get a visual of the "Smoking Man" of X-Files fame?) asked a very simple question. Concerned Citizen pointed out that the official "3rd Friday" (of September) count of Sun Prairie High School students was 1733. Then, the March 2008 official total of 1674 students was released. Finally, High School principal Paul Keats issued a revised HS honor roll student count indicating the total was now 1613 students.

We understand that the boundary issue has weighed heavily on the minds of the district. Also put aside for a moment any questions of whether a reduction of this magnitude suggests we didn't even need a new school (current HS capacity is about 1816). Do we need to call an Amber Alert for the 120 SPHS students that are missing since September? Where did they go? Has Sun Prairie High become Sunny Prairie-dale High? Are there dark forces at work here?

Thanks to Alice Murphy, Assistant District Administrator for Instructional Programs, the mystery has been answered. Between September and January, we lost 41 students from the original 1733, taking it to 1692. Then 18 HS students graduated early in December, taking the total to 1674 students for the 3/31/08 count. The difference between the total of 1613 students (reported after the honor roll fiasco) and the 1674 (61 students) represents those students who received 1 or more "incompletes" for a class, thus excluding them from calculations to determine whether or not they were qualified for the honor roll.

Mystery solved. While it's clear that the number changes during the school year, we can say that as of May 1, 2008, there were 1670 students attending SPHS (9th: 461; 10th: 412; 11th: 411; 12th: 386). [Source: School Board mtg package enrollment information] An additional 68 students attend the SOAR, alternative high school.

Much thanks to Concerned Citizen for looking at the numbers in such detail! We only become more knowledgeable when we ask questions. Isn't that what we're teaching our students? One of the problems with computers and technology is that these wonderful databases only provide us with data based on the query we make (the age old IO problem). Perhaps, in addition to hard coding the honor roll criterion into the query, we might also want to ensure that the total count is based on ALL students, not just those without "incomplete " grades.

Boundary Issue Redux: Board Stubbornly Affirms Its Earlier Decision

As each board member philosophised their individual positions on the March 11th boundary decisions, it became clear where they stood. No vote was needed. Finally. Jim Carrel moved that the board rescind it's March 11th decision, which was seconded by board resident David Stackhouse. The roll was called:

In favor (of rescinding the decision): Stackhouse, Carrel, Camber-Davidson
Opposed: Diedrich, Whalen, Shimek, McCourt

And so it went; the motion to rescind failed 3-4. But let's backup a bit.

The agenda item began with countless members of the public once again imploring the board to reconsider the decisions made on March 11th ( http://sp-eye.blogspot.com/2008/03/sun-prairie-school-boundaries-finalized.html ). Another 62 cards were turned in from those people that did not wish to speak, but who support rescinding the earlier vote. A petition containing signatures of 500 community residents who also supported rescinding the decision was presented.

Yes, many of these folks had "said their piece" at previous meetings. But there was a different feeling in the air. This was not a bunch of "elitists" who simply didn't want their kids going to a different school. This was a community that organized, did extensive research into the issue and numbers, and presented their case firmly.

But most importantly, this group came forward offering to be part of the solution, rather than just voicing opposition. Loudly and clearly, these folks stated that they only wanted a temporary reprieve from the boundary decisions in order that the District take the necessary time to do this job right, rather than slapping on another temporary band-aid. They told the board that if, after properly researching all the issues, the board had clear data which indicated that moving their children made the most sense for the District, then they would abide by that decision.

This was also not just parents...but a number of teachers from Bird Elementary spoke out in support of rescinding the decision. Is this not the definition of community based, data-driven decisions? In most cases, board members need to wrap themselves around a board decision. Sometime, however, they do "get it wrong". (Have the 4 board members forgotten the Madison school board's school naming fiasco?). And in those rare instances, board members need to put on their big boy (and girl) pants and admit their error. They will be bigger people and garner much more respect for it. Unfortunately it's too late.

Some key highlight's from individual board members' soliloquies:

Jill Camber-Davidson: "This move has not just affected the kids, but the entire community. Free/Reduced lunches does not mean a problem child; it's just an indication of need or an achievement gap. There are studies that show obese children don't have problems with achievement. What's next...balancing the district's children for obesity?"

John Whalen : "There's nothing to say that was not said on March 11th. I didn't come here with my mind made up."


