Hello everybody, Mr. Racine's Report Card here. Brenda is out of town, and made the mistake of leaving me the keys to the blog. The first thing she said was, "Don't change any of my settings. Don't change the font or color." HA! HA! HA!
So what should we talk about?
Brenda called me about the time that she was supposed to be arriving at camp. She was lost. Made a wrong turn somewhere. Now on her behalf, the map from the school that she was following was a bit crude. So I hopped on the old interweb, and got a good map of the area where she was supposed to be.
Once I figured out where she was, I started telling her how to get back on track. She had the audacity to start telling me I was wrong. I kept my cool for a bit, but she kept insisting that roads were not where I was saying they were. I finally lost it and said, "Do you have a freakin' map? I have a freakin' map. Listen to me!". "Oh, I guess you're right. I thought blah blah blah ... ", she says. Yeah, you thought wrong.
Now don't get me wrong, Brenda is one of the most intelligent people I know, but sometimes she makes me mental. She did finally make it, although a bit late. You're welcome Honey.
Maybe later I'll invite Mr. Kat's Cradle over, have a few beers, and see what this baby can really do. Stay tuned.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
We'll be back right after these important messages...
There is so much happening on the RUSD front and normally I would be all over it, but I will be out of town until Friday afternoon. I will be chaperoning 5th graders on a camping trip.
Please check back Friday for my incredibly astute and thoughtful analysis (Ha!) of any recent developments.
(Now if only I could get Mr. Racine's Report Card to figure out this Blogger thing...)
Please check back Friday for my incredibly astute and thoughtful analysis (Ha!) of any recent developments.
(Now if only I could get Mr. Racine's Report Card to figure out this Blogger thing...)
Monday, May 21, 2007
Will they or won't they?
Tonight, the RUSD board will be discussing if the June 12th referendum should be cancelled. In case you have been under a rock, the administration and board have taken quite a beating over the last couple of weeks because of the brouhaha of the PBCG contract.
I will be attending tonight's meeting to see what the ultimate decision will be - they have a difficult decision to make. The way I see it is that they have to take in consideration the following thoughts:
1. Voting is one sure-fire way for voices to be heard. They are many people that want the referendum to be their sounding board over the latest scandal. There are also others on the other side who believe in the referendum. If the referendum would be cancelled, none of these voices would be heard.
2. If the money has already been spent (printing ballots), cancelling the referendum would be a complete waste of taxpayer funds.
3. There will not be enough time to schedule another referendum before the fiscal year starts on July 1st, so scheduling it after the proposed audit would be not possible for spending in the upcoming year. If the referendum fails, there will be 42 positions cut. Folks, there will not be a do-over.
I urge the board to consider these and other arguments as they vote tonight to decide whether or not to continue with the referendum.
UPDATED AT 8:49PM:
The RUSD board has voted 7-1 (Carlsen absent) to rescind the referendum resolution. The sole dissenting vote was cast by Ms. McKenna. She explained her reasons for her vote well, and some of her comments were in the same vein as my above comments.
This was a difficult decision for the board to make - I cannot fault the ones that voted to rescind the referendum resolution. Hopefully, the district can learn from this experience so it never happens again.
Regarding the 42 FTEs on the chopping block, Dr. Vanden Wyngaard stated that the Teaching and Learning division (which she oversees) has NOT had a discussion regarding cutting art, music, library and Phy Ed in the elementary schools. This was an ugly rumor she wanted to put to rest. She will try to cut the $3M + in other areas (materials, equipment, etc) before cutting staff. That is good to hear.
(FYI - The county has already spent somewhere in the vicinity of $11,680 for the special election-the district will have to reimburse the county for its costs.)
I will be attending tonight's meeting to see what the ultimate decision will be - they have a difficult decision to make. The way I see it is that they have to take in consideration the following thoughts:
1. Voting is one sure-fire way for voices to be heard. They are many people that want the referendum to be their sounding board over the latest scandal. There are also others on the other side who believe in the referendum. If the referendum would be cancelled, none of these voices would be heard.
