How scooters charter school plan helps big corporations.
.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMioWnzh0...

And jv93 and other union bashers, when you post all of these anti-union comments on these blogs, yes, pro-union people should have the right to set the record straight. As fear points on on NUMEROUS occasions, the School District of Janesville has self-funded insurance. And over the time that they have been self-funded, the district has banked roughly $20-$30 million for their Fund 10 balance. It's interesting that members of the school board call this Fund 10 a "checking account," yet still require budget cuts when the balance is above $20 million.

So, with all of the links on the internet, jv93 believes that WEAC President Mary Bell works in Whitewater? Really? Is that a new career path for someone that TRULY is employed by the Wisconsin Rapids School District as a Library Media Specialist? Hmmm. Again, these "facts" that union haters post on these blogs continue to amaze me!! Please tell me, jv93, where you found your "facts" about Ms. Bell's employment in Whitewater?

^5 Hope 65! I totally agree.


and to Bowlgal, if you have been to Wal-Mart or Family Dollar lately, you will see that many (dare I say the majority?) of the parents of young children are NOT the ones who should be teaching children. Granted, they may be good at teaching their children to disrespect authority, how to avoid the cops (not avoiding unlawful behavior), how to cheat, lie, and steal...not to mention how to be unruly and COMPLETELY selfish when the rest of the world has individual problems to deal with, too. Math, history, social studies, and English? Not a chance.


I have a huge amount of respect and admiration for those who give and give of themselves to other people's children in spite of the fact that they continue to get smacked in the face on a regular basis, literally and figuratively, by the taxpayers and their children who have absolutely nothing better to do with their lives than complain.

"Too bad, math not one of your strong suits."
--------
Awesome! It looks like basic grammar isn't one of yours.:) That gem of a sentence you gifted us with evolves from a education delivered by our "stellar" public educational system.....right? If you ask me, they are getting off easy by letting us keep only an extra $7 a month of our money........

The unions have already proven in released letters and actions they do not care about the children or the educators. The sooner education is put back into the hands of the parents the better we will all be in the future.

“I’ve come to a frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It’s my personal approach that creates the climate. It’s my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or dehumanized.”
― Haim G. Ginott
Thank you Janesville teachers for keeping your heads held up high despite some sentiments in the community that are not always positive. Let's start a teachers' tribute in the Gazette. I would love to read about the heartwarming stories of teachers making a difference. It's time to reward and recognize rather than bashing, degrading, and demoralizing the best assets in our community. Thank you again Janesville teachers for making a difference in the lives of our children.

Fear4dummy: I obtained a Electrical Engineering degree through hard work and study. Why not try doing one thing right and leave the multi tasking to those who are better qualified? Try closing mouth and opening ears.

HandBookHarry - I was just making an observation based on the content of the replies to the story. I apologize for being the first poster in the Gazette's online history to ever stray from the topic on hand and make a side point. I wasn't attacking fearandrhetoric4dummies. I used a spellchecker to locate and count the errors without paying attention to who made them. If I was going to ATTACK him PERSONALLY, I'd ACCUSE him of having Eyster's DISEASE. ☺

The teachers are reaping a backlash generated by decades of their union forcing contract arbitrations instead of negotiating responsibly. If they aren't bright enough to see that and realize that the shoe is now on the other foot, they probably aren't qualified to be teachers. I can't fault them for their trying whining and protesting to see if they can sway the gullible public herd they've been educating for the past couple of generations, they have only a little self-respect left to lose and more money and benefits to gain. But I hope the school board holds firm and only compensates them for what they truly are worth in the current depressed market, not what they are accustomed to extorting in better economic conditions.

Parr has been responsible for some of that extortion and if the school board isn't handling contracts as well as they might, it is partially due to the Stockholm Syndrome. The board has been captive of union strong-arm negotiation tactics and the arbitration law for so long, they aren't used to the freedom to act in the best interests of the community.

I hope that is on-topic enough to meet your standards, HandBookHarry.

Janesvillecomments

While I disagree with fear most of the time it's pretty pathetic that you attack him for grammar. Attack the message not the grammar.

It is true that many stellar teachers have already trickled away from the district; most of us just don't look closely at board minutes to see who is resigning and at what point in their careers. I do think it would be a professional and human courtesy for the board to announce as early as possible what the situation will be for those who are in limbo on retiring. But also, as a teacher myself, I am curious about what the long-term benefits will look like in this district. Yes, I am looking to other districts--ones that made the WRS and health care changes but left previously negotiated items in place. I'd like to work for a board and community that feels that while it has to make financial cuts to salary and benefits, they feel that they can do other things to make the staff feel appreciated...rather than changing dress codes, contemplating removing compensation hours and potentially lengthing work hours simply because they can. This long-term set of "unknowns" has been and continues to be one of the most emotionally draining periods of my life; even worse, it has been completely and utterly unnecessary. I have not considered leaving this district since the day I was hired in (well over 10 years ago and after having worked briefly in two other districts), but I feel that the time has most certainly come to see what better treatment -- not specifically MONEY -- I can receive elsewhere. And, yes, it is breaking my heart to think about moving from my home, my family, my friends, and my community. But I also know that I was raised to have more respect for myself than to allow myself to be mistreated or undervalued be it by a spouse or by my employer. I hope the board realizes the error of the process they are using and begins a different path of dealing with the employees of this district.