Caren Diedrich: [SP-EYE note: Warning. The following quotes have been rated at least PG-13. Ms. Diedrich didn't speak to the audience, she nearly screamed at them, all the while chastising them.] "This pretty much ruined my weekend. I'm tired of the pissing contest...move this kid here, move that kid there. I don't appreciate YOU [the parents who spoke] managing our schools. Bitch at us. He [Culver] manages the schools according to our direction. [after analyzing things] you left me with very few things that it could be [reasons for opposition]. Could it be that your kids just don't want to rub elbows with the Westside kids? "


Jim Carrel: "We 7 serve at the discretion of the voters. If we're doing something that alienates the community, then we're doing something wrong. I did not make condescending assumptions on why you did not want your kids to be moved' I came to you and asked. We didn't listen. We did this...the 7 of us...actually, just 3 of us. The question is not whether to rescind the decision; that is obvious. We are not balancing diversity by moving 13 kids.


Jim McCourt: "I don't think it's obvious. I haven't heard anything new. You can't assume a decision will be rescinded just because there are new board members. To think that [because 40 kids will be moving out of the District as a result of this change] that we'll re-think our decision? I'm not saying it's just a threat."

Terry Shimek: "This is not necessarily the best solution, but it's an equitable solution. Did we choose the best process? No....but in the end it worked. The Bird folks presented some good information. We [board members] can't communicate [outside meetings] so I don't know if everyone read it all...but I think they all did."

David Stackhouse: "My goal has always been to support board decisions. But I disagree with this decision...it was a short term fix. As a district we need to make all our schools equal...to a point. I think we made a mistake and need to pull it back."

SPHS Honor roll....a different view

The recent Sun Prairie High School Honor roll error has caused quite a stir. In fact, the news tidbit has been picked up by a number of news services: north as far as Eagle River, east to Sheboygan, west to Eau Claire, and even south as far as Chicago. Google "sun prairie honor roll" and see for yourself. Slow news day? Or was the information of value for some other reason?

What we have learned is this:

1. The "error" was that instead of printing out a list of students with a 3rd quarter GPA of 3.2 and above, the list included all students with a GPA of 2.0 and above.


2. "We should have had 694 students that were listed as making the honor roll," said Sun Prairie High School Principal Paul Keats. "Because of the mistake we had 1,339 that were listed."

SP-EYE requested the corrected numbers from Mr. Keats and learned the following:

.......................Honor Roll......TotalStudents
12th grade:.........167...................358................47%
11th grade:.........171...................398................43%
10th grade:.........160...................400................40%
..9th grade:........196...................457................43%
____________________________________
Total...............694..................1613................43%

Certainly, the original list was a cause for concern as it meant that 83% of SPHS students had achieved a 3rd quarter average grade of about a B+ or better (standard grading for a B+ is 3.3 out of 4.0 GPA; SPHS uses 3.2 as a cut-off for honor roll).

What else does the information tell us?
If 1339 of 1613 students had a GPA of 2.0 or above (83%)
and the actual number of students with a GPA of 3.2 or above is 694,
then 1339 - 694 = 645...and that's the number of students with a GPA of 2.0 to 3.2.
The # of students with a GPA below 2.0 would be 1613- 1339 or 274 (17%).

How does all this stack up against a statistically "normal" distribution? 68% of students would be expected to obtain a grade of C (1.7-2.3). 13.6% would be expected to earn a grade of "B" (2.7-3.3". Another 13.6% would be expected to earn a "D" grade. Under a normal distribution, 2.2% of students would earn an "A", while another 2.2% would be expected to fail.

Let's Not Discuss Our Dirty Laundry...

During the section on open records at Tuesday's school board working session, board president David Stackhouse asked community member Roger Fetterly if there was anything else he'd like to add. It happened so quickly, we still can't recall how the conversation turned to expulsion, but it did. Noting that there have been so many expulsion hearings, Fetterly suggested that the district should be informing people about expulsions. Stackhouse angrily asked, "Why would we want to [notify the public] about expulsions? Who would want to know that?!

Reality Bites
OK...time out. Let's analyze that statement. We think we get the point that Stackhouse is trying to make. Certainly, expulsions for certain reasons (e.g., weapons) could alarm the public. We don't want to do that. Expulsion is one of those dark secrets we don't want to talk about...the unsightly stains on the unmentionables, so to speak. We might be OK with letting our freak flag fly, but who wants to have their marked boxers hanging out on the clothesline? Right? Last but not least we have the growing community to think about. If people think the schools are "troubled" with violence then they may be less inclined to mortgage their lives away to purchase a house in Sun Prairie. Or, to put it differently, "If I wanted to pay that much for a house where there are "problems" in the schools, then I'd just live in Madison." Right? There are a lot of Sun Prairie homes on the market, and we've all read about what happens when enrollment declines.

