Youngsters boost Janesville save-the-schools effort
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The Doely family from left, Michael, 12, Melissa, Alexandria, 3, Troy Jr. 7, Troy Senior, Sophie, 16.
JANESVILLE — Troy Doely Jr. came home one day and asked his mother if he could ask the neighbors for donations to help his school.
Sure, Melissa Doely told the 7-year-old.
Troy and his brother Michael, 12, brought home the donations from two neighbors and asked if they could go up and down Franklin Street, near their home.
“I said OK, as long as you two go together,” Melissa said.
So out they went, canvassing three or four blocks, both sides of the street. All but one family dropped money into their big plastic popcorn container.
Their father, Troy Sr., helped them bring a donation container to a neighborhood gas station, and the family also asked for donations at their church.
A friend who tithes contributed 10 percent of her weekly check to the cause, as did the Doelys themselves.
The effort in a neighborhood not noted for its affluence—nearly all Wilson students are from low-income families—netted $300.
The entire school collected $1,000 and presented a check to Mike Rundle of Save Janesville Schools on Friday.
Rundle praised the effort and said he wished a lot more schools would do the same.
There are a few other efforts around the district.
Adams School is having a penny drive, and Craig High is selling “hero hats,” Rundle said.
Wilson teacher Jen Drach said a parent suggested the fundraiser, so she put a jar in her classroom to collect coins and invited other teachers to do the same.
Drach was flabbergasted when she heard Troy had brought in his first check, for $150.
Drach said the outpouring was probably the result of a number of factors. Although teachers don’t talk a lot about it, the students know that some of their teachers are facing layoffs, and they also had heard the news that Wilson was on a list of schools being considered for closing, although no decision has been made.
Then, there was the attraction of an ice cream party for the class that collected the most.
For the Doelys, the overriding motivator was saving their school.
“We refuse to give up Wilson because it’s more than a school,” Troy Sr. said.
Wilson takes care of families, and along with the Boys & Girls Club, it’s all the neighborhood has to hang its hopes on after the demise of the General Motors plant, Troy Sr. said.
“I can’t say enough about the teachers,” Melissa added. “I just love them all.”
Michael said helping was important to him, even though he has moved on from Wilson to Edison Middle School.
“I really like this school, and I wanted to help out,” Michael said.
“We want it to be here for his little sister to go to,” Melissa said, referring to their 3-year-old.
The Doelys are working-class people, like much of the neighborhood. Melissa is a machine operator at the Birdseye plant in Darien. Troy Sr. takes care of the home and coaches pee wee football at Wilson in the fall.
Drach said the prospect of asking low-income kids to raise money gave her pause, but it wasn’t the first time the Wilson community has stepped up to the plate, she said.
A fundraiser for those devastated by the earthquake in Haiti, for example, also exceeded expectations.
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The Save Janesville Schools fundraising effort had raised $57,471 in cash as of Friday.
The effort, which seeks to save Janesville School District jobs and programs, also had collected $65,342 in pledges from district employees. That money will be deducted from employees’ paychecks during the course of next school year.
Those numbers do not include $900 that SJS received Friday from Dave Mansur of Realty Executives. Mansur had pledged a donation for every house he sold. It also does not include Wilson School’s $1,000.
The fundraiser will continue into next fall and probably through next year because of ongoing need.
To donate, send checks to the Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin, 26 S. Jackson St., Janesville, WI 53548. Or, donate online at cfsw.org/savejanesvilleschools.asp.
For more information, contact Save Janesville Schools by email at SaveJanesvilleSchools@gmail.com or via its Facebook page, or contact the Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin, (608) 758-0883.
Jun 8, 2011 at 9:32 p.m.
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ShariF - thanks for correcting me. My math obviously came up short. My $6 should have been $60. I took the $65,000 pledged from district employees and divided it by the approximately 1000+ district employees and misplaced a decimal point. Definitely my error and I appologize. My main point still has validity consider the total cost per employee of health and pension and their refusal to reopen the contracts (3 unions). I accept your total of $100 each but still consider that a pittance.
