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…
School District
Education, School District
Checklist for Evaluating a School Budget Referendum
by JOHN ADAMS • • 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 • • 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 • • 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 • • 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,…
School District
A Whitewater Schools 2014 Referendum (Quick Politics of It All )
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
The Whitewater Schools will likely vote to exceed revenue-caps by something over a million dollars a year for four years. The proposal is in response to projected structural deficits of about a million-and-a-half dollars. A formal vote is yet ahead, and beyond that there are details and justifications to consider. It’s reasonable to review all…
City, Local Government, School District
The Bigger the Project, the Greater the Need for Substantive Justifications
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
It seems – to most people, I’d guess – that to say ‘the bigger the project, the greater the need for substantive justifications’ is simply reasonable and practical. In almost all public efforts, municipalities, school districts, and other public bodies should Lead Substantively, and Support Fiscally. The best way to win big is usually a…
Open Government, School District
The Whitewater Schools’ Recent Budget Cuts
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
I wrote last week about proposed budget cuts in the Whitewater Unified School District. (See, The Whitewater Schools’ Budget Cuts.) Since that post, the WUSD School Board met Monday, and following that contentious meeting made modifications to proposed cuts on Wednesday afternoon. (At each stage of this process, proposed cuts have been in the aggregate…
School District
Note on the Whitewater Schools’ Budget Cuts
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
I’ve received emails asking if I’ll comment on the Monday, April 28th WUSD board meeting, during which dozens of residents spoke in person about proposed budget cuts (among other topics). I will write about the meeting and cuts, but I’ll wait to see if the district’s board modifies the current proposal. There’s a lot to…
School District
The Whitewater Schools’ Budget Cuts
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Whitewater, and many other public schools, this spring find themselves cutting local budgets, and reducing employment to do so. Neither state reductions to collective bargaining nor successful local spending referenda in Whitewater and other communities were able to offset the need for subsequent cuts. A few remarks on policy and politics: 1. The Center Fails…
Beautiful Whitewater, City, Education, Good Ideas, School District, Science/Nature
Science Night in Whitewater
by JOHN ADAMS • • 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 • • 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, Good Ideas, School District
Rube Goldberg Machines
by JOHN ADAMS • • 1 Comment
School District
Truths that the Whitewater Schools’ Composite Stats Don’t Show
by JOHN ADAMS • • 6 Comments
Wisconsin, like too much of America, now pushes at each turn for measurement, quantification, and numerical assessment of student performance. There should be measures – I merely have my doubts that displaying a top-line score describes meaningfully Wisconsin’s or Whitewater’s academic performance. (Truly, the craze for measurement strikes me as half-clever person’s attempt to sound…