There’s a story at GazetteXtra.com about a November referendum for the Whitewater Unified School District. See, Whitewater schools seeking referendum. I haven’t written much about our schools lately. There’s been talk about a referendum for months, but no commitment in the press until now. The Gazette reports that “the school board is expected to approve…
School District
City, School District
It’s Online for All: The City of Beloit’s Good Government Example
by JOHN ADAMS •
Yesterday, I posted on the use of paper documents rather than timely and easily accessible public ones, in places like my own town, Whitewater, Wisconsin. See, “It’s in Your Packet.” The best part of publishing a website isn’t writing, but is reading the good ideas and information from generous readers. A fine example would be…
City, School District
“It’s in Your Packet”
by JOHN ADAMS •
Often, during a public meeting, one will hear a public employee tell members of a council, board, or commission that an item to be considered is available as part of a packet of documents provided to each member of the public body meeting that night. It’s all casual and blithe: “It’s in your packet,” someone…
School District
Private Alternatives as the Solution for Public Controversies
by JOHN ADAMS •
There’s a story at the ABC News website, entitled, “Politics of Education: New Texas Social Sciences Curriculum Standards Fraught with Ideology, Critics Say,” about the new public education curriculum in Texas. Some voters are upset that the public curriculum is too conservative. I’ll not weigh in on what’s too conservative, or too liberal, in public…
Laws/Regulations, School District
Tribal Symbols for Schools and Legislative Over-Reach
by JOHN ADAMS •
Whitewater’s high school has the whippet as a mascot, following the tradition of many schools to choose impressive animals as symbols. There are, though, some schools in Wisconsin that have chosen tribal leaders or tribes as symbols, including some nearby (the Blackhawks of Fort Atkinson come to mind). Governor Doyle has signed legislation that allows…
School District
On Science Night at Whitewater High School
by JOHN ADAMS •
On Tuesday evening, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., there was a science exhibit night at Whitewater’s high school, at which hundreds of people watched dozens of science experiments and demonstrations. For the student volunteers, and the teachers who staffed the event, the story of the evening might have been the wide number of exhibits. Anyone…
School District
On a Charter School
by JOHN ADAMS •
Whitewater has the chance for approval and funding for a charter school. Our school district’s website lists the next Charter School listening session as taking place tomorrow, March 30th, at the Cravath Lakefront Center, from 4 to 6 p.m. Libertarians have long favored charter schools, and a video that I posted last week, from Reason.tv…
Laws/Regulations, Libertarians, School District
Reason.tv: Reason Saves Cleveland With Drew Carey, Ep. 2 (Fix the Schools)
by JOHN ADAMS •
I’ve posted before on the Reason.tv series from Drew Carey, entitled, “Reason Saves Cleveland with Drew Carey.” Today, I’m posting Episode Two from that series, about the Cleveland public schools. I’ve not posted recently on our schools, and for that lack of attention, I’m surely culpable. (There are no column-inch limitations in cyberspace — there…
Libertarians, School District
Reason.tv: Unlocked and Cracking the Education Monopoly
by JOHN ADAMS •
It’s video Thursday at FREE WHITEWATER, and here are two videos on parental choice in education. The first is entitled, “Unlocked,” and describes the fight of parents for a better education for their children. It now has a companion film called “Cracking the Education Monoploy,” about that same fight. I’ll post both videos, in order.…
School District
Janesville Gazette: Families debate lawsuit against Whitewater schools (Part 2)
by JOHN ADAMS •
The Gazette has more on the pending lawsuit against the Whitewater Unified School District, about which I posted earlier today. See, Families debate lawsuit against Whitewater schools. There’s lot of new information in the story. Interesting questions, too. 1. Behind Eyes or Ears. Most of what defense counsel, Lori Lubinsky states is conventional, and to…
Press, School District
Janesville Gazette: Families debate lawsuit against Whitewater schools
by JOHN ADAMS •
The Gazette has more on the pending lawsuit against Whitewater Schools, about which I posted earlier, today. I noticed the Gazette story only this evening, and it describes uncertainty in the family about how to proceed. (A letter to the court filed last week suggests that the lawsuit would be withdrawn, based on the departure…
City, School District
Most Plaintiffs Leave School District, Voluntarily Withdraw Civil Rights Lawsuit
by JOHN ADAMS •
Late last week, court filings indicate that most of plaintiffs in a civil rights lawsuit against the Whitewater School District and other named defendants had left the district, and consequently had sought voluntary dismissal of the lawsuit they had filed in early September. A letter from plaintiffs’ counsel filed with court contends that most, although…
City, Press, School District
Janesville Gazette: Whitewater High School Students Sue Over Racist Threats
by JOHN ADAMS •
City, School District
Does Anyone in Whitewater Ever Make Admit a Mistake?
by JOHN ADAMS •
I’ll consider our municipal and school district budgets over the coming months. What does it say about us, though, that a quarter-million dollar shortfall is described as a “budget anomaly” occurring “for the first time in known history of the District as can best be remembered?” That’s the preface to the admission that there was…