Hiss...

In case you are considering voting for "the smartest woman in the world" for president (and no, Oprah isn't running), watch this first.

Doyle Vetoes Virtual Schools

Governor "Diamond" Jim Doyle and his WEAC supporters were handed a victory December 5. WEAC professes, "Every child deserves a great school." Truth is, they want to indoctrinate our kids in person. (ie: We need more union due payers) WEAC used its most expensive political thug to maintain the stranglehold on school choice through Diamond Jim's veto pen last month. Educational options for kids who need them have taken a back seat to union thuggery.

So much for Ma Bell separating education from politics.

What was presented at the Capitol anyway?

There were 62 people at last month's meeting on government education funding, and the BNR did an article stating that all but one spoke in favor of throwing more tax dollars at government schools.

Here is the one who spoke against. The link is well worth the read.

In summary: "Funding public education is not a revenue problem, it a local expenditure problem."

Mandatory Union Education for Kids?

Read a more complete article than printed in the BNR here.

Ma Bell, head of WEAC, supports the bill. But why? After all, she stated she wanted to separate education from politics in a 9/15/07 feature article in the BNR. "Kids deserve great schools. Let's keep politics out of it." Bell went on, "In this spirit of renewal, let's decide that this new school year is the time to set politics aside when it comes to public education."

A textbook example of hypocracy in action.

School Board to Engage in Critical Thinking?

Baraboo News Republic - Dec. 7, 2007
Dateline: Baraboo
Superintendent's contract on docket for February

Baraboo School Board members will discuss Superintendent Lance Alwin's contract in February after voting against automatically extending his contract for another year earlier this week.

The standard contract between a district administrator and the board provides for an automatic one-year extension if no action is taken on the renewal of the contract, said Kevin Vodak, president of the board.

This does not mean that the Alwin will not be rehired at the end of his term, Vodak said.

The contract between the school board and the present administrator was signed in May 2007 and will expire June 30, 2009.

The board will be discussing this issue again in early February, said School Board member Patricia Spragg. - News Republic
===========================================================
You heard it here first – before this week’s meeting! It was time for board members to find their kahonas and bring common sense to a board meeting. It’s a baby step – singular, lone, and atypical. They finally did it (TOOK YA LONG ENOUGH) and I respectfully give them credit for doing so. The brakes to the mindless head-bobbing of board members have been tapped. Hopefully the board doesn’t blow the opportunity to purge the district of a bad apple.

What is the motive behind board members not auto-blessing Alwin’s contract for an additional year? Could it be that they’ve finally seen the light? Possible, but doubt it.

Is the move a political ploy for board members preparing to run again? More likely. There’s a lot of community sentiment that the district administration is out of control and lacks leadership. By making community members perceive that Alwin is in danger of not having his contract auto-renewed, it may make some community members think board members have had a change of heart - just long enough and just in time for the election. After all, “perception is everything.” So is timing.

Why wait until February to take up the matter again? If board members want a snowball’s chance of being re-elected, this is one way to pull the wool over the eyes of the community long enough to get through the election. And, IF (a big IF) some actually get re-elected, all bets are off and God help us all.

Board members have proven time and again they’re clueless “working with” the government school system they’re supposed to be in charge of. It would be a shocker if the existing board members actually let Alwin’s contract lapse. It's being done now to get the bang for the political buck come elction time. Otherwise, it would have been a higher priority sooner. I don’t think all four incumbents will make it through the election process and be in office to have the chance to see it through. It’s doubtful the board will take further action of non-renewal until a few weeks prior to the election - just for suspense. Remember, timing is everything.

Bottom line: If by some miracle all the stars align at a board meeting and the board allows Alwin’s contract to lapse, the board will reserve the right to renege and Alwin would be a lame duck. Taxpayers would have a $200,000 paperweight for the next year and a half and Alwin would ultimately laugh his way all the way to the bank. An expensive lesson learned (and hopefully not repeated), but it beats the alternative of retaining a bad apple and it’s cheaper than buying Alwin out of a contract that never should have been renewed in the first place. DUH!

Baby steps…

By the way, what’s the deal with the BNR regarding this article? “Earlier this week,” buried on page three below the fold with the byline “News Republic”. Doesn’t anybody want to take credit for their hard work any more? Or, does the newspaper want to distance itself and not admit they made a mistake enabling Alwin and his “visions”?

UPDATE: This is an excellent description of critical thinking. I hope I didn't credit the school board prematurely in the headline! H/T - Chris.

The Lowering of the Bar/Boondoggle

Courtesy of EdWeek.org

U.S. Students Fall Short in Math and Science

Teenagers in a majority of industrialized nations far surpassed their American peers in mathematics in results that seem likely to add to recent consternation over U.S. students’ core academic skills.

• America Idles on International Reading Test
(December 4, 2007)

Here's one take on the subject, supported by several different responses:

Time will tell if the "flavor of the day" teaching methods really work. The initial report is: it's not looking good. Time to get back to basics before our educational system can't educate anyone past the equivalent of fourth grade in 1969. Remember, today's kids are the folks that will be caring for us when we get old. Don't they (and we) deserve better than what's on the horizon?

Boondoggle (def.): to do work of little or no practical value merely to keep or look busy.

Yep. Shoe fits.

Do we have cooties?

US News and World Report came out today with the best high schools in the country. See the Wisconsin schools listed here.

The following counties are adjacent to Sauk County: Adams, Columbia, Dane, Iowa, Juneau, Richland, and Vernon. While I'm not sure how many high schools are in this geographic area, there are well over 500,000 people (maybe 750,000?) within it.

Think of all the tax dollars spent on government schools in this same geographic area. My guess is that it would be well over $500,000,000 and is probably closer to $1 Billion (that's with a B, Billion) dollars.

How many high schools in this geographic and reasonably well populated area passed muster to be ranked as the best high schools in the country? The answer is four:
- Necedah High School, Juneau County - Bronze award
- Kickapoo High School, Vernon County - Silver award
- LaFarge High School, Vernon County - Bronze award
- Viroqua High School, Vernon County - Bronze award

First of all, congratulations to those schools and sincere best wishes for continued success. They are obviously doing something right.

Besides these being rural high schools, what do they all have in common? Each of the award winners are an hour or more away from here and close to two hours from Madison. I didn't notice Dane county on the list...and where in the H-E double toothpicks is Baraboo? I keep being told Baraboo has great schools! Ovbiously, this is propoganda to make people feel good. After all, "perception is reality!"

The montra needs to be changed. Baraboo HAD great schools.

Without leadership by the school board
(some kahonas and common sense would help, seeing as they're either in short supply or being saved for a rainy day - because neither are exhibited with great frequency)
and changes in the administration
(lack of leadership, egomaniacal, condescending - It's time to can the few bad apples),
we'll never make the list.

Consider all of the "great schools" within the geographic area that didn't make the list either. It just goes to show no matter how much money is thrown at Baraboo government schools, no matter how "great" they are talked up, it will never be enough without changes to the school board and administration.

It's time to can (terminate the employment of) the bad apples.

School board pre-meeting check list:
- Show up (on time, if possible) - check.
- Carry on innocuous pre-meeting chatter - check.
- Observe pompus person enter one minute prior to meeting - check, CHECK!

All set?

School board: It's Monday night, 7PM. It's time to can the bad apples.

Now, did you remember to bring your kahonas and common sense? You don't typically bring them with you, and you're gonna need them for this meeting. Please find them and add them to your pre-meeting check list.

If you can't find your common sense or don't know what kahonas are, graciously step aside.