2. If the money has already been spent (printing ballots), cancelling the referendum would be a complete waste of taxpayer funds.
3. There will not be enough time to schedule another referendum before the fiscal year starts on July 1st, so scheduling it after the proposed audit would be not possible for spending in the upcoming year. If the referendum fails, there will be 42 positions cut. Folks, there will not be a do-over.
I urge the board to consider these and other arguments as they vote tonight to decide whether or not to continue with the referendum.
UPDATED AT 8:49PM:
The RUSD board has voted 7-1 (Carlsen absent) to rescind the referendum resolution. The sole dissenting vote was cast by Ms. McKenna. She explained her reasons for her vote well, and some of her comments were in the same vein as my above comments.
This was a difficult decision for the board to make - I cannot fault the ones that voted to rescind the referendum resolution. Hopefully, the district can learn from this experience so it never happens again.
Regarding the 42 FTEs on the chopping block, Dr. Vanden Wyngaard stated that the Teaching and Learning division (which she oversees) has NOT had a discussion regarding cutting art, music, library and Phy Ed in the elementary schools. This was an ugly rumor she wanted to put to rest. She will try to cut the $3M + in other areas (materials, equipment, etc) before cutting staff. That is good to hear.
(FYI - The county has already spent somewhere in the vicinity of $11,680 for the special election-the district will have to reimburse the county for its costs.)
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Much ado about 'Roots'
RUSD is in the headlines again, and this time it’s not about allegations over its business practices– it is about the curriculum of a 6th grade social studies class. Social Studies, if you remember, is a course of study including geography, history, government, and sociology. Children learn about the cultures of different people, and hopefully use that knowledge to understand current and past human events. It is NOT simply studying the topography of different countries.
Unified’s official stance on canceling the showing of Roots is the following:
1. It does not support the district’s curriculum.
2. It is not a “judicious” use of media.
3. The content is not “appropriate” for the grade level.
4. The district did not approve it.
All of these reasons above may indeed be valid, but I ask the following questions:
1. Does designing a board game based on a favorite novel support the curriculum? My “advanced” 6th grader had such an assignment. Instead of learning how to identify the conflict, plot or antagonist/protagonist in a novel, we have our 6th graders designing board games based on a book they read. In my opinion, this is an assignment more closely aligned with the learning capacity of a 1st grader.
2. Is showing Honey, I Shrunk the Kids or Spy Kids in MATH class a judicious use of media? We have 6th grade teachers, showing these (and many more) movies in MATH class so the teachers have time to grade tests.
I may be off-base, but I find the hypocrisy of the decisions of central office administrators disturbing. It is okay for a MATH teacher to show Spy Kids, but not okay for a SOCIAL STUDIES teacher to show Roots to his students?
What is the real reason for canceling Roots? It is disturbing and may not be appropriate for some 11 and 12 year olds, but please do not insult my intelligence and tell me it’s all about the districts policies.
Unified’s official stance on canceling the showing of Roots is the following:
1. It does not support the district’s curriculum.
2. It is not a “judicious” use of media.
3. The content is not “appropriate” for the grade level.
4. The district did not approve it.
All of these reasons above may indeed be valid, but I ask the following questions:
1. Does designing a board game based on a favorite novel support the curriculum? My “advanced” 6th grader had such an assignment. Instead of learning how to identify the conflict, plot or antagonist/protagonist in a novel, we have our 6th graders designing board games based on a book they read. In my opinion, this is an assignment more closely aligned with the learning capacity of a 1st grader.
2. Is showing Honey, I Shrunk the Kids or Spy Kids in MATH class a judicious use of media? We have 6th grade teachers, showing these (and many more) movies in MATH class so the teachers have time to grade tests.
I may be off-base, but I find the hypocrisy of the decisions of central office administrators disturbing. It is okay for a MATH teacher to show Spy Kids, but not okay for a SOCIAL STUDIES teacher to show Roots to his students?
