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…

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…

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…

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…