PRIMARY ELECTION RESULTS - ROMNEY DECLARED WINNER IN WISCONSIN

You can watch the election results roll in tonight, or go to bed and check 'em in the morning....

FOX6 ELECTION RESULTS
OR
CHANNEL 4 ELECTION RESULTS

SCHOOL BOARD FINAL RESULTS:

Vinney Pheng 5,307 29.5 %

Therese M. Sizer 4,777 26.6 %

Kris Beaver (inc) 4,708 26.2 %

Carl W. Knepel 3,189 17.7 %

West Bend School District Candidate Questionnaire Now Available

Eagle Forum of Wisconsin/Washington County has published a school district questionnaire that was filled out by the current West Bend School District school board candidates:

KRIS BEAVER
CARL KNEPEL
VINNEY PHENG
THERESE SIZER

You can read about the local candidates HERE.  Be informed.

Parental Power Struggle in West Bend - Who's REALLY In Charge?

Blogged in it's entirety from What's New in West Bend Schools:

The policy committee met last night. The following items were on the agenda:

Review of process for policy revision and Review of the following:

a. Policy 370 – Co-curricular Activities

b. Policy 333 – District Programs/Activities

I sensed a bit of a power struggle in the policy meeting.

I’ve always thought that the administration resented policies made by the board, and they often wrote “administrative rules” to undermine board authority. The discussion that followed confirmed my initial thought.

Dave Weigand, policy committee chair, requested a review of policy 370-District Programs/Activities. He requested, among other things, to have the policy state that written parental permission be obtained yearly for students in each club they participate. His intent is to give parents information on the clubs and obtain parental permission for clubs specific for each co-curricular athletic or non-athletic club. “It’s important for parental permission to participate, “ Weigand stated.

Valley Elliehausen, from administration, stated she, “wouldn’t advocate for a parental permission” policy for clubs. Further, she said that the district uses a Code of Conduct and students and parents sign it for clubs. Weigand, fighting for parental rights, continued to advocate for parents, stating he would like to see parental permission in district policy. Valley then said parental permission could be part of an administrative rule, but would not agree it should be district policy.

Weigand also requested the policy state that the elected school board review all clubs (every level) yearly in order to gage interest and participation, etc. Valley again stated that the administration, and not the board, reviews clubs, “That’s our role” she stated. Al Pauli added that the school principals at the middle school level review clubs. The discussion went on to reveal that the only time the board hears about clubs is when cuts are being made due to “budget constraints” and/or non-interest.

That leads me to wonder why the GSA was brought before the school board last spring and summer.

Valley began the policy meeting by letting the board know that the administration will be making a schedule of policies to be reviewed and anytime an administrator comes forward with a policy they want reviewed, their wishes will “trump” the process. Weigand added that the board would also have the ability to make suggestions for policy review on a case by case issue.

Valley asked that the board contact her to indicate policies to be reviewed, and she would then check with other districts’ and the School Board association to find out what other districts are doing.

By her comments, I came to understand that it wasn’t as important to her what the Board in West Bend thinks, but is concerned with what is done elsewhere.

I wonder what the local taxpayers think of those priorities.

Valley stated she does not want policies from the board telling how to run the district. According to district administration, the board operates “over” and not “under” the line. In other words, the board is to set policy for the administration to use in writing “rules”. Randy Marquardt, board president, wants policies to be general and “guiding”. Dave Weigand stated he wants “the board to make the intent clear” in policy.

This seems a minor difference, but in practice it is a major issue. In looking over some older policies, I noticed that the past boards have clearly written their intent and even steps to follow in policy. I sense a recent shift in where the real authority lies, and that shift is not moving toward the elected board.

After discussing policy 370, Weigand moved on to policy 333 regarding “passive permission” for activities in the district. This is a newer policy, written in 2007.http://wbsd.schoolfusion.us/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/496946/File/Board%20of%20Education/Policy/300/333.pdf?sessionid=b7a340531557af5affc1867a3bea1239

Weigand argued that an “opt in” and not an “opt out” would be more appropriate for activities such as surveys, etc. “We want parents to have opportunity to opt in rather opt out”, giving parents true authority over their minor children.

