The widely anticipated(?) school report cards were released by the WI DPI today. The report cards compare schools across the state on a variety of criteria. MG's report cards can be found here. What do they show? MG's schools all ranked in the "Exceeds Expectations" level, with achievement significantly above state averages. The biggest deficit is found in the "Closing Gaps" section, that reports on the differences in achievement between white students and other groups, including minority students, students with disabilities and otherwise disadvantages.
None of this is a surprise, at least to me. The achievement gap in our schools is serious and has been a problem for some time.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Monday, October 1, 2012
The ever scintillating MGSD Annual Meeting will be held Wednesday Oct. 3rd in the High School auditorium.
We will cover ALL the usual-- Don't miss the excitement!
This year the electors will be asked to approve a total levy in the amount of $23,688,323.00, down about $800K from last year. Total spending is up about $325K (1%) over last year, but is still well below the budget of a few years ago.
This year the electors will be asked to approve a total levy in the amount of $23,688,323.00, down about $800K from last year. Total spending is up about $325K (1%) over last year, but is still well below the budget of a few years ago.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
What Mitt Romney didn't say
He didn't say:
“We simply can't have a setting where the financial executives are able to contribute tens of millions of dollars to the campaigns of politicians and then those politicians, when elected, stand across from them at the regulatory table, supposedly to represent the interest of investors. I think it's a mistake,”or
“We simply can't have a setting where the oil executives are able to contribute tens of millions of dollars to the campaigns of politicians and then those politicians, when elected, stand across from them at the legislative hearings, supposedly to represent the people’s interest in their natural resources. I think it's a mistake,”or
“We simply can't have a setting where business owners are able to contribute tens of millions of dollars to the campaigns of State Supreme Court Justices and then those Justices, when elected, sit across from them at the bench, supposedly to represent the interest of all citizens. I think it's a mistake,”But he DID say:
“We simply can't have a setting where the teachers unions are able to contribute tens of millions of dollars to the campaigns of politicians and then those politicians, when elected, stand across from them at the bargaining table, supposedly to represent the interest of the kids. I think it's a mistake,”
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Ahead of the curve...
(I’m not ahead of the curve, I’m months behind, but) Last week State
Superintendent of Schools Tony Evers proposed replacing the WKCE in middle and
high schools with a suite of three tests: Explore, Plan and ACT, from the ACT
organization. At MG we have been
administering these tests for several years because they are better aligned
with our college readiness goals and are much more useful to students
and staff than the WKCE. All MG 11th
grade students take the ACT after having taken the Explore and Plan tests in
lower grades. Unfortunately MG students
also have to take the WKCE to meet state requirements. Under the new proposal we can drop the WKCE
and keep the rest or our testing regimen.
I think this is a great move by the state. Over the past few years the state Department
of Education has acknowledged the deficiencies of Wisconsin ’s WKCE and has been working to
replace it. But there is no reason to
reinvent the wheel or invest in duplicate infrastructure when there is a high
quality off-the-shelf test available.
It is important to note that MG has been leading the efforts
in WI to find a more useful test than the WKCE.
This proposal from Evers is a validation of the approach advanced in the district by
our staff and administrative team.
Friday, September 14, 2012
Color me not surpised.
Act 10, the Governor's controversial law that stripped most public employees of collective bargaining rights, was struck down by a Wisconsin Circuit Court today on equal protection grounds. I'm not surprised. Regardless of the merits of the legislation, it was obvious that it was hurriedly pushed through the legislature without the substantive deliberation such a major piece of legislation requires. And that is a recipe for legal limbo.
Of course the final disposition (vs. State Law at least) is up to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, so this ruling is likely not the final word. But what additional wrenches are going to be thrown into the gears of Wisconsin Schools before the dust finally settles on this? We have already had to deal with quite a number due to this poorly designed law.
My biggest complaint with Act 10 has always been in implementation: Any changes should have been phased in, both to allow districts and teachers time to adapt and react deliberately, without creating large measures of uncertainty and stress, and to allow time for the law to be tested in the courts so we don't end up being jerked back and forth as we have. But it wasn't. IMHO the rush was to achieve a political end: reducing the lobbying power of the teacher's unions. Regardless of what you think of the goals of Act 10, its sloppy content and roughshod implementation clearly reflect poor governance.
Of course the final disposition (vs. State Law at least) is up to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, so this ruling is likely not the final word. But what additional wrenches are going to be thrown into the gears of Wisconsin Schools before the dust finally settles on this? We have already had to deal with quite a number due to this poorly designed law.
