Comments on: Question of the Week

By: Tess

Tess — Sun, 16 May 2010 21:04:03 +0000

As the spouse of a MSD teacher, I can tell you that they’re not overpaid by any stretch of the imagination. I am currently unemployed. In a household with TWO college educated individuals, we are currently a mere $200 above the poverty line. Yep, we’re just rolling in the dough.

Are there teachers who are making significantly more than my spouse? Most definitely. However, the have most likely gone out and earned their Master’s degree (do you have one of those Tom?) or are working on their Doctorate/PhD. Others have been teaching for many years, and continually bring that wealth of experience into their classrooms.

Only work 8 months? Yet again, another misguided, misinformed individual. Once again, my husband will be in school himself this summer. Of course this class will only benefit his students, as it is a technology class that in the long-run will improve instruction and education. Not to mention that the course will go towards his license renewal when that’s up. Did you know that renewing one’s teaching license is not like renewing your driver’s license? Teachers have to submit college transcripts that show a certain amount of coursework (I can’t remember the number of credits/courses right now). When he’s not in school for himself, he’ll be teaching summer school himself…which again benefits YOUR kids.

By: a real live teacher

a real live teacher — Wed, 12 May 2010 22:02:12 +0000

Dear Tom,

It doesn’t matter what teacher you choose to follow around. Take your pick, or several picks. How many teachers do you know? All of them? Making a blanket statement about all teachers based on the few that you know is just ignorant. I don’t know who your are and you don’t know me. What I know is that I spend an incredible amount of time on the kids I teach. I care for each and every one of them and I do my best to give them all I have. Again Tom, any teacher would be glad to have you follow them around.

By: Tom Schoettler

Tom Schoettler — Wed, 12 May 2010 14:03:32 +0000

I just went through the comments and have a thought or two. A few teachers remarked about how many hours they put in and said to follow them around to see the time they put in. How do you expect anyone to take you up on it if you don’t leave a name and contact number. I would really like to do that, especially the teacher who works every night on lesson plans, grading papers, etc. I’ve known a some teachers and none of them worked like that.

By: DCL

DCL — Tue, 11 May 2010 17:03:13 +0000

Wow #31 TIME FOR CHANGE, You’re negativism is one of the main problems for this town. What have YOU done to improve life in Mauston? Perhaps you would want to move?
Consider a grass-roots approach to change, starting at the bottom, not the top. Practice what you preach and buy local when you can. I’ve experienced too many hypocrits, who talk the talk, then drive out of town to buy.
Wal-Mart does not need, nor want, to come to this tiny town. They know that because of that wonderful interstate you referred to, our residents will simply hop on and drive 20- 30 miles either direction. Really, Wal-Mart is not the answer.
Being unique could be an answer. The Chamber, GMADC and Room Tax Committee are trying to take advantage of the interstate by drawing in tourism.
As for the City celebrations: Have you not heard of the Pumpkin Bash, or St. Pat’s Fall Festival? It’s not easy to get a great festival going, but they are trying.
You really should, too. Try to be more positive – and work on your spelling and punctuation. Maybe the teachers here could help?

By: EMD

EMD — Tue, 11 May 2010 14:43:44 +0000

It seems to me the mess we are in stems from a very fundamental problem. For years, lots of years, the school systems have been run on a buy and spend first and then simply bill the taxpayers later basis; rather than working from a bugeted amount of money and then determing how to best spend that money. It appears that the taxpayers have gone about as broke as they care to trying to keep up with the philosophy that nothing is too good for the children. A number of areas have been addressed where spending could and probably should be cut. Just how many administrators does it take to run a school distrtict, and what is a reasonable salary? How many active employees have fully paid health insurance plans either while still working or retired in this country today? When did it become the job of the schools to feed and entertain our children? When did it become the responsibility of our teachers to be the primary disciplinarian and character builders of our children rather than the parents? And don’t forget, we had to have that new high school. (It’s funny how a referendum can be voted down multiple times but only has to pass once to become law, now is that fair or what?) Everybody wants to drive a Cadillac, but not everybody has one. But in our educational system we insist on having a “Cadillac” in every aspect of our system with little or no regard as to how it affects the people who are forced to fund it by edict of those who control the budget. Any time we want to spend money we don’t have, we simply trot out the cry “we’ve got to do it for the children” and raise property taxes. This is from a story on WRJC this past December regarding school district priorities. After naming off the top four priorities the source from the school board was quoted as saying, “and as an afterthought, the fifth priority is demonsttrating fiscal responsibility.” That’s where we the taxpayers rate in the grand scheme of things, dead last! If we ever want to get this mess under control and still keep our educational system strong we’ve got to get the horse in front of the cart!

By: kim

kim — Tue, 11 May 2010 14:34:23 +0000

After reading the proposed cuts, I find it very sad that there are several teachers that are going to be cut, but I see nothing for adminstration. If the superintendent is gone, make the principles learn the job and split it up among remaining admin. Larger paying job not being filled can save a LOT of money. Within the system when cuts are made in lower positions, the remaining employees usually have to pick up the slack. So let the admin pick up the slack for a change.

It is sad that someone wrote that teachers in the school the only ones teaching. Can you step back and look at the big picture. On the playground, you must be careful and courteous to your friend and non-friend. In the lunch room you should be learning good nutrition and proper etiquette. On the bus respect and safety. On the field you learn teamwork and perservance. Please stop taking all parts of the system for granted. Everything your children come into contact with is a learning experience and it takes an army to raise a child to their full potention. Some of the worlds best teachers were not in a classroom. Please look at the actual budget cuts and stop the name calling.

By: Time for CHANGE!!!!!

