The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has a big, front page (on the web) story about the stuff happening in the West Bend School District. There is no new information in it. It just walks through some of the changes in the board, administration, and the recent teacher resignations. The best part of the story were the comments from former board member Therese Sizer.
The teachers union’s fight to stay relevant often puts it at odds with fiscal conservatives in West Bend who support the law. Meanwhile, some of West Bend’s loudest voices, no matter what camp they’re in, battle for their views in highly active Facebook groups. The tension appears to sometimes fuel negative relations in real life.
“It’s sort of like a perfect storm,” said Sizer, the school board member who resigned this year because of the board’s new nepotism policy. “People feel they can be aggressive over an issue, social media emboldens them and it becomes this perpetuating cycle of misinformation and unkindness.”
Sizer added that West Bend has quality schools and that she’s glad she encouraged her daughter to teach there.
“This is a very capable school district,” Sizer said. “I’d hate to see it destroyed because of a group of people who don’t know how to have a civilized discussion.”
I agree with her, but would go a step further.
Schools are too important to be in the twitchy, and unpredictable, political sphere.
I support a separation of education and state so we can finally upgrade the 19th century model of schooling we perpetuate in the government school monopoly.
“I support a separation of education and state”. Yet you want the state to pay for your private school. Soooo many hypocrites, so little time….
Nord,
No different than a pell grant for higher eductaion. Kids and parens get choose education, not the one size fits all godless monopoly program as only choice.
k:
Way different. And you still want the state to pay for your private schools. Hypocrite.
Nord,
How so? Pell Grants can be used at godless or God fearing universities.