Saturday, September 22, 2007

2nd Draft of the Philosophy Statement

Here is the 2nd draft of the proposed ECASD Philosophy of Education. I have not yet compared it to the 1st draft and will comment later. Again, this is new stuff for the ECASD and deserves your attention. Please comment here and to BOE members.

Maria

The Board of Education of the Eau Claire Area School District, recognizing its legal, moral, and financial responsibilities to the community-at-large and specifically to the students and youth of the community, commits to these obligations through adoption and acceptance of the following:

We believe that all students of the school district, regardless of age, race, creed, sex or environment are entitled to educational opportunities consistent with their interests and commensurate with their abilities, to the extent the school district is able to provide the financial, physical and human resources required to meet those needs. Further, the school system shall, through the development and provision of programs, procedures, practices, and a well-qualified staff, endeavor to:

Promote education as a right, as well as a privilege.
Promote the development of capable, enlightened, effective and responsible citizens through the attainment of basic skills in a global economy.
Provide the opportunity for acquiring job entry skills.
Promote the concept of “service” to include modeling by students, staff and the community of our lifetime commitment to serving society through our individual ethics and actions.
Provide an awareness of the need for global living in a manner that appreciates nature and provides for a sustainable future.
Promote individual success in a supportive, challenging, and non-critical learning environment conducive to a feeling of self-worth.
Promote development of the powers of logic and reason.
Provide for an awareness and understanding of the processes of the democratic form of government and the role of the individual as a participant in that government.
Develop respect, appreciation, and acceptance for the principles of honesty, integrity, and truthfulness.
Provide the community with an educational system that functions in a fiscally responsible manner.
Engender a respect for all persons regardless of their beliefs or station in life.
Encourage an awareness of, and appreciation for, the contribution of the humanities to the cultures of the world.

To this end the Board of Education commits its understanding, appreciation, time and abilities.

Draft of District Goals Policy

This is a draft of the District Goals that is part of the overall School Improvement Plan Initiative by Dr. Leary. This is a first for the ECASD. Please read and comment here AND to the BOE members as this is a working document and not finalized.

Maria

The Board of Education of the Eau Claire Area School District, recognizing both its legal and moral responsibilities to the community-at-large and specifically to the students and youth of the community, does hereby attest its commitment to the aforementioned obligations to the extent the school district is financially able to provide the physical and human resources required to meet these responsibilities through the adoption and acceptance of the following goals.

Self Worth

Respond to each student’s need to develop a positive self-image in order to enhance the individual’s ability to examine his/her own capacities, interests, and goals which seek to meet self and societal needs. The learning environment must reflect attitudes and practices which promote personal dignity and self worth.

Equality of Educational Opportunity

Seek to ensure that the educational processes and activities are structured so as to provide equality of educational opportunity for all. The school climate should accommodate the diverse values for our society and make constructive use of these values for the betterment of society.

Creative, Constructive, and Critical Thinking

Foster the development of creative, constructive, and critical thinking skills to enable the learner to deal effectively with new experiences, act in an independent, self-fulfilling, responsible manner and to seek out enrichment activities.

Basic Skills

Provide the opportunity for each student to acquire basic skills as defined by the following general categories: (1) the ability to acquire knowledge and communicate ideas through reading, writing and speaking; (2) the ability to effectively handle mathematical and scientific operations and concepts; (3) the ability to comprehend the concept of producing and consuming within the framework of a democratic society; (4) the ability to apply rational thought processes in the identification, consideration, and solution of problems; (5) acquire an appreciation of humanities; (6) develop effective leisure time activity skills; and (7) acquire the ability to gain access to computer technology and to process data.

Physical and Mental Well-Being

Promote the acquisition of good health and safety habits deemed essential for physical and mental well-being.

Extra-Curricular Activities

To acknowledge the value of, and to promote age-appropriate diversified offerings of, extra-curricular activity opportunities.

Professional Development

Promote professional development inservice activities for staff and administration for (1) carrying out the philosophy and goals of the Board of Education; (2) acquainting them with current educational trends and skill-building techniques; and (3) self-improvement needs.

Environmental Quality

Develop within each individual the knowledge and respect necessary for the appreciation, maintenance, protection, and improvement of our physical environment and natural resources.

Educational Accountability

Promote an attitude which recognizes that the highest level of educational accountability is at the building level and which encourages building uniqueness while seeking the attainment of district-wide goals and objectives.

Facilities

Promote the maintenance, remodeling, and construction of facilities which provide for effective, efficient instruction and administration of the educational program.

Equipment and Supplies

Promote the acquisition and maintenance of equipment and supplies throughout the district which are in keeping with current acceptable practice and which provide adequate safety standards.

Parent and Community Participation

Develop an effective means for involving parents in the education of their children in a positive way and encouraging them to participate in the total educational process. Seek the utilization of community resources in the instructional program and explore procedures for a functional school-community communication system.

Lifelong Learning

Promote learning as a lifelong process and seek to provide the opportunity for all residents to gain access to skill-building and/or personal enrichment programs.

Responsibility in Family Living

Promote an educational atmosphere in which each student will grow in his/her understanding of and responsiveness to the needs and responsibilities inherent in family life.

Acquisition of Financial Resources

Seek the acquisition of local, state, and federal monies in order to meet the requirements for providing a quality educational system.

