There’s a notice at the Whitewater Unified School District website about a school board vacancy. (The original notice is embedded at the bottom of this page.) As is his habit, board member Stewart has taken the announcement, modified the official notice on his own with links to board qualifications that he considers important, and posted…
School District
City, Culture, Education, School District
A Brighter Outlook for Whitewater High
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Whitewater High School has the advantage of a new principal and assistant principal. I’ve written before that I’ve no particular advice for Messrs. Lovenberg and O’Shaughnessy. See For Your Consideration, Dr. Jonas Salk. (Indeed, in that post I offered only a question, but – to be sure – one that implied how very much their efforts…
Education, School District
A Worthy Achievement for Whitewater: A National Blue Ribbon School
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
One sometimes hears good news, but occasionally, through others’ hard work, one fortunately hears the very best news. Today, for Whitewater, there’s the very best news: National Blue Ribbon Honors Announced for 342 Schools U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos today recognized 342 schools as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2017. The recognition is based on a…
America, Culture, Education, Politics, School District
The Erosion of Political Norms (Part 3 in a Series)
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Alt-Right, America, Assault Awareness & Prevention, Babbittry, Bigotry, Conflicts of Interest, Local Government, School District, University
Priorities: Fighting Bigotry Over Babbittry
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Common men and women can learn from the examples of great men and women. In this way, one can learn how to prioritize between concurrent challenges, applying lessons from a prior and intense conflict even to present but lesser conflicts. Some threats are worse than others, and so our it’s reasonable that one places more…
America, City, Culture, History, School District
For Your Consideration, Dr. Jonas Salk
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Each year, newcomers arrive in Whitewater to take positions of one kind or another. Two weeks ago, in Welcome to Whitewater, I posed this question to new residents: “If Whitewater were perfect – that is, complete and lacking nothing – would anyone have needed you?” Beyond that question, with its interpretation and answer left to…
City, Culture, Local Government, School District, University
Mentoring
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
I’ve long held that Whitewater’s Major Public Institutions Produce a Net Loss (And Why It Doesn’t Have to Be That Way). This contention is true for several reasons, all leading to this result: “Whitewater’s major public institutions – her city government, school district, and local university – produce this unexpected result: although members of the government are…
Education, Newspapers, School District
Construction Updates
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
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, 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…
School District
An Opportunity at Whitewater High (Part 2)
by JOHN ADAMS • • 1 Comment
I posted before on the impending departure of Whitewater High’s principal, as he will be leaving the district for another job. (See, An Opportunity at Whitewater High.) Three points deserve follow-up. First, one judges a process – in this case a hiring process – through both its fairness and its efficacy. Of course the district…
School District
An Opportunity at Whitewater High
by JOHN ADAMS • • 2 Comments
In most communities – and certainly small towns with fewer large institutions – the events at the local high school count for a great deal. In Whitewater, the high school principal has accepted a job at nearby Bigfoot Union, in Walworth, WI, as district administrator. That district scheduled a public meeting on Sunday afternoon to…
City, School District
Whitewater High School, Monday Morning, 2.27.17
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Update, 12:25 PM: “Two suspicious packages were located and analyzed and were subsequently determined to be non-threatening. The interior of the buildings have also been search for any suspicious items. No additional suspicious items have been located in or around the buildings. Students and families will be notified via Infinite Campus once the building has been re-opened. Classes…
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…
City, Presidential race 2016, School District, Trump
Update: James Surowiecki on What the Press Missed About Trump’s Win
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
I posted yesterday on James Surowiecki’s contention that Trump’s success with non-college whites was predictable, but that Trump’s better-than-expected success with college-educated whites is what the press missed. See, James Surowiecki on What the Press Missed About Trump’s Win. Surowiecki makes a few follow-up remarks to his tweet-stream of yesterday. First, Surowiecki is not saying that…