My biggest complaint with Act 10 has always been in implementation: Any changes should have been phased in, both to allow districts and teachers time to adapt and react deliberately, without creating large measures of uncertainty and stress, and to allow time for the law to be tested in the courts so we don't end up being jerked back and forth as we have. But it wasn't. IMHO the rush was to achieve a political end: reducing the lobbying power of the teacher's unions. Regardless of what you think of the goals of Act 10, its sloppy content and roughshod implementation clearly reflect poor governance.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Any regrets Jeff?
I've neglected to welcome Jeff Simpson to the board. Jeff has been appointed to fill the vacancy left by Jason Mccutchin's resignation. Jeff is a Cottage Grove resident who has served on past School Board committees. His appointment will last until next spring's election.
The board considered three candidates: Jeff, Ana Hamill and Larry Miller. The selection was made after considering applications and interviewing the candidates. It was a difficult choice to make from among the well qualified candidates. Thanks to Ana and Larry for applying!
And welcome Jeff!
The board considered three candidates: Jeff, Ana Hamill and Larry Miller. The selection was made after considering applications and interviewing the candidates. It was a difficult choice to make from among the well qualified candidates. Thanks to Ana and Larry for applying!
And welcome Jeff!
When a surplus isn't a surplus...
Although an unanticipated $500k is good news, calling it a surplus portrays a misleadingly picture of the budget. In more accurate statement would be that our deficit for the coming year has shrunk from $1.2M to $700K. An improvement, but it doesn't mean that we will be able to undo much of the damaging cuts we plan for next year.
So what happened? After we cut $1.2 million from next years budget (reducing programs and making significant cuts to support staff) based on projections, several factors helped reduce the gap: open enrollment came in higher than expected, we closed the deal on the lease with Maywood, and there were fewer retirements than expected. Combined these things reduce the deficit by $500K.
One should note that fewer retirements does not save the district money over the long term. We have an early retirement payout because it saves the district money: it takes a highly paid senior teacher off the payroll to be replaced by a lower paid new teacher. Although rising health care costs have dramatically changed the equation, I believe it is still no worse than a wash. So the fewer retirements this year are only a reprieve, and may increase future deficits.
So what happened? After we cut $1.2 million from next years budget (reducing programs and making significant cuts to support staff) based on projections, several factors helped reduce the gap: open enrollment came in higher than expected, we closed the deal on the lease with Maywood, and there were fewer retirements than expected. Combined these things reduce the deficit by $500K.
One should note that fewer retirements does not save the district money over the long term. We have an early retirement payout because it saves the district money: it takes a highly paid senior teacher off the payroll to be replaced by a lower paid new teacher. Although rising health care costs have dramatically changed the equation, I believe it is still no worse than a wash. So the fewer retirements this year are only a reprieve, and may increase future deficits.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
The good news is that repeat air testing in the High School, after implementation of preliminary mitigation steps, show a significant reduction in the PCE and TCE vapors to levels well below the EPA "Action levels". The district will continue the mitigation (primarily increasing the air flow through the HVAC system) until more permanent solutions are in place. Plans are proceeding to install a "depressurization" system to lower the concentration of vapors beneath the slab to prevent them from entering the building.
The Board did spend more than an hour last night with representatives from Klinke Cleaners, the DNR, the testing company, and experts hired to guide the remediation. I was surprised to learn that soil contamination was first detected on the Klinke site in 2008, and removal of contaminated soil was done in 2010. Klinke Cleaners has been funding the testing and cleanup efforts at the high school. The Wisconsin dry cleaner's association does have a fund to help with the costs of environment remediation.
__________________________________________________
In other business:
Technology update: the board heard a detailed report from IT Director Bill Herman on the state of our technology infrastructure. In brief: not good and falling behind, without outdated and inadequate equipment and support. Bill presented an "adequate funding" proposal that included a nearly $200K increase in funding to support our educational goals. You can find Bill's presentation here.
The one bright spot in: a federal stimulus funded program will bring us desperately needed high bandwidth internet access by the beginning of next year.
Buy a Bus seat: The board also considered a "Buy a seat" program where students within our new 2 mile walk zones would have the option to receive school bus transportation for a fee of $150 on a space available basis. It's unfortunate that we have to go this direction.
Nuestro Mundo Dual Language Immersion: The board considered the application process for the Nuestro Mundo program to be operated with the Madison School district in Maywood next year. Applicants have until June 29th this year to apply to enter the Kindergarten class. Monona Grove has up to 5 spots reserved, if more than 5 applications are received there will be a random draw for the positions.