Bill Sodemann and Scott Feldt are up for re-election in April 2014, assuming they decide to run.

Certainly the Board must understand that the phrase, "The handbook SHOULD BE completed well before then" is not acceptable. Teachers need a guaranteed date of delivery. You're asking people to make long-term decisions with their lives - and then not giving them the tools to make those decisions. The right to rescind looks great on paper, but how many teaching jobs for next year will be already be taken by June 15?

Where are these so called good teachers going to go that have not already gone? I mean if the grass is so much greener somewhere else why would a few percent contributed to health care/retirement change that. I think the loss of union dews about equals it moneywise? So where are all these great teaching jobs that pay so much more????

"try to overlook the occasional typographical or spelling error (I make them myself once in a while), but considering the topic, the number of mistakes on this page is rather discouraging:"

yea, these overpaid whiners TEACH YOUR KIDS, I saved a stack of "teachers" notes sent home over the years, these idiots can not spell and i can prove it!!!

Clowns! Some of us value a good public education system, some value a political ideology and $7 dollars less a month on their property taxes. Read the mathematical facts, PLEASE.

Or maybe we should compensate them properly for their exemplary work? http://www.gazettextra.com/news/2011/oct...

Try reading a little more? Then try simple math. Maybe you should file a lawsuit against someone who didn't explain to you that the world isn't black and white. Remember what I said about Algebra?

janesvillecomments-instead of proofreading my posts, typed with a wireless keyboard,late at night when I am doing 10 things at once remotely on a computer. Why don't you look at the facts at hand? Hey if that is all the better you can do? Great!! I think and type fast. I have a lot of things going, and happen to be a multi-tasker. Know what that means? D O U B T F U L.

I have presented many facts about the evil teachers union SAVING the SDJ MILLIONS of dollars over the years, funny how all of the conservatives just dance right around the FACTS and jump right into rhetoricland.

jv- Vomit? Aren't you always one of the Walker disciples whining about how broke the state is? IF the state was so broke, like Walker claimed when he drew up this preposterous law, how can we afford to spend 3%(a billion) more dollars AND cut income taxes? Before "spewing" your responses to me, maybe you should go to an elementary school in town and have them teach you some simple addition and subtraction. And yes GENIUS 80% of budgets ARE teachers salaries and benefits, because a school without a teacher is a bowling alley, an empty building, so that the way it always has been and always will be. Just because you repeat conservative talking points doesn't make it look good. BTW I would also suggest that after you and janesvillecomments go back and take some simple math classes, you might want to try some simple Algebra, to better understand a whole lot more when it comes to education statistics, funding, etc, etc......

I try to overlook the occasional typographical or spelling error (I make them myself once in a while), but considering the topic, the number of mistakes on this page is rather discouraging:

renegotiaite for renegotiate
embarassment for embarrassment
Are'nt for Aren't
Anthing for Anything
Hows for How's
erve for nerve
pagent for... pageant?
eeks for weeks
locl for local
yyou for you (twice)
atheletes for athletes
youre missing apostrophe
Heres missing apostrophe
wouldnt missing apostrophe (twice)
sematic for semantic
Unacceptible for unacceptable
contibutions for contributions
doont for don't (double points, extra vowel, missing apostrophe
balck for black
doesnt missing apostrophe (twice)
Theyve missing apostrophe
Whne for When
ven for even
wed missing apostrophe
spening for spending
ou for you (three times)
monetarily for monetarily
senyt for sent (twice)
oted for voted
thats for that's (four times)
distric for district
stroies for stories
ony for only
nausating for nauseating
isnt missing apostrophe (seven times)
didnt missing apostrophe (four times)
Symantics for semantics
sould for should

I didn't count the missing spaces or check proper names for spelling, or the grammar (the kids transferring to Franklin Junior High from Catholic schools were already embarrassingly better than we Janesville public school students way back in 1970), but perhaps we should be filing a class action suit against the JEA and the school board for their joint failure to educate us.

Interesting he cites Middleton and Whitewater. Middleton is in Dane County which is subject to Act 10 being put on hold and Whitewater is the school that none other than the infamous WEAC president Mary Bell works. Is it surprising one bit they have contracts all worked out? I don't think so. Try again Parr.

I'm sure the teachers want to negotiate their contract right now. That way they are first in line for funding. After their contract is finalized the board must go elsewhere to find savings. Very convenient. But since 85% of a district's dollars are tied up in salaries and benefits waiting until you have more clear numbers is the only intelligent way to proceed. I understand this is not what Parr wants but too bad.

