A Choice for School Board - At Last!

We've already seen the "direction" and "help" over the last few years provided by the two incumbents running for the four open school board seats. Their voting history speaks for itself. What about the other four candidates, the new comers? Where do they stand on things?

School board candidate Ed Mortimer provided his take on the January 19th BNR article about new phy-ed courses at the high school which include fishing, rafting, and scuba diving. Read Mortimer's comments here.

In response, school board candidate Phyllis Power needles Mortimer in a personal and condescending manner while presenting her opinion on the subject. Read Power's comments here.

Power's narrative is yet another example of Baraboo school politics as usual. Her use of several personal references to Mortimer are straight out of the Mark Patton/Doug Mering playbook. As for her opinion, while she's entitled to have it, she need not be such a jerk about it. Power's views on the expansion of the phy-ed program are over the top, making her sound like a Mary Anne Stewart clone.

Why stop at scuba diving, fishing, and rafting? Let's bring spelunking, rock climbing, and snowshoeing into the fold too! Next thing you know, taxpayers will be reimbursing teachers for fishing licenses, scuba diving certification, and boat licenses - not to mention they'll want more pay for their added skillset and use teaching time to maintain their certification! Add four-year old daycare to the mix and what do you have? The future of the Baraboo school district if Power gets her way.

Consider this: Who taught you how to fish, swim, or boat? Public schools are not designed to replace parents and families, yet that is what some, such as Power, want to see happen. I see Power as an incremental interventionist. A little at a time, the institution of the family continues to be chipped away by some pinhead who thinks they know what you need better than you do. Power demonstrates, through her own commentary, that she's out of touch. Dismissing current and future costs associated with the new activities is a BIG mistake.

Power signs her letter: Positive attitudes, Positive ideas, Positive solutions, Positive results, Positive life. I'm positive she's out of touch and positive she is not what I'm looking for in a school board candidate.

Common sense is needed on the Baraboo school board. Vote for Mort!