SP Expulsions up 400%
Let's recap ( see http://sp-eye.blogspot.com/2008/04/expulsions-up-400.html )

There have been 16 expulsion hearings this year. There have been 15 expulsions. We're certain the 16th was also expelled, but we have to make a separate public records request to find that out, what grade level, and the reason.


Back to Stackhouse's angered response. Is Stackhouse maybe responding for the district and not as a member of the public? Who would want to know that expulsions are occurring? Maybe the same people that would want to know that a convicted (and released) sexual predator is living in their neighborhood? Parents worry about their children...and we know Stackhouse does too. If Stackhouse can step outside of his shoes for a moment and wear those of a new community member, or one considering moving here, he WOULD want to know if there were behavioral or violence problems in the schools.


So, expulsions are one of those family secrets that we acknowledge only privately. We solemnly pass a look to each other that communicates concern, but then we move on. Out of sight, out of mind. Not unlike your crazy aunt's drinking problems, or the cousin who continually is in trouble with the law. And in those cases, not talking about it might be a way of forgetting about it and moving on.


But these are our kids, too! We've expelled SEVEN middle school kids this year so far! Half of the expulsions so far are not even of high school age! These are barely teenagers! We constantly hear board members preaching that it's about ALL the kids. Does that mean the ones that are expelled too? Or have we given up on them? And what happens to a pre-teen child that is expelled? We still have a responsibility to educate them...usually by home tutoring at the taxpayer's expense. Oh we LOVE to use the word connectedness, and preach its importance. I'm sure those kids feel connected. Do students expelled from high school simply drop out? Maybe we'd like to know what happens to these kids. We understand the privacy element, but we CAN speak in generics without identifying students. And it's not like their peers don't know who got expelled and the kid magically disappears. People WILL talk. And the only way to dispel a rumor is to be open about what's going on. Newsflash! Deflecting the issue is only going to make people smell something wrong.

Out of sight, out of mind?
If a problem isn't on our collective radar screen, then how can we address it? This past Tuesday, board members identified the issues in the district that they wanted to work on in the coming year. Not a single one mentioned the rise in expulsions as an issue worth addressing. The only one that came close was Jim Carrel who alluded to seeing the influx of lower income families and the associated "behavioral demographics" the board has encountered via expulsion hearings.


Are board members aware, and just do not care? (because that is one problem) Or is the larger problem that a lack of information about expulsions precludes the issue from appearing on radar screens until some tragedy occurs?


We've spent taxpayer dollars to hire a Communications Manager to put more spin on school district issues than Rocket Roger Clemens used to put on his curve ball. So, why aren't we using this asset to turn this frown upside down? You cant just sell the good stuff. Maybe it's time the District put something together along the lines of, "Hey! You may had noticed that the number of expulsions has increased significantly. This is what happens after an expulsion (yada yada yada).


Madison is talking about the issue. So whay aren't we?
Think that you don't want to know about expulsions? That there's no story there? What about the kid from Madison who was expelled recently for bringing a knife to school--to cut an onion for a science project. He doesn't sound like Public Enemy #1. http://www.channel3000.com/news/1386173/detail.html

As a result of public outcry, Madison is now discussing a change to its zero-tolerance policy. (see http://www.channel3000./education/16042967/detail.html )

In short, instead of getting all defensive about the issue--like there's something to hide or be ashamed of--let's put a plan in place to resolve the problem. And, as long as you continue to want to keep this quiet, there are those in the public that will make public record requests to ferret out the very information that you seem to not wish to share. These stories WILL get out. It's all a question of whether the district and the board wish to be PROactive or REactive.

SP-EYE supported the high school's strict approach to handling the fighting that was occurring last year. But new issues are occurring: weapons and drugs. The public has a right to know WHAT is happening in our schools and HOW the district is dealing with it. Consequently, cramming these skeletons in a closet is not the solution....everyone knows that eventually the closet becomes overfilled, the contents spill out, and all hell breaks loose.

School board members are elected BY the people to tell us openly what is going on. To say the least, it's a question of ethics when you don't share with us the not-so-good news. We're investing in our childrens' educations. School board members and administration staff are our "portfolio managers" per se. Wouldn't you want the person who invests your future to share more than just the good news with you?

The School Board Unplugged

Tuesday May 5th was the annual school board "working session" (read: no cameras or microphones) to establish Committee assignments and discuss individual and group goals for the year.

Of course there was pizza (looked like 4 medium pizzas and (2) 2-L bottles of soda (Pepsi and MUG Root Beer if you're interested). But very little was eaten. Oh...but we digress...we should talk about what happened at the meeting.