What is the real reason for canceling Roots? It is disturbing and may not be appropriate for some 11 and 12 year olds, but please do not insult my intelligence and tell me it’s all about the districts policies.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Racine's Report Card takes a vacation
I guess I have worked myself out a job, so to speak. There are numerous bloggers talking about both the recent allegations of the PBCG contract and there are new allegations rising every day…
The list of bloggers is growing exponentially so I apologize if I miss anyone:
Peter
Fred
Still Unreal
Kay
Nick
Caledonia Unplugged
Gop Folk
And of course a special thanks to Kat , who like me, has been paying very close attention to RUSD for the last few years.
I’m glad y' all are finally realizing how serious the problems may be – and I want to give a "shout out" to the person who made this all possible (you know who you are).
The list of bloggers is growing exponentially so I apologize if I miss anyone:
Peter
Fred
Still Unreal
Kay
Nick
Caledonia Unplugged
Gop Folk
And of course a special thanks to Kat , who like me, has been paying very close attention to RUSD for the last few years.
I’m glad y' all are finally realizing how serious the problems may be – and I want to give a "shout out" to the person who made this all possible (you know who you are).
Rest in Peace, Jasmine
Visitation for Jasmine Owens will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday at New Pitts Mortuary, 2031 W. Capitol Drive. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Mason Temple Church of God in Christ, 6090 N. 35th St.
Two funds have been set up for Jasmine's family. One is at Legacy Bank, 2102 W. Fond du Lac Ave., Milwaukee, WI . The other is Educators Credit Union, 7025 W. Appleton Ave which is also in Milwaukee.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
A fractured fairy tale
Once upon a time, there was a great village with many riches. Over the years this village decayed, but since there were still young people with dreams living within this village, the residents ignored the decay around them. The schools, full of those young villagers with dreams, soon began to decay too. The leaders of the village brought in a stranger to lead and help the decaying schools. He came with dreams of returning the schools and the village back to the greatness it once had. But alas, his dreams were expensive; the poor village did not have enough gold to give the stranger they brought in to lead their schools.
Then one day, a group of strangers wandered into this once great village with its once great schools. They told the village that they could help the schools find more gold – but it would cost the villagers a little of their gold for their efforts. The school leaders were excited, for in fact these strangers seem to know exactly where all the gold was. The school leaders took the advice of this new group of travelers and soon turned their schools into shining beacons of learning. The stranger, the group of travelers, and the entire village lived happily-ever-after.
Of course this is just a fairy-tale. We know now that instead of using the consultants as they should have been used (on a consulting and temporary basis) we are now relying on this for-profit company to handle not only the finances of our district, but MANAGE the entire operations. In reality, this group should have been used on a short-term basis to help us better manage all the “gold” the villagers give to the schools.
Then one day, a group of strangers wandered into this once great village with its once great schools. They told the village that they could help the schools find more gold – but it would cost the villagers a little of their gold for their efforts. The school leaders were excited, for in fact these strangers seem to know exactly where all the gold was. The school leaders took the advice of this new group of travelers and soon turned their schools into shining beacons of learning. The stranger, the group of travelers, and the entire village lived happily-ever-after.
Of course this is just a fairy-tale. We know now that instead of using the consultants as they should have been used (on a consulting and temporary basis) we are now relying on this for-profit company to handle not only the finances of our district, but MANAGE the entire operations. In reality, this group should have been used on a short-term basis to help us better manage all the “gold” the villagers give to the schools.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Board defines scope of audit tonight
Tonight, the RUSD is having a special meeting to “discuss and define the scope and objective” of the proposed audit of the PBCG contract. Much hullabaloo has been made of this business partnership over the last week or so. Hopefully tonight the RUSD board will lay the groundwork to answer all the questions, rumors and accusations that are flying around town.
