A question for the REA

David, A JT blogger, posed this question on a recent JT post that concerned the lack of action by the RUSD to redistrict. His response was favorable to neighborhood schools and one of the many questions he posed was this:

Would neighborhood schools be better served if we moved the teachers around versus noving the students around?

Not being a teacher, or a dues-paying member of ANY kind of union, I ask the following question as a follow-up...

... do you think the REA would support an idea like this?

A light at the end of the tunnel

I wish you all could have been at 2200 Northwestern Avenue last night for Dr. Vanden Wyngaard’s “public debut” and presentation on closing the achievement gap. If you had, you would realize what an “ace in the hole” she is. She is one of the nation’s top experts in closing the achievement gap, and the citizens of greater Racine should know that we are lucky to have her.

She is dynamic and very engaging; I dare anyone to listen to her and not walk away thinking that closing the achievement gap cannot be done. The only obstacles, as I see it, are the grown-ups in the district! By grown-ups I mean us all – teachers, administrators, taxpayers and parents! We need to step up and do what is right for educating ALL of the children in the district. I believe that if Dr. V had been working along side of Dr. Hicks since his coming to Racine; the suburban communities, the NAACP, and the RTA would not be in battle-mode right now.

As inspiring as she is, she cannot do it alone. It will be difficult for her, I imagine, to change the mind-set of many in our community. From teachers to community members, everyone needs to change their feelings about how we educate our children. If this cannot be done, I shudder to think what will become of this community.

I know this might sound like I have lost my mind – I am supposed to be one of the crazed Caledonia residents who hate all things RUSD, right? I suppose for those of you who do not know me personally, it might seem that way. As I am fond of saying, I just want good schools. I don’t care if there are RUSD schools, Caledonia schools or schools run by the Hare Krishna. I just want good schools. The easiest solution for all is just to make RUSD a place that educates ALL children – and Dr. V, as I see it, is our best chance to get there.

Realistically, any action by Caledonia to create an independent school district, is years away. My children are in the system now, so I need to make sure my children are getting the best possible education NOW!

It's crunch time for RUSD board

The RUSD Board continues their discussion on the redistricting tonight at 6:30PM. Time is ticking away if any changes would be implemented for the upcoming school year. The district’s demographers have already done a study based on the recommendations of the Equity and Access Committee and a study based on neighborhood schools. Brian Dey, a RUSD board member, has already drafted a proposal to fit the neighborhood school scenario.

Now, I understand Dr. Hicks has drafted a proposal as well. I imagine this proposal will be discussed at much length Monday evening.

I just hope the board can come to some consensus so the district can move forward. I fear that they will put off any decision until the Supreme Court weighs in on the 2 school equity issues they currently have before them.

As I have said before, I do not believe it is important as “how” the schools look, but “what” goes on inside them.

Let’s pray that the board members will finally come to a decision – they cannot move on with the more pressing issues (such as grade configuration ) until they have decided the redistricting, They have been promising this since the 2003-2004 school year.

The time to act is now….

Cat Lovers Beware

I'm warning all feline lovers to not to watch this video (this means you, Kat)

For me it just keeps getting funnier every single time I watch it...

Another look at the violence in our schools

What you're looking at is a tabulation of "reported" incidents of violence against RUSD staff for the month of January. I wouldn't normally post anything like this but the fact that there was only 1 "reported" incident in our high schools is noteworthy.

By reading this, we can only assume that our high schools are safe and functional; it would seem that the problems with violence are only with our middle and elementary schools.

P.S. In case you haven't figured it out already, I am being somewhat (okay, extremely) sarcastic.

A question of hypocrisy?

One last thing about the past Caledonia CDA meeting that discussed the next steps for creating an independent school district in Caledonia. I will pose it as a question...

Why is the education liaison of the Johnson Foundation and former president of the Wisconsin Charter School Association ( and currently serving on the board of the 21st Century Preparatory Academy) so against the idea of Caledonia seeking an alternative to RUSD?

His comments at Wednesday's meeting were welcomed because he is a resident of Caledonia, but I left that meeting trying to figure out what he was so afraid of.

After all, actions speak louder than words. He has made it his lifelong ambition to ensure there are alternatives to RUSD for a select few, but when Caledonia wants to do the same, he is against it?

I ask you this, why the vehement opposition?

Wednesday's Caledonia CDA Meeting

I was going to write about Wednesday’s CDA meeting at the Caledonia Community Center but then I read Kat’s take on the meeting, and realized I could not even begin to explain the situation as well as she. Check it out…

Late night update on marathon meeting

I just got home from the RUSD meeting and they were still going strong when I left... Tonight's meeting was poetry in dysfunction.

As suspected, the Paullin Group update item on the agenda made for what could have been kind of ugly. The school board president did reign in a couple of board members, but not before the configuration of the schools came into question. As you may know, the board directed the Paullin group to configure the schools K-6, 7-9 and 10-12. The results of the 1.5 million study did not reflect these changes, and some board members are understandably concerned.

