Education

Education, Gov. Walker, Government Spending, Presidential race 2016, University

Gov. Walker, In-State and Out-of-State

by JOHN ADAMS • 02/11/2015 • Comments

Two posts about Gov. Walker this week, one on how he’s come to propose a budget with so many education cuts, and the other on his considerable fundraising potential as a national candidate, are especially informative. Over at Urban Milwaukee, Bruce Murphy write about Waker’s budget proposal, in Why Walker Had to Cut UW Funding:…

Corporate Welfare, Education, Gov. Walker, Government Spending, Innovation Center/Tech Park, Labor, Liberty, Local Government, School District, University, WEDC, Wisconsin

Education: Substance & Spending

by JOHN ADAMS • 02/10/2015 • Comments

Following comments to yesterday’s post on proposed cuts to the UW System schools (Caution arrives late, doesn’t recognize its surroundings), here are nine quick comments about education. 1. Act 10 as a budgetary tool. This centrally-planned idea didn’t work. Reductions in public-union bargaining powers in exchange for the ‘tools’ to balance school and other public…

Education, New Whitewater, School District

Whitewater Educational Referendum Post 3: An Invitation

by JOHN ADAMS • 10/29/2014 • 6 Comments

Like so many others in Whitewater, I am a believer in both proper schooling and lifelong learning. My father and uncle first introduced me to campus life when I was still a small boy. Years later, I had the pleasure of their visits to campus when I was a student. On those visits, my father…

Education, School District

Whitewater’s Educational Focus

by JOHN ADAMS • 09/02/2014 • Comments

It’s perfectly reasonable to choose from among many diverse occupations. Location makes a difference in these choices: students in desert communities don’t dream of becoming local fishermen. For Whitewater, while there’s sure to be more than one career path, it’s practical and reasonable to contend that a university town should encourage a university education as…

Education, School District

The Better, Reasoned Approach on ACT Scores

by JOHN ADAMS • 09/02/2014 • 2 Comments

There’s been ongoing discussion about the ACT test results at our high school. Among a smaller percentage of students, those scores are higher over these last two years. That’s good news for those who actually took the test. Results require a context; the fitting context for scores is the participation rate of students taking a…

Education, School District

Checklist for Evaluating a School Budget Referendum

by JOHN ADAMS • 08/26/2014 • Comments

1. There’s time to evaluate a proposal. The November election isn’t far, but it’s not tomorrow, either. There’s time for a careful assessment. 2. Numbers, Figures, Results, Metrics. Information should be presented fairly, and in context. Old Whitewater has the mental tic of wanting to look good, regardless of whether performance is good. They’re not…

Education, School District

Whitewater’s ACT Scores and Participation Rates

by JOHN ADAMS • 08/26/2014 • 1 Comment

Last week, I wrote about the lower number of students who were taking the ACT at Whitewater High School. Although the scores are higher, fewer students are taking the test. That’s to the credit of students taking the test (and those teaching them), but it’s an unfavorable sign for the district. See, What’s Being Done is…

Education, School District

What’s Being Done is More than Just a (Sketchy) Number

by JOHN ADAMS • 08/22/2014 • 2 Comments

A good discussion about education is one about substantive work in academics, athletics, and art (an expansive curriculum). A few days ago, press releases touted the ACT scores of some of our students over the last three years. The data showed progress from 2011 to 2014, as against the statewide ACT average. They’re good scores;…

Education, School District

The Visigoths Who Love Music

by JOHN ADAMS • 08/21/2014 • 2 Comments

It was quite some time ago that the Visigoths sacked Rome, acquiring thereafter (if not before) a bad reputation. It’s safe to say that whatever challenges Whitewater faces do not involve rampaging hordes seeking to overturn our social order. We’ve had parents protesting over possible budget cuts, to music or other programs. You’ll see below,…

Education

The Nuttiness from the Janesville Schools (and what it says about Janesville’s culture)

by JOHN ADAMS • 04/23/2014 • Comments

Over at the Gazette, there’s a story about that city’s latest public school program: enticing fee-paying foreign students to study in the Janesville public schools. Not content with attracting Chinese students, Superintendent Karen Schulte traveled to see if she could learn a few multicultural insights in Abu Dhabi. Yes, that’s the one-and-only Abu Dhabi, of…

Beautiful Whitewater, City, Education, Good Ideas, School District, Science/Nature

Science Night in Whitewater

by JOHN ADAMS • 03/20/2014 • 2 Comments

Diet Coke & Mentos from John Adams on Vimeo. Last night was Science Night in Whitewater, and many hundreds from the city turned out to see dozens of displays and exhibits. My family had a fine time, and I’d say that Science Night (held periodically but infrequently) is one of our favorite public events in…

Education, Government Spending, School District

Lead Substantively, Support Fiscally

by JOHN ADAMS • 03/18/2014 • Comments

Update, 3.19.14. Someone’s asked if the Common Core discussion at Monday’s school board meeting doesn’t undercut my argument about the need to lead every presentation with a substantive (academics, athletics, art) discussion. On the contrary, I had it in mind, and it bolsters my contention. A discussion of curriculum at a board meeting, but…

Education, Planning

Janesville Schools’ Reckless Plan

by JOHN ADAMS • 12/03/2013 • Comments

Months ago, someone told me about a Janesville School District plan to charge teenage students from China and east Asia to live and attend classes in Janesville’s schools. I thought it was a joke. It took quite a bit to convince me that, actually, there was a nascent plan like this. It’s hard to…

Education, Good Ideas, School District

Rube Goldberg Machines

by JOHN ADAMS • 11/22/2013 • 1 Comment

From Lincoln Inquiry Charter School, there’s a recently-released video of students building Rube Goldberg machines. In their clever work, one finds true innovation: LINCS Rube Goldberg 2013 – Short Version from Whitewater Community TV on Vimeo.