Inside New Berlin

I think the schools needed the facility upgrades. I don't think upgrading facilities reduces performance but the problem in New Berlin is enough voters are happy to use money that should be used for educating the students and instead taking that money to fix the buildings up. This was done to avoid having to raise property taxes.

Eventually that Robin Hood financial system is resulting in a lower quality of education. No surprise there. Lower test scores are just another sign of what's going on here.

Remember the motto....from the so called fiscal conservatives when they ran for election in the past....better schools.....lower taxes. Apparently the campaign signs were not big enough to include the phrase....lower test scores and reduced property values too. We are getting what we deserve when we don't put the proper emphasis on education like we should. Unfortunately in New Berlin the problems are just starting to pop up. We are just beginning to realize what is happening. It will be years before people begin to take corrective action because we still believe we can have our cake and eat it too. I know that because I still see these silly so called fiscal conservatives being put in charge of our city and schools even though their job performance is horrendous.  Until a majority of folks in New Berlin stop listening to their goofy rhetoric our city and schools will struggle to keep up with our neighboring communities.

The following is a perfect example of these goofy fiscal conservatives job performance. They think they did something special when they got light up signs donated for all our schools by the company that buses our students. We don't really need the fancy smancy signs. We do need smaller class sizes, computer classes and business classes for the kids though. The bus company did not donate  money for smaller class sizes, computer classes or business classes. The fiscal conservatives don't want to use tax money to pay for these classes. So what happens is you end up with a bunch of stuff you don't need and you're missing the stuff you do need. But this is a good thing according to our fiscal conservative school board because it was donated and did not have to come from the taxpayers pockets. They want more of this in the future. And you wonder why test scores are starting to drop ? In a system like this you get lower taxes but you don't get what you need to educate the students. Don't you also wonder why a bus company is buying the district free signs ? What do they expect in return ? What kind of back room dealing is going on around here ? This is not how a Public School District should be operated.

Brick and mortar versus test scores.  This question becomes paramount with the recent drop in test scores.  

While the scores may be a one year blip and the improvement of the physical condition of our schools should be of concern, shouldn't we always be most concerned about the actual education of our children?

We know of what the Superintendent and Board would like to do with the physical aspect of our schools, but what do we truly know about the game plan for actual education?  How is technology to be used?  What type of delivery system is best in today's world?  Are we sure we are educating our teachers in a way to best educate their students?  What are we doing to recruit dynamic new teachers who bring new or different education methods to our students?  I suppose, in fact, we know more about the brick and mortar than the human element in our education system.

Parents, teachers and students are at least as important as brick and mortar in our education system.  With the recent drop in test scores, shouldn't we address the human element with at least the same vigor as the brick and mortar?