He further stated that the way it is now is “reversed”. Weigand also said that the Cedarburg School District has an opt-in procedure for human growth and development courses.

Randy Marquardt agreed “on certain issues”. He also stated he has, “no problem endorsing that kind of change.”

Weigand charged Valley, as administrative liaison, to work on the suggested changes to the two mentioned policies.

Valley also mentioned a policy proposal from board member Bart Williams about “truth in disclosure for referendum”. More details will be forthcoming as the board looks into this-hopefully-as the board engages in activities they were elected to do.

School Board Members Sets the Record STRAIGHT

'nuff said.

By BART WILLIAMS


Serious inaccuracies by Mark Peterson (June 17) and others regarding my June 13 School Board vote not to recognize the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) as a student group compel me to set the record straight. The acoustics in Badger Middle School’s cafeteria were a challenge for that meeting, but newspaper and TV reporters correctly relayed what I said.

This issue existed for several years and predates my board service, which just began in April. I was out of town and could not vote when the issue was first considered on May 9, resulting in a 3-3 tie, status quo and the GSA not recognized. Three days later, the GSA filed a lawsuit.

I have numerous reasons why I opposed recognition of the GSA.

1. It’s unnecessary. In a May 13 email to the board and three administrators, Shana Schloemer (signed it as “unofficial Co-advisor of GSA”) stated, “We would not need a GSA at all if there weren’t people who discriminated against or harassed people whose sexual attraction or identity is different than ‘mainstream’.” Our district already has anti-harassment and anti-bullying policies in place. The administration is doing its best to enforce them.

2. The GSA isn’t as tolerant as it claims. I received numerous emails from people who identified themselves as GSA members or supporters. Many of these emails were disrespectful and harassing, calling me terrible names/labels. Because I hadn’t voted on May 9 or responded to any of these emails, these people didn’t know how I would’ve voted, yet they pre-judged me based on something other than facts – the very essence of prejudice. Names, labels and personal opinions appear throughout Ms. Schloemer’s e-mail, although she’s supposed to be setting a good example for GSA students.

3. Many activities advocated by the GSA do/would constitute a distraction from what our District’s true goal should be – to provide the very best possible education, given what our community can afford/support, for all our students to most effectively compete in the 21st century global economy.

The GSA wants to organize and/or participate in 16 days of in-school activities annually. If all 33 student groups do that, 528 days are needed, almost triple our 180 school days.

For “Day of Silence,” the GSA wants students to duct tape their mouths during school. Exercising vigorously in gym, playing a brass or woodwind instrument or giving a comprehensive response to a complex math, English, social studies or science question, etc., with duct tape over your mouth is difficult if not dangerous. Education is supposed to be interactive, but the more duct-taped-mouth students don’t participate, the larger the burden on other students.

4. Such distractions hurt education and are a disservice to our students because U.S. education as a whole is losing ground. We’re ranked in the 20s globally in math and science; we used to be No. 1. Other countries’ students attend more school days per year (Japan 243, South Korea 220, U.S. 180) with longer school days (e.g., South Korea – 8 hours; ours – 6.5-7 hours).

5. Money is available for the lawsuit. I found $655,000 of administrative reductions (i.e., no teacher cuts). Since this wasn’t in the preliminary budget the prior Board passed, much of it’s still available.

I’m skeptical of those supporting tax-to-max budgets, tax-increase referenda, etc., yet say we have no money for the lawsuit. Many parents contacted me threatening to pull their kids out of our district if we keep letting distractions diminish quality education, potentially losing us hundreds of thousands of dollars every year in revenue. Few factor this into the decision’s total cost.

It’s unfortunate that instead of advancing public understanding and dialogue on this key issue with a well-reasoned, rigorous argument, Mr. Mark Peterson resorts to name-calling (e.g., “zealots,” “vanity,” comparing me to a cartoon character, etc.) and serious departures from the facts. Let’s hope he doesn’t do that in class, where students pay good money for instruction and deserve better.

(Bart Williams of West Bend was elected to the School Board April 5.)

West Bend School District Formal Apology to Rep. Strachota and Sen. Grothmann

It's about time. Notice which school board members refuse to apologize - Kris Beaver and Todd Miller.

(Click on letter to enlarge.)