Early Retirement Costs

This Editorial was written by Don Huebscher of the LT. Interesting that he cites costs associated with several Principals in the ECASD but not the Administrators (Klaus, Butler, H. Hart, etc...) Maria

Early retirement costs no longer sustainable
Source: LT
Sunday,August 26, 2007

A few years ago, Ken Cole, then-head of the Wisconsin Association of School Boards, visited the Leader-Telegram to talk about school funding and other issues.
During that conversation, Cole commented that if the early retirement age for public school educators was raised to 59 1/2, school districts around the state could save tens of millions of dollars a year.

I was a bit surprised. After all, wasn't the whole idea of early retirement to save money by bringing in new hires at lower wages?

Then, some time after that, Menomonie school board member Margaret Breisch brought in some charts showing how early retirement is taking an increasing toll on that district's budget.

So with that background, I thought I'd do a little ciphering of my own.

Last month the Leader-Telegram published a story about six longtime Eau Claire school principals retiring. I figured this offered an opportunity to see how early retirement is affecting the Eau Claire school district on a limited scale. One of the six retirees, Jane Johnson, was in a job-share arrangement at Flynn School, so I decided to focus on the other five retiring principals: Jerry Bauer, Putnam Heights; Tom Fiedler, Northstar; Deb Hansen, DeLong; Mary Kay Kopf, Meadowview; and Mary Seitz, Lakeshore.

The school district provided me with the salaries and fringe benefit packages of the five retirees at the time of their departures. That sum was $622,294. I also obtained the salaries and projected benefit packages for the five people who replaced them: Bill Klaus, Tim O'Reilly, Delesa Boley, Robert Hehli and Kim Lauterbach-Koller. That sum was $580,344. The $41,950 difference is the first-year savings to the school district.

I then estimated an annual 4 percent increase in wages and benefits, which probably is high but close enough for the sake of my informal study. Also, for the sake of discussion, I imagined the age of eligibility for early retirement being 60 rather than 55. This is where it gets a little complicated. Two of the retiring principals were 55 when they retired, two were 56 and one was 57. Computing the number of years until each reached age 60 and adding 4 percent a year to their wage-benefit package produced compensation totaling $727,127. Figuring the same 4 percent a year increase for their replacements produced wages and benefits for the corresponding years of $677,351. The difference represents a $49,776 savings to the district. Added to the first-year savings of $41,950, the district would save $91,726 in salaries and benefits over the time it takes all five retirees to hit age 60, based on my unofficial raise percentage.

Finally, the district pays each of the five retirees $18,866.40 a year for health insurance until they are eligible for Medicare. The five retirees will receive a total of 21 years of health insurance before they all turn 60 (5+5+4+4+3), or a total of $396,194. Subtracting the aforementioned salary-benefit savings of $91,726 results in a net cost to the district of $304,468. This number may be a bit high because health benefits are computed per month, and the five retirees each aren't likely to use the maximum number of months of benefits before reaching age 60.

The retirees each also receive post-retirement stipends ranging from $1,553 to $3,103 per month, but those are only for 60 months, so even if the retirement age were raised to 60, that benefit probably wouldn't change, barring separate negotiations.

Regardless, early retirement is putting significant pressure on all local, state and federal governmental budgets. If five people are costing the local school district in the neighborhood of $300,000 by the time they turn 60, imagine the cumulative effect of all early retirees on public budgets.

Rising health care costs are the major culprits. As recently as 1995 a family health insurance plan in the Eau Claire school district cost $5,388 a year. Inflation since 1995 has increased about 37 percent; the cost of an annual health insurance plan in the Eau Claire school district has gone up about 250 percent during the same period.

This issue isn't going away. It affects everything from class sizes to snow removal, and it's only going to get worse as baby boomers continue to retire.

On a practical level, 55-year-olds still have a lot to offer. If we're losing money and expertise by making retirement affordable and attractive, we're losing competence and skill in addition to money. Some jobs can't be done as well at age 55 as 35 — law enforcement comes particularly to mind — but people far into their 50s can do other jobs as well or better than younger and less experienced people.

The political pressure to maintain the status quo is immense. And remember, state legislators qualify for the same or similar benefits. So where's the impetus to change?

About the only hope is public pressure. As public services diminish and debates rage for higher taxes in part to cover this huge and ever-growing cost, something has to give. It's happening already.

Huebscher, editor of the Leader-Telegram, can be reached at 833-9216, 800-236-7077, ext. 3216 or don.huebscher@ecpc.com.

Considerations for developing a Conflict of Interest Policy

This is a very lengthy but important document prepared by Kirk Strang of the Madison law firm of Davis and Kuelhoff that was presented to the BOE at the September 10th meeting. Mr. Strang is the head of their school practice and an expert in the field. Maria


LEGAL AUTHORITY AND PRELIMINARY POLICY CONSIDERATIONS FOR DEVELOPING A BOARD OF EDUCATION POLICY ON CONFLICTS OF INTEREST AND ETHICS FOR PUBLIC OFFICIALS

I. LEGAL AUTHORITY

A. Code of Ethics for Public Officials

19.59. Codes of ethics for local government officials, employees and candidates

(1)(a) No local public official may use his or her public position or office to obtain financial gain or anything of substantial value for the private benefit of himself or herself or his or her immediate family, or for an organization with which he or she is associated. A violation of this paragraph includes the acceptance of free or discounted admissions to a professional baseball or football game by a member of the district board of a local professional baseball park district created under subch. III of ch. 229 or a local professional football stadium district created under subch. IV of ch. 229. This paragraph does not prohibit a local public official from using the title or prestige of his or her office to obtain campaign contributions that are permitted and reported as required by ch. 11.

