Inside New Berlin

Actually, the resignation of the Assistant Superintedent of Teaching and Learning is just the most recent of many.  The Board of Education approved the resignation of one of the Assistant Principal at New Berlin West in early January.  In the minutes of the March 9, 2009 Board of Education meeting it is noted that the Board of Education approved the retirement package of the second Assistant Principal at New Berlin West.  It is effective at the end of the 2010 school year; however, he will be assigned to work in the maintenance department for his last year with the district.  The Principal of New Berlin West is also retiring at the end of this school year.  Given that the district's website proudly proclaims that New Berlin West has been recognized by the Newsweek Magazine as one of America's top public high schools since 2003, this massive amount of blood letting seems somewhat curious.  From what I understand, a number of veteran secretarial staff at the district office will soon be announcing their resignations as well.  

Thanks for supplying the added information/reminder about some other administrators besides the two I mentioned/ Board of Education actions this year and New Berlin West's "recognition".

I'll likely do some followup blogs.

The minutes of the March 9 meeting contain a bunch of interesting items.

I am going to make an Open Records Request to inspect some contracts/agreements.

Linda

Also, tonight's meeting agenda includes the item: Approval of administrators contracts.

The real bad sign is that the positions get filled and not very long after they are open again. Sounds like a lot of internal turmoil going on. The work atmosphere is not a good one and the board has been dominated by so called fiscal conservatives who don't like the concept of public schools in the first place. Eventually all that takes it's toll. New Berlin is going to have serious problems for many years because these folks still are in control of the board and our schools. We can expect excellence but it's not going to arrive for many, many years. What a shame, it was such a nice school system. We had excellence and they tore it down to save money.

Oh my.

Have you seen the news report NOW posted this evening on Community Watch?

Here it is:

Curriculum director resigns; won't be replaced

By JOHN SCHULTZ

8:08 p.m. | The New Berlin School District's curriculum coordinator, Robert Scott, has resigned to take a similar job in the Sussex-Hamilton School District.

School Superintendent Robert Kreutzer said Scott would work in New Berlin until the end of June, then start work in Sussex. The New Berlin School Board unanimously approved Scott's resignation at Monday's board meeting.

Kreutzer said Scott would not be replaced and other members of the administrative team would take over his duties. Assistant Superintendent of Operations Joe Garza said Scott was paid an annual salary of about $120,000 a year.

Board members Jennifer Eitel and Art Marquardt thanked Scott for his three years of service with the New Berlin District. Scott was not present at the board meeting.

There is a lot of that in this district where everyone pitches in and takes over the duties of the departed. Doesn't it seem like an important spot though............being that education is suppose to be the focus of a school district ? But all must be well in our little district because all the so called fiscal conservatives were just patting each other on the backs all night tonight at the board meeting telling each other how wonderful the district has become under their watch. Even good old Matt Weiss came back to recall the great achievements of these folks. They somehow forgot to mention all the lost classes, overcrowded classes, lower test scores, etc., etc, that is plaguing the district because they are draining money away from the classroom to repay all the loans they took out to fix up the schools. They missed the part about having no way to fix up Eisenhower either. According to these folks at the board meeting the building problems have been taken care of. Good luck to future Eisenhower students. But here is my bold prediction . Eventually Eisenhower will be turned into a middle school so all that money renovating it into a proper high school /middle school won't be needed. West will be our only high school and minimally Glen Park will be closed.  Then they can go borrow a bunch of money to fix up Ike like they did when they closed  other schools. Then all those small schools that worked so well educating our young students will have been replaced with more cost efficient bigger schools. Maybe Orchard Lane will be expanded if that's possible. I don't mind if people are up front and say they are doing what they are doing for the taxpayers but these people repeatedly say they are making these moves for the students too. That's just straight out baloney.

May be I'm wrong, but I could have sworn that a few months ago the BOE was asked to approve a plan to do random drug tests on students in extra-curricular activites because of the increase in expulsions.  shortly before that the School District of New Berlin received nationlal, and even international, media attention regarding allegations of shocking behavior.  In response, thousands of our tax dollars were spent to install surveillance cameras at both secondary schools.  Again, may be I'm wrong, but doesn't this suggest that our building administrators have enough on their plates without adding the role of Director of Curriculum and Instruction?  

Maybe they will temporarily hire someone at $100 per hour like they did when the Business Director quit in the middle of the year a couple months ago. Wow, a lot of people seem to be quitting this district. I wonder why ? If you ask a board member they probably would say things have never been better. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm, what should one believe ?