AND

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.

GSA Roots go Deeeeeeeeep -----to Bullying and Sex

Well said.

DO ACTIVIST GROUPS BELONG IN OUR SCHOOLS?

There has been recent movement in the West Bend School District to allow the Gay/Straight Alliance school club status. (current clubs and school policy are listed below)

Since schools are part of our community, and citizens are compelled to fund them for educating the children of the community, I thought I’d do some research to find out more about the group that wants to be a school sanctioned club. Their website (found by doing a Google.com search) was the most logical place to begin. I was looking for compelling evidence that this group fits in with the educational goals of the local schools.

If the GSA is granted club status, they will have daily access to all children attending the schools. In the meeting on Monday May 9^th they said they were a “support group” and that they did not support bullying in the schools.

Let’s take a look at what I found.

WEBSITE FACTS:

They call themselves an “activist group”. They want to “transform schools”.

http://www.gsanetwork.org/what-we-do/transforming-schools

This is from Wikipedia and explains what contemporary activism is:

Activism consists of intentional action to bring about social, political, economic, orenvironmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such asboycotts or preferentially patronizing businesses, rallies, street marches, strikes, both sit-ins and hunger strikes.Some activists try to persuade people to change their behavior directly, rather than persuade governments to change laws. Thecooperative movement seeks to build new institutions which conform to cooperative principles, and generally does not lobby or protest politically.

In what ways do they intend to “change your school, transform your school?”

Listed are: activities, books, more about their “activist group”.

http://www.gsanetwork.org/resources/posters-movies-and-more/recommended-books

(some of the listed books are the highly controversial books recently opposed locally)

Several books are recommended on the GSA website. This is just one example of the offerings this school club recommends to kids.

From the report, The Legal Liability Associated with Homosexuality Education in Public Schools: http://www.ccv.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Legal_Liability_of_Homosexuality_Education1.pdf

the novel Rainbow Boys, three 17-year-old boys explore their homosexual attractions. Frequent themes include obtaining pornographic magazines18 and movies19, as well as graphic descriptions of masturbation20. The book features a scene where one of the teen boys has anal intercourse without a condom with a 29-year-old man he has just met via the Internet.

One event listed on their website is the annual “Pride March”.

http://www.gsanetwork.org/pride

READ MORE HERE

A Public Apology to Sen. Glenn Grothman and Rep. Pat Strachota

Dear Sen. Grothman and Rep. Strachota,

Thank you for coming to Jackson tonight to take part in the West Bend School District's "work session" for the School Board. As you may not have previously known, tonight was also the last night for outgoing board president Joe Carlson. I realize you were invited to this work session to discuss the changes taking place with the state budget that you have boldly supported on behalf of the majority of conservative taxpayers throughout Wisconsin. It was hoped that you would be able to share your ideas and suggestions in order to lend support to our local school board.

I'm sure you didn't expect to be taken hostage by our Superintendent, Pat Herdrich, our soon-to-be dethroned board president, Joe Carlson, and Kewaskum schoolteacher/board member Kris Beaver, who all repeatedly addressed both of you by your first names (though Carlson was sure to state "Dr." Herdrich when pertinent) and raised their voices angrily at you. Numerous times you were harshly demanded to come up with figures that were not yet determinable. Over and over again the condescending nature of the conversation was aimed at you until finally board vice president Tim Stepanski said enough was enough.

As if the bait-and-switch agenda for the evening wasn't enough, our local liberal recall election king, Waring Fincke, was front and center, and was aided by a young high school student who was trying her best to look intimidating with her video camera aimed on Sen. Grothman. The recall renegades were disruptively commenting as both of you tried to answer questions that were already rude and discourteous. What was worse, they followed you out of the room at the end of the meeting and waved signs in your faces and chanted, which prompted a police escort. I would never have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. A police escort for our State Senator and Representative in order to safely leave a School Board Work Session at Jackson Elementary School!

I am terribly embarrassed by the representation of the people on the school board who disrespected you, downplayed your positions, and mocked you to a waiting crowd. It felt like a set-up. Perhaps it was. I know there are other school board members who did not appreciate what took place. It is not representative of the people in our school district - the ones who know what you stand for and support you 100%.

