On Franklin Middle School placed on 'watch list'

Posted on June 11 at 8:58 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

justsome1here-I am assuming you have had some formal training and education to make this statement and criticize the education system. You are right; Just because a child can regurgitate facts and ace a test does not mean that child has actually learned how to use those facts. That, my friend, was how things used to be done. As a teacher, my training and education never stops or becomes "stagnant." Teachers are constantly coming up with new ways to reach children. We reflect on our teaching style and change things that don't work. We use authentic assessments, "best practices," and understand that education is a journey where the process is more important than the destination. Should parents expect the teachers to discover ways for their children to reach their full potential? Yes, and we do, but shouldn't parents be more focused on the their expectations for their children? The lack of trust and respect you display for education mirrors that in which I see in some of my students. Times have changed since you were in school, and so has the way teachers teach.

h0rselvngrl-where I teach, teachers are too busy to be lazy. If something does not work for me, I look to myself to make a change. I don't project blame on the people trying develop solutions to the problem. It's better to light a candle than curse the dark.

On Edgerton settles teacher contract

Posted on May 12 at 11:48 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

I agree. How can anyone put a monetary value on the importance of education in our community right now? Education is a pretty good investment in this generation's future, in my opinion. Hopefully the School District of Janesville can get the notes from Edgerton's bargaining sessions and start investing in the great teachers that help their children become decent, great citizens. We can no longer rely on just a high school diploma to rebuild the wavering economy in Janesville and the neighboring communities. Way to go Edgerton!

On Janesville teachers preview contract talks

Posted on May 8 at 3:24 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

Why is everyone writing about how teachers shouldn't get a pay raise when the article states that a pay raise is not the main motive of the negotiating team? If you read the actual paper, the negotiating team's primary motives are to improve the working conditions at the schools so the teachers can get the respect they deserve. As a new teacher, the "respect" they get from this community is a joke! and if it were me, I would consider leaving to work for a district where the citizens (who mostly had free, APPRECIATED educations)have more respect for educators, and education in general. With the anti-education, defeatist attitudes of the people in this community, it would be no surprise if Janesville did close! Of course, the teachers would get the blame...???

On Falling enrollment leads to Janesville teacher cuts

Posted on April 30 at 2:24 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

Why do people assume that everyone who lost their job at GM lives in Janesville? Beloit, Delevan, Clinton, Edgerton, Evansville, Rockford, etc, all had people work at GM or one of their smaller supply companies. Maybe we should just close Janesville and move to one of the other cities because they are doing so much better and are not feeling the effects of GM closing.

On Teacher contract bargaining may soon change

Posted on March 9 at 1:20 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

WOW! I can't believe there are so many teacher haters in Janesville! It seems that a lot of people miss the point. Do we place a salary cap on Law Enforcement, Fire and Rescue officers? Do we care that they are paid more than teachers, AND are guaranteed a "cost of living" raise every year? Not to mention "Rolls Royce" benefits. This includes the Correctional Officers at our Rock County Jail. Most of these professions do not require a 4 year degree. HMMMMM. . . Less education = more pay? Let's put a cap on their wages, and spend money to educate our youth so we don't waste tax dollars on feeding them 3 squares a day in a jail. Evolution should be the ultimate goal of humanity. . . You don't want to pay to educate our kids and help them become good tax paying citizens-but you WILL pay when they end up in the criminal justice system. (A minority of the population in Janesville, to be sure.)Wake-up Janesville and aspire to be better than then what we are. With GM closing, it seems that most on this blog acquisce so easily to defeat. Stop pointing fingers at those who can only help the situation. "Fault always lies in the same place; with him weak enough to lay blame."

