"Milton should release records to avoid lawsuit"
"Milton should release records to avoid lawsuit" (see p. 8A, Janesville Gazette, 12/2/2012), COMMENDATION & GRATITUDE to our Janesville Gazette for this VERY meaningful editorial today! Forewarned is forearmed! How do YOU advise our MILTON SCHOOL BOARD?
Starting the first full (all 7 days) week of December 2012 today, I shifted from one topic/issue to another for my WE THE PEOPLE blog post today as I read through the newspapers online.
When I read the Janesville Gazette’s editorial today, I KNEW which topic/issue I would focus on TODAY: Our Milton School District's “MESS” and the Gazette’s warning of legal action for the release of documents as required by Wisconsin’s Open Records Law.
I am truly interested to learn how readers of my WE THE PEOPLE blog feel about this very significant public policy issue. Please COMMEND with CANDOR and CIVILITY! I will be reading.
COMMENDATION & GRATITUDE to the Janesville Gazette for the VERY VALUABLE editorial today, “Milton should release records to avoid lawsuit.” The editorial is published in the format of a “Memo.”
"To: Rob Roy, president, Milton School Board "From: Gazette Editorial Board "Re. Superintendent Mike Garrow."
The bottom-line of the editorial is specific statement that the Gazette disagrees with Roy’s assertion that WI State Law protects a public employee (Garrow) while the Gazette asserts that WI State Law gives weight to the public’s right to know. I agree with the Gazette. With whom do YOU agree?
I think it is VERY TELLING that the Gazette has NOW communicated with our Milton School Board that it will file a lawsuit IF the Board does NOT release the records which it has requested using our WI Public Records law.
I have NOT understood the Board’s secrecy. WHY so UNwilling to communicate with WE THE PEOPLE of the MILTON SCHOOL DISTRICT – we who are citizens, parents and grandparents, we who are voters and taxpayers? I am a grandparent of 2 students in our Milton School district and the parent of 2 alumni of Milton School District who attended from Kindergarten graduated from Milton HS. I am a long-time citizen of the MILTON SCHOOL DISTRICT who has voted regularly.
Again I assert that the relationship of our MILTON SCHOOL BOARD with the community has been HEALTHIER through the years since I moved into the Milton School District in 1972.
I am baffled by the dramatic CHANGE in attitude on the part of our MILTON SCHOOL BOARD with this “MESS.” (I use the term used by Board President Roy.) I agree with Roy, it is truly a “MESS”! And the MESS is getting worse and worse due to the failure of our MILTON SCHOOL BOARD to release records as REQUIRED BY WI STATE LAW!
NOW, HOPE that the threat of a lawsuit by The Janesville Gazette will awaken the MILTON SCHOOL BOARD to follow WI State Law with ALL DELIBERATE SPEED!
Let me request the MILTON SCHOOL BOARD to release the legally required documents NOW! Do NOT waste more of my tax money on a LEGAL BATTLE! Again, I must tell the Board, I shall vote ANY REFERENDUM which comes to WE THE PEOPLE of the MILTON SCHOOL DISTRICT until there is FULL clarification of the “MESS” and the FISCAL COSTS are FULLY calculated and reported ACCURATELY.
IF the Board is holding documents secret in response to the threat of legal action by Garrow, PROCEED to release and take on Garrow’s legal action. I would prefer to pay for a legal battle with Garrow rather than with The Janesville Gazette. I wonder what READERS of my WE THE PEOPLE blog think. How about YOUR comments?
I do want to alert readers to a VERY MEANINGFUL comment posted by “birdman” yesterday at 8:09 am responding to Greg Peck’s “Opinion Matters” blog in which he alerts readers to the fact that the Gazette’s editorial to be published on Sunday, December 2, will assert that Milton schools should release Garrow records. You can read Greg’s blog using this link, “Milton schools should release Garrow records,” “Opinion Matters” With Greg Peck. There are now 11 comments, including my own enthusiastic agreement.
I totally agree with “birdman” statement thanking PEG EKEDAHL for her conscientious and dedicated service to our MILTON SCHOOL DISTRICT. “Former Superintendent Peg Ekedahl served the school district for many years. During much of this time she and her family struggled with her husband’s many bouts with cancer, several surgeries, and related treatments.
“Unlike Garrow, Mrs. Ekedahl stayed at the helm throughout it all, serving the tax payers to the very best of her ability.
“From what has been revealed about Mr. Garrow’s situation: no apparent health crisis; no accusations of impropriety with children or staff; no fiscal wrong doing - - in my opinion, he ought to have been sent on his way. Instead, the tax payers have to fund his lucrative salary and benefits, all the while with no return for their money. He should “man up” and resign. Immediately.
“I feel the board members who support this nonsense should also resign, immediately.