Another concern, is that many board members thought that detailed blueprints would be included in the study. The initial RFP was supposed to get detailed building specs, the board members (and me included) assumed that meant blueprints. This detail was in the initial bidding process, but we did not get the blueprints, simply a detailed list of what each classroom should have. All in all, the study may be a thorough one, but I do not think that it was worth $1.5 million. The price tag was an issue of concern also, as The Paullin Group was not the lowest bidder in the initial bidding process.

Somehow, I do not think this issue is a dead one...

Do we just need to move on? Part of me says this is the right thing to do...

Things to watch for at RUSD business meeting - Part 2

I noticed that there will be an update on the Paullin Group (facility study) Report this evening. I expect there may be outraged board members bringing up "old" issues regarding the study, everything from questioning the proposed configuration of the buildings to the initial bidding process. If I am correct, I ask what has taken so long?

I even predict that referrals will be made at the appropiate time in the meeting. However, I believe that the best ideas go to "referral" and are never heard again.

Let's hope I'm wrong...

Things to watch for at RUSD business meeting

Tonight is the regularly scheduled business meeting of the RUSD School board. Among the items on the agenda are the results from the latest Edulog study (the one used for redistricting) and a presentation on a 5-year balanced budget.

If you have never attended a board meeting, I suggest you start tonight. Here's a couple of things you should look for in tonight's meeting:

1. Does the Edulog study support increased busing for socio-economic status?

2. Does the 5 year "balanced" budget include money for security, maintenance, or technology? Or will these programs rely on the district passing another referendum?

3. Is the budget really balanced? How can the district state the budget is balanced when we do not know what the State of Wisconsin will be giving the school district in its next biennial budget? Governor Doyle has shortchanged the schools and not lived up to the promise of 2/3 funding in the past, and the state is currently facing huge deficits.

Too funny...

After this very depressing week, I need to laugh. I have never posted one of those fowarded e-mail thingies, but this one made me giggle. Hope it does the same for you...


Most of you have read the scare-mail about the person whose kidneys were stolen while he was passed out. Well, read on.

While the kidney story was an urban legend, this one is not. It's happening every day. My thighs were stolen from me during the night a few years ago. It was just that quick. I went to sleep in my body and woke up with someone else's thighs. The new ones had the texture of cooked oatmeal. Who would have done such a cruel thing to legs that had been mine for years? Whose thighs were these and what happened to mine? I spent the entire summer looking for my thighs. Finally, hurt and angry, I resigned myself to living out my life in jeans and Sheer Energy pantyhose. Then, just when my guard was down, the thieves struck again.

My ass was next.

I knew it was the same gang, because they took pains to match my new rear end to the thighs they stuck me with earlier. I couldn't believe that my new ass was attached at least three inches lower than my original. Now, my rear complemented my legs, lump for lump. Frantic, Iprayed that long skirts would stay in fashion.

It was two years ago when I realized my arms had been switched. One morning I was fixing my hair and I watched horrified but fascinated as the flesh of my upper arms swung to and fro with the motion of the hair brush. This was really getting scary. My body was being replaced one section at a time. How clever and fiendish.

Age? Age had nothing to do with it. Age is supposed to creep up, unnoticed, something like maturity. NO, I was being attacked repeatedly and without warning. In despair, I gave up my T-shirts.

What could they do to me next?

My poor neck suddenly disappeared faster than the Thanksgiving turkey it now resembled. That's why I decided to tell my story. I can't take on the medical profession by myself. Women of the world, wake up and smell the coffee. That really isn't plastic that those surgeons are using.


You KNOW where they are getting those replacement parts, don't you? The next time you suspect someone has had a face "lifted", look again. Wasit lifted from you? I think I finally found my thighs - and I hope that Cindy Crawford paid a really good price for them!

This is not a hoax.

This is happening to women in every town every night. WARN YOUR FRIENDS!

P.S. I must say that last year I thought someone had stolen my breasts.I was lying in bed and they were gone! As I jumped out of bed, I was relieved to see that they had just been hiding in my armpits as I slept.

Now I keep them hidden in my waistband.

The dangers from within our schools

And just a reminder, even if our children are safe from intruders from the outside, what is going to be done about the dangers from within our schools?

WTMJ update on school assault case

WTMJ (Channel 4) is reporting that the suspect in the recent school assault was accused of a similar crime in 2005, but a criminal complaint was not filed. The earlier victim reportedly did not back up his original story. Thank goodness, the recent victim did not do the same. This little guy should be commended for his courage; he may very well have saved another from experiencing the same horrific fate.

In fact, commendations should go to both the staff of the school and the Racine Police Department for their quick response to the alleged incident Tuesday.