Our new school board members bring a refreshing new outlook and a positive attitude. Our superintendent has one foot out the door as she seeks employment in a neighboring district. The tide is turning in West Bend, and it is a deep breath of fresh air.

Your input is valuable and your dedication is admirable. You have endured much and it has not gone unnoticed.

My apologies, once again, for this evening's untoward outcome.

God bless your time and efforts as you go forward in Wisconsin.

West Bend School District Compensation is HOW MUCH? New Ad tells all.

This advertisement ran in the West Bend Daily News today. All the more reason to vote for Bart Williams and Doug Rakowski in the upcoming school board race. Hold off on casting that third vote. It would simply be wasted on candidates that support this kind of nonsense. Not to mention that any other votes would be a vote for union-backed shenanigans.

Liberal WB School Board Candidate Asked to Withdraw From Race

Bart Williams, conservative school board member candidate for the West Bend School District, called out Mark Maley for his conflict of interest in today's West Bend News. (See article below.)

Maley, himself, has been a POLITICAL PIMPLE for those who insist on reasonable taxation and social/fiscal conservative representation on this school board.

In the past, liberal Maley has:

Appeared to "bully" conservative school board members at previous meetings.

Said that the community/school district has been "hosed by conservatives" in the past.

Framed his family members and ideals (comment 22) as: "PS - 2 of my daughters are gay, and I contribute to a friend of theirs organization in Madison too.Both are terrific human beings

So I’m pro death penalty,Pro choice ,pro lesbian ,pro daughter, pro school district,pro sermon on the mount and I can read a balance sheet better than anyone I know.."

According to his own words HERE under "comment 13" (also printed below), Maley believes:

MALEY: meals with taxpayers $- a wise man saids someplace on this board -“Grow up”

INTERPRETATION: It's okay to eat out on the taxpayer dime.

MALEY: -being a school board member is taking on a 20 hour per week job at 10cents an hour. If sandwiches for the group allows them to spend an additional 5 hours in meeting that might save the taxpayers 10 Million $ over a number of years-Lets call the paper and stop that this instant.
Muckracking involves real- honest to god muck

INTERPRETATION: "Not only is eating out on the taxpayer dime perfectly acceptable, keep the meals coming! " I will admit, I've always thought it would (in a perfect world) be very nice if a citizen's "care" group would form and supply easy dinners as a courtesy for the school board members. Let's face it, the city council brown-bags it, so the reality is -if the money isn't there, we just can't/don't do it.

MALEY: But for the record- I’ll be happy to sponsor any more feeding frenzies on taxpayer time. The check is in the mail

INTERPRETATION: " I will be paying for further dinner extravaganzas." Just curious, did Mark ever follow through with this?

MALEY: -we have more kids coming than we can handle- period.
denying it doesn"t make it untrue.

COMMENT: Mark is out of touch with the district's statistics. We have more opting out than opting in. We do not have more coming in than "we can handle," we just need to be good stewards of what we have. This has not happened in the past, leading to facility disrepair, an over-emphasis on "Gifted and Talented," a warped administration-to-teacher ratio, and other bad moves.

MALEY: The referendum passed because thinking folks usually can eventually tell the difference

INTERPRETATION: Maley obviously is stating that people who were against the referendum are "stupid" or "non-thinking" and "unintelligent."

________________________________

Today's article...

A West Bend School Board candidate is calling for a fellow campaigner to withdraw from the race.

Bart Williams, one of five candidates seeking three positions on the West Bend School Board in April, has raised concerns that one of his opponents — Mark Maley — would have a conflict of interest if elected to the board.

“Mark Maley is a district employee and has been for 13 years,” Williams said. “Being a district employee and now trying to be on the very board that is supposed to oversee district employees is inherently incompatible with school board service.”

Maley, who is the West Bend High School girls basketball coach, earns a salary of $5,000 a year.

“How that puts me in conflict with anyone at the high school or middle schools is beyond me,” Maley said.

Maley said he consulted with the school district’s attorney before entering the race.

“She said that I would need to be recused from the actual physical staff salary negotiations and the one school issue,” Maley said.

That issue is the conversion of the twin high schools into one school.

......

Maley proposed an alternative.