Maybe fear if you'd stop vomiting your posts and read, think, and formulate you'd put 2+2 together. The board likely does not know what the state aid number will exactly be yet therefore they cannot finalize the contract with teachers. In years past they set their staffing levels and were then locked into that leaving the rest of the budget having to flex to accommodate staffing levels they had already committed to. It truly is a backwards way to budget but the board has no other option. They don't dictate to the state, the state dictates to them. And before you blame it on Walker, the budgeting process has always been this backwards even under Doyle the financial whiz. You know, if you'd pause for one second instead of just spewing you might gain a little understanding.

Bill, how many great teachers is the board willing to lose? I guess the message is clear... Very clear the board does not value the teaching staff. Some on the board, some on these blogs say "let them leave" I say teachers go ahead and sign .... Look .... You will find better... Leave ... Then see Janesville scramble all summer long to hire staff. There are districts all over this area scooping up our great teachers... Yes, Janesville has some great teachers! There is a steady path being made of those that are leaving, a LARGE pool that is looking but waiting to see what you as a board decides to do. I guess things will most likely work out as most things do. Our great teachers will continue to teach.... Just for someone else. Janesville can fill all the schools with students right out of college, cheaper, inexperienced... Oh but wait, you see the great ones will get experience here and LEAVE because the board is making Janesville a place you would NEVER want to stay. That is the word in the state and beyond... "Janesville, Wisconsin schools... That is the place with the Crazy school board".

"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." —Helen Keller

"You could get your certification and come and join me--the pay has very little to do with the reasons I teach and the reasons I want my own children to get the best education from the best professionals."

I wonder if the thousands who marched in Madison echo your sentiments.

wisconsinheat because I am a public educator, my pay is on public record--you can view it anytime you wish. Although you may not wish to know--I have been teaching for 22 years, had to pay for my undergrad (because I came from a family of 10 children)with student loans and lots of part time jobs. I paid off those student loans and then took out one more for my master's degree and am currently paying that loan off too. I chose this profession because I want to teach. If that makes me an expensive "union fat cat" so be it. You could get your certification and come and join me--the pay has very little to do with the reasons I teach and the reasons I want my own children to get the best education from the best professionals. Just a thought--do you want to tell me what is in the first line of your W2s? Thanks for asking.

packattack- I have pointed out a litany of facts. I am sorry you don't know the difference between factual evidence and rhetoric. Too bad, math not one of your strong suits.

""Why sould the teachers worry about the April 15 deadline? I didn't think this was about pay and benefits but rather about the CHILDREN!""

Huh? because you would teach kids for free? Go to college, get licensed, get into debt and make a lower middle class wage with a fairly low ceiling? Ummmmmmm what is with you people?

I also wonder why we cannot have a negotiation if they "know" what the have? I would think that would be a very simple negotiation. What are they afraid of?

jv93, why would you think the board knows that? They have proven to be off, year after year by MILLIONS. Almost seems as if they have some really bad consultants, or they should give the job to the HS math teachers. I would think that the board could hire elementary math teachers that could do a better job.

http://www.gazettextra.com/news/2012/aug...

JANESVILLE — The Janesville School Board has been worried for months about a budget deficit that could be as high as $10 million. But the administration announced Friday that the budget gap will be a lot less.

Projections now show a deficit of $3.5 million for this year’s budget. The board is expected to discuss the information when it meets Tuesday night.

GREAT interview Yuri!! I could feel him squirming on the other line.
I wonder how the teachers feel about his statement that their input has been considered.
AS USUAL "rocksolid" wants to play games with Symantics but the teachers were in essence asked to sign a blank contract or move on. Way to be respectful Yuri better man than I.

Rocksolid should change his name to bend and twist or human top. Please , PLEASE leave the school board, if you want to be a politician so badly run for Assembly or council. You would have a good chance at the council as they elect people like the board does. No chance at the assembly. I just cannot fathom why you continue to be on the board, other than to be the board president when act 10 is enforced. Based on your views the teachers clearly don't live "in your world."

dodgeco, I don't believe the board knows exactly how much money they will have to deal with next year that's why. They can't have those items all "worked out" because they don't have all the numbers yet either.

Want to know more?

Bill Sodemann on Discover Janesville
http://www.discoverjanesville.com/breaki...

Dr. David Parr on Discover Janesville
http://www.discoverjanesville.com/breaki...

Rocksolid, why did you all spend so much time on the dress code when you didnt have any budget items worked out. You caused this problem by not being prepared in time. How about you present all information BEFORE you ask someone to sign a contract. Isnt that how you conduct YOUR business (present the customer all information before they sign a contract)?

milton: I thought I addressed that in point 1 that this, in that respect, is different.

The important point however is that the employee still has the right to rescind without penalty up until June 15th and we may try to extend that date.

Under those conditions I would have no problem signing business contracts etc.

Have a great day.

Bill

wisconsinheat
Let me ask you A simple question. If you were in this situation would you sign a contract without knowing the details of the contract. Why I ask is because for me I would want to know what I am agreeing to before I sign a contract. To me that is common sense.