Lawmaker aims to allow the blind to hunt

This story makes me realize that Wisconsin legislators and lawmakers do not hold reign as being the most stupid…

A study in irony

i·ro·ny- An outcome of events contrary to what was, or might have been, expected.
(Reference: Internet resource site www.dictionary.com)


The irony of two separate events this week amazes me – a young life is changed forever by a sexual offender here in Racine and our governor is now backing off key portions of a law that would have required child predators to be monitored by a GPS system for the rest of their lives. Apparently he is now worried the new bill (which he signed last spring) is unconstitutional and the offenders’ rights are being violated because tracking will occur even after their probation is served.

I ask this, what about the rights of the young victims and the community as a whole? Child predators, as I understand it, are very hard to rehabilitate and many times they return to the same kind of behavior after their sentences have been served. I think a GPS system to track the offenders is the very least we can do to protect the most vulnerable members of our society – our kids.

Normalcy can return to our school

With a suspect now in custody, hopefully the parents, children and staff at Red Apple Elementary (and the entire Racine area) can breathe a sigh of relief and try to return to normalcy. With TV crews from the Milwaukee news stations, along with at least a half-dozen police cars camped out outside the school all day, there has been very little “normal” happenings at the school. The children are frightened enough, police cars and news vans only make it worse.

Many are still playing the blame game – this needs to stop! This horrific incident was certainly a tragedy, but the real tragedy is if we as a community learn nothing from it. We need to stop trying to find someone to blame and start doing what is right for our community – our children are counting on us. Admittedly, we were lulled into thinking something like this could never happen, but it did. We need to be more vigilant for our children – they are our most precious gifts and they deserve a happy childhood.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all affected, I cannot imagine the pain you must be feeling.

A Tragedy At Red Apple

As most of the regular readers know by now, there was a horrific incident at one of my children’s school yesterday. An unknown intruder found his way into the building and sexually molested a 6 year old child. As a parent, my heart is breaking for this young victim and his family. However, my heart is also breaking for the hurtful comments I read on the JT weblogs regarding the staff of Red Apple.

There are many to point fingers at the staff of Red Apple, but few are placing the blame where I feel it belongs. The blame should lie with the sick bastard that forever changed a young life yesterday.

Red Apple is one of the best schools in this district; they have a wonderful and caring staff. To blame them for the heinous actions of another is unfair and pointless. I feel that Red Apple has always provided my children with a safe learning environment. The many doors of the decrepit 130 year old building are locked, and visitors are required to “buzz” the main entrance to gain access to the building. I have been buzzed in many times, and I have never been offended when asked who I was. Because the only other school my children attended also had a camera/intercom system, I was not aware this was not a standard operating procedure for all of our schools. It needs to be….

Were there security breaches? Yes. Could parents (or intruders) still get in without being buzzed? Yes. Did parents hold doors open for others behind them, of course we did. Notice I said “did”, because I am sure no one in the near future will engage in this practice. The principal has sent another note home today asking the parents to assist the staff in keeping our children safe by practicing a few common sense strategies when picking up or dropping off our children.

Although some are demanding a meeting for the parents of Red Apple, I would suggest demanding a meeting for the other schools in the district. Like New York on 9/12/01, Red Apple Elementary today is an extremely safe and secure place. I would venture a guess that nothing like this will ever happen at Red Apple again – but it can happen at another school.

The parents of Red Apple have been informed of the steps being taken, but the parents of children attending other schools have not. They need to make sure that this kind of tragedy does not occur at their school. If it happened at Red Apple, I can assure you it can happen anywhere. Many of our buildings in the district are not designed with today’s needs in mind. This will happen again if the district does not start addressing the real problems this district faces.

Musings over assets and liabilities...

Winter sucks.... and its official - I am definitely getting a flu shot next year. I apologize for my prolonged absence, I am feeling a little better. In fact I felt good enough to attend the RUSD Audit Committee meeting last night. This committee only meets once or twice a year to discuss the outside yearly audit.

I will write more about the high points of the audit later, but I thought I would first share with you a comment one of the members of the financial team shared with the members of the audit committee.

When asked about the deficit and if it included the long-term liability of post-retirement benefits (as required by new governmental accounting laws starting next year), Mr. Dickson said it did not. The follow-up question was something along the lines of "How is the district going to structure those costs? All in one year or spread across multiple years?"

His answer was sort of surprising to me - he stated that if Caledonia seceded from RUSD he would recommend the single year concept so Caledonia has to pay up front.

I guess this makes sense, but if Caledonia has to pay 25% of the long-term liability, then I imagine the residents of Caledonia would get 25% of the assets too, right? Isn't that only fair? I imagine that the buildings that reside within the village will come at no additional cost to the taxpayers.

These, of course, are just my initial thoughts. I imagine soon we will know the real facts. Stay tuned - things could get very interesting.