“Let the community decide if being off of the direct negotiation and one school vote disqualifies me from being an active board member,” Maley said.

KUDOS to Williams for a courageous move to ask Maley to do the right thing.

Shame on Maley for putting his own personal interests in the way of the very school district he claims to support. It seems Maley wants to be his own boss, at taxpayer expense.

West Bend - Election Results

Good news in that David Prosser blew the other WI Supreme Court candidates OUT OF THE WATER.

Below are election results for West Bend via Fox6 News.

Cannot, for the life of me, understand how Todd Miller got ANY votes.  He never speaks and has voted for every tax levy.

West Bend School Board
100% OF PRECINCTS REPORTING
>	Todd Miller (I)	1,835	19%
>	Mark Maley	1,474	15%
>	Rick Parks	1,470	15%
>	Bart Williams	1,347	14%
>	Susan Kornemann Hansen	1,327	14%
>	Douglas Rakowski	1,200	13%
	Vinney Pheng	932	10%

West Bend Alderman #4
100% OF PRECINCTS REPORTING
>	Nick Dobberstein (I)	198	42%
>	Randy Koehler	167	35%
	Chris Jenkins	112	23%

ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICATION INFO

Vote at your convenience!

Not sure if you'll be home on February 15 for the SPRING PRIMARY? Afraid you may forget? Going on vacation? Unforeseen emergencies can arise and keep you from casting your important vote. Why take chances?

VOTE EARLY!

To download and print your application (simple - takes 2 min. to fill out), click HERE.

You'll receive your ballot in the mail.

COLLEGE STUDENTS ARE ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT! Those students who list their permanent address within the WB School District may vote using absentee balloting.

Here is a list of municipalities in the school district of West Bend with complete contact information:

1) City of West Bend: West Bend City Hall, Attn: City Clerk, 1115 S Main St, West Bend 53095

Hours: M-F 8-4:30, Ph 262-335-5100

2) Town of Jackson: Town Hall, 3146 Division Rd, Jackson 53037

Ph 262-677-4048

3) Village of Jackson: Village Hall, N168W20733 Main St, Jackson 53037

Hours: M-F 8-4:30, or use drop box Ph 262-677-9001

4) Town of Addison: Addison Town Hall, 127 First St, PO Box 481, Allenton 53002

Hours: M 12:30-3, Th 9-11 Ph 262-629-5420

5) Town of Barton: Barton Town Hall, 3482 Town Hall Road, Kewaskum 53040

Ph 262-334-2765

6) Town of Polk: Polk Town Hall, 3680 WI-60, Slinger 53086

Hours: M-Th 7:30-12, Ph 262-677-2123

7) Town of Trenton: Trenton Town Hall, 1071 Hwy 33 East, West Bend

**Mailing address: Town of Trenton, PO Box 259, Newburg 53060

Hours: Fri 9:30-2 Ph 262-675-6009

8 ) Village of Newburg: Newburg Village Hall, 614 Main St, PO Box 50 West Bend 53060

Hours: M-F 9-5, Ph 262-675-2160

9) Town of West Bend: West Bend Town Hall, 6355 CTY Rd Z, West Bend 53095

Hours: M 10-3, W 12-6, Th 10-2 Ph 262-338-3417

Doug Ziegler Sworn In to Fill Vacant School Board Seat in West Bend

Filling the vacancy left when former school board member, Bruce Koenig resigned, Doug Ziegler was sworn in tonight to finish off Koenig's remaining three months on the school board.


Left to right, school board members Randy Marquardt, Doug Ziegler and Dave Weigand.

West Bend School Board Members CLEARED of Ethics Complaints

Briefly, the room was packed.  Standing room only - probably 75-100 in room.

City West Bend School District Attorney Mary Hubacher stated reasons for bringing ethics charges to the board.  Said there were five charges all together, but she only felt two were worthy of being advanced.

Jason Pentermann, president of WB WEAC, spoke first to the charges against Tim Stepanski.  Stepanski allowed to speak and firmly defended his position as not guilty, though he said he could have used more restraint.

School board members asked a few questions.  Then city attorney moved to second accusation.

John Engstrom spoke to the accusation against Weigand.

Weigand spoke at length in his own defense, confirming he feels that board members should be able to use various avenues to communicate with the public.