Carrel takes a new job?
The session began with brief member intros about themselves. The one note of interest was that Jim Carrel used most of his time to explain that he missed the earlier intros because he had to take a call. He has been contacted by a recruiter...a "headhunter"...and for some reason felt people should know that "this was the hiring phone call". Carrel concluded by noting that this was a great job because he "won't have to move and it will help with the people that get upset about [Carrel] not abstaining on checks [to his current (former?) employer, Johnson Controls].

Individual goals
An interesting session where each board member discussed his/her "hot issues".

David Stackhouse: Now that the high school space issue has been resolved, wants to focus on "something else", like connectedness, student achievement. Create enough opportunities for kids so that we're getting kids engaged and preparing them for their futures after high school.

Caren Diedrich: Interested in looking into, at least on a trial basis, same gender classes was done in Janesville. Review whether we are really maximizing education at the elementary level (this is the point at which we need to engage kids in learning). Consider starting a 4-yr old kindergarten program. Look into starting Spanish in earlier grades.

John Whalen: Interested in whatever it takes to get our kids to be the best students, the most highly educated, so that they can be successfully and eventually give back to the community.

Jim Carrel: Would like to see some new standards for building efficiency...more than just cost per square foot. Sustainability as more than an environmental issue, but socioeconomical concerns. Noting the changing behavioral and financial demographics within the district, wants to "level the playing field" for all students. Wants to better understand "how students get educated"...the education structure. Interested in continuing the community engagement process ("if it's a 10-mile walk, we've just gotten to the door"). Would like the high school to have a competitive debate team (corrected Tim Culver that forensics is not debating; debating is a category of forensics).

Terry Shimek: Primary concern is to provide value in all decisions we make. Cost not to be a deterrent; need to take care of current students' needs first. Look at more involvement for students in extracurriculars, particularly in middle and elementary schools. Expansion for talented & gifted students (note: Shimek's wife is a TAG teacher for the district). Would like to see SP have at least one National Merit scholar annually. More rewards for teachers that are really doing outstanding things. Fiscal responsibility - need to balance opportunity costs with buildings. Wants district to have a swimming pool.

Jill Camber-Davidson: Did not want one high school. Now that the decision has been made, how can we ensure that we can make it the best it can be and kids don't get lost. Agreed with Caren Diedrich; maximize education potential at the elementary level. At the community level, we need to heal the wounds which were opened during the boundary process. We need a better way for dealing with boundaries. When we talk of moving kids based on their parents' incomes, what message are we sending?

Board Committee assignments
It was hard to hear and Stackhouse flew through his assignments. What we gathered (will be announced at next school board meetings was:
FTT - Jim Carrel (chair), Jill Camber-Davidson, and _________
Human Resources- Caren Diedrich (Chair?) and Jim McCourt

Open Records
No board members had any questions. They all have this stuff down cold.
David Stackhouse made some sharp comments in response to a citizen whom Stackhouse had asked for input on the issue. Geee...do you want to offer some input on this issue? SLAM! More on that later!

Open Meetings
No board members had any questions. Predictably, Jim Carrel took the opportunity to defend that the board did not have to public notice their "dinner" during the WASB conference. As usual he got it half right. The board still needs documentation that no public business was discussed during said dinner.

Expulsion became a hot topic. We'll talk more about that tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Catch the School Board...Unplugged

If you attend ONE school board meeting, this is the one that you should attend:

o Tuesday, May 6, 2008 5:30 p.m.
o School Board work/study meeting,
o at the School District Office (Room 106)
o 501 S. Bird St., Sun Prairie.

See the school board with microphones and camera off (of course, seeing the agenda, this is probably the one meeting that SHOULD be shown on TV).

The agenda includes the following:

4. Individual and Board goals (Policy BA)
5. Committee assignments (who will chair which committee)
6. Liaison selection
7. Policy & procedure review
___A. BHA, New Board Member Orientation
___B. BHA-R, Board Orientation Procedures
8. Questions & answers regarding the following documents:
___A. Wisconsin Public Records Law
___B. Wisconsin Open Meetings Law
___D. 65.90 Municipal budgets
___E. 19.59 Codes of ethics for local government officials, employees and candidates

Issues such as Open Meetings and Open Records have plagued the school board both recently and in years past. This meeting will give residents an opportunity to see the board discuss how they plan to address these subjects. The only rule for attendance is that, unlike a routine board meeting, where the agenda provides opportunities for citizen input, this session is for the board members. But we do get to observe.

...and don't be discouraged by the fact that the meeting is being scheduled in a tiny conference room at the District headquarters. This meeting, like all other school board meetings (except those few which meet criteria for a closed meeting), MUST be a public meeting.

