The lift

For the longest time, there has been a fairly serious water penetration problem with the second floor windows in the old high school.

The problem has existed since the remodeling of 2001.  It's bad enough that just about any significant rain, will prompt the need for towels and drip catch buckets.

However, according to the director of building and grounds we don't have a water penetration problem.  We all know, this guy knows better since he makes more money than those who have to deal with the problem regularly.  Secondly the annual safety training, reiterates the seriousness of potential mold  problems.

A $7 dollar tube of silicon was used to fix one of the windows by an employee that was getting sick of this stupidity.

Couple that with another reason to get a lift, and we finally have an attempt to fix the problem.

The other reason was window stickers.  These identify the room number from the outside of the building, probably prompted by all the school shootings.  So this is not a bad idea.  What is stupid is ordering window stickers that have to be applied from the outside, and from a vendor who installed all the first floor ones, but (like the head of building and grounds) is afraid of heights.

So regular employees were told to install the second floor ones.  So there were two reasons to get a lift, and that finally convinces them.

So they pick a day over spring break and tell us there will be a lift from Fred Rents.  It's a no show, the director blames the vendor, the vendor says the director never confirmed the order.

It was suggested to check across the street, with the De Pere municipal garage.  They have a boom truck, that probably only gets used to put up the Christmas decorations.  But apparently the director has a "buddy" (Dan Bins) at Fred Rents in Neenah.

Next non-school break comes, the lift arrives.  Day two, the jig-boom part dies.  After much arm twisting, a second lift arrives (this too has issues, like slipping gears), and it gets done.

This is an old building built in the 1940's, and the vines that used to be on the West side of the building did a number on the tuck-pointing.

The calking made the problem about 75% better, and buys time for a more permanent fix, such as further tuck-pointing.  It did cure the annual bats in the building though.

All De Pere Admins got a raise

It light of all the cut backs and wages freezes, co-workers and the public has been wondering how the De Pere administrators wages have been impacted.

After a bit more digging. It seems not every admin in Green Bay and got the same percent increase. Which is interesting... some principals got 1.07%, others 1.96%.. a couple didn't get a raise at all from 2010 to 2011 for whatever reason.  I guess they give raises to their non-union admins based on merit.

Howard Suamico is the same, one principal got a 3.03% raise, another admin there got a 2.62% raise.

Ashwaubenon Superintendent 1.96%, Green Bay Superintendent 1.07%, Denmark Superintendent 2.84%, Howard Suamico 2.70%.

I have to say that actually makes sense as admin are not union members, and I don't see why every admin in De Pere got 3.1% for 2011.

In all fairness the School Board Minutes indicate admins raise was approved by the board June 12, 2010. (Before the Walker Act 10 announcement)

"A Motion was made by Paque and seconded by Growt to approve compensation for administrative and non-represented personnel for the 2010-2011 school year as presented and attached to these minutes. Motion carried on a voice vote; all ayes."

And for 2012 they received a 1.5% raise. This was approved by the school board June 20, 2011.

"A Motion was made by Paque and seconded by Growt to approve a salary increase of 1.5% for members of the administrative and non-represented staff, as presented. Motion carried; all ayes."

This is the problematic one. In March all other staff agreed to a two year wage freeze, and had to accept the stipulations of Act 10, involving increased deductions for health insurance and retirement.
For the 2012-13 school year DPI data shows no raise for administrators. Pressure from the unrest created by taking one last year undoubtedly has something to do with this. The real question and test of honesty will be if they take one next year. So far administration has only froze their wage for one year, while everyone else took two. From the Nov, 18 2013 Mins:

A motion was made by Meneau and seconded by Matzke to approve a 2.36% salary increase for administrators, supervisors and exempt staff for the 2013-2014 school year.

So everyone except the highest paid people (admin) had a two year wage freeze, while they skated away with one measly year.

That is kind of a slap in the face by administration and the board to just months later approve a modest raise for themselves to help offset the new deductions, and not extend that offer to everyone else. Some fine leadership!

To look at the raw WI DPI data, go here: http://lbstat.dpi.wi.gov/lbstat_newasr

Compare Admin by despa

 

Keep in mind, De Pere WI is the only city to have two school districts. Why that is not being brought up in this climate of taxpayer scrutiny is beyond me.

{Update}
The August 1, 2013 Green Bay Press Gazette, has an article titled, "School administrator raises outpace teachers."

Teacher salaries rose slightly across Wisconsin’s public schools last year, but they paled in comparison to pay bumps for several top administrators, a Gannett Wisconsin Media review of state Department of Public Instruction data shows.

Budget crisis is management's fault

Irregardless of how I feel about the shoddy job our local union does at representing it's members, here is a guy who points out where the blame ought to be placed.