Board members asked a few questions.  Kris Beaver seemed intent on making sure Weigand knew he did not agree with Weigand's choice to write the guest editorial.  He also made sure to address the concerns of the general public that "probably thought we were going to skewer Weigand or something, I don't know..."

Board voted on both accusations and both were cleared unanimously of any ethics charges.

Following this, the board interviewed and voted to fill the seat vacated by Bruce Koenig with Doug Ziegler, with Carlson and Miller voting against.  It should be duly noted that Carlson verbally addressed Zieglers age and physical limitations.  Is that legal?

Conservative Board Members STAND TRIAL TONIGHT with WB School Board

The accusations have been levied by a former West Bend School District Superintendent, John Engstrom, and West Bend's WEAC president, Jason Pentermann.


What are Weigand and Stepanski being accused of?


According to Engstrom, Stepanski responded to Engstrom in an email exchange by affirming his Christianity and belief in Jesus Christ.  So he's being accused of being a...Christian?


Pentermann is upset that Weigand wrote an editorial piece that explained in more detail the reasons why board members should look into the charter school opportunity.  Pentermann called this closed minded and says Weigand cannot lend his opinion publicly as a school board member.  Whaaat?


What is this REALLY about?


Attempting to get the conservative school board members to SHUT UP.  Call it like you see it.

SPECIAL BOARD OF EDUCATION 

MEETING 

Education Service Center – Board Room 

735 S. Main Street 

West Bend WI 53095 

January 17, 2011 

 5:00 p.m. 

AGENDA

1. Call to order 

2. Consider complaints filed against 2 school board 

members (Tim Stepanski & Dave Weigand) and 

take any action, if necessary. 

6:30 p.m. 

1. Board Candidates Interview 

2. Board Vacancy Appointment 

3. Adjourn

Charter School Gets Community Support

Excellent column by Owen today:

Charter school worth exploring in West Bend


    There is a proposal before the West Bend School Board to create a charter school in the district. It’s a proposal worthy of serious consideration.

    Charter schools are not new to Wisconsin. There are over 220 charter schools in the state. Charter schools are simply schools that are chartered – i.e. contracted – by a chartering authority to provide education with taxpayer dollars but are absolved of having to comply to many of the regulations that burden traditional public schools.

    Charter schools also, because they are not shackled by as many stringent state regulations, offer school districts the opportunity to be innovative. Charter schools in Wisconsin specialize in technology, arts, the environment, math, science, at-risk, direct instruction, virtual and any number of other specializations while still offering the core curriculum required for all public school kids. 


.....


Second, the financials of a charter school may prove to be a net benefit to the district. The way school funding works, the money follows the student. For each student that enters the district, the district receives about $9,100 of funding. The proposed charter school is estimating a cost of about $8,000 to educate each student. In other words, for each net new student added to the district, the district would receive a net “profit” of about $1,100 to be added to the general budget


.....


Crossroads Academy seems to offer everything for which the district is striving. Educational flexibility. Relief from state mandates. Freedom from the confines of a unionized work force. Financial security. There are a few more details to gather, but all signs are that the School Board would provide an excellent service to the citizens of the district by exploring this opportunity. 

Belling Defends West Bend Citizens

This hits the proverbial nail......

More civility? Oh, please

Angry citizens have a right to speak

    “A Plea For More Civil Dialogue.”

    That was the ominous headline last week in the Washington County Daily News but it really could have been in any southeast Wisconsin newspaper. Two-bit local political hacks whining away that the public – THE PUBLIC! – wasn’t being nice enough to them. “Woe is us,” they wailed. “The lack of civility is unhealthy,” moaned City Administrator Joe Melvin. The chief whiner, Joe Carlson, the president of West Bend’s apparently too-picked-on school board, complained that too many citizens were too angry. It all gives West Bend a bad name etc. Such baby talk isn’t limited to West Bend. You hear it in New Berlin from the mayor, Jack Chiovatero. Wauwatosa’s mayor, Jill Didier, even bored a recent lunch companion with her complaint that I was trying to ruin her life. In Menomonee Falls, the cabal led by former Village President Joe Greco is perpetually angry that mere taxpayers have the audacity to speak out.