(b) No person may offer or give to a local public official, directly or indirectly, and no local public official may solicit or accept from any person, directly or indirectly, anything of value if it could reasonably be expected to influence the local public official's vote, official actions or judgment, or could reasonably be considered as a reward for any official action or inaction on the part of the local public official. This paragraph does not prohibit a local public official from engaging in outside employment.

(br) No local public official or candidate for local public office may, directly or by means of an agent, give, or offer or promise to give, or withhold, or offer or promise to withhold, his or her vote or influence, or promise to take or refrain from taking official action with respect to any proposed or pending matter in consideration of, or upon condition that, any other person make or refrain from making a political contribution, or provide or refrain from providing any service or other thing of value, to or for the benefit of a candidate, a political party, any person who is subject to a registration requirement under s. 11.05, or any person making a communication that contains a reference to a clearly identified local public official holding an elective office or to a candidate for local public office.

(c) Except as otherwise provided in par. (d), no local public official may:

1. Take any official action substantially affecting a matter in which the official, a member of his or her immediate family, or an organization with which the official is associated has a substantial financial interest.

2. Use his or her office or position in a way that produces or assists in the production of a substantial benefit, direct or indirect, for the official, one or more members of the official's immediate family either separately or together, or an organization with which the official is associated.

(d) Paragraph (c) does not prohibit a local public official from taking any action concerning the lawful payment of salaries or employee benefits or reimbursement of actual and necessary expenses, or prohibit a local public official from taking official action with respect to any proposal to modify a county or municipal ordinance. (Emphasis added).

B. Code of Ethics for Public Officials: Opinion of Legal Counsel

19.59. Codes of ethics for local government officials, employees and candidates

(5)(a) Any individual, either personally or on behalf of an organization or governmental body, may request of a(n) county or municipal ethics board, or, in the absence of a county or municipal ethics board, a county corporation counsel or attorney for a local governmental unit, an advisory opinion regarding the propriety of any matter to which the person is or may become a party. Any appointing officer, with the consent of a prospective appointee, may request of a county or municipal ethics board, or, in the absence of a county or municipal ethics board, a county corporation counsel or attorney for a local governmental unit an advisory opinion regarding the propriety of any matter to which the prospective appointee is or may become a party. The county or municipal ethics board or the county corporation counsel or attorney shall review a request for an advisory opinion and may advise the person making the request. Advisory opinions and requests therefor shall be in writing. It is prima facie evidence of intent to comply with this section or any ordinance enacted under this section when a person refers a matter to a(n) county or municipal ethics board or a county corporation counsel or attorney for a local governmental unit and abides by the advisory opinion, if the material facts are as stated in the opinion request. A county or municipal ethics board may authorize a county corporation counsel or attorney to act in its stead in instances where delay is of substantial inconvenience or detriment to the requesting party. Except as provided in par. (b), neither a county corporation counsel or attorney for a local governmental unit nor a member or agent of a county or municipal ethics board may make public the identity of an individual requesting an advisory opinion or of individuals or organizations mentioned in the opinion.

(b) A county or municipal ethics board, county corporation counsel or attorney for a local governmental unit replying to a request for an advisory opinion may make the opinion public with the consent of the individual requesting the advisory opinion or the organization or governmental body on whose behalf it is requested and may make public a summary of an advisory opinion issued under this subsection after making sufficient alterations in the summary to prevent disclosing the identities of individuals involved in the opinion. A person who makes or purports to make public the substance of or any portion of an advisory opinion requested by or on behalf of the person waives the confidentiality of the request for an advisory opinion and of any records obtained or prepared by the county or municipal ethics board, the county corporation counsel or the attorney for the local governmental unit in connection with the request for an advisory opinion. (Emphasis added).

C. Open Meetings of Governmental Bodies

19.82. Definitions

As used in this subchapter:

(1) "Governmental body" means a state or local agency, board, commission, committee, council, department or public body corporate and politic created by constitution, statute, ordinance, rule or order; a governmental or quasi-governmental corporation except for the Bradley center sports and entertainment corporation; a local exposition district under subch. II of ch. 229; a family care district under s. 46.2895; a nonprofit corporation operating the Olympic ice training center under s. 42.11(3); or a formally constituted subunit of any of the foregoing, but excludes any such body or committee or subunit of such body which is formed for or meeting for the purpose of collective bargaining under subch. I, IV or V of ch. 111.

(2) “Meeting" means the convening of members of a governmental body for the purpose of exercising the responsibilities, authority, power or duties delegated to or vested in the body. If one-half or more of the members of a governmental body are present, the meeting is rebuttably presumed to be for the purpose of exercising the responsibilities, authority, power or duties delegated to or vested in the body. The term does not include any social or chance gathering or conference which is not intended to avoid this subchapter, any gathering of the members of a town board for the purpose specified in s. 60.50(6), any gathering of the commissioners of a town sanitary district for the purpose specified in s. 60.77(5)(k) or any gathering of the members of a drainage board created under s. 88.16, 1991 stats., or under s. 88.17, for a purpose specified in s. 88.065(5)(a).

(3) "Open session" means a meeting which is held in a place reasonably accessible to members of the public and open to all citizens at all times. In the case of a state governmental body, it means a meeting which is held in a building and room thereof which enables access by persons with functional limitations, as defined in s. 101.13(1). (Emphasis added).

D. Board of Education Meetings

19.89. Exclusion of members

No duly elected or appointed member of a governmental body may be excluded from any meeting of such body. Unless the rules of a governmental body provide to the contrary, no member of the body may be excluded from any meeting of a subunit of that governmental body. (Emphasis added).