Neutral on unions, not on fairness

GREEN BAY — I have never belonged to a union and was in management for much of my work life. I am neutral on the issue of unions. I am not neutral on the issue of fairness.

Labor and management negotiate a contract. Each side gives. Wages are set at some number, and benefits are factored into an agreed-upon total compensation package. Typically neither side is 100 percent happy with the result. But it is a deal — negotiated, supposedly, in good faith. If either side decides it doesn't like the package, it can renegotiate when the contract is up. Those who teach our children, care for our sick, guard our prisoners and perform vital services for our citizens are not responsible for this budget crisis. Management is.

Gov. Scott Walker and other politicians (past and present) mismanaged us into this fiscal mess. For his administration and legislative leadership to blame labor is not only inaccurate, it is unfair. It is unethical. Immoral. And, it is un-American.

Bob Schulze

Gym Floor

I just learned that at the high school they no-longer use the Tennant 7100 on the gym floor.

Apparently management determined the brush is to harsh on the floor.

And while I laugh out loud about this, I am also upset that it took this long to figure that out. And that an employee had to endure a great deal of crap over this a few years ago.

Tennant_Scrubber

WEAC PAC Dues

blue pac memo
"These are the funds your UniServ uses to financially support those Wisconsin Candidates"

"The only way to change these regressive types of legislation is to continue to elect..."

Sorry guys, but special interest groups (like WEAC) essentially buying puppets is part of what is killing this country in my opinion.

Campaign funding has gotten to out of control. The robbing from Peter to pay Paul just to fulfill campaign promises. You basically have to be a crook to be able win an election.

For a group of educators I'm not impressed. Talk about supporting the concept of publicly funded campaigning and then you can have my $5.

Till then, the best thing I've been able to come up with it just to Never re-elect anyone. Pay no attention to party lines, or promises.

WEAC tops lobbyist spending - Feb. 26, 2010

The Wisconsin Education Association Council spent nearly twice as much as any other organization to lobby lawmakers in 2009, according to the Government Accountability Board.

The state's largest teachers union reported spending more than $1.5 million and 7,239 hours lobbying, almost twice as much as the Wisconsin Insurance Alliance, which spent the second-highest amount on lobbying in the state.

One aspect of the union's lobbying effort was largely successful, with the state Legislature repealing the 16-year-old qualified economic offer law that restricted teachers' pay and benefits.

Other organizations that spent top dollar to lobby Madison included the Forest County Potawatomi Community; Altria Client Services Inc.; Wisconsin Hospital Association; Wisconsin Petroleum Marketers & Convenience Store Association; and Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, all of which spent more than $500,000.

- Amy Hetzner - Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Ousted Treasurer Promoted

I noticed that Sue S**** is listed as the Blue Treasurer. Apparently she is replacing John S****** of Bonduel, who held the position last year.

I sincerely hope she can do a better job as treasurer of the regional assocation, than she did as treasurer of our local.

April 29th, 2006 marked the first annual Treasures report for the De Pere Educational Support Association in well over 5 years. Oddly enough, local treasurer Sue S**** was not present at this meeting, reportedly in Madison at a WEAC meeting.. In a notice a few days after the meeting from the Union president the discrepancies discussed at the meting were clarified.

"The 3 sheets that were included in the packet were not for our union. They were samples sent from WEAC from other teacher unions and intended only to be used as an example for us when setting up our reports. When I printed off the reports I inadvertently included these and they were included in the packet."

In the March 2010 De Pere Educational Support Association officer election, 23 year veteran treasurer Sue S***** was defeated, by a 57 to 44 vote.

At this same meeting a motion was made and approved to form an Audit committee, to ensure that the handoff to the new treasurer would be a smooth transition. It was noted that we had never performed an audit before.

At the October 2010 general membership meeting, the audit committee reported their findings. There was a lack of receipts for checks written.

I guess I should try and be more optimistic. After all she was chosen as ESP of the year for 2010.

"Sue once wondered what she could do to make a child’s day great, so she wore her clown shoes to recess. They were a big hit and the students ask when she’s going to wear them again. Even though the shoes gave her blisters I’m sure she’ll wear them again to make the kids happy and laugh," said Theder, who presented the Education Support Professional Award to her at WEAC’s annual Awards and Recognition Banquet held this past weekend in Green Bay.

I'm not knocking her at her job. Apparently she is very good with kids. But those clown shoes sure got noticed by association members.

You'd think all those trips to Madison for WEAC training would have taught her something. Apparently the Dilbert Principle has some logic?

"Leadership is nature's way of removing morons from the productive flow".

Should teachers with master’s degrees be paid more if it doesn’t help kids?