Bill - that is not entirely true; just a twist. When staff signed the "contract" in times when contracts hadn't been settled yet; they knew they would continue under the current contract no matter how long it took to negotiate a new contract. So by signing this "modified contract," teachers have no idea to what the terms would be; I sure know you wouldn't do business that way in your company!

While I generally no longer comment on these posts, I do think that it is important to relay accurate information.

1. In essence, the new modified contract being signed by a date set in state statute is no different than what has occurred before every other contract was negotiated. The contract was seldom settled before the statutory required dates of “non- renewal” notices expired and employees routinely signed these contracts that had “items still to be worked out”. It is true however, that with the changeover to a handbook format under Act 10, the type and scope of items being worked on are more open to change than in previous years.

2. Signing the modified contracts does not lock that person into accepting unknown terms. By signing the contracts they are guaranteeing themselves that they will have a job. They still have the right to rescind, without penalty, up until June 15th if they are not happy with provisions of the handbook. The handbook should be completed well before then.

3. This is the same procedural step that our administrators went through last month.

To characterize that this equates to “agree to work for unknown terms or you are fired” is completely false.

Sincerely,
Bill Sodemann
608-531-1883
bsodemann@janesville.k12.wi.us

Fear 4 dummy "....I dont know why I bother." Please don't. Your rhetoric is nausating.

Why sould the teachers worry about the April 15 deadline? I didn't think this was about pay and benefits but rather about the CHILDREN!

wisconsin heat - you have some issues with having facts that were given to you right in your face! But that is typical for hardcore repubs; don't use or see any facts, just spout off whatever the elected repubs tell you! Sad, quite sad. Especially the generalization of all teachers, so tired of all the ignorance!

Ummm...thanks for providing the links you seem to think address the question fear..
But I apologize if I wasn't clear.
I respectfully requested links to your claim of "Sodemann and Schiulte all over the TV begging and pleading with the teachers to break their contract."

The links you provided were ones requesting a reopening of the contract. Something that would have to be agreed upon by BOTH sides.
That is a far cry from your claim that..." Sodemann and Schiulte all over the TV begging and pleading with the teachers to break their contract."

Really? Pleading for them to BREAK their contract? Or requesting a mutual re-opening?
BIG difference.

http://www.wkow.com/story/14259830/janes...

http://rock.channel3000.com/news/educati...

http://rock.channel3000.com/news/educati...

http://www.wkow.com/story/14997539/colle...

TV too:
"It's people taking a cut or more layoffs and we think we found a way so unions don't feel caught before the bill becomes law," said Sodemann.

Sodemann says they will have the revised plan for each of the unions by Wednesday morning, where they can then vote on it. The unions will vote on this, according to their time frame. Each union will need a majority vote to pass the revised agreement.

http://www.wkow.com/story/14997539/colle...

Bill Sodemann, Janesville School Board President, says, "We could have done the same thing with our valued employees, and that would have meant a huge savings to us: almost six million dollars... Because our contracts are in place, we cant utilize the law. That could make a big difference for us."

Sorry you missed it

Since you obviously ony see one side of every argument I dont know why I bother. Several stroies on madison TV stations which i refuse to go digging for at 1 AM but a few gazette stories, not to mention all over the radio (WCLO) as well, trying every trick in the book to open settled contracts
that took 2 years to negotiate:
http://gazettextra.com/news/2011/may/13/...
This crap cost Knilans his seat

http://gazettextra.com/news/2011/jun/30/...
Concessions on a settled contract? Funn headline

http://gazettextra.com/news/2011/jul/27/...

http://gazettextra.com/news/2012/mar/10/...

http://gazettextra.com/news/2011/sep/30/...

http://gazettextra.com/news/2011/aug/31/...

Sodemann questioned why the executive board did not let all of the teachers vote, which he said would have been more democratic.

Sodemann said the board would have to deal with the current year's deficit with a combination of cuts, tax increases and money from the reserve. The teachers contract does not allow layoffs at this point.

"2013 is going to honestly be the more daunting year" with more layoffs, more taxes and more money siphoned from the reserves, Sodemann said.

" As a matter of a fact I remember quite vividly Sodemann and Schiulte all over the TV begging and pleading with the teachers to break their contract."

Really? I missed that. I would be ever so grateful if you could post a link to that. Thank you.

"Which ones specifically?"

Actually, my eyes were first opened to that when the Act 10 hearings were televised. The teachers that spoke in the hearing, (most but not all) did neither themselves nor their cause any favor.

And it continues in the blogs and comments.

I will give you credit for being able to pick out the ones I refer to on your own...it's not that difficult.

"Janesville will gain absolutely ZERO from these trips."

And you know this how?

Please share your inside knowledge on this subject. I am truly interested.

""Teachers are their own worst enemy when it comes to public relations.""

Which ones specifically? Or are you speaking of their union fatcat Mr Parr?

I think the ones that are their own worst enemies are the ridiculous school board wasting precious time on Dress codes, China trips, and pay for parking. Instead of the handbook. Theyve had 2 years to do this and have done nothing. As a matter of a fact I remember quite vividly Sodemann and Schiulte all over the TV begging and pleading with the teachers to break their contract. I wonder if Phones Plus would ever do that if a customer had a hard time? Or would we see them in court, food for thought.