E. Conflict of Interest for Public Officials

946.13. Private interest in public contract prohibited

(1) Any public officer or public employee who does any of the following is guilty of a Class I felony:

(a) In the officer's or employee's private capacity, negotiates or bids for or enters into a contract in which the officer or employee has a private pecuniary interest, direct or indirect, if at the same time the officer or employee is authorized or required by law to participate in the officer's or employee's capacity as such officer or employee in the making of that contract or to perform in regard to that contract some official function requiring the exercise of discretion on the officer's or employee's part; or

(b) In the officer's or employee's capacity as such officer or employee, participates in the making of a contract in which the officer or employee has a private pecuniary interest, direct or indirect, or performs in regard to that contract some function requiring the exercise of discretion on the officer's or employee's part.

(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to any of the following:

(a) Contracts in which any single public officer or employee is privately interested that do not involve receipts and disbursements by the state or its political subdivision aggregating more than $15,000 in any year.

(b) Contracts involving the deposit of public funds in public depositories.

(c) Contracts involving loans made pursuant to s. 67.12.

(d) Contracts for the publication of legal notices required to be published, provided such notices are published at a rate not higher than that prescribed by law.

(e) Contracts for the issuance to a public officer or employee of tax titles, tax certificates, or instruments representing an interest in, or secured by, any fund consisting in whole or in part of taxes in the process of collection, provided such titles, certificates, or instruments are issued in payment of salary or other obligations due such officer or employee.

(f) Contracts for the sale of bonds or securities issued by a political subdivision of the state; provided such bonds or securities are sold at a bona fide public sale to the highest bidder and the public officer or employee acquiring the private interest has no duty to vote upon the issuance of the bonds or securities.

(g) Contracts with, or tax credits or payments received by, public officers or employees for wildlife damage claims or abatement under s. 29.889, for farmland preservation under subch. IX of ch. 71 and s. 91.13, soil and water resource management under s. 92.14, soil erosion control under s. 92.10, 1985 stats., animal waste management under s. 92.15, 1985 stats., and nonpoint source water pollution abatement under s. 281.65.

(3) A contract entered into in violation of this section is void and the state or the political subdivision in whose behalf the contract was made incurs no liability thereon. (Emphasis added).

II. CONSIDERATIONS FOR POSSIBLE CONFLICT OF INTEREST/ETHICS POLICY

A Board of Education policy that is meant to reflect these statutes and principles will acquire Board of Education policy decisions in the following areas:


A. Does the Board wish to state that it recognizes state statutes and applicable legal authority in this area, and that it has instituted this policy to provide guidance to its members?

Recommendation: The Board of Education should specifically recognize state statutes and applicable legal authority concerning conflicts of interest and codes of ethics for local government officials to make certain that uniform rules and objective interpretations of those rules are incorporated into the policy

B. Does the Board wish to explicitly identify its purposes in formulating this policy?

Recommendation: The Board of Education may wish to identify at least the following purposes in formulating this policy:

1. Securing compliance with state law.

2. Providing notice to School Board members regarding applicable legal requirements.

3. Providing guidance to School Board members regarding applicable legal requirements.

4. Ensuring the validity of Board of Education decisions.

C. Does the Board of Education wish to have the policy apply to specified groups of School District personnel, in addition to School Board members?

Recommendation: The Board of Education should adopt a policy that applies to all personnel that are subject to applicable state statutes. However, the Board of Education and authorized Administration officials should retain discretion to determine when formal opinions under the policy (if any) are sought.

D. What means should the Board of Education employ to implement the policy? For example:
1. Should the policy specifically provide that the Board of Education may request opinions from legal counsel regarding ethical or conflict of interest issues?

2. Should the Board of Education or authorized administrators’ approval be required to seek such an opinion?

Recommendation: The policy should provide that the Board of Education and selected administrators may request opinions from legal counsel regarding ethical or conflict of interest issues. However, the policy should also provide that requests for a formal legal opinion under the policy must be approved by the Board of Education or authorized administrators.

E. How should resolving conflict of interest or ethical issues under the policy impact on matters that are pending before the Board of Education?

Recommendation: The Board of Education should retain discretion to resolve procedural issues on a case-by-case basis, but should identify criteria for tabling certain issues pending conflict of interest or ethical determinations to maximize the voting rights of Board of Education members. In this regard, the Board should consider adopting standards that include: (1) whether the issue is raised at or prior to a Board meeting; (2) whether the Board member that is potentially affected identified the issue on a timely basis; (3) whether the matter could reasonably affect a Board member’s entitlement to participate or vote on matters before the Board of Education; (4) whether the Board of Education and/or the District would be prejudiced by delaying action on a particular matter; and (5) whether the nature of the matter, in the judgment of the Board of Education, indicates that the need for separate evaluation and/or guidance outweighs the need for immediate action on the issue presented to the Board of Education.

F. Should the Board of Education specifically recognize that when an ethics opinion is obtained under this policy from the District’s legal counsel, this constitutes evidence of good faith compliance with the policy (and statute)?

Recommendation: The Board of Education policy should provide that acting in accordance with a formal opinion that has been authorized by the Board of Education under the policy constitutes evidence of good faith compliance.


III. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUDING REMARKS

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Menomonie Superintendent Hiring Process

Folks, This is an article from the Menomonie newspaper and offers a preview of what we can probably expect from the WASB assisted search for our new Superintendent. The final paragraph about the goals for the Interim Supt.'s year are amazingly similar to issues in the ECASD: Trust, citizen participation in the budgeting process, updating and improving district policies, and getting the sub-committees of the board to "operate in daylight."

