This blog represents my opinions and my opinions alone, and certainly doesn't represent the collective thoughts of any of the Boards or organizations that I serve on. Unfortunately I make all sorts of miistakes, I'm a picky eater, I can't sing and I just recently found out I have been spelling certain words in my vocabulary wrong my entire life. That being said, I still continue to muddle ever onward. Welcome.





Monday, March 22, 2010

And One Last Thought For The Day...

I went to my first Monona Grove Strings Festival tonight with my entire family and good friends to watch my wonderful fourth grader play his first orchestra concert, and while I was there, I fell in love with our school district all over again. Thanks!
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7 comments:

  1. AnonymousMarch 25, 2010 at 7:16 AM

    Thanks for giving those dedicated music teachers a big middle finger salute of thanks and support last night!

    ReplyDelete
  2. JessicaMarch 25, 2010 at 10:50 AM

    I haven't flown the one finger salute since I've been in junior high, ok, well, maybe high shcool, but I catch your drift anyway, Anonymous. If you are are responding to my vote to delay consolidation of Maywood and Winnequah last night, I want to point out to you that the administrative budget reduction proposal to cut 6-8 music staffing by one FTE was a proposal that was on the final recommendation list even in the event of consolidation. If you are referring to the addition of reducing elementary related arts instructional minutes per week, that item was pulled off last night around midnight for further discussion at our special PUBLIC meeting scheduled for April 7th at GDS. And while I still occasionally think about flipping a deserving soul the bird, our phenomenal music teachers would be at the bottom of my list for the honor.

    ReplyDelete
  3. ShawnMarch 25, 2010 at 11:51 AM

    Is there an updated list of exactly what cuts will be considered/decided upon on April 7th? The only list I can find is from Peter's March 23rd Blog:
    "Additional Cuts without the Maywood/Winnequah Consolidation:
    -Extend walk area to 2 mile maximum $35,000

    -IMC Paraprofessionals – Eliminate all (4 FTE) IMC paraprofessionals (CG, TP, GD & HS) $132,000

    -Elementary Related Arts: Reduce instructional minutes per week (Art, Music, PE) grades 3-5 and K-2 (Art only) $91,000

    -Elementary Assistant Principal- Reduce to 40% at Maywood $22,000 "

    Is the list the same or has it changed?

    Could the board decide to end the cuts where they are today and not meet the $1M goal established for the year? (And try to find 1.22M for 2012?)
    -Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousMarch 25, 2010 at 1:47 PM

    I think if the board could end the cuts today, it would actually need to cut about 1.44 million to get back on track (1 million the next 3 years) or they could end it today and cut about 1.22 M for the next 2 years to get on track (1 million the last 2 years).

    Remember the cuts accumulate each year (1 million total the first year, 3 million total the 2nd, 6 million total the third etc). .78 million plus 2 million would come up about .22 short.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousMarch 25, 2010 at 9:58 PM

    Actually Jessica, you gave the middle finger salute to every teacher in the district regardless of whats on the chopping block - you said, thanks for all your hard work, we value buildings over people.

    BTW if we keep Maywood open for the idiotic charter school proposal then the charter school will cost the district $260,000 each year BEFORE it educates a single kid. How is the mayor going to pay for that.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousMarch 29, 2010 at 10:08 PM

    Reducing art, music and PE minutes affects 100% of the 3-5 graders, plus K-2 to a lesser extent. I LOVE strings but feel a program that affects 70% of 4th graders should be cut before one that affects so many more students. I wish we would have closed Maywood to keep all our great programs but that didn't happen.

    The board did not recognize or respect the input of teachers and administrators. Maywood is open but programs must be cut.

    ReplyDelete
  7. AmyJune 17, 2010 at 8:05 PM

    Aren't Anonymous speakers simply awesome! If you have something to say, and you are going to attack someone's decision (and a difficult one at that), at least have the cajones to put your name on the post.

    ReplyDelete

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