More importantly, there should be NO reason why the board should feel uncomfortable discussing these subjects openly. This doesn't have to be a touchy-feely kumbaya session. It NEEDS to be a frank discussion about the school board's legal and ethical responsibilities. And those are things, we, the public DO have a right to be in on. We encourage folks to attend this session. If the close quarters get cramped, the board should do the right thing and move it to Room 100, the District's large meeting room.

Do you think there will be pizza or subs??

Carrel Responds...

Letter! We get letters...and e-mails!
Imagine that...Carreel has it within him to admit he made a trivial error... but then insists that his conclusions are still correct. Isn't that kinda like the guy who said, "I thought I was wrong once...but it turns out I wasn't". Not exactly the reach-down-deep-inside response we were looking for. and Jim, we too can admit when we're wrong. But we're not, in this case. Does that have a familiar ring to it?

Jim Carrel has even obtained a legal opinion that his conclusions are correct. But don't you worry Sun Prairie residents, the beautiful thing about the law is that even if it seem apparent that it says one thing, there's always a lawyer out there that believes it says the opposite. Jim Carrel must have found that lawyer.

If you ask SP-EYE, Carrel's logic represents the biggest stretch since Ryan Leaf was selected #2 overall in the 1998 NFL draft.

[SP-EYE does the math: $3,000 for a 2-3 day conference means that their "lost wages" represent as much as $1,000 a day? That would put their "day job" salaries at about $125/hr, or $250K per year. Now THAT is a tall tale! What we like about Carrel is that he doesn't just dream, he dream BIG.]

Is it possible that Carrel (and others) could successfully seek reimbursement for their $2,000 to $3,000 each in lost wages? Sure. Anything's possible. It's been possible each year for a long time that the Cubs would win a World Series...but they haven't.

Two things would have to happen in order for Carrel's scenario to even remotely appear on the threat warning detector.

First, Carrel would have to convince someone that attendance at the annual convention represents a "required duty" of a school board member. The State Statute Carrel DOESN'T point out, 120.12, outlines the legal duties of a school board. There are 26 line items. Funny, not one of them says anything about conference attendance. It's called choices, Mr. Carrel. You can choose to attend, or choose not to. But it's not a pre-requisite of the job.

The second thing that would have to happen (assuming he could ever get past #1) is that at an annual meeting of the electors, the electors would have to vote to approve such a reimbursement. You think THAT's going to happen? It's been tough just getting approval to pay those board members $3,200 per year for their time and effort. What on earth makes Carrel think the electors would vote to reimburse ANY school board member for $3,000 for one conference that's not remotely mandatory. It's more likely the electors would vote to lynch him.
So sleep easy, Sun Prairie. Jim Carrel can boast all he wants. SP-EYE will be here to give you not just the facts, but documentation to support them.

Read for yourself: Ch. 120, State Statutes

Boundary Issue back on the agenda!

The rumors were correct, and it was announced at Monday's meeting that the school board will put the controversial boundary issue back on the agenda for its May 12 meeting. President Stackhouse kept a good poker face and didn't give any indication of whether it would be merely to appease those that have lobbied hard...and convincingly...to re-consider the decision.

Will the board simply vote to reaffirm its earlier decision? Or will the boundaries be up for discussion again? Tune in May 12.

Culver controversy put to bed...at last

And no...Tim Culver didn't fall asleep during last night's meeting. After more than 6 months, the school board finally added some documentation to a long standing "undocumented understanding" regarding reimbursement for district administrator Tim Culver's Rotary Club membership. The board voted unanimously to approve payment of the dues, and meals at Rotary meetings "going forward" (whatever that means). We're wondering if that means we'll still pay for it if Culver retires. When exactly does "going forward" stop?

We're on record of supporting the membership...just not how it was documented...i.e., not at all. This district needs to be run more like a business and not using the Loosey Goosey method of fiscal accounting. Culver's contract already includes stipulations that one national and one state membership will be paid for by the District Why not add a local membership...the Rotary. Then it gets tied to his employment, and all "benefits" reside in a single place....the contract. The board signs "side letters to contracts all the time".

The board responded that all checks get approved by the Finance Committee and then the board, so therefore the membership was already approved. Yep...and folks watch those checks really well...don't they? At the last board meeting a check had to be re-issued because it was originally paid out to the wrong vendor. Did anyone notice? Frankly it's only a few citizens and one citizen rep on the Finance Committee that ever ask for explanation of ANY checks. Has anyone ever counted the checks that are written by the District in a single 2-week period? There are a lot of pucks that could get past the goalie.

