When commerce cripples the hot lunch line

29 N.J. Students Punished After Using Pennies To Pay For Lunch
Some Parents Think Detention Went Too Far; Others Think It Wasn't Enough

READINGTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. -- Sometimes a penny for your thoughts isn't a good thing.

Readington Township school officials gave 29 students detention after they used pennies to pay for their $2 lunches.

Superintendent Jorden Schiff said it started out as a prank. But as the eighth-graders began to get in trouble for taking up so much time, it turned into a protest about Thursday's shortened lunch period.

Schiff said the students were punished for holding up their peers and disrespecting lunch aides.

Schiff said some parents think a two-day detention went too far and others think it wasn't enough.

The school, which is located in Hunterdon County, said it wants students to know they can express themselves without disrupting other people.
========================================================

Is Monday D-Day?

The Baraboo School Board will be meeting Monday night, possibly to discuss Lance Alwin's future. Read about it here.

If, in fact, the topic is Alwin, it's worth mentioning the open meeting law. The rules are: while discussion can take place in closed session, action by a governmental body must take place in open session. (I'm open for rebuttal on this topic if you read something I don't.)

What this means is that the board can visit all they want in closed session, but when it comes to making a decision (aka: taking action) such as buying out Alwin's contract or firing him, such action must take place in open session. Labor agreements are hashed out in closed session, but when it comes to the actual changing or acceptance of them, action is consistently taken in open session. No exception here.

We will find out what happens.

Five percent

In an October 17, 2006 memorandum addressed to Baraboo School District Professional Educators, with copies to Dr. Peter Gust (teacher's union), Mr. William Froelich (BEA president), Board of Education, the school district leadership team, and posted on the school district website for a month, the author of the memo stated:

"In any social organization, of which community is one, there will always be five percent of the people who will never raise their motivation to become part of preparing the organization for the meeting the needs of change to prepare for the future. My guess is that we know who those individuals in our community are."

Words never rang so true! Five percent of the responses represent the Baraboo School District superintendent as beyond reproach. These respondents are obviously unmotivated to become part of preparing our Baraboo schools to meet the need for change and prepare for the future.

It's clearly time for a change. With 71% of responses supporting the ouster of the superintendent one way or another, the writing is on the wall. Only 24% are willing to consider reinstating Baraboo School superintendent Lance Alwin - and then, only IF he's cleared.

The memo's author, Lance Alwin, can now dine on his words with the five percent vote of support he received as part of the BNR online poll below. Bon appetit!

BTW - about those mouse turds referenced in the same memo...maybe this will help.

BNR doesn't know what to think...

until you tell them. They're withholding an opinion on Lance Alwin's performance pending the completion of the investigation. Stand for something or you'll fall for anything. I'm thinking of a word describing the BNR's position on the matter. Rhymes with jello. :(

UPDATED!! Poll results inked in the BNR 2/23
This question was on the BNR online poll, with the following selection of answers.

The Baraboo School District's administrator is on paid leave pending an investigation into his job performance. What's the best way to move forward?

Answer
- He shouldn't have to face an investigation and should be given his job back immediately. 22 votes (5%)
- He should be allowed to return to work only if the investigation clears him. 111 votes (24%)
- Too much damage will have been done. It's time for the district and the administrator to work toward a settlement or buyout of his contract. 146 votes (31%)
- He should be fired regardless of the outcome of the investigation. 185 votes (40%)

Analysis of results later today...

Alwin placed on paid leave-performance cited

The Baraboo School Board voted Monday to put School District Superintendent Lance Alwin on paid leave while an investigation is performed related to his job performance. Read about it here. Stay tuned for in-depth review and analysis.

UPDATE: First, from the BNR website 2/7/08 at 5:55PM:
most viewed (articles):
- Baraboo school administrator put on paid leave
- Storm doesn't stop bank robber
- Employees may learn fate tonight
- Highway 12 closed for 3 hours after incident
- Snow pounds area, Baraboo students out of snow days

Who says our community doesn't care about what happens in our school district? They want to know what's going on.

Next, let's check up on my progostications for the year. Not perfect, but close. Instead of the board letting Alwin know they wouldn't be renewing his contract in February, they put him on paid leave. With the Green Bay superintendent taking Art Rainwater's post in Madison, there's a vacancy in Green Bay. Guess I gave too much credit that Alwin saw the writing on the wall...Maybe this will help. Just to save face on another prediction I had, the most popular story hit on the BNR website today demonstrates the silent cheering of our community. May not be factual, but I'll call it as I see it. On a more definite note, my "time changes everything" forecast sure came true!

So, what's at the focus of this investigation into Alwin's performance? Let's see...

Could it be this? Maybe he's all out of toothpicks for vaulting.
Could it be his ongoing inability to heal our community after two failed referenda?
Could it be he hasn't had a performance evaluation since he started, until recently?
or,
Could it be something else, say, politics catching up with him?

It is comforting to know that ALL of Alwin's responsibilities will be/have been divided up among the crack admin team. Zero divided by anything is still zero, so I guess the remaining admin team will be able to manage.

It's not that Alwin is a bad person. He's simply incompetent in the capacity of superintendent for our school district. Remember this as you go to the polls in April: Alwin was a terrible selection by the Baraboo School Board. Alwin has sent plenty around during his visit. What goes around, comes around.

DLTDHYOTWO

Don’t
Let
The
Door
Hit
You
On
The
Way
Out.

A picture...

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!