How much time should a school district spend describing the stages of an ongoing construction project? My answer would be that very little time should be spent on the subject, with a summary of perhaps a minute or two, a more-detailed written description for reference and transparency, and brief time for pertinent questions. That’s all.…
Education
Education, School District
It’s What’s Inside That Truly Matters
by JOHN ADAMS • • 4 Comments
For years, Whitewater has seen construction project after construction project: a new high school, remodeled buildings, a Bridge to Nowhere, a roundabout, an Innovation Center, a Starin Road extension, an East Gate project, etc. And yet, and yet…it’s what’s inside that truly matters. While many a formerly-fine church has come to ruin for…
Education, Elections, Politics
Wisconsin’s Best & Brightest Vie for Office
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Molly Beck reports that two of the three candidates for state superintendent discussed an arrangement – not illegal yet astonishingly cynical – about one of them dropping out in exchange for a state job: A candidate for state superintendent offered an opponent a taxpayer-funded $150,000 job if he dropped out of the race and sought the…
Education, Federal Government, Kakistocracy, Trump
Betsy DeVos: What a Weak Nominee Looks Like
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
In a confirmation hearing, one might face tough questioning, and those tough questions might – understandably – trip up a nominee. What shouldn’t happen, to someone of normal ability and proper preparation, is to stumble over simple, straightforward questions. That’s what happened to Trump nominee for secretary of education Betsy DeVos: she stumbled (indeed, almost threw herself…
Education, School District
Borsuk’s Annual Education Awards
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Alan Borsuk, Senior Fellow in Law and Public Policy at Marquette Law School, recently published The year’s education winners and losers (12.31.16) and More winners and losers in education awards (1.1.17). He expresses his gratitude: “Thank you to all the people (especially politicians) who give me so much material. This is not necessarily a compliment, but you…
Education, Mendacity, Science/Nature, Technology, Trump
For Mr. Trump, It’s STEM, Schwem, Whatever…
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Embed from Getty Images In response to a question about whether state-sponsored hacking against an American political party should go unpunished, Donald Trump grew expansive, giving his typically thoughtful perspective on science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and (even) epistemology: “I think we ought to get on with our lives. I think that computers have complicated lives very…
Education, School District
Design, Late 2016
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Whitewater’s local public school district held a board meeting last night, and one of the topics was physical change to the schools following a successful construction referendum in November. The district administrator gave an overview of some design possibilities, that one could characterize into two broad categories: design changes for students’ safety (e.g., more secure…
Education, Public Relations, School District, State Government
That From Which Dreams Are Made
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Wisconsin, like most states, publishes sets of scorecards measuring students’ progress. (The overwhelming majority of school districts – 91% – at least meet expectations. Our local district falls within this common group; a few particular schools are admirably above it.) Yesterday, the district announced the latest results, after the state’s Department of Public Instruction made them…
Education
One Degree of Separation
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
This post’s title is a play on the idea of six degrees, or connections, being a sufficient number to link two people, even those unknown to each other. For today, I’m thinking about an academic degree, rather than a degree that describes a connection between people, and how that academic degree divides rather expresses a connection. Old Whitewater…
City, Education, Politics, School District
At Whitewater’s Common Council Meeting, 10.4.16
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
There are a few moments from last night’s Common Council meeting that I’ll consider briefly today. Budget. It’s fall, and so for Whitewater’s local government that means a proposed budget rollout, and Council sessions principally occupied with that subject through November. On efficiency of government services, City Manager Clapper remarked that one can expect municipal…
Education, Law, School District
The Masking Effect of Act 10
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Education, School District
The Other Hiring Decisions
by JOHN ADAMS • • 1 Comment
The Whitewater Schools will soon select a new district administrator. It’s an important decision, but one that’s made easier by its consequent infrequency: there are few positions available at that level, and always a few candidates for each available position. Across our state, however, hiring teachers in sufficient numbers and of sufficient quality is a…
Education, School District
Hiring a District Administrator
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Over the next few days, Whitewater’s school board will interview candidates for district administrator. For the district, these last several years have been relatively tranquil if fiscally difficult. I’ve observed that, as against other districts, we have been fortunate to avoid the labor-management tension that has plagued too many districts. (‘One or more’ would be…
Education, School District
The Whitewater Schools’ Motto
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
The Whitewater Unified School District has a motto, a very good one: Every graduate an engaged lifelong learner. If our schools achieve this result – graduates who are engaged, lifelong learners – that engagement and that learning will take different forms for different people. People are and should be, to borrow a title from a…