Indeed, there is nothing new under the sun. Maria

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 15, 2007
Superintendent hiring starts with focus group sessions
By LeAnn R. Ralph, Reporter

The process for selecting a new superintendent to serve the School
District of the Menomonie Area will begin with focus groups in
October.

Pam Rewey and Dennis Richards, consultants with the Wisconsin
Association of School Boards (WASB), addressed the Menomonie Board of
Education about the process Monday evening.

Rewey informed board members that she was planning to retire at the
end of September, but that Richards was taking her place. Richards,
the recently-retired superintendent of the Black River Falls school
district, said he was happy to be working with WASB.

"I am confident I can do a good job (for Menomonie). I know Western
Wisconsin, and I know the qualities that will be needed for a district
administrator," he said.

The first step in the process involves selecting the type of focus
groups that will be used and getting them set up. Richards said the
school board will need to decide on the number of groups and the
number of participants within each group.

Examples of focus groups include teachers, administrators, students,
food service workers and members of the community. Each group will
have approximately 12 people who will be asked nine questions, and
each session will last about an hour.

"We're looking for commonalities … it's very important to get input
from everyone," Rewey said.

Richards noted that he will be recording the responses from the groups
and looking for trends in the responses.

Public forum

School board president Chris Smith said he would like one of the focus
groups to be an open forum for the public.

Richards said he would leave one time slot for an open forum, during
which members of the community could comment as long as they kept
their comments within the boundaries of the nine questions that would
be asked of all groups.

Dick Best, board member, suggested that ideas for focus groups be
given to Smith and Jack Lewis, interim superintendent, so they could
put together a list.

The tentative application deadline for the district administrator
position will be the last week in December or the first week in
January.

Focus groups will be scheduled Oct. 9 and 10; more information will be
available later about the time and place for the public forum.

Goals for the interim

In addition to helping the Menomonie school district through the
hiring process for a new superintendent, Lewis said he had identified
several other goals he would like to accomplish during his time as
interim district administrator.

The second goal would be to resolve the financial issues for 2008-2009
and 2009-2010 so that the budget would have some direction already
established for the new superintendent.

If the district can move in the direction of solving its financial
problems, "the new person can jump on a moving train," Lewis said.

The community, school district staff and school board need to discuss
options on ways to deal with a $1.2 million deficit.

"You will be excising good flesh and not just fat reduction — and it
will be painful," he said.

Trust

Lewis also said that in the several weeks he has been working in the
school district, he has noticed a "trust issue."

"We need to deal with the trust issue so the wound can heal itself," he said.

Tammy Schneider, board member, noted that the school district is
lacking certain policies or has policies that need to be updated.

Lewis said in the time he has been in the district, he has looked
twice for policies to fit a particular situation, but could not find
anything that applied directly. For example, the school district needs
a policy on medically-fragile children.

"If policies are in place, they provide a good road map," Lewis said.

Committees

Board member Jay Fahl noted that the school board structure and
committee structure should be examined.

The school district has a total of 19 committees, Lewis said.

"I'm not used to seeing that many … the more committees there are, the
bigger the perception there is that the committees are working behind
closed doors," he said.

Lewis noted that his four goals for his tenure as interim
superintendent include: budget issues and forming a citizen's advisory
group for the budget as well as working on negotiations; trust issues;
examining the committee structure so the school board "will be
operating in the daylight;" and new, current and updated policies.

LT Editorial re: CVTC President search debacle

Folks,

Here is an editorial from the LT about the end of the massive national search to find a new president for CVTC which may result in having nobody but a local candidate in the end. This is similar to what occurred in the City of EC when they hired a new City Manager; a huge effort to bring in an outside candidate which resulted in an internal hire. PLEASE NOTE: I am not saying that Mike Huggins or Bruce Barker are not qualified, it is just that the search process has many purposes for both candidates and employers that can lead to very few finalists.

I will publish more info. on this topic in other posts as well. Maria


9/11/2007
'Do-over' is logical option for CVTC president search
The issue: The search for the next Chippewa Valley Technical College president may have netted only one finalist.

Our view: A job of such importance should require a more stringent comparison of several qualified applicants.

Bruce Barker, who hopes to become the next president of Chippewa Valley Technical College, laid out his vision during public appearances Monday in River Falls and Eau Claire.

The only problem is that - as of this writing - it's unclear whether the CVTC board members who will make the hiring decision will have anyone else to compare Barker with before giving him the job. They certainly should.

The search for CVTC President Bill Ihlenfeldt's successor took a bizarre turn over the weekend when it was learned the other finalist, Tim Wynes, told an Iowa newspaper reporter he wasn't going to pursue the CVTC opening. Wynes is chancellor of Iowa Valley Community College in Marshalltown, Iowa. Strangely, Wynes would neither confirm nor deny the newspaper report when contacted Saturday and again Monday by the Leader-Telegram. CVTC officials believed Wynes was set to interview until they saw the Iowa newspaper story, and as of Monday afternoon they assumed he still is a candidate.

Wynes' behavior is troubling. The last thing we need is someone unsure if he wants to make a total commitment to the job. If there is any doubt about that, everyone is better off if Wynes stays put.

If that's the case, the CVTC board should start the search process anew and do as much as possible to find other candidates with the desired qualifications to compare with those of Barker, who is now CVTC's vice president of operations.