Let me get this straight... we have administrators jumping ship, who we are not going to replace and the Superintendant gets a raise for more than I as a teacher make (benefits included) in a year?!?!?!!?

As a parent, I am seriously thinking that private school may deserve a second glance....

Perhaps Dr. Kreutzer should use his raise to pay for his Alex the Achiever out of his own pocket like teachers use their own funds for classroom materials!

Perceptive, I think his raise was $5500, maybe you were thinking $55,000? At any rate it's $5500 too much during these times especially since he's overpaid to begin with along with most of the other administrators. I think a lot of these board members would like to see you send your kids to private schools. In my opinion it doesn't appear that the hard core right wingers support the concept of public schools. Our board and city is full of them. If you make the schools less desirable then more people will choose private schools and support will build so they can get their vouchers for private school, which is what they desperately want. But if you have a good public school system that won't happen. The goal is to make public schools worse than private schools. It's a long road to run but they are driving as fast as they can to get us there. If people actually want decent public schools they should get these people off the school board not start sending their kids to private school.

As a private, Catholic School Teacher who is in the "maxed out column" since I have more than a Masters, I make $31,000 a year w/out health benefits... If I would elect to take the health plan I am offered, I would schill out $500 a month to simply provide myself with coverage - $1000 a month to cover my children, that does not include deductibles for perscriptions and office visit co-pays.  This year alone I have spent $1000.00 of my own $$$ to pay for curriculim needs my school can not provide.

No public school teacher, let alone Superintendant or any member of the School Board would EVER consider the salary I accept - but for me teaching is not a profession, it is a vocation.  I feel called to dedicate my life and livliehood to invest wholly in the next generation. Not so that they can just merely read and write, but so that they are able to THINK and discern thier own personal truths.

I do not believe that how much money you spend translates into a better education, nor do I believe that awards and shiney appearances should = CAKE in a district's budget... I do however firmly believe that if you believe in democracy and a republican form of government, then you must invest your resources properly educating the populace.  The founding fathers restricted voting rights to ensure that only those who were properly educated could vote, because they knew that if the ignorant could vote the form of government would fail.

It's just that basic... the mission of our community, of our elected School Board officials, of our Superintendant should be to provide the oppurtunity for an education that will ensure the children walking the halls of our schools an education which will result in a job which will allow them to ability to continue living in our community - to be able to positively contribute to our democratic society.

Catholic Schools/Private Schools, they do not always translate into a better education, nor do they afford a cheaper education because we no longer have nuns who work for free... they only provide for an freedom in expression of Faith in the classroom...

The "right-wingers" in New Berlin have to quit focusing on narcissitc motivations, go back to their American Civ. books, do a little soul searching and think about what is right and just when it comes to educating their own as well as their neighbors children. If they don't... then the sleeping majority of our community needs to wake-up and advocate for their kids...

Perceptive.........you point out how little you are paid for what you do. Hard right wingers will constantly squawk about how much teachers are paid in public schools. In general I think most teachers in public schools are paid pretty fairly. Some are over paid, some under paid, but in general it seems pretty fair. Many private school teachers seem way under paid. What is interesting is that the "free market private schools" get away with underpaying the people that these parents want to educate their children. I call that the free market not working once again. Don't get me wrong the free market does a lot of nice things but it also has a lot of problems. Your pay is an example of how the free market fails. You are being taken advantage of. That's why we have unions. Now you know why public school teachers belong to them. Yes it's true that unions can gain to much power, but I don't really see that in the public schools at this point in time. Hard right wingers like to take advantage of people. It's how they play the game. Sadly it's not a game about getting along, it's a game about screwing the other guy so they can be on top. If private schools actually had to pay teachers a decent compensation package most of them would be out of business or tuition would be even more outrageous. That's why I laugh at people who complain about public education costing 11 or 12k per year in our high schools. It costs 8k just to send your child to day care full time. Private high school education doesn't seem much cheaper than public schools  and after you add up the fees and other costs absorbed by parents it might be more, yet the teachers get paid what you get paid ? I think public schools and the taxes we pay for it are a pretty good deal, it's unfortunate how a sector of our society doesn't realize the importance of a completely educated population like you and I do. I guess some people have to learn the hard way. Increased crime, political chaos, etc., but sadly the people who know better get dragged down too.

Perceptive and Had to Comment...both of you make some really good points.  I agree that public school teachers overall make a fair wage, although in recent years it has dropped in comparison with other professions that require a similar degrees.  I think that it's also important to consider that many public school teachers had to work in private schools or as substitutes to acquire experience before they would be hired in the public sector, limiting their earning power during the years when others are buying homes and starting families.