I got word on Friday that Mr. David Pesci, the popular high school Choir Director, had abruptly resigned. No reason was given, but Principal Schlass told the students that he will not be coming back to say goodbye.
A tipster pointed me to the DPI licensing site. Sure enough, Mr. Pecsi hasn’t had a teaching license since January of LAST YEAR. I’m not sure why the administration allowed him to teach for over a year without a license. It must not be that important, despite what the education industrial complex likes to tell us.
I’m more concerned with bad teachers who have a license, that should not have one.
If this was a good teacher, I could give a rip about bureaucratic bookwork, just send the paperwork in….unless there is some other issue we are unaware.
It may not be a concern for you, but it is just another example of the West Bend school district not following the law of Wisconsin.He was my daughter’s teacher. She heard that supposedly he was going to complete the required education credits this past summer and did not do so – his first year he was mentored by the teacher who he replaced so that is why he was working under an “intern” license. He took this job as a career change – had not been a teacher before.
Awhile ago it was discovered that the high school schedule was not meeting minimum instructional minutes due to a weekly 20-minute early release day for teacher inservice/collaboration time.
Seems like staff is just starting to catch things like this. Administrators have been under siege for the past 2 years, and major efforts were aimed at attempting to mollify a very vocal staff and parental dissention, at the cost of performing their functions. There has been a major turnover at the board level, and local columnist/businessman John Torinus had predicted an exodus of administrative staff. The Superintendent hired in mid-2016 has left (and is paid into 2019); the Assistant Superintendent of Instruction that was hired in 2017 is now the “Interim” acting Superintendent. The Assistant Superintendent of Operations (which includes Business & Personnel functions) is currently vacant – the one that had been there for many years left, and her replacement was here less than 6 months. WBSD is currently lacking a Business Director and Business Manager – role is being filled by an interim under contract from CESA. Several other Director level positions have been turned over. Including the Business Director, 4 out of 8. Last year an Executive Principal at the high schools was hired (to replace an interim) but cancelled his contract before he was due to start. Last spring 4 teachers resigned in what turned into a public spectacle.
Point is, there has been a lot of turnover, some positions are vacant, and other positions are staffed with recent hires. I think the new hires have the advantage of not being under siege (at least at the present time) so are able to focus on their jobs.
Ironic, January 2017 is when the Superintendent was dealing with a staff generated controversy on how much the District was spending on testing platforms – seems as if costs were unsubstantiated and over stated. A few months later an excellent Board member resigned (Therese Sizer) due to a policy change having to do with family members being District employees and a block of 3 new Board members was elected (at which time John Torinus predicted that administrative positions would be in play). In summer of 2017 there was controversy with the way the Executive Principal position was reconfigured by the Board instead of by the Superintendent. Last spring 4 teachers resigned in what turned into a public spectacle. It has been one thing after another.
This is why I am adamant in my opposition to entertaining the thought of a building referendum to replace Jackson school until such time as there is a demonstrated stability in administration and an assurance that there are not more inadequacies (fiscal, personnel related, DPI mandates, etc.) lurking in the background.
These are mostly my personal observations and perspectives, and concede that there may be other information not available to the public due to legal and confidentiality requirements.