Jun 8, 2011 at 4:31 p.m.
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RichE95, I'm checking your math and I don't see how you got $6. Almost all of the $65,342 is pledged from teachers giving out of their monthly checks for next year, and over half of the cash donations have come from teachers. There are something like 800 teachers (minus the 50+ that got cut), so if you divide $93,000 (rough estimate of teacher totals)by 750, you get $124 each. That's a far cry from $6.
Jun 8, 2011 at 3:43 p.m.
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These people seem like a really great and generous family. It really is too bad they have had to be put in this situation. I wonder how much the union, the teachers, and the school district members have dontated? Oh, wait, that's right, the district is short of money because of those 3 groups in the first place. The taxpayers have already done their parts.
Jun 8, 2011 at 2:46 p.m.
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Hey Rich, maybe downtown should pitch in because they created the mess by NOT BALANCING THE BUDGET, or we could substitute, not doing their job. If we measured the teacher's ability to do their job, we might look at test scores and grad rates, which have improved, which indicates the teachers ARE doing their job. Maybe, if instead of you crying about a 6 dollar raise in your taxes for the last four years (in the same time period your taxes HAVE NOT gone up), we wouldn't be in this mess. Then maybe we would have good financially sound school district. Instead, we having a bad local economy, and a poorly managed school district! Furthermore, when morons who can't understand those facts blame the teachers, who play absolutely no role in budgeting for the district, maybe we can drive all the good teachers out of town. Then guess what we'll be left with?
Jun 8, 2011 at 11:26 a.m.
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It would be great if the teachers would match the generosity of this family. It doesn't look like that will happen. With the school year over, the district employees have pledged about $6 each to the effort (check the math). That might cost them one trip to Starbucks. Teachers - If you want to be considered a professional, just try acting like one. If you want to see generosity, just try it yourself first.
Jun 8, 2011 at 9:21 a.m.
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Pooblah says, "...teachers selfish lifestyle..." Because professional teachers want to live a lifestyle of other professionals, they are selfish?? Get an education, get a professional job, and you too can be successful in life. Republicans of all people should honor the effort to set lofty careeer goals and rise up in life. But then again, they often do not practice what they preach.
Jun 8, 2011 at 8:19 a.m.
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The message: We care about our schools. What a tribute to this community.
Jun 8, 2011 at 8 a.m.
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Congrats to Wilson and the Doely family!!!
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The scapegoating of the teachers is getting old. I guess now that the GM workers are gone, the bitter jealous people have moved on to the teachers. Sad. Pathetic.
Jun 8, 2011 at 7:57 a.m.
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Union thugs.... Everytime I see that it makes me laugh.. lol
Jun 8, 2011 at 7:46 a.m.
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What an awesome thing for Wilson to raise $1000! Great job Doely family and all the Wilson students!
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Save Janesville Schools has a new website which was not included in this article: www.savejanesvilleschools.org
Jun 8, 2011 at 7:11 a.m.
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Too bad that the teachers refused to make any sacrifices themselves. Instead they forced that burden onto people with not much money, and not nearly the benefits, to pay for the teachers selfish lifestyle. Also, what a joke " Although teachers don’t talk a lot about it, the students know that some of their teachers are facing layoffs", that is all that teachers talk about in class, that and how Scott Walker hates the middle class.
Jun 7, 2011 at 8:13 p.m.
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Awesome....but if this were a pro-education state government this should not HAVE to happen.
Jun 7, 2011 at 8:02 p.m.
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Uplifting story. Good luck to Wilson school!!!! Parents teaching their children values.
Jun 7, 2011 at 7:37 p.m.
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Such a nice family. I hope & pray they don't close Wilson. I went to grade school there in the 50's. So many good memories. Wilson is a great school.
Jun 7, 2011 at 6:18 p.m.
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What a great family. This is a testimony to how great the Janesville teachers, and those at Wilson are; that families with no money are giving to try and help keep the school open and help their children's education. Kudos to the staff and students at Wilson!!!
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