When this exercise is done, Barker may be the consensus choice for the job. But the board owes it to itself, CVTC's students and staff, and district taxpayers to interview at least several candidates to evaluate their qualifications, vision, leadership abilities, public personas, etc., and contact references to get more information before making a decision.

The search process began with a 23-member committee that conducted a nationwide search and collected a pool of some 40 applicants. As only the names of the finalists who agree to be interviewed are released to the public, there's no way to know how many others in the pool may be viable candidates in light of recent developments. A third finalist dropped out before his name was made public.

All of this must be frustrating for Barker, but to simply award him the job because he's the only one who didn't turn it down doesn't seem like a way to run an organization that operates nine centers, has a $79 million annual budget, employs hundreds and prepares thousands annually for a variety of careers.

This is a crucial time for CVTC. A new liberal arts transfer degree program in being implemented. Collaboration with UW-Eau Claire and UW-Stout to create regional nanotechnology courses is ongoing, as are efforts to recruit more businesses to CVTC's new $5 million NanoRite center. The new leader also must ensure the relatively new Health Education Center meets the growing and vital need for health care professionals.

Ihlenfeldt, CVTC's leader for the past 13 years, has agreed to stay on until his successor is in place, so it's not as if the ship has no rudder.

The search process obviously has hit a snag. The CVTC board should take a deep breath, advertise the position again to find other qualified people out there who really want the job, then compare them and hire the best candidate.

- Don Huebscher, editor

Promoting Open Government and Transparency

This is an article from the Oshkosh Northwestern that highlights the importance of "transparency" and openness in our local government process. The Wisconsin Attorney General, J.B. Van Hollen is promoting seminars around the state to inform local officials and citizens about the Open Meetings and Public Records laws.

Can we hope that a member of our BOE will choose to attend one of these and promote this process which, I believe, has been forgotten here in the ECASD?

Maria

Editorial: AG continues push for 'Open Government' awareness
September 12, 2007
Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen is doing the right thing in
continuing the office's "Open Government" seminars, open meetings held
around the state to educate local officials and citizens on the ins
and outs of Wisconsin's Open Meetings and Public Records laws.

Van Hollen, the first Republican state attorney general since 1991,
continues a noble tradition that encourages people to get acquainted
with two powerful, citizen-focused laws. He also rejects would could
have been an ugly partisan move: Ditching these Democratic-launched
meetings that date back to the 1990s all-together.

The attorney general's office will host six Open Government seminars
around Wisconsin starting Sept. 18.

There are two things that Van Hollen and his staff can do to improve
their turnout and quality.

First: Get tough and push local government representatives in
attendance, whether they are from school, town, city or county boards,
always "err on the side of openness" when confronted with a decision
to close a public meeting or reject an Open Records request.

If past Open Government seminars have suffered from anything, it has
been repeated questions from galleries packed full of local officials,
grilling AG staff on what suspect tactics could legally pass in
efforts to enter into "executive session" or to reject public requests
for electronic and paper documents.

Trust us – The Northwestern has sent reporters to these seminars in
the past. They've heard the tortured logic from mayors to municipal
attorneys.

The meetings devolve into "How-Can-We-Get-Away-With-This" explorations
as town, village, city and county officials and attorneys raise hands
and scenarios, citing when they or their governments have been
confronted with the decision to keep things open or slam doors in
faces. . The AG's people can always do more to make "err on the side
of openness" a mantra for all.

Hopefully, our state open government experts in the Department of
Justice won't mind adopting a little swagger during these meetings. If
they get lip from public servants angling to warp the law to public's
disadvantage, they shouldn't hesitate to get stern and remind said
public servants who they serve.

Second, Van Hollen and his staff need to make sure everyday citizens
are equally aware of the Open Government seminars and feel equally
welcome to attend.

The seminars are free, so that's a huge bonus. But, as previously
noted, they are often crammed by local government officials.

It's important to make sure our elected leaders and public staff are
up to speed on important transparency laws.

Let's make sure the people who expect open meetings and ask for
records have plenty of awareness and seats to attend, too.

Final Thought: Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen take simples
steps to help further the cause of "Open Government" seminars in
Wisconsin.

WASB Info. about EC for the Supt. Search

The ECASD has contracted with WASB (Wisconsin Association of School Boards) to help us hire a new Superintendent. Here is the information that WASB has posted that describes EC for the New Superintendent Search.

My comments: I am glad to see our Vision and Mission Statements! They are nowhere to be found on our website. Maria

Vision Statement:
To become a recognized model of educational
excellence in all that we do.
Mission Statement
To educate our children in partnership
with the family and the community to live
responsible, creative, and fulfilling lives in
a rapidly changing world.
Statistics
District Grades: ......................... Prek-12
Enrollment ................................. 10,800
Administrators.................................. 33
Teachers.........................................800
Classified Staff.................................447
Buildings
Elementary Schools........................... 13
Middle Schools.................................... 3
Charter Schools .................................. 3
High Schools ...................................... 2
About Eau Claire
Eau Claire is ideally located where the Eau
Claire River flows into the Chippewa River. It
is located 80 miles east of Minneapolis/St.
Paul and 180 miles northeast of Madison
The population of Eau Claire is 61,912 with
the county population of 96,214. Eau Claire
is the eighth largest school district in
Wisconsin. It is also home to the University
of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (with an enrollment
of more than 10,000 students) and Chippewa
Valley Technical College (with an enrollment
of 6,000 students). The city enjoys a history
of lumbering and now prides itself on its
health care, education, and business. There
are many wonderful parks throughout the city
and those are highlighted by Carson Park, a
beautiful 134 acre community park in the
center of town, which offers many
recreational activities. Eau Claire also has a
wealth of quality health care available.
Sports lovers will also be impressed with the
many opportunities available. Visitors and
residents can shop, dine and lodge at many
fine establishments in Eau Claire and the
beautiful surrounding area.
Eau Claire was
selected as 1 of the 100 Best Communities for
Young People.
About the Eau Claire School
District
A national independent study of
parents and employers found that the
ECASD ranked in the top 15 percent
of school districts in the U.S. Many of
the students have achieved above
state and national average academic
test results and reading levels. The
district features many great
programs including:
Gifted and talented
Special needs
Charter schools
Business Youth
Apprenticeships
Project Lead the Way
Lighted Schoolhouse
A Green and Healthy School
It boasts an excellent extra-curricular
program. The North High Technology
Education Department was named
the WTEA Program of the Year in
2006 and the ITEA Program of the
Year in 2007.

