Transparency in Wisconsin's School Districts. What's YOUR District's Rating?

Our West Bend School District received a "D" for lack of transparency with information concerning:

• TAXES
• MEETINGS
• CONTRACT
• AUDITS
• PUBLIC RECORDS (ouch!)
• BACKGROUND CHECKS (double ouch!)

Unfortunately, this is the norm across the board. (Only four districts receiving anything higher than a D.) If our kid came home with a report card that had D's in every subject, justified it by saying it's what everyone else got, that wouldn't sit well, would it?  Same goes for this report card. We can do better.  We should do better.

What did YOUR school district get?  Click HERE to find out!

West Bend School District - Defying Walker? Shenanigans? You decide.

As you may recall, there was quite an uproar over the alleged "broken grommet" of the flag at Badger Middle School in mid February.  (This is the newest flag and flagpole in the District; the one that was paid for out of the referendum cash.)  You can refresh your memory HERE  

Since that time, numerous inquiries were sent to Supt. Ted Neitzke via Eagle Forum of Wisconsin-Washington County (EFWC).  Here is what was learned:

1.  Neitzke initially told talk radio show host, Mark Belling, that he knew nothing of the incident, but backpeddled and responded that the people had witnessed the problem as early as Sunday from neighboring churches, and the school secretary had received numerous complaints.

2.  The broken flag in question is pictured below (WBSD photo).  As you can see, the grommet, itself is not broken.:

4.  In an email to EFWC, Neitzke stated:

"The flag will be visually inspected at the start of each day. The flags will be lowered and not flown on weekends or during holidays when there is no staff to attend to them."

Oh, really?

Here is a picture of the West Bend Police Department flag flying at half staff per Governor Walker's orders last Friday, 03/08/2012.  This is what half staff looks like.

This is a photo of the Badger Middle School flag on the same day at approximately 2:15 p.m.  So this was visually inspected that day; the day it was supposed to be at half staff.  This is NOT what half staff looks like.  Why wasn't Governor Walker's order obeyed on Friday?  Just wondering...

This is a picture of the flag on Saturday, 3/10/2012.  As Neitzke stated above, the flag would not fly on weekends....  Huh?

Continuing right along...

5.  Within 24 hours the entire school district was sent a CYA email from Neitzke that states the flag was not tampered with by anyone, and that it was simply broken, and now repaired.  No shenanigans.
6.  Video surveillance was requested from Neitzke who stated "There is no video."  In the email to EFWC, Neitzke states, "As a result of the complaint I have investigated the situation. I interviewed Principal Kurt Becker, the Badger Facility Maintenance person, the Administrative Assistant to the Principal, I reviewed the video tape and I have discussed the situation with several community members who observed the downed flag over the weekend."

So there you have it.  Lefty shenanigans?  You decide.......

Bullied, and Misled - West Bend Families Were Duped

The citizens of West Bend and the school district board members have been misled.

Recommendations from two law firms regarding the legal battle against school sponsorship of a Gay/Straight Alliance (GSA) were biased and heavily weighted in favor of the GSA. The District may as well have hired local drum-beater Waring Fincke. Have we forgotten that 1.26 million people in the state of Wisconsin cast their vote to secure one man/one woman marriage? The message across the state is clear - the majority of our state supports this decision, the majority of Washington County supports it as well, and the majority of our school district should be represented accordingly. A mere 30 students who are being led by a local sex therapist and an openly gay high school teacher do not trump the wishes of the majority. The GSA's rabid attorney who uses his credentials to bully those whom he disagrees with appears to hold himself in high esteem in our city. He can be seen organizing anti-Grothman events, leading high school and college kids along our streets like the pied piper, bullhorn in hand, instigating, intimidating, and, in the opinion of many, verbally abusing citizens through word and deed.

Most recently, the West Bend School District board members rescinded a vote taken that maintained the GSA as an after-school club. The rescind of this vote was brought forward due to the scare tactics of Fincke and his GLSEN attorney friend. The revote came on the heels of a so-called recommendation from two law firms that clearly sided with Fincke; both were chosen by Supt. Ted Neitzke, and both were approved by board president, Randy Marquardt.