Economists want to stop teachers’ degree bonuses

Donna Gordon Blankinship, Associated Press - Nov 22, 2010

SEATTLE (AP) — Every year, American schools pay more than $8.6 billion in bonuses to teachers with master’s degrees, even though the idea that a higher degree makes a teacher more effective has been mostly debunked.

Despite more than a decade of research showing the money has little impact on student achievement, state lawmakers and other officials have been reluctant to tackle this popular way for teachers to earn more money.

That could soon change, as local school districts around the country grapple with shrinking budgets.

Just this week, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said the economy has given the nation an opportunity to make dramatic improvements in the productivity of its education system and to do more of what works and less of what doesn’t.

Duncan told the American Enterprise Institute on Wednesday that master’s degree bonuses are an example of spending money on something that doesn’t work.

On Friday, billionaire Bill Gates took aim at school budgets and the master’s degree bonus.

“My own state of Washington has an average salary bump of nearly $11,000 for a master’s degree — and more than half of our teachers get it. That’s more than $300 million every year that doesn’t help kids,” he said.

“And that’s one state,” said Gates, the co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, at a speech Friday in Louisville to the Council of Chief State School Officers. Gates also took aim at pensions and seniority.

“Of course, restructuring pay systems is like kicking a beehive,” he acknowledged.

As of 2008, 48 percent of public school teachers in this country had a master’s degree or above, and nearly every one of them got a bonus of between $1,423 and $10,777 each year, according to research from the University of Washington.

Most school budgets have been tight for years, with districts trimming everything from printing to teachers.

Michael Podgursky, an economics professor at the University of Missouri, said the economic downturn may force payroll reform in some places where the political will has been lacking. And they don’t have to blow up the old system to do it, he said.

“We’re experimenting now,” he said, noting pay-for-performance experiments in New York City, Houston and Nashville.

Ninety percent of teachers’ masters degrees are in education, not subjects such as English or math, according to a study by Marguerite Roza and Raegen Miller for the Center on Reinventing Education at the University of Washington.

Their colleague, research professor Dan Goldhaber, explained that that research dating back to a study he did in 1997 has shown that students of teachers with master’s degrees show no better progress in student achievement than their peers taught by teachers without advanced degrees.

Goldhaber said his findings were criticized vehemently in the 1990s, but repeated studies since then have confirmed the results.

Roza and Miller found more than 2 percent of total education spending in 13 states — Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Ohio and South Carolina, plus Washington and Nebraska, where the dollars topped 3 percent — went to masters degree bonuses.

The American Federation of Teachers, the nation’s second largest teachers union doesn’t oppose changes in the way teachers are paid and is willing to talk about just about any reform idea, said Rob Weil, deputy director of educational issues.

“We’re not opposed to looking at compensation systems and making sure our compensation moves forward and changes with the times,” he said. But, he adds, “Change for change’s sake isn’t what we ought to be doing.”

Weil said the problem is that most school districts don’t know what they want to do instead of the traditional salary schedule that gives teachers more money for years of service and additional education.

“I go into school districts all the time and say, ‘What do you want to pay for?’ and that’s when nobody’s home,” he said.

The National Education Association, which is the nation’s largest teacher’s union, has floated the idea of paying higher starting salaries for teachers to attract more and better teachers to the profession. Others have suggested rewarding teachers for student achievement gains.

American teacher pay has been structured the same way in every state since before World War II. Before then, high school teachers were paid more than primary school instructors. Establishing one pay rate was a feminist issue since teachers in the younger grades used to be mostly women and most high school teachers were men.

Even in states where teacher pay is set by the school district according to market factors, the pay schedule has been the same way for many decades, Podgursky said.

Debating a change could be more controversial and unpopular than cutting chocolate milk from the school cafeteria menu.

But education economists believe this idea can’t be ignored forever, because teacher pay is the biggest part of education budgets and the salary schedule drives that spending.

Erick Hanushek, senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, said this kind of contract change would be difficult but not impossible, despite teachers unions being among the most influential lobbies in many state capitols.

School districts won’t save much money because they won’t be able to cut teacher pay overall, but they could start redirecting cash to the most effective teachers, as measured in ways other than what degrees they have earned, he said.

Teachers may need to accept a two-tiered system at first to grandfather in those getting the bonuses. The biggest losers will be university education schools, because they make a lot of money on master’s degrees, Hanushek said.

“There’s a relationship between education schools and teachers that is not particularly healthy,” he said.

Hanushek said the University of Washington estimate of the $8.6 billion annual cost of master’s degree money is low.

“It’s what you would call free money, but not from a political standpoint,” he said.

How a Teacher Salary Schedule Works