BOE Contact Information

Please see below the information you need to contact BOE members and ECASD Administration

Board of Education Distribution Email: board@students.ecasd.k12.wi.us

Michael O'Brien, President (April 2008)
2975 W. Princeton Avenue
Eau Claire, WI 54703
Home Phone: 834-8969
mobrien@ecasd.k12.wi.us
On Board since 1999

Mary Kneer, Vice President (April 2009)
3326 Delbert Road
Eau Claire, WI 54703
Home Phone: 835-1692
mkneer@ecasd.k12.wi.us
On Board since 1994

Brent Wogahn, Clerk (April 2010)
3702 Timber Trails Court
Eau Claire, WI 54701
Home Phone: 831-9692
bwogahn@ecasd.k12.wi.us
On Board since 2004

Ken Faanes, Treasurer (April 2010)
5695 North Shore Drive
Eau Claire, WI 54703
Home Phone: 836-9199
kfaanes@ecasd.k12.wi.us
On Board since 2007


Carol Craig (April 2008)
891 Blackoak Road
Eau Claire, WI 54701
Home Phone: 832-1306
ccraig@ecasd.k12.wi.us
On Board 1982-1994 & 2005 - Present

Trish Cummins (April 2009)
1609 Rust Street
Eau Claire, WI 54701
Home Phone: 835-8135
tcummins@ecasd.k12.wi.us
On Board since 2006

Michael Bollinger (April 2010)
2830 Solem Lane
Eau Claire, WI 54703
Home Phone: 830-1855
mbollinger@ecasd.k12.wi.us
Mike's Blog - www.bollingerboard.blogspot.com
On Board since 2007


DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR CONTACT INFORMATION


Leary, James
SUPERINTENDENT
Phone:(715)852-3106
Email: jleary@ecasd.k12.wi.us

Butler, Gregg A
DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT
Phone:(715)852-3007
Email: gbutler@ecasd.k12.wi.us

Van De Water, Daniel
Administrator of BUSINESS
Phone:(715)852-3011
Email: dvandewater@ecasd.k12.wi.us

Weissenburger, Fred
Administrator of STUDENT SERVICES & CURRICULUM
Phone:(715)852-3071
Email: fweissenburger@ecasd.k12.wi.us

Kling, James
Administrator of PERSONNEL
Phone:(715)852-3051
Email: jkling@ecasd.k12.wi.us

SUPERINTENDENT ASSISTANT AND BOARD SECRETARY

Iverson, Patrice A
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT - SUPERINTENDENTS OFFICE
Phone:(715)852-3002
Email: piverson@ecasd.k12.wi.us

Comments from teachers about Dr. Leary's Back to School message

Please see below the comments from teachers and staff about Dr. Leary's message to them at the start of the new year. This tradition was abandoned several years ago by former Supt. Klaus and I think bringing it back is great!

Maria

I guess I can really only speak for myself and the South people I talked to. My feeling is that is was very positive, upbeat, and meaningful. It began with someone that not many of us in the crowd really knew. Dr. Leary's message was very uplifting, he set the tone for a positive school year.
*************************************
I thought his message was positive, unifying,funny and affirming! It was
good to have the WHOLE staff be together. It sent a good message.
*******************************
It was an incredibly positive, genuine and inspiring presentation. For me
it set a wonderful tone that revitalized my attitude for this year after
what had been an extremely stressful and difficult year for most of us in
the district. It felt like a breath of fresh air! I can truly say I feel
more hopeful about our future as a district.
**************************************
I found his remarkes to be light-hearted, positive and
at times, funny. After teaching for 14 years I can't
believe that ECASD was not addressed as a whole by the
superintendent these last several years. In the two
other districts I taught in an address by the
superintendent was always how the year started off
(for good or for bad). Nice to see that the tradition
has returned to ECASD.

Most importantly, he respected the time alloted and
the time of the teachers and did not go over his
scheduled amount!
****************************************
t has been so long since I felt so excited and happy after hearing my superintendent speak. Dr. Leary was engaging, funny and poignant. He made me happy to be back and excited to work with my co-workers and my children again!

Just FYI, Dr. Butler sat with his head on his hand for all of the speech. Clearly, not the impression that the rest of the faculty had. We were laughing, clapping and moved.
*******************************************
I am embarrassed to say I did not have a writing tool during Dr.
Leary's comments because there was plenty of positive material. I do
not know if we are hungry for good things, if Superintendent Leary's
message was so good or a combination of the two but I remain
favorably impressed. His comments were affirmative, positive and
constructive. Perhaps the thing that resonated most loudly with me
was his comment regarding the status quo and how individuals who want
to maintain the status quo do not help us move forward. (My
conversations with district personnel regarding incorporation of
Macintosh computers for graphic arts and audio applications seem to
fall on deaf ears - or against big blinders.)