On the outside, the law firms appear harmless. The first opinion was obtained from Mary Hubacher who is already on staff with the District as our paid legal defense. Hubacher has given the appearance of bias in past issues regarding traditional family and liberal sexual issues. The second recommendation came from Milwaukee law firm Quarles and Brady, who openly state their support and advocacy for homosexual issues on their website.

How then, one might ask, could our school board have obtained the necessary supportive information from an attorney who would represent the majority of the board, and the taxpayers of West Bend? Indeed. In obtaining legal advice from Quarles and Brady, Neitzke showed his heavy hand towards solidifying the inclusion of the GSA in our school-sponsored clubs. Without digging into the background of this firm that strongly advocates homosexuality, one would most likely never know this was the case. It seems our District was not given the opportunity to receive legal advice from a law firm that supported their initial decision. They were simply handed the statements from two apparent pro-homosexual, anti-family entities and expected to gulp it down.

A rescind of this vote should be called for. A revote should be insisted upon. Our school district should insist on equal representation and supportive legal advice for the taxpayers and parents of our West Bend School District. Though the cost factor can also lead to a fiscal intimidation factor, let's remember that once we allow the bully in, more will follow.

West Bend School District Serves Up Sex/Drug Survey for 11-year-olds???

Please make it stop.

From "What's New in West Bend Schools":

Sex and Drug survey for kids 11-18 years old

How would you like your son or daughter to go to school and be asked:


During your life, with whom have you had
sexual contact?
A. I have never had sexual contact
B. Females
C. Males
D. Females and males

During the past 3 months, with how many
people did you have sexual intercourse?
A. I have never had sexual intercourse
B. I have had sexual intercourse, but not
during the past 3 months
C. 1 person
D. 2 people
E. 3 people
F. 4 people
G. 5 people
H. 6 or more people

If you attempted suicide during the past
12 months, did any attempt result in an
injury, poisoning, or overdose that had to be
treated by a doctor or nurse?
A. I did not attempt suicide during the
past 12 months
B. Yes
C. No

These questions are found on the upcoming survey sponsored by the West Bend School District, and your child will be filling it out unless you opt them out. The complete survey can be found at:http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/sspw/pdf/yrbs09hsques.pdf
It has been updated for this year.

Parents received a letter this week informing them of the survey and advising them to fill out a form if they want to OPT OUT their child, and return the form to the school. No return envelope was provided. The date of the survey was not given. If a parent fails to return the form their child is automatically going to be a participant in this anonymous survey. The school district asks that all students take part in the survey.

I have a few questions myself.

1. If the district insists on asking such questions of our children, shouldn't the option be to OPT IN and not OPT OUT?
2. How many children will participate in this survey without parental knowledge?
3. Is this a good use of our tax dollars and class time?
4. What thoughts enter a child's mind when such questions are posed?
5. How can a parent decide if they want their child to participate when the survey was not included in the correspondence?

READ MORE HERE

West Bend School District scrambling to rescue $12,000+ grant money going down the toilet

Challenge Day.    It's baaaaaaack........

This time, though, the disctrict administration is trying to work through issues to save the $12,000+ AODA grant money they decided to use for this inappropriate and wasteful program.  This grant was ok'd by the school board, but the program never was.  When parents caught wind, they decided to get vocal, calling the district administration with their opposing viewpoints concerning the way this program operated and could potentially affect and harm district children (with deep roots in religion, by the way).  In reaction, the school district allegedly shut down Challenge Day in a closed session without it ever appearing on the agenda.  Ouch.  A real no-no.

Now it seems that Ted Neitzke, Supt. of Curriculum and Instruction, is trying to salvage the UNREFUNDABLE $12,000.  Kathy "I don't have to respond to your open records requests" Zarling is scrambling to whip up a program of some kind that will dump Challenge Day on our teachers in what is being deemed a "modified" version. 

In this case, the school district has abused, and lost, some solid financial grant money that could have been put to good use on an AODA program (it's original intent).  Instead, the originally planned psychfest has been vomited into the laps of our schoolteachers.

Just wondering...will they get paid for taking part in this 6-hour session?

And who exactly brought this program to the district?  It's rumored that retired Supv. of Curric., Mary Jane Burdge, had something to do with it....

Challenge Day.  Indeed.