“Tip of the hat to Mrs. Ekedahl!”
I tip my hat to Mrs. Ekedahl too! What is YOUR comment?
I hope that before the end of this first full week of December 2012, WE THE PEOPLE of the MILTON SCHOOL DISTRICT will KNOW “the rest of the story” to the FULL extent that WI STATE LAW REQUIRES for WE THE PEOPLE! I am NOT holding my breath. Are YOU?
Here we go…
Mr. E.
John Eyster lives in the Edgerton area. He is an adjunct professor of political science at UW-Waukesha and an advocate for democracy/civics education in Wisconsin high schools. John is a community blogger and is not a part of The Gazette staff. His opinion is not necessarily that of the The Gazette staff or management.
Dec 4, 2012 at 10:36 a.m.
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JoyM: according to contract documents that the district provided to the Gazette last week, Garrow's current contract period spans this (2012-2013) school year, and runs through the 2103-2014 school year, expiring on June 30, 2014.
Also, the following board members have their seats coming up for re-election in the spring: Rob Roy and Betsy Lubke.
Dec 3, 2012 at 7:28 p.m.
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I do hereby request the school board come clean. There is a significant cover up resulting in the misuse of the tax payers monies. We the people need answers, and we need to understand and vote on the solutions to this "mess". The complete falseness of the statements given to date are simply not good enough. Come clean and let the people decide what is best to straighten this mess out...wasting another 60,000 on this is not the answer, just so the school board and Garrow can save face.
Dec 3, 2012 at 4:04 p.m.
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"Again, I must tell the Board, I shall vote ANY REFERENDUM which comes to WE THE PEOPLE of the MILTON SCHOOL DISTRICT until there is FULL clarification of the “MESS” and the FISCAL COSTS are FULLY calculated and reported ACCURATELY."
Please clarify the above statement...you shall vote any referendum? That makes no sense.
Dec 3, 2012 at 10:34 a.m.
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Does this guy's contract really go through July of 2014? The Gazette stated this the other day as the end of a two-year contract. Did he get a one-year contract for last year and then renewed starting this year? Will we have to pay him for next year, too, if we can't get him to resign? I want to know what this is really going to cost me. Also, anybody know which Board members' terms are up next?
Dec 3, 2012 at 7:04 a.m.
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Citing a left-wing blog, that's rich.
Dec 2, 2012 at 9:49 p.m.
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What really amazes me is how misinformed certain people are regarding Benghazi and Fast and Furious. Can you find the blatant lies that Rick-Raff has been fed by the right wing media? There are two glaring ones that I can find right away.
Have you seen this, Rick-Raff?
http://mediamatters.org/blog/2012/11/26/...
Dec 2, 2012 at 5:08 p.m.
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I wonder if Mr. Garrow was a tenured professor, if you, Mr E, would be so concerned with YOUR tax money. Tell us what YOU think!
Dec 2, 2012 at 10:17 a.m.
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I agree with Mr. Eyster, Mr. Peck, and "birdman" on all issues.
Peg Ekedahl was a woman of integrity. While I did not always agree with her, the woman did her job and served the district very well. She didn't allow her strings to be pulled very often by the board and she was an active leader. I tip my hat to her as well.
THANK YOU GAZETTE! I say go forward with the law suit. In my time dealing with Milton in some sticky matters, they very much frown upon and avoid anything that could turn into a lawsuit. If the distict and board can pay someone off, change a policy, or bend a rule in order to silence a person and to keep something out of the public eye: they will do it. In a heartbeat. But I have also learned that the district and board are BULLIES. School yard bullies and nothing more. Their usual response to any legal matters is to pay up and lawyer up. Seems that won't be working for Roy and gang this time! GOOD. I love a good show and I want to see the logic behind all of this "mess".
I cannot tell a lie: as a parent with two children in the district, one of whom endured a lot of mistreatment and heartache at the hands of these people, I am enjoying every second of this "mess". GOOD! It is about time the district and board be held accountable and complete transparency for their mistakes be demanded AND BY LAWSUIT.
See, Milton School Board, you can pay whatever you like, allow placements and get kids out of your district (for which I am thankful), but to those you hurt terribly in the past - it won't shut us up. I know it will never shut me up. Milton School Board: you are dirty and you do bad things and you make TONS of messes. It is about time you all be held accountable and responsible without simply paying someone off and doing favors.
I will get the popcorn and sit back and enjoy.
Dec 2, 2012 at 6:13 a.m.
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I agree with Mr. Eyster that records should be released. Since the onset of this "mess," the Milton board has not handled the situation very well. However, if Mr. Garrow had any compassion as to how this has affected the staff, students and community, he would move on and resign. But that would take humility and acknowledgement of the consequences of his behaviors. It is clear that he is clueless in that department.
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