Sure it cost the taxpayers!! They got paid their salaries while there, didnt they? Their employment is HERE not in China, and Janesville will gain absolutely ZERO from these trips. But lets focus on the China trips, I understand, I would too if I were you Mr Taxpayer Chamion, ignore the other issues, gets funnier by the post.

I know this will be hard for you to digest fear, but it is offered as a constructive critique only.

Teachers are their own worst enemy when it comes to public relations.

What does it matter? I guess I'll ask you that question since you are the one that wrote "Was it a win for the taxpayer when the Administrators were senyt on multiple trips to communist China?"

If it didn't cost the taxpayers monetarily, and there was or will be a definitive advantage for the JSD, then I'd say yes, it was a win for the taxpayer. But we may have to wait for the verdict to come in.

Will ou hold Walker who created this mess accountable for his irresponsible spening increases ven when we are supposedly "broke"? .........Crickets

I may know nothing about who you are but your positions are quite obvious, even in the face of facts, you bend and twist. Republican tactics that work on some.....Nice how you dropped the insurance savings that should be credited to the teachers. I would too if I were you. Whne provided evidence you turn into a human top. I am guessing you didnt expect a response to your challenge.

the China trips were SUPPOSEDLY covered by grants I believe, what does that matter, what are they doing there? Why are we overpaying Administrators to take Chinese vacations? Because I am guessing they didnt use any vacation time while there did they? Maybe Schulte and her crew should be here worried about OUR distric, OUR kids. Its the principal(pun) that gets me. No reason to do it, makes no sense at all. PR stunt, thats it

"Obviously you have no idea of who I am or what I have dealt with"

Ah...likewise my friend.

Since you claim to know so much, who paid for those trips to China?

Obviously you have no idea of who I am or what I have dealt with, BTW the Board is NOT the employer of the Teachers. Bad analogy on your part

Scott Walker borrows a Billion dollars and increases spending 3%. Will you be holding him accountable for hi duty to the taxpayer? Bet you oted for him twice.

Obviously you have never participated first hand in employee/employer negotiations fear.

You just cant do it, LOL, true colors. Stop championing "the taxpayer" tired old rhetoric. Dont need it I have paid taxes my whole life and dont need it , I need my taxes to help create a society that includes a quality Public education system.
Was it a win for the taxpayer when the Administrators were senyt on multiple trips to communist China? Cant blame the union for that. Huh and I though the district was broke?
Funny how much conservative Capitalists hate communism until they realize that they can use China to ramp up corporate profits isnt it? (Ron Johnson LOVES the Chinese GOVERNMENT controlled solutions, just ask him)

"Please stop with the "taxpayer" rhetoric, its old and worn out."

Nah, as long as we have to pay taxes....accountability to the taxpayers via their duly elected representatives will never wear out.

That's the American way. Get used to it. It's here to stay.

What are ou talking about? The JEA voted it in, the district lays out options the vote, simple. IF the JEA wanted WEA trust, thats where wed be, no matter what the board wanted.
Round and round we go.

BTW who was talking about 100% with or against? Not me, I just want them to negotiate, its called COMPROMISE, make a deal. Why are conservatives so afraid of people having a voice? Its all rhetoric to support a political cause based in very little factual evidence.
Why we are at it, the ENTIRETY of fund 10 doesnt come from insurance but the GREAT majority of it does. So suck it up and thank your local teachers union, because they actually do care about the financial well being of the district, they just dont want to be treated as slaves of the school board, nor should they.
I propose we pay them an hourly wage. Then maybe so many haters would start to understand how many hours teachers put in in a year instead of the whole 9 month rhetoric.

"Because of the INSURANCE that theJEA agreed to many years ago the district has saved Millions and MILLIONS of dollars."

Uh, correct me if I'm wrong here fear...but didn't the school board on behalf of the taxpayers also agree to the insurance program?

Which seems to be a win-win because the teachers are also taxpayers.

Taxpayers credit for what? Agreeing to have the district be self funded? That is the JEA agreeing to that, period. You have the facts, ou can twist their interpretation all you like but they are balck and white.
The teachers and their union deserve credit for voting for the insurance, because without their votes we are in the WEA trust and in financial trouble.
Please stop with the "taxpayer" rhetoric, its old and worn out. We all pay taxes, and politicians spend it, even the almighty Scott Walker, as is evidenced by his budget. You got duped you just either doont know or dont care because he is n the team you are rooting for.

you asked for facts i gave them to you.

I gave you the insurance facts, ready to acknowledge them? No other conservatives will. Or shall we play more Symantic games?

Settle down? NO!! This attack on public education has to stop. My kids go to Milton schools, whose teachers took all of the modest contibutions from act 10, took 6 layoffs and are still facing more layoffs because of decreased funding because of these people. I WILL NOT SETTLE down.
Scott Walker is an anti-education governor, as is evidenced by his INCREASE in spending(3% or 1 BILLION dollars) and decrease in education funding!! Unacceptible!
You conservatives bought it hook line and sinker. We are broke!! Isnt that what he kept telling us? Yet increasing spending while cutting income taxes and raising fees across the board? who is fooling who here?

