One reads that the Whitewater Schools have changed the location of a public forum for the selection of a new district administrator to the library in the high school. The forum is now scheduled for 2.18.20 @ 6:30 PM (“Residents will have a chance to offer input on the school district’s next leader at 6:30…
School District
Education, Open Government, Press Release, School District
Whitewater Schools: Paltry “Community Input”
by JOHN ADAMS •
Update, 2.10.20 – Since this post, the location has now been changed to Whitewater High School’s more spacious and inviting library. There’s a story in a local newspaper about a public forum for community input on the search for a permanent Whitewater school district administrator. Here’s the beginning of the newspaper’s account of the district’s efforts:…
Culture, Education, School District
Ready-Made is Poorly Made
by JOHN ADAMS •
The Whitewater Schools now have an interim district administrator, and the district is looking to hire a permanent replacement. At the most recent school board meeting of 1.27.20, there was a brief discussion of community involvement in the selection process (see meeting video). The school board president and vice president (having each been on the…
City, Discrimination, Harassment, School District
Whitewater Schools: Highest Reported Discrimination and Harassment in the Area
by JOHN ADAMS •
Update: 1.31.20 — The story is now back online. The reported data are the same. It is, as a commenter at FW notes, only one story. In this way, it’s also an invitation to others to explore the data more inquisitively. Update: 1.27.20 — This story is no longer on the Daily Union website. Removing a…
Babbittry, Boosterism, Culture, Economy, Education, School District
Whitewater School Board, 1.27.20: Palmyra-Eagle & Competition Between Districts
by JOHN ADAMS •
?? On Monday night, Whitewater’s school board met first in closed session, and about an hour later in open session. (A video of the open session is embedded above.) Part way into the meeting, after a summary of the latest developments concerning the nearby Palmyra-Eagle School District, a candidate for that school district’s board spoke…
School District
Latest Palmyra-Eagle District News
by JOHN ADAMS •
There’s more news about the Palmyra-Eagle School District since a state advisory board voted (6-1) against the dissolution of that district. The policy lessons are valuable to many places, including Whitewater. (Earlier posts opposing dissolution appear at the end of this post.) Motions Before the School District Boundary Appeal Board on 1.9.20. Motion 1 (Motion…
City, Education, School District
On the Dissolution of the Palmyra-Eagle School District, Reason Carries the Day
by JOHN ADAMS •
Earlier today, a School District Boundary Appeal Board (Wis. Stat. §15.375) voted by a margin of 6-1 against the dissolution of the Palmyra-Eagle School District. The possible dissolution of that school district loomed for many months. Dissolving that district would have led to a significant reallocation of students, faculty, resources, and obligations to Whitewater or…
City, Education, School District
Whitewater Schools’ State Report Cards
by JOHN ADAMS •
Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction annually issues report cards measuring schools’ performance across several major categories. Whitewater’s detailed report card results appear below, first for the district, and then for each of her five schools (one high school, one middle school, and three elementary schools). These documents are available here for download – in full…
Education, School District, Wisconsin
Dissolving a School District
by JOHN ADAMS •
In an advisory referendum held yesterday, a majority of residents in the Palmyra-Eagle School District voted in favor of dissolving their school system: Of the 2,298 votes cast in the Nov. 5 advisory referendum, 1,218 (53%) voted in favor of dissolution; 1,080 voted against it, according to unofficial results released Tuesday night by the school…
City, Education, School District
Whitewater Schools’ Presentation of Goals
by JOHN ADAMS •
This morning, I posted about the 10.28.19 Whitewater Unified School District board meeting. See School Board, 10.28.19: 3 Points. That post, I mentioned that I would request copies of the goals presentations from Monday night that were not included in the agenda packet. Today, before submitting my request, I received a note from the district…
City, Education, School District
School Board, 10.28.19: 3 Points
by JOHN ADAMS •
The Whitewater Unified School District Board met Monday night. I’ll update this post with the meeting video as soon as the school district posts the video online (as its own policy requires). For now, three points stand out from the agenda items for the meeting. 1. Academic Presentations. There were three presentations on academic plans…
City, Education, Language, Newspapers, School District, University, Writing
The Janesville Gazette‘s Sketchy Reporting on Major Topics
by JOHN ADAMS •
The nearby Janesville Gazette, a newspaper that insists ‘local matters,’ too often reports on Whitewater’s local matters in a careless way, ignoring key information. Whether that paper’s omissions are through negligence or by design, reporting like this ill-serves Whitewater. (In fairness, the Gazette long ago ran itself into the ground, and sold out this summer…
Education, School District
Whitewater Schools: The Search for a New District Administrator
by JOHN ADAMS •
?? The Whitewater Unified School District now finds itself in need of a new district administrator. To that end, the district released a brief statement two days after current administrator Dr. Mark Elworthy submitted his resignation: On Tuesday, October 8, Dr. Mark Elworthy notified the Whitewater Unified School District that he plans to resign as…
Newspapers, School District
Gazette Story on Whitewater’s District Administrator: Omission & Innuendo
by JOHN ADAMS •
Yesterday morning, I posted on Whitewater School District administrator Dr. Mark Elworthy’s decision to take a position with the St. Francis School District. See On Changes at the Whitewater Unified School District. Last night, the Janesville Gazette published a story on the topic. See Whitewater’s Elworthy named interim superintendent for St. Francis School District. The Gazette’s story…