On Parker wrestling-room plans to change

Posted on March 13 at 7:38 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

1234....Contrary to popular belief, wrestling has taken a back seat to basketball for years. Most nights scheduled for wrestling meets are on Tues. Wed. Thur., and can never be in the gym before 5:15. This means the wrestlers have to wait for B-ball practice to finish, leaving only 15 min. to get set-up before a dual meet. Not that we would want to inconvenience any team, but even our biggest meets of the year never draw the "Friday Night Crowd" because we always wrestle on "off" nights. Even so, if you think about a team losing a room of their own, it would be like telling one of the Varsity and J.V. B-ball teams that they could no longer practice in one of the gymnasiums and would have to practice on the tennis courts. Each night they would have to roll out a portable hoop (because the size of their court would be reduced by half), set up equipment, sweep the courts, and reverse the whole process when finished. This would not be a good situation for anybody.

On Parker wrestling-room plans to change

Posted on March 12 at 12:34 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

Some say, “Why spend money on athletics? Or on providing space for a wrestling room?" It’s not quite that simple. Education and this referendum is about providing additional space for students to learn, and athletics teaches students much more than how to wrestle, or how to shoot a basketball. What is more important? To some students the playing field is their home away from home. It is their place to learn and grow as people. Shouldn’t that be what education is about as well? It may not be arithmetic or science, but to a lot of students sports are their REASON to WANT to learn. The sport and the coaches help students pass classes, and in the process, help them graduate. It helps them become better people by teaching them how to work hard, set goals, make friends, solve personal problems, deal with stress, win and lose with dignity and class, get back up when their down, and most of all, TO DREAM!!! If the School District of Janesville offers any courses like that, hell, I’ll sign my kid up right now and say, "scrap sports!" So if you think that wrestling, or athletics in general are irrelevant to education, maybe you should think about the thousands of kids who benefit from being in athletics every year! Think about how athletics compliments the education of our children and teaches them life skills that mom and dad don't have time to teach them at home.

On Parker wrestling-room plans to change

Posted on March 12 at 7:30 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

To Janesvillecomments:
Parker's Wrestling MVP last year is at the top of his class and has already been accepted into UW-Madison's Pre-Med program. What did you say you do for a living? Maybe you should have been a Parker Wrestler.

On Parker wrestling-room plans to change

Posted on March 11 at 11:35 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

WOW!!! This is Great News for everybody!!! It just goes to show that a small group of concerned people can make a huge difference!!! Thanks to all the people, especially the parents and wrestlers that worked countless hours to insure the future of a great tradition that wrestling has been at Parker High School! For all concerned, this change will not cost $XXX million dollars just to keep a piece of our old room. Thanks Again!!

On Wrestlers lose room of their own

Posted on March 11 at 2:26 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

Many statements about this issue have been made about the “original plans” not including a wrestling room. I can tell you that they did. In fact, I’m looking at them as I write this. The reason the wrestlers are losing “a room of their own” is because it was given to the Gymnastics team. (The original team to get left out of the renovation plans). The wrestling team reluctantly conceded in the hopes of retaining only half of the original room and space that currently exists for them. The School Board voted that away for storage space. Some say, “Why spend money on 50 kids and their parents?” It’s not quite that simple. It’s about 50 kids, EVERY YEAR, for as long as that building stands! I thought education and this referendum was about providing additional space for students to learn. I guess it’s more about storage space these days, because that is why the wrestlers won’t have “a room of their own,” and that is where YOUR tax dollars are going. Money well spent on Education? Hmmm…What is more important? To some students, that room was their home away from home. It was their place to learn and grow as people. Shouldn’t that be what education is about as well? It may not be arithmetic or science, but to a lot of students wrestling was their REASON to WANT to learn. The sport and the coaches help students pass classes, and in the process, help them graduate. It helps them become better people by teaching them how to work hard, set goals, make friends, solve personal problems, deal with stress, win, lose with dignity and class, get back up when their down, and most of all, TO DREAM!!! If the School District of Janesville offers any courses like that, hell, I’ll sign my kid up right now! So if you think that wrestling, or athletics in general are irrelevant to education, maybe you should think about how our schools are going to spend our money.