"you want to give Sodeman credit for that?"

Actually, I want to give the taxpayers credit for that. And yes I know teachers are taxpayers also.

But it usually boils down to the JEA rhetoric of you are either in agreement with us 100%, or you are against us.

And that my friend is a huge mistake and simply not true.

So why should the teachers? This "threat" of a lawsuit will get the board to sit down and talk, thats all the teachers want is a seat at the table, what is wrong with that?

BTW if we held one on one elections in Janesville like they do in Beloit and most communities. Sodemann would NEVER get elected here. A tea-Party conservative in Janesville, a very Democratic town? Ask Joe Knilans how that goes.

Nice try but sematic wont get you past the truth. Shows your true colors. Because of the INSURANCE that theJEA agreed to many years ago the district has saved Millions and MILLIONS of dollars. FACTS, irrefutable ones I might add. anything else?

Settle down fear. When I wrote about Mr. Sodemanns' daughters, it was in response to specific comments of posters LABWORKER and VINSTAMPER....NOT YOU.

And yes, Mr. Sodemann was duly elected to the school board to represent the taxpayers of the district. Obviously, no one elected can fulfill the wishes of all. That's life.

As to signing a blank contract? No I wouldn't.

And I'm going out on a limb here...but I'd bet that you wouldn't either. See, we do agree on something.

the Teachers are the School district and the insurance plan was agreed to by the UNION. Without agreement it wouldnt be here, you want to give Sodeman credit for that?

JEA has a self funded insurance plan.
http://gazettextra.com/news/2008/mar/13/...

Premium payments—Starting Sept. 1, teachers who participate in the district wellness plan would contribute $17 for a single or $43 for a family per month. A teacher who does not join the wellness plan contributes $46 for a single or $115 for a family. The wellness plan would consist of a health risk assessment.

The payments equate to about 3 percent and 8 percent of the premium cost, said Angel Tullar, manager of employee relations. The board at one point in negotiations had asked for 5 percent and 10 percent.

If the district takes a premium holiday—when it does not pay into its self-funded health plan because claims are lower than projected—employees would have a premium contribution holiday.

You call it "district" Ill call it JEA because they had to agree to it, otherwise we would be in the Hated WEA trust, that is admittedly MORE expensive. These numbers are from 2008, so it appears teachers HAVE been paying on their INSURANCE for four years now doesnt it? Not to mention the savings from the SELF-FUNDED insurance plan, THAT means THEY pay for it, to SAVE MONEY. 30 MILLION plus. Wake up man.

Heres another example at how we should believe the Board and their "numbers":
http://gazettextra.com/news/2012/aug/25/...

The Janesville School Board has been worried for months about a budget deficit that could be as high as $10 million. But the administration announced Friday that the budget gap will be a lot less.

Projections now show a deficit of $3.5 million for this year’s budget. The board is expected to discuss the information when it meets Tuesday night.

Officials last fall estimated a shortfall of $8 million to $10 million. Since then, the administration has avoided any updates on the total in an effort not to repeat 2011, when painful budget decisions generated controversy.

How the budget hole will be filled is unknown, although board President Bill Sodemann has suggested that the discussion will focus on how to use undesignated money from the fund balance.

The JEA has the self funded insurance plan?

Or the JSD has the self funded insurance plan to cover the JSD employees?

The comment is about people that hate teachers because they belong to a union. They exist all over the place, dont den that they dont. whether youre one, I really could care less. This whole debate is about a board president who is NOT elected by a majority of voters, who wears his political agenda on his sleeve. he is not there to better education he is there to be a politician. look at his op-ed in the paper many years ago to find evidence. You may share his political belief, fine, run for city council, assembly, stay off the school board. Why would I care if his daughters are good atheletes? What on Earth does that have to do with this?

Ask yourself if you would signa blank contract? Would bill Sodemann? I thought that conservatives just wanted teachers to live in "their world".....guess not

The JEA has had self-funded insurance for over a decade. The savings realized from that insurance has allowed the district to create a surplus or some might call it a checking account called the fund 10 balance. PROOF positive,the reason you dont see other conservative haters on the board talking about it when I bring it up because they know it to be true.
The fund 10 balance usually stands at about 30 million dollars.

http://gazettextra.com/news/2012/oct/20/...

The fund balance was at about $26.7 million on June 30

Oh, and what really is this comment all about?

"Hard to thank someone that yyou are trained to hate isnt it?"

WOW!

fear...I am not a "union hater". And I have thanked teachers many times for their dedication and service.

But since you brought it up...please give us the facts and figures of just how the teachers saved us "tens of millions of dollars through the self funded health care."

Urtred....How much are Janesville residents expected pay per student as far as educational costs in their district this year are concerned?