Ahhhh...but we're not bitter...and we're not taking it personally, Mr. Carrel! Disappointed? Certainly. A citizen poses an equally simple , and arguably more defensible solution, but the board disagrees. No wonder people have been asking if the board simply votes down anything certain citizens speak out about. No...our elected leaders would never do such a thing. Clearly they know better how to manage the District's $65 M finances.

At least we finally have a firm, documented vote/approval on the expenditure instead of a bunch of "yeah...it's come up over the years....we've talked about that...just never taken any action on it".

Whalen Decisions Carrel in 7!

Nope...Monday's school board meeting did not erupt in fisticuffs. But it did take 7 rounds of voting to break a 3-3 tie vote for Vice President of the school board! Board policy is to continue voting until either everyone falls asleep or a majority vote is obtained. We might want to put that particular policy in the "Huh???" column. I mean...seriously....if the President is ill or unable to make a meeting, it's not like the VP takes over as leader of the free school district.

Inquiring minds were postulating that a series of six 3-3 votes is either a sign of yet another split within the board or that Jim Carrel's venomous tirade against fellow board members has not yet been forgotten.

People are also wondering how the 3-3 tie dissolved into a 4-2 Whalen victory. Did Carrel fall on his sword and switch his vote? Or did someone else turn on Carrel.

In other officer election results, David Stackhouse, predictably, was a unanimous choice for President, as was Jim McCourt for Treasurer (after Caren Diedrich declined the nomination). Carrel was voted Clerk and Jill Camber Davidson was voted Deputy Clerk.

Why SP-EYE?

In his STAR editorial, school board member Jim Carrel states (not alleges) that this blog is "filled with hatred for the School Board". Webster's defines hatred as "Strong aversion; intense dislike; hate; an affection of the mind awakened by something regarded as evil. " Mr. Carrel does not understand; in fact, Carrel mimself sat down with SP-EYE back in January for a quite candid, amiable discussion over soft drinks. On a personal level, SP-EYE harbors no malice or ill will towards any board member. There is concern however, that these same people take on very different characteristics when they settle into their board seats. Sometimes the change is so startling, it seems that a call to Buffy the Vampire Slayer is in order.

Board members were each elected to manage the school district from a fiscal and policy angle, while adhering to the voices of the community. Yet, they only listen when droves of people come to meetings to speak out...and sometimes not even then. Community residents are very busy with their own lives and families, and frequently only think about the board when property tax bills arrive or prior to referendum elections. These folks need access to more complete information more regularly. Perhaps if they have ALL the information, they will communicate their feelings to board members directly or at meetings. Change starts small.

Reading this blog represents a choice, just as choosing to disregard some residents is a choice of the school board. Free will and democracy are indeed wonderful things. People have the right to read the information presented here and look further into it (trust but verify) as they see fit. If they don't like the tone or the information, they can choose to read no further. Life is but a series of choices.

While SP-EYE has a number of concerns regarding actions (or inaction) of the school board, fiscal responsibility concerns are firmly ensconced in the top slot. Some folks and board members feel that the issues raised involve petty amounts. Isn't that up to the community to decide? Relative to a $65M budget, some amounts might seem small, but they all add up...and quickly. More importantly, loose control over fiscal matter can lead to fiscal abuse. What are some of the issues?

Fast food expenditures. Last year over $5,000 for fast food at Milio's, Cousins, Pizza Hiut and others. This year (to date) over $3600 has been spent.

Flowers. Over $370.00 has been spent this year(to date), and over $500 last year. We all share thoughts of grief, convalescence, or joy for co-workers, but not on the taxpayers' dime).

Attorney's fees. We pay at least $230/hour to a fiorm on retainer. Do we really need to consult an attorney over whether to release the resumes and applications of candidates for a vacant school board seat? For the release of names and e-mail addresses of citizens serving on a committee? On one bill alone over $2,800 was spent in response to the basketball coach fiasco.
Contract Compliance. Failure to monitor contract limitations and hold the line on reimbursements allowable by contract (Tim Culver). If Culver wanted the Rotary membership and expenses to be covered under his contract, he and the board should have negotiated it. He gets paid plenty. I'm almost surprised we didn't include a monthly Starbucks allotment.

Competitive Bidding. Choosing not to use competitive bidding to award major work such as the architect for Creekside and the new high school. Competition can help get quality AND the best price.

Conference costs. Sending 6 school board members to the annual state school board conference (the infamous $42/person steak dinner; not to mention total conference costs) when 1-2 could have gone and brought back key information represents nothing more than taxpayer waste. Having 6 board members dining with the Administrator (without public notice) could also be viewed as a violation of Open Meetings laws.