The Board did spend more than an hour last night with representatives from Klinke Cleaners, the DNR, the testing company, and experts hired to guide the remediation. I was surprised to learn that soil contamination was first detected on the Klinke site in 2008, and removal of contaminated soil was done in 2010. Klinke Cleaners has been funding the testing and cleanup efforts at the high school. The Wisconsin dry cleaner's association does have a fund to help with the costs of environment remediation.
__________________________________________________
In other business:
Technology update: the board heard a detailed report from IT Director Bill Herman on the state of our technology infrastructure. In brief: not good and falling behind, without outdated and inadequate equipment and support. Bill presented an "adequate funding" proposal that included a nearly $200K increase in funding to support our educational goals. You can find Bill's presentation here.
The one bright spot in: a federal stimulus funded program will bring us desperately needed high bandwidth internet access by the beginning of next year.
Buy a Bus seat: The board also considered a "Buy a seat" program where students within our new 2 mile walk zones would have the option to receive school bus transportation for a fee of $150 on a space available basis. It's unfortunate that we have to go this direction.
Nuestro Mundo Dual Language Immersion: The board considered the application process for the Nuestro Mundo program to be operated with the Madison School district in Maywood next year. Applicants have until June 29th this year to apply to enter the Kindergarten class. Monona Grove has up to 5 spots reserved, if more than 5 applications are received there will be a random draw for the positions.
Monday, May 7, 2012
A Klunker...
Families of MG High School students have received an Email from Superintendent Gerlach related to the issue of chemical vapors in the High School that developed last week. You can read the Email here, the Cap Times story about the situation here, and additional information can be found on the Klinke Cleaners website here.
In brief, the district was notified last week by the DNR that vapors from solvents that used to be used in the dry cleaning process have been detected in soil samples and may have been seeping into the high school from underground. As you may know Klinke Cleaners has operated a dry cleaning facility on the property adjacent to the high school for many years.
Air sampling was performed in the High School starting Wednesday, and the results reviewed on Saturday. Very low levels of chemical vapors were detected, with the highest levels found in the Auditorium. The highest levels detected, 10.7ppbv (parts per billion by volume) of PCE (tetracholorethylene) is about twice the DNR's recommended "Action limit" for indoor air. Lower levels were found in other locations, all below the action limits.
Much higher levels were found in the air samples taken from below the building's concrete slab.
In response, the Administration has taken steps to lower the levels of these solvent vapors, including caulking around the building and sealing drain vents, and increasing air exchange through the HVAC system. The district is also working with Klinke cleaners to install a system to "Depressurize" the area under the building foundation to prevent vapors from entering through the foundation.
I've looked at the literature related to PCE, and while not an expert, I am personally not concerned about health risks at the levels detected (although we definitely need to reduce or eliminate the exposure in the building). PCE is classified as a potential or probable (depending on which agency is doing the evaluation) human carcinogen, primarily due to experiments in rats and mice at higher levels of exposure. Occupational exposure limits are set at 100ppm (parts per million) by OSHA and 20 ppm by the European agency for 40 hours/week. The OSHA limit is 10,000 times higher than what was detected in the high school.
In brief, the district was notified last week by the DNR that vapors from solvents that used to be used in the dry cleaning process have been detected in soil samples and may have been seeping into the high school from underground. As you may know Klinke Cleaners has operated a dry cleaning facility on the property adjacent to the high school for many years.
Air sampling was performed in the High School starting Wednesday, and the results reviewed on Saturday. Very low levels of chemical vapors were detected, with the highest levels found in the Auditorium. The highest levels detected, 10.7ppbv (parts per billion by volume) of PCE (tetracholorethylene) is about twice the DNR's recommended "Action limit" for indoor air. Lower levels were found in other locations, all below the action limits.
Much higher levels were found in the air samples taken from below the building's concrete slab.
In response, the Administration has taken steps to lower the levels of these solvent vapors, including caulking around the building and sealing drain vents, and increasing air exchange through the HVAC system. The district is also working with Klinke cleaners to install a system to "Depressurize" the area under the building foundation to prevent vapors from entering through the foundation.
I've looked at the literature related to PCE, and while not an expert, I am personally not concerned about health risks at the levels detected (although we definitely need to reduce or eliminate the exposure in the building). PCE is classified as a potential or probable (depending on which agency is doing the evaluation) human carcinogen, primarily due to experiments in rats and mice at higher levels of exposure. Occupational exposure limits are set at 100ppm (parts per million) by OSHA and 20 ppm by the European agency for 40 hours/week. The OSHA limit is 10,000 times higher than what was detected in the high school.
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