West Bend, WI – I do not believe being a school board member is, or should be, an easy or rewarding job. Especially if you cannot put the proper time in to really learn the district and get to know the people you are serving in and out of the school.
I do not expect boards members to know the everyday ins and outs of the district. I do not believe the following is a description of all members in our education system, but it is the loudest ones and possibly the majority.
The 2 emotions that I see at the top of public education are Fear and Entitlement.
They feel entitled to our money to do what they want without question, and they will never have enough. They want the best buildings, biggest gyms, most lucrative contracts and all the free trips to a conference they can get. They feel entitled to every child in your community.
They hate school choice because they want to just count their customers as a given number and never really have to earn the business. They believe they are entitled to your respect and gratitude no matter what choices they make. They are the professionals, and they know best so you should be quiet. They are entitled to their liberal views and should, without question, push them on the impressionable minds of our youth.
They feel fear because they were taught mostly by liberal professors and work with many liberal colleagues that they are trying to win the approval of. They face a terrible back lash if they step out of line.
They fear what the parents will say if they kick some of the most disruptive students out of class. They fear not being able to hold that expectation of kids being college ready, so they’ve watered down the classes. Still holding proficiency averages that requires firing someone. They fear what other districts think of them and won’t step out of the public education box. They aren’t trying anything new but just trying to keep up with the Jones’.
Here are some real questions:
Do we have the stomach to reorganize education?
Why aren’t we focusing more on students than staff?
Does more money really give us better education?
When will we start forcing parents to get involved with their children’s education? Stop making staff feel like they are the parents.
Why is no child left behind still a belief? Can we have the stones to start siphoning out the disruptors earlier or even at all and forcing parents to get involved to get them back into the classroom?
When will we stop pretending that getting these kids college ready is really working or even worth it? It is a fact that the education of a High School Graduate is sub-par and colleges make up for it by charging them a boat load of money for their 1st year in college to teach them high school grammar.
If we are to ever turn things around, then voting out the current board is the first step. With a few exceptions, they always run together as a rubber stamper, claiming to be conservative. We live in a supposed conservative district. Let’s start acting like it and put some real ones on the board.
Don’t be fooled this April 5. Vote for Melanie Ehrgott and John Donaldson. 2 citizens who are independent from the get-along crowd.
Concerned for our youth,
Dan Schulist
West Bend
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