Other expensditures. Approving $2,226 for the Academic Decathlon team to spend 1? 2? nights at the Concourse hotel) exactly 11 miles away from SPHS is really a questionable expense. Yes, this team did an awesome job. But we have other sports teams that perform equally gruelling tasks (on a physical level) yet they come home on a long bus ride late at night. Check #85470 $2226 Concourse Hotel 3/11/08 . Lodging for HS Acadec state competition for six students and their advisor. The students paid for half of the hotel cost and the district paid for the other half. $2,226 for 7 people = $318/person. Location : 1 W Dayton St. Madison; 11.64 miles Time: 26 mins from SPHS.

This case in particular begs further review. In theory, a request was made (and approved) by the high school principal. From there, approval (or approvals) was (were) obtained from district administration. Someone should have said "I'm sorry, but we can't approve this". The problem is that once it got to the school board's Finance Committee, the charges had already been made. What were they going to do, deny the check? So, instead of taking formal action to ensure that such a deicison does not occur again, they rationalized approval. Someone must be held accountable. Has this step now set a precedent? When our sports teams travel to Janeville or Beloit, much further away, and finish up late at night prior to a school day, do we put them up in a hotel?

These are arguably merely the tip of the iceberg. But we'll never know what else is going on until people start looking at financial data and administrative decisions in detail, and then taking the difficult, but necessary, corrective action to change the status quo.

It's time to make fiscal responsibility a higher priority in this school district. No more glossing over the checks written twice each month.

School Board to elect new officers

At the Monday April 28, 2008, new board members Jill Camber-Davidson and Terry Shimek will take their oath of office. The other big business item will be election of board officers.

Click to download the board package

Carrel whines; "Let us wine & dine! (on the taxpayer dime)"

Jim Carrel used the STAR this week to "set the record straight". Kinda sounded a lot like his e-mail about a year ago, where he said, " I'm not sure what his agenda is, but I would recommend you contact me and not others anytime you have a question....".

Only once again, Mr. Carrel says to listen to his facts, not those in "some blog". It was a moving opinion piece. Too bad he got it all wrong (again).

Carrel cites state statute (or law). We only hope he doesn't read critical school board materials like he reads statutes, because he got it all wrong. In fact, the section of statutes he quoted has nothing to do with school boards! He apparently was so driven to find some way to substantiate his $42 steak dinner (and threaten ability to charge more) that he didn't read the introduction to the section he quoted. When he found these sections he surely must have had one helluva case of premature elation.

Here's what the statute language immediately PRIOR to his citations clarifies:

19.59(1)(g)1. In this paragraph:
19.59(1)(g)1.a. "District" means a local professional baseball park district created under subch. III of ch. 229 or a local professional football stadium district created under subch. IV of ch. 229.
19.59(1)(g)1.b. "District board member" means a member of the district board of a district.

Sorry, Jim...but you're a school district board member...not a Pro baseball or football park district board member. Your facts are in error, and you have no right to threaten that you COULD charge "$2,000 or 3,000" to the taxpayers.

But see for yourself. Don't blindly listen to anyone. Instead, opt to find a source of information and then practice the fine art of "trust, but verify". Read for yourself the sections of state statute he quoted. Several of us are pretty well versed in reading statute and administrative code. It doesn't appear that Mr. Carrel is.


Ch. 19, WI Statutes

Strike 2, Mr. Carrel.

Your 2nd error was your interpretation of the statutes related to reimbursement of school board members' expenses. The statute says:

120.10 Powers of annual meeting. The annual meeting of a common or union high
school district may:

120.10(4) Authorize the payment of actual and necessary expenses of a school
board member when traveling in the performance of
duties and the reimbursement of a school board member for actual
loss of earnings when duties require the school board member to be absent from
regular employment.

A. The statute offers an option: "may". That means the electors MAY choose to authorize a reimbursement. If it were a "shall", then it would be something that ONLY the electors can do. But it doesn't address setting a policy for maximum reimbursement. The BOARD does that. Wait. The Board SHOULD do that...since they did for teachers and Local 60 members.

B. It is arguable at best that attending an OPTIONAL conference represents "traveling in the performance of duties". We're pretty sure the duties of a school board member do not say "must attend conferences".

STRIKE 3; YOU'RE OUT!

Carrel stated,

"Some of the blogs are written by individuals or groups full of bitterness and rage and offer nothing more than hatred." and [Chris Mertes] accurately quoted from a local blog which is filled with hatred for the School Board."