I heard more of the positive things that I heard at a board meeting
this summer and I cannot tell you how happy I am that he has agreed
to visit my class.
****************************************
Overall, his address was positive, humorous and clear about the
direction he wants to take us. I have not visited with many people
specifically about this speech but many heads were bobbing in
agreement which I interpret as a good sign. I continue to think we
have a man with his hand on the helm who is extremely capable and
willing to lead us through the troubled waters we need to cross
before we have an open and transparent board and administrative team.
******************************************
I was impressed with what Dr. Leary had to say this morning, especially his
emphasis on the value of relationships in our endeavors. His remarks were
welcoming, humorous, kind, complimentary and forward-looking. He asked us to
aim high and made it very clear that he wants to roll up his sleeves and
work alongside of us through our challenges.
********************************************
The first thing I noticed about him was his presence in the crowd this
morning as he greeted teachers in the lobby and in the auditorium. He
wasn't just standing up front, waiting for us to be seated! He was meeting
people as if they were the most important people in his world at that
moment. In addition, he didn't spend time introducing an entourage of people
around him, which I appreciated because I felt like he wanted to talk with
us.

I sense that he brings wisdom from experience and that he values people
above all else.
**************************************
Hi Maria . . .it was a perfect speech by Dr. Leary! And very well
received by the District staff . . . he was very funny which really
helps the first day back. He was totally forward looking too which
was good . . ... nothing about what happened last year, or year
before, or last week for that matter. I heard no negatives
whatsoever afterward . . . I think most people are really tired of the
negativity, whether they feel it was justified or not. I know
personally I'm looking forward to a very positive year no matter comes
my way. :-)
************************************
Every year, it seems that we all start out the school year with good
intentions, a positive attitude and energy to take on the daunting tasks
that are added to our already full teaching 'plates'. This year, we all
came to the first day with similar feelings, but with teacher morale at
an all-time low, our new interim superintendent, James Leary had his
work cut out for him as he addressed all employees. Add to the morale
issue (no contract, staff layoffs and program cuts, 'new-found' money,
and a general feeling that teachers are underappreciated by our board
and district administration), the fact that we are the only state in the
country without a passed budget, as the assembly proposes even further
cuts to our bare-bones programs and services, it makes for some
frustrated educators, to say the least!

I wouldn't suggest that he rode in on a white horse, but Dr. Leary has
been around the block - whether in Spain, Illinois, Michigan or Chippewa
Falls. He addressed the group with a sense of hope, positive outlook,
humor and respect. In his opening remarks, he suggested that he wouldn't
be introducing anyone, since this wasn't a day for identifying
'important people', rather we are all ONE...we are ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
As he gave his suggestions for fundamental factors to successful schools
(trust, humor, empowerment and compassion), it was clear that he is a
'people person', with the energy and integrity to move this district in
the right direction. I was impressed.
Having met Leary on numerous occasions, I'm further impressed by his
hidden saavy and interest in human nature. 'Hidden' because he has a
folksy style, has no airs, no desire for power or control, and certainly
no complacency! He does have a wealth of experience in working with
struggling district (not to mention GREAT expertise in passing
referendums; he's never had one fail!). He is eager to get out and visit
our schools (refreshing), and will visit classrooms, where he wants to
be introduced as a 'learning helper', not superintendent. He will likely
be very well-received. Our teachers are eager to trust, share and build
in this district, and it's about time it's reciprocal!

From Memorial, several superintendents and others gathered at North
High, where the Governor joined them in a press conference, highlighting
the need for the Assembly to pass a budget that is truly reflective of
the priority we place on public education. The cuts that the Republican
Assembly has proposed would literally devastate our schools - watch the
news tonight!

I believe we're slowly moving ahead in this district, with good things
happening on many levels - teachers, school board, parents AND
superintendent. Stay tuned!
Jo Burke
President, Eau Claire Association of Educators

*************************************************
I was very encouraged. I was looking forward to positive things
happening this year and I feel Dr. Leary started us off with just that.
I appreciated how he stressed the partnership that he has with us. In
fact, he told us he does not want to thought of as our "Superintendent"
he would rather us call him our "Learning Partner." It was a small
gesture but it carried weight after everything we have gone through.
****************************************
I was quite impressed with Dr. Leary's "welcome" to the staff this morning,
so much so that later today I e-mailed him and told him so. I came away
feeling energized and glad that he was leading us. I actually felt like
Dr. Leary WAS leading, and I felt that it was long overdue for our leader
to hold a district-wide meeting at the beginning of the school year. Dr.
Leary's message was just over 30 minutes long. He focused on the power of
positive thinking and on how we are all in this together in the "people"
business. He infused his message with humor and anecdotes along with
research stating what kids want (and need) in their teachers. Things like
they wanted their teachers to love them, they wanted to be trusted, and
they wanted their teachers to have a sense of humor. His tone throughout
was encouraging and positive! Dr. Leary also indicated that he believes we
are all teachers and all learners, simultaneously. To that end, he
indicated that he looks forward to learning all he can about our great
district while also clearly indicating that we are all in this together to
make positive changes. Many of my colleagues that I talked to were also
impressed with his message, and I, for one, feel good about the start of
this new school year!