    I have some advice for Carlson and his ilk. Resign. This is America, not Joe Stalin’s Russia or Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s Iran. Speaking out, often loudly, isn’t an indecent abuse of decorum but the prerogative of an active citizenry. The louder the better, by the way. What the crybabies are upset about is they prefer to govern conservative communities in a moderate-to-liberal squishy way. When the public revolts, the leaders cry foul. A telling quote from West Bend Mayor Kristine Deiss: “The hardest thing has been fighting communication ... perception over reality.”

    In West Bend, it was Mayor Deiss who tried to reappoint Library Board members who infuriated the public by insisting on keeping gay smut in the children’s department. It’s the same community where aldermen are determined to stick a low-income housing slum the residents don’t want. This isn’t a problem of perception. The reality is the community’s leaders are doing things the public doesn’t like. In New Berlin, outraged citizens want Chiovatero’s scalp for trying to put a slum in the heart of the community. In Menomonee Falls, taxpayers went ballistic when library employees tried to censor kids’ art work at the parochial school art fair. Back in West Bend, Carlson’s school board keeps proposing school tax referendums the public doesn’t want.

    In each case, the citizenry is speaking out. Good. Carlson a few months ago berated a fellow school board member for daring to air differences in public. Horrors! Hey, Carlson, differences of opinion in government are supposed to be in the open. West Bend belongs to the residents of West Bend not Carlson and not Deiss. They are the employees but think of themselves as the bosses (or dictators). The taxpayer/owners have a right to see public business dealt with in the open.

    Yeah, sure, they’ll respond. But can’t we be, you know, more “civil?” While some people always go too far, the problem in most communities is too much civility, not too little. Most folks let the power structure tax and spend, preside over mediocre school systems, lard public payrolls with unneeded workers, dole out unconscionable benefits and act like their the leaders of Liberalville. The few communities where people object are the ones whose residents are care the most.

    America was founded loudly and angrily. Every positive development in this country – civil rights, the end to slavery, tax relief – has been a result of the populace raising hell. It’s what makes America great. The reason suburbanites are yelling now is that they fundamentally oppose the leftist drift of their hometowns. Their vocalism is a very good thing, whether the thin-skinned small town politicos like it or not.

  

New Charter School Proposed in West Bend

Curtsy to What's New in West Bend Schools:

A certified letter has been send to West Bend school district administration requesting a public hearing on the matter of a charter school in West Bend.

The plan at this point is to start this fall with K and 1^st grade. Future expansion to 6^th grade or possibly 8^th grade would continue next fall. According to Pastor Dunford of First Baptist Church, many parents have expressed a desire for them to begin a charter school.
The West Bend Board of Education needs to approve such a measure. Charter schools typically educate for less money, have smaller class sizes and results that compare favorably to or better than traditional public schools. There is strong potential for cost savings to the community by educating through charter schools.
This is a very exciting idea for West Bend!

More details later...............

Combining WEST BEND HIGH SCHOOLS on agenda for MONDAY NIGHT school board meeting

FYI.  Curtsy to "What's New in West Bend Schools."


Monday June 21st is the date the school board will be discussing combining the high schools. It seems to me that the superintendent already sees this as a done deal.
The public needs to be there letting their elected officials know how they feel about combining the two schools into one. If this goes through, West Bend will have one of the largest high schools in the state.
Everyone has a price, but the projected savings of combining the schools is minimal, and the benefits to students none (that I can think of).
The projected savings the first year is $205,660 and subsequent years savings are projected to be $382,910(from a budget that exceeds $70 million) The projected savings will come from having one less principal and reductions in coaches and staffing events. One athletic director will be called an activity director, but the salary is the same.


READ MORE HERE

West Bend School Board Work Session and Reg. Meeting MONDAY

Details Of: Board Work Session Date: 4/26/2010 (5:00 PM - 6:15 PM) Calendar: West Bend School District (General) Description: Jackson Elementary - Multi-Purpose Room (behind gymnasium)

Details Of: Board of Education Meeting Date: 4/26/2010 (7:00 PM) Calendar: West Bend School District (General) Description: Jackson Elementary School W204 N16850 Jackson Dr. Jackson, WI