The anti-teachers and anti-public school crowd that is in control of the school board is responsible for companies not wanting to expand or locate in Janesville. What company in their right mind would locate in a community that treats their school system as if it's a cost to be avoided rather than a resource that needs to be nurtured? This is all thanks to Walker and the tea party crowd.

I like how every union hater avoids the question of thanking the teachers for saving tens of millions of dollars through the self funded health care. Hard to thank someone that yyou are trained to hate isnt it?

labworker and vinstamper...Commissioner Sodemanns' kids were home schooled AND attended Parker High School for your information, even though it is irrelevant.

And, I might add, his daughters were very good athletes and represented Parker and the school district of Janesville admirably in their' athletic and academic endeavors.

And thank you Mr. Sodemann for your service and representing the taxpayers who elected you.

The community needs to start showing up at school board meetings. I went on Feb 12th, but instead of putting my comments on TV, they had "technical difficulties". I met with a school board member from another district to find out how they handled their contract/handbook, and he said they "folded the contract into the handbook, in cooperation with the teachers". This is the way all of this should be handled. What a fiasco we have on our hands. We need a new board (except Kevin, way to stand up for staff) and new administration that is focused on the majority of kids in our district, not the minority of kids that want to learn Chinese. Time to speak up, people. And VOTE.

Unions came about because greedy employers treated workers unfairly and insisted they work in deplorable conditions. When employers treat their employees with respect and fairness then unions are no longer needed.

Teaching is and always has been one of the lowest paid careers requiring a college education. For the responsibility they have (educating this country's most important resource) they are shamefully underpaid. And now the School Board wants to pull the rug out on their retirement benefits too? The Board clearly lacks integrity and displays the reason unions are still in existence.

eire wrote " It comes down to can I still teach, raise my children, pay for their education, pay my property taxes, and still afford to stay in this profession?"

Since you brought it up....give me the number from box 1 of your W-2 and I'll give you the answer.

Let the JEA sue. The school board can just lay off a few teachers to pay the legal fees.

jp- the school board does represent the taxpayers. Those of us that have supported every referendum including the building of Kennedy elementary and the expansions of both high schools. We the taxpayers that support education. This school board is a joke and does not represent the majority of the Janesville population in my opinion. They seem to have their own agenda. We all know Sodemann is a staunch Republican and a Walker backer. He is not acting on behalf of the taxpayers. He is acting on behalf of his bud Scott.

Jp- as in years past when a contract isn't settled, teachers continue to work under current contract and since as of right now Act 10 is not a law, it stays under same circumstances!

If the contract expires then there is nothing to bind either party.

""Janesville’s teachers union is joining forces with the state AFL-CIO in hopes of increasing the political power of both groups""

if thats what it takes to get these people to figure out that they need to respect our locl educators.....SO BE IT!! You want the union to go away? Stop disrespecting teachers at the cost of a dumbed down political cause.

The reason that the handbook isnt completed? Spending eeks debating meaningless dress codes and many other pagent like issues.(pay for parking, etc..) Dont lose your erve? Hows about stop breaking the law. This is about partisan crap anyways. The JEA has shown willingness to work with and help save the district money for MANY years.(self-funded health insurance) Where are all of the financial conservative lunatics THANKING the teachers for saving the district tens of MILLIONS of dollars? Again, it comes down to jealousy and hatred of unions, PERIOD. No matter what teachers do, no matter how well they educate kids HERE, no matter how many millions nthey save you LOCALLY, you whine about AMERICAN education, STATEWIDE unions, the president, etc....Anthing you can do to drag people down who are the most valuable public employees we have. All in the name of an ideology and hatred. You should be very ashamed of yourselves. As should the partisan school board, more concerned with dress codes than educating kids.

Let us be sure to remember Dave Parr is president of a union which the Janesville Gazette once reported on by saying "Janesville’s teachers union is joining forces with the state AFL-CIO in hopes of increasing the political power of both groups."
So where in that statement does it say he represents the students or the families of those students? Is there any doubt where his loyalties are and who signs his paycheck?

I am retired and also a taxpayer and I fully support the teachers. Teachers did not cause the problems but the tea party are committing propaganda at every turn to hide the fact that it is their wealthy supporters, the 1 per centers that are hoarding all the money. Wake up, vote those liar's into oblivion.

Are'nt sodemann's kids home schooled?

jp - As a teacher, I agree; let the district hold out and we will get to keep our current contract for another year. I have no problem with that!!

Message to the School Board: DON'T LOSE YOUR NERVE! You work for the taxpayers, not the teachers union. Nobody that retires now, or later is going to starve to death anyway. And if Parr insists on negotiating, I'd drag it out from now until eternity - one might be required to negotiate, but how fast one negotiates, well, that's a horse of a different color.

I'm a fairly successful car salesman and we have people sign contracts all the time that have no info on them. It's about the trust baby, and if you can't trust a car-guy, who can ya trust?? Also, I'm completely joking of course, the only peeps who would ever sign a blank contract are the same peeps who are gonna email their SS# to collect the Nigerian lottery they just won....and of course the only peeps who would ever suggest you sign a blank contract are the ones who would send the e-mail claiming you just won that Nigerian lottery...