Remember, we get what we deserve. A well meaning phone call today (even to just leave a message) might not be a bad idea. Here is the contact information for the board; do yourself and your neighbors a favor and give them a call to let them know how you feel! I suggest both “sides of the fence” do this; the board needs all the input they can get.
If you do or say nothing, how can you complain about the results? RUSD is the largest recipient of our local tax dollars, yet there seems to be some kind of disconnect in the community. This community (collectively) gets all excited over the funds for remodeling Monument Square, Pointe Blue, and $200 bumpers yet we continue to ignore the very real problems the Racine area faces – poor performing public schools.
Remember, we get what we deserve. A well meaning phone call today (even to just leave a message) might not be a bad idea. Here is the contact information for the board; do yourself and your neighbors a favor and give them a call to let them know how you feel! I suggest both “sides of the fence” do this; the board needs all the input they can get.
If you do or say nothing, how can you complain about the results? RUSD is the largest recipient of our local tax dollars, yet there seems to be some kind of disconnect in the community. This community (collectively) gets all excited over the funds for remodeling Monument Square, Pointe Blue, and $200 bumpers yet we continue to ignore the very real problems the Racine area faces – poor performing public schools.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Suggest a question for the RUSD board
The JT has an interesting weblog today; it is titled “Suggest a question for Tom Hicks and Nick Alioto”. They and the Journal-Sentinel have been granted 15 minute interviews with Dr. Hicks and Mr. Alioto of PBCG.
This weblog is a good idea – I’m sure all the stakeholders of the district have questions they want answered. In fact, this idea is such a good one I think I will start my own!
When the school board meets on Monday to discuss the audit of the PBCG contract, what sort of questions do you think the board members should ask? Should the scope of the audit be purely financial, or more comprehensive?
(Please note that some RUSD board members do read this blog on a regular basis so your suggestions will not be in vain…)
I will start it off with some questions of my own. School funding resources are finite; there are limited grants and resources to the +400 school districts in the state. If PBCG is representing more than 1 school district, how do you determine which school district is the one that should seek out any extra financing? Is PBCG representing any other district of similar size/demographics?
Okay now it’s your turn… What do you think the board should examine in its audit?
This weblog is a good idea – I’m sure all the stakeholders of the district have questions they want answered. In fact, this idea is such a good one I think I will start my own!
When the school board meets on Monday to discuss the audit of the PBCG contract, what sort of questions do you think the board members should ask? Should the scope of the audit be purely financial, or more comprehensive?
(Please note that some RUSD board members do read this blog on a regular basis so your suggestions will not be in vain…)
I will start it off with some questions of my own. School funding resources are finite; there are limited grants and resources to the +400 school districts in the state. If PBCG is representing more than 1 school district, how do you determine which school district is the one that should seek out any extra financing? Is PBCG representing any other district of similar size/demographics?
Okay now it’s your turn… What do you think the board should examine in its audit?
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
The Real Tragedy
Today, the RUSD board voted unanimously on having the current PBCG contract/payments audited by a neutral 3rd party. I applaud this new board’s way of tackling problems head-on. With that said, I wish the discussions about the contract and bonuses would have happened last year when the contracts were signed.
Under current board policy, however, the superintendent can retain professional services (such as PBCG) without board approval. For those of you who know me; you know that I hate Policy Governance with every ounce of my being. I like “accountability” and Policy Governance leaves just too many loopholes for any true accountability.
You would also know that in recent months, I have had a “coming to Jesus” sort of revelation about the district’s academic plans for the future. I desperately want this district to succeed, and cannot understand why there is not more attention paid to the everyday happenings of RUSD. You all get sanctimonious over $15.00 car rental fees and choo-choos to Chicago but no one seems to care where and how over $250,000,000 is spent each and every year!!
I predict that nothing will come out of the proposed audit; after all Dr. Hicks was operating under the limitations the board THEMSELVES wrote and PBCG’s only crime is capitalism. I do not think it was a good idea for administration/board to hire a for-profit company to control governmental monies, but that is a whole other issue for another time.