For an elected official, Mr. Carrel sure operates off of a lot of supposition. Does that make for a good board member? Mr. Carrel has no idea what emotions drive this blog. In fact he claims he doesn't even read it. When looking for the requisite qualities in a school board member we must have missed the part where it says, "a good board member will subjectively label things of which s/he has no knowledge or without even reading them."

Is SP-EYE frustrated with actions of our school board? Sure. But according to the election results, SP-EYE is not alone in that emotion. What does drive SP-EYE is a profound lack respect for those that cannot simply take responsibility for a bad action on their part. Rather than saying, "You know what? Maybe that $42 steak dinner was a bad idea.", Carrel and others are on a never ending quest to somehow justify what they do. In fact, in this recent editorial, Carrel even (incorrectly) suggested that they COULD charge us for lost wages!

Here's hoping Jill Camber-Davidson and Terry Shimek bring a different approach to these issues.

I guess this constitutes another finger pointing. Wonder which one?

Culver Controversy Continues...

It's been well over 6 months since it was pointed out by a citizen at a school board Finance Committee meeting, and later at full board meetings, that Tim Culver's reimbursement for Rotary Club dues exceed the terms of his contract.

Finance Committee chair Jim McCourt isn't concerned. Off the record, another current board member stated that it should be addressed, but "likely we [the school board] will simply vote to amend Culver's contract to include the Rotary Club dues".

Some wonder how sweet a deal does our District Administrator have to get before our elected school board members, cry foul? A contract is a contract, and if this one is being exceeded, what else is being exceeded? Are the school district's finances an open-air chicken coop?

Culver's contract calls for :

$135, 454 salary ( $11,288/mo)
$ 3,900 ($ 325/m0) for use of his car within Dane Co
$ 1,500 ($ 125/mo) for "miscellaneous out of pocket expenses"

We, the taxpayers, already pay for two memberships, as per the contract.

Should Culver's $125/month, automatic pay, for "miscellaneous expenditures" be used to cover his $25/quarter Rotary dues? Last year taxpayers paid just over $400 for his Rotary Club dues and meals during their meetings. Isn't that precisely the kind of expense for which he's already paid $125 per month?

We're sure this is one of those small insignificant amounts that new board member Terry Shimek indicated that he wasn't concerned about during the elections. Wonder if he'd feel that way if it were coming out of HIS own pocket?

Retiring from the Sun Prairie School District

[pt 4. in a series exploring the contractual differences between Administrators, teachers (SPEA) and support staff (AFSCME Local 60)]

Retirement. It's what we all look forward to as age creeps up on us. For most folks, the nagging question, "Will I have enough money to live comfortably in retirement?" is overshadowed by the larger question: "How will I pay for my health insurance premiums when I retire."

If you can stave off retirement until age 65, you'll be eligible for Medicare (of course that's not exactly free is it?). But what if you've worked hard from a young age and would like to truly enjoy retirement? What if you want to punch out at say age 55 or age 60? In this part of our series on contractual equity, we look at how the contracts for these 3 groups of District employees factor into the retirement equation.

Health Insurance Premiums

The table at right compares retirement benefits for the 3 groups.

First stop is the Local 60 group. These folks are awarded a whopping $3,600 to be placed in a fund to pay for health insurance premiums. At today's district rates for monthly premiums for a family,at todays rates, at best that buys them 3-4 months of health insurance before they have to pony up the full $1200-1400/month. Better wait till age 65 to retire and roll the dice with Medicare.

Next stop is the SPEA (teachers) 60 group. These folks are funded according to a more generous system that, with only 20 years in and with the contract maximum accrued leave, pays them t least 10 TIMES what the Local 60 folks get, or $36,000 for health insurance premiums. At today's district rates for monthly premiums for a family, that buys them about 3 years of health insurance before they have to pony up the full $1200-1400/month. These folks could easily retire at 62 and pay not a dime until Medicare kicks in. Noteworthy as well is that, in addition to the health insurance funding, an additional $9,600 is placed in a retirement annuity account.

Last stop: Administrators. All these folks have to do is work at least 12 years and their health care account is funded with 100% of their salary at retirement. Right now these folks average about $90,000/year. That's nearly 3x what SPEA gets and over 25 times what Local 60 gets. At today's district rates for monthly premiums for a family, that buys them about 8 years of health insurance before they have to pony up the full $1200-1400/month. These folks could easily retire at 58 and pay not a dime until Medicare kicks in.

That's the story on retirement benefits. Some have a very sweet deal; others definitely do not fare so well. The only thing that is equal for all 3 groups is that they are part of the Wisconsin Retirement system. That's definitely a nice perk...depending on your salary at retirement and years of service.