School late start in Milton still unsettled
MILTON — The Milton School Board wants more details on options for before-school daycare services before it votes on a plan for a handful of late-start days next year.
The board was slated to take action Monday on a plan that would replace a system of five early release days for teacher and staff professional development with monthly late-start days in 2012-13.
However, it voted to table a decision even though it already approved next year's school calendar with late-start days slated on the third Monday of each month.
Some board members were concerned the district hadn't gathered enough information for working parents with young children about what before-school daycare services could be available.
Under current plans, late-start days would kick off at 10 a.m. and bus routes would start late.
Superintendent Mike Garrow told the board that school administrators have been in talks with the YMCA of Northern Rock County, Lutheran Social Services and Small Wonders Daycare—the district's three childcare providers—about possible morning daycare services for younger students on late-start days.
Rates could run about $5 an hour, Garrow said, but he didn't have full cost figures for services. Parents would have to pay and provide transportation to daycare.
The district hasn't decided if it would house any of the services at district schools, Garrow said.
That was a sticking point for board member Wilson Leong, who said he had "serious concerns" about approving the late-start model before parents know more about available options.
"We really haven't come up with a concrete solution," he said. "The parents don't really have a choice."
Leong said he's thinking about people who have inflexible work schedules.
"It's easy for us to say most businesses are reasonable. I don't really know it to be true," Leong said. "People want to keep their jobs."
Lori Davis, a parent at Monday's meeting, told The Gazette she was told one of the district's childcare providers would charge a $90 per-child registration fee for before school daycare on late-start days. Garrow said he could not confirm that.
Board member Tom Westrick asked the district to have a list, on paper, of all of its late-start daycare options by the board's Jan. 30 meeting.
The late-start plan is intended to allow teachers and staff to meet regularly and decrease the amount of times they are pulled from classrooms for in-service in the middle of the school day, district officials say.
The board's curriculum committee pushed the plan forward last month. Board member Jon Cruzan said late-starts would give teachers a chance to collaborate more on district goals.
Studies show productivity is better for students in the afternoon than in the morning, Garrow said. Late starts would give students more general instructional time than early releases.
"This isn't something the school district is pulling out of thin air," Cruzan said.
Board member Betsy Lubke said she doesn't believe parents are against teachers having more time to improve instruction and services for students. Still, she said it could quell some uncertainty for parents to know the locations and costs of daycare options.
"I think if we can be more specific about those options, we'll have more buy-in from parents," she said.
Jan 31, 2012 at 6:14 a.m.
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Wow, so parents with children still young enough to need adult supervision "should get their friends, neighbors and relatives on alert". And if they have NO family in the area? How is it "friends and neighbors" responsibility? Some of you peeps are so sure that its just this easy. Small minded snarky answers are just that... small!
Jan 18, 2012 at 10:47 p.m.
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nicksmom....do Nick and us a favor...stay home and take care of him.
Jan 18, 2012 at 3:24 p.m.
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JoyM: I completely understand. I live in suburban Milwaukee. I'm contemplating a move to your area & the schools just boggle my mind & are what is causing my biggest obstacle. My friend who lives in Janesville tells me he doesn't have bus service to public school & has to drive his kids to school. I've never heard of this. Where I live the public & private schools all have in-house before school & after school care. If it wasn't for that I would be screwed because I don't have any family in the area. I am a professional & despite my position & years of employment, my employers' flexibility only goes so far. I feel for you parents.
Jan 18, 2012 at 2:39 p.m.
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A couple honest questions: 1 - What do people do on snow days, or 2 hour delays for bad weather, or when a kid wakes up at 2AM and is puking? 2 - I believe Milton now has early endings a few times per year (website says there is one tomorrow) - what do you do on days like that? Honestly - are the late starts more of a burden than the early exits? (Honestly - I'm not trying to be snarky [for once], I want to know!)
Jan 18, 2012 at 2:11 p.m.
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I guess for parents that this will put a strain on should get their friends, neighbors and relatives on alert. You have 8 months to plan them out. If you live in rural areas, find parents of the other kids who ride the bus and you can each take turns. And for the idiots who keep saying that Saturday mornings should be the meeting day you clearly have no real clue what they are trying to accomplish here!
Jan 18, 2012 at 12:53 p.m.
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juliew, great POST! Couldn't agree more.
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ALLin, pathetic!
Jan 18, 2012 at 12:38 p.m.
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I still think that teachers should get together on Saturdays to have their monthly coffee and doughnut gathering.
Jan 18, 2012 at 11:07 a.m.
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JoyM: my point is that it is not the school districts responsibility to provide child care for your children it is the parent’s responsibility to do so PERIOD. We are being told in January of changes coming in September I think that is more the reasonable amount of time for parents to come up with alternative child care for a few hours once a month. Maybe you will have to spend some extra money and help spur on the local economy. Both me and my husband live in Milton with our 2 young children, I work in the medical filed at UW Madison he works in the medical field at OSF in Rockford, we both have to be at work on time regardless of weather/road conditions, sick children, or days off of school and we are able to do it because we plan ahead. I don’t think it is unreasonable for the school district to ask parents to be parents so the schools can do a better job at educating our children for us.
Jan 18, 2012 at 10:39 a.m.
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I agree with Saxcat that the school district shouldn't concern itself with daycare options. That's the responsibility of the parents. School should be about education, and if this half-day is needed periodically to improve (or maintain) the quality of the education, then they should do it.
Jan 18, 2012 at 8:48 a.m.
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I am not a fan of the "occasional" late start idea. However, I do not think it should be the school districts responsibility to worry about day care services for the children. If the schedule is the way the district wants it, give parents due notice, (which I think they have), and go with it. necessity is the mother of invention. Might even give someone new the opportunity to open a daycare.
Jan 18, 2012 at 7:33 a.m.
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juliew - glad your life skills are so superior to those of the rest of us average blows. Have you worked outside the home? What does your employer think about people who can't be into work first thing Monday morning (which in my line of work is when everything that has pent up over the weekend drops)? And heaven help me, my employer is fairly flexible compared to many (such as people who work in a retail environment where the shop opens at 8 or 9). Do you live in the Milton school district where a high proportion of us live in a rural area (where there are not necessarily even neighbors close to each other who would be available to help)?
Jan 18, 2012 at 1:38 a.m.
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I think it is sad that some parents can not come up with a plan of action for child care for their children when they are given almost a year notice in advance of the change. The district has been talking about this for at least the past few months. Makes you wonder how they cope with solving problems that come up with out a year notice.
Jan 17, 2012 at 6:39 p.m.
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I agree. I don't have kidlets at home anymore, but having sick children that requires a parent to stay home, then THIS on top of THAT, its just wrong.
Jan 17, 2012 at 6:15 p.m.
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nnnnnoooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!
Jan 17, 2012 at 4:10 p.m.
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I couldn't make it to the meeting last night, or I would have spoken up again. We need to know the options and the costs. This can cause a financial hardship to parents who otherwise took half vacation days on early release days...taking half vacation days for 9 days, especially on Mondays, won't sit well with some employers, plus it burns up 4 more half days than 5 early release days.
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