The real tragedy, as I see it, is that with all of the negative attention RUSD has received over the last couple of days, the June 12th referendum is doomed to fail. Under the new Chief Academic Officer’s leadership, the monies from the referendum would have benefited, both directly and indirectly, the children of this community. A failing referendum will not hurt Dr. Hicks, Nick Alioto or Roger Dickson – it will only hurt the children, families, and other stakeholders of the district. Perhaps the citizens of the community are finally ready to accept the challenges we face and conquer them together. I hope so, because we cannot continue to ignore the very real problems our community faces.
Under current board policy, however, the superintendent can retain professional services (such as PBCG) without board approval. For those of you who know me; you know that I hate Policy Governance with every ounce of my being. I like “accountability” and Policy Governance leaves just too many loopholes for any true accountability.
You would also know that in recent months, I have had a “coming to Jesus” sort of revelation about the district’s academic plans for the future. I desperately want this district to succeed, and cannot understand why there is not more attention paid to the everyday happenings of RUSD. You all get sanctimonious over $15.00 car rental fees and choo-choos to Chicago but no one seems to care where and how over $250,000,000 is spent each and every year!!
I predict that nothing will come out of the proposed audit; after all Dr. Hicks was operating under the limitations the board THEMSELVES wrote and PBCG’s only crime is capitalism. I do not think it was a good idea for administration/board to hire a for-profit company to control governmental monies, but that is a whole other issue for another time.
The real tragedy, as I see it, is that with all of the negative attention RUSD has received over the last couple of days, the June 12th referendum is doomed to fail. Under the new Chief Academic Officer’s leadership, the monies from the referendum would have benefited, both directly and indirectly, the children of this community. A failing referendum will not hurt Dr. Hicks, Nick Alioto or Roger Dickson – it will only hurt the children, families, and other stakeholders of the district. Perhaps the citizens of the community are finally ready to accept the challenges we face and conquer them together. I hope so, because we cannot continue to ignore the very real problems our community faces.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Are the PBCG bonuses justified?
Way last June, certain Racine area bloggers (me and RDW) questioned the $304,000 bonus paid to the Public Business Consulting Group, the consultant group that is acting as RUSD’s financial team.
Now, 11 months later, long-time district employees are (finally!!) questioning the bonuses paid to PBCG. It also seems the payouts are even larger than expected.
As I have said in the past, I am sure that everything in the contract is “legal” , but I still question paying bonuses on savings not realized yet and the practice of having an outside consultant act as the business manager of our district.
What do you think?
Update: PBCG has worked in RUSD for the past 1 1/2 years, and under the guidance of their team the district has cut millions from its operating budget. They have also moved some expenses to accounts that do not operate under the revenue cap. I am not questioning their actions or any legalities, I know that this team knows the ins/out of school finance like no others in the state. I am simply questioning the amount of the bonus. Doesn't a 20% bonus seem a little high, especially since their contract (5 year) is over 2 million dollars?
Please keep in mind that this team replaced one person, who did not make over $400,000.00 dollars a year.
Now, 11 months later, long-time district employees are (finally!!) questioning the bonuses paid to PBCG. It also seems the payouts are even larger than expected.
As I have said in the past, I am sure that everything in the contract is “legal” , but I still question paying bonuses on savings not realized yet and the practice of having an outside consultant act as the business manager of our district.
What do you think?
Update: PBCG has worked in RUSD for the past 1 1/2 years, and under the guidance of their team the district has cut millions from its operating budget. They have also moved some expenses to accounts that do not operate under the revenue cap. I am not questioning their actions or any legalities, I know that this team knows the ins/out of school finance like no others in the state. I am simply questioning the amount of the bonus. Doesn't a 20% bonus seem a little high, especially since their contract (5 year) is over 2 million dollars?
Please keep in mind that this team replaced one person, who did not make over $400,000.00 dollars a year.
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