So why is this handbook not done? They have had 2 years to work on it, right? Isn't that a lot more time than most other school districts? It seems that this school board is quite dysfunctional if they can't put together a handbook with 2 years notice!
-
And who would sign a contract without knowing what's in it? Or more importantly, who would ask someone to sign such a thing with the threat of termination!

No more talk time to file suit. This school board is the biggest embarassment in the state.
Parr is in the media? Are you kidding me? Your memory is either that short or you ha some issues. Remember when Bill and Karen were ALL over TV trying to get theJEA to renegotiaite a settled contract? They were on TV, newspaper, radio for WEEKS, so spare me the blather.
This is about Union hatred and money nothing more.

who would ever sign a contract that was blank? The school board needs to negotiate. Sodemann came off as a tool on the news. I agree that Kevin Murray is the only guy with common sense on the school board.

"County courts do not set statewide legal precedents."

What you don't know about the court system could fill volumes.

Another lawsuit spawned from Scott Walker and his lemming band of misfit's hastily passing laws. More of my tax dollars going to defend their costly mistakes.

Dave Parr is JEA's ELECTED president. The union voted him in. I am one of the union members who voted. Dave Parr speaks for me and mine. I do not cringe when he opens his mouth because he speaks for many. People who hate unions or who say the union is not doing the best for "our kids" are not seeing the big picture. Much of what was negotiated, in the past, in contracts talks directly impacts the students in my classroom--EXAMPLE: class size. My son, in kindergarten this year, is in a class of 21--he has a FANTASTIC teacher who is there for him AND the other 20 in the room. My oldest son only had 17 students in his kindergarten class--CLASS SIZE has a DIRECT effect on students--but now the teachers, the "boots on the ground", have little say in what is best for the students with whom we work. So--when we get hung up on looking only at pay--we miss the big picture. What the SDJ's school board is doing is really only talking money--the bottom line. What Dave Parr and my union talk about is how can we teachers still effectively teach with huge classes, more students in poverty (who have a new host of educational needs), less support staff and LMC support, less pay, less benefits, less retirement, and a kick in the butt from the school board and Dr. Schulte about signing on the dotted line or face termination. It comes down to can I still teach, raise my children, pay for their education, pay my property taxes, and still afford to stay in this profession? Someone might say that is a threat--if I want to leave just leave--go find a job somewhere else. Easy to say when you are not the "boots on the ground." When I wake in the night (almost nightly) it is not my husband or my children who first pop in my head, sadly. It is those students in my classes I am thinking about and wondering how they will make it.

C'mon, Mr. Parr,
Middleton is in Dane County and Whitewater bargained base wages and has a handbook. At least be honest. No one not tied to WEAC thinks the Dane County circuit court ruling applies outside of Dane County except to the parties in the suit. County courts do not set statewide legal precedents.
Play hardball if you want, but tell the truth.
If Colas is overturned (or upheld but determined not to apply in Rock County) by the Appeals Court and your union gets taken to the woodshed by the board, don't act surprised. You have acted like a clown and will have earned the payback your members will suffer.

"public servants"

Something they seem to forget.

"Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success."—Henry Ford Please take the time to work together. Like our nurses, police officers, and firefighters, our teachers are public servants who need to be respected, honored, and valued. Thank you Janesville school teachers.

Unfortunately it comes down to this their saying sign it or else. You can't sign A contract unless you know what you are about to agree to you would not do yourself a favor by signing a unread contract with out knowing the details.

Schulte is stonewalling.

This situation shows how incompetent the school board and administration really are. They have taken an excellent school system and dragged it down while alienating both teaching and non-teaching staff. It's clear that the ideologically-driven school board members actually want the public schools to fail, to be replaced with private schools or home schooling. We deserve better, and the students deserve better.

I'm sick of teacher's unions, let them sue.

I am 100% behind our teachers, who are saint-like in my eyes.

BUT: Dave Parr makes me cringe almost every time he opens his mouth. Is anyone else embarrassed by his antics?

AMEN Badger.... This school board is the biggest joke I have ever seen. Kevin Murray is the only one with a brain. I mean like at Mr.Sodemann what does he care about teachers. He hates them and has no trust in them. What school did his kids go to??? I hope it all back fires on the board. Schulte you could have just stayed in China and no one would even have missed you. At least over there no one would know you and know how clueless you really are. But I am sure China has standards and you are below them. So they wouldnt keep you.

“But again, he has his set of attorneys. We have ours,” Schulte said. This is a fail. The community deserves better performance from public officials all around.

badger,

What would the children learn from a state wide strike? Afterall, isnt this about the children? Or are you worried that the status quo will be disrupted with the union/school board negotiations?

After having to live with the public worker/teacher bashing they have had to put up with the last 2 years i'm surprised the State's teachers haven't organized a State wide teacher strike/school shutdown. IMO they should.

Dave Parr specialty! Complain and raise your grievance in the PRESS while demanding closed doors and secrecy when the real negotiations start.

Let the union file a lawsuit.