Time for CHANGE!!!!! — Tue, 11 May 2010 14:30:18 +0000

Mauston… Build a HUGE school, taxs go up. Enrollment goes down. Don’t let any BIG bizz into town ( wal-mart, target). People go else where with their money ( walmart in the dells or tomah). We also have this trial going on for thats spliting out sheriff dept apart, not to mention who’s paying for this trial… taxpayers. Mauston needs a OVERHAUL! We need to start planing for this towns future or there won’t be one. Now im not even going to touch this “round-about” debate its silly ( its going to cost the tax payers even more!!!). We need educated people in the high positions… I have nothing against the people running this town but there born and raised here and are continuing to NOT make change that is required to make a town grow! Has anyone drove downtown Mauston?! its forgettable to say the least. What happened to the “Mauston Beautifation Project?????” Baraboo/ Reedsburgs CITYS have flurished , HOW?? They dont even have the 90/94 interstate running thru them!!!
I think its time to start change, make something happen, we vote on a bridge, or a round about, well its time to start voting on somethings that make a difference, something that can bring some money to our TOWN! Lyndon Station ( pop. 600) has Parkfest, Mauston can’t even put together a town celebration, because theres nothing to celebrate!! The time has come to OVERHAUL….
This sheriff race is going to be a joke again, another Uneducated Mauston-nite will be running it because we vote our freinds or freinds freinds in. This is our future or even better our childrens future, we need someone in this position that has an nun-bias opinion and isn’t going to let this trial go on for MONTHS AND MONTHS.
We need to Wake up and see that we have resource called an INTERSTATE and we HAVE to take advantage of it! bring in more money, and we wont have to CUT anything!! It starts at the top! Its almost like the people running this TOWN could careless about the future. We need to stand up and let them know its time for a change. TIME for a CHANGE!!!!!!!!!!

By: Derek F.

Derek F. — Tue, 11 May 2010 13:55:27 +0000

Mauston has four schools, plus St Pats, just in the city limits. How many schools does a town of our size need?I keep hearing about dropping enrollment, so why was another school even needed? If they were in such bad shape why are we continuing to use them? As for Lyndon Station, they have one school and taking it away will have a greater negative impact on their community than eliminating one of ours would. Since I live right next to the school I believe would be the first to go, I am not exactly happy about the prospect, but I think its time to do what many have had to do and downsize.

By: anonymous

anonymous — Tue, 11 May 2010 13:46:05 +0000

Too often the idea of responsibility gets pushed onto everyone else. The idea that it is someone else’s fault is often the case. The parents blame the teachers, and at times, I think the teachers blame the parents. Regardless of whose fault it happens to be, the students are ultimately in charge of the education they want to receive. How often do students show up late or not at all? How often do students view school as a social scene where their “education” is based on who is dating who and who, instead of learning to use proper sentence structure and figure out math problems? There needs to be some give and take on all parties associated within the school. Do parents ever go to school to see what it is teachers are teaching their children? Do parents ever require that their son or daughter is reading at home or doing enrichment learning or homework? Does a parent know what the name of their child’s teacher really is? Or, is school a place for the parent to dump off their child? I believe the teachers make phone calls home to explain to the parents their child is falling behind. Teachers also call parents to explain the wonderful abilitites the students have and to praise them for their work. Teachers also have their gradebooks online. When was the last time anyone held the student’s grades accountable or parents checked the progress of their student? Is a C really that good? Sure, they passed, but in the real world, the C is really not that great. Especially when it comes to competetive markets. Will a C get you the job? Probably not.

What about those cuts at the school? Lets cut teacher pay. Wrong! After all, if they were babysitters like some people agree $3 per hour would equate to about $270 per day if the teachers saw 90 students each day. $2 per hour…how about $180 per day. I dont think teachers make that each day.

Sports programs? There already is a sport fee that people have to pay. And, for the most part those kids in sports have something to do where they are proud to be part of a team. It shows leadership, working as a team, and discipline- again all great aspects for any industrial buisness. All are aspects that are needed to work collectively for a greeater cause.

I forgot to mention that people do get out of the poverty cycle in Mauston. They have to make the choice. You do not have to be a product of your environment. You have to shape your future and get an education!
Sorry for the rambling….

By: EAR

EAR — Tue, 11 May 2010 05:25:18 +0000

Maybe the health insurance packages are a look see. Instead of each teacher getting their own individual health insurance package, teachers married to each other might use the family plan instead, since the plans may be identical which I think might save some money. But is it going to be worth it? I guess in special health cases it might not work, but it is an option to look at. I do think that the Mauston school district is doing everything they can to save money where possible, but since we are one of the poorest counties in Wisconsin, we are in one of the toughest situations one can find. My daughter became a teacher about three years ago and I hear what she has to go through with parents that expect the school to be the “babysitter” for their kids AND to make sure their kids get a top notch education. Parents, wake up! These are your kids. Provide for them, raise them with good morals, and emphasize to them that the world is at their feet. All they have to do is learn from great teachers for a few years of their lives to get a real good education so they too can earn a decent living. We can’t make a kid learn, we can only offer to him/her the oppurtunity to learn. The opportunities are here at Mauston so it is time for the young people to get with it, get off your backsides, and start using your heads. I know many of our young people are good, talented, individuals. But there are some that just need a swift kick to get them going in a forward direction. We all can talk about the shortcomings in the monetary end, but cutting teachers, custodians, sports programs, administrators, educational programs, is not the answer. We should be building this community by bringing in more businesses to help spread the tax base and getting more jobs in the Mauston area. I feel that this town needs more beautification, more green areas, buildings need to be painted, roads need to be repaired so cars don’t disappear in the ruts as on Highway 82 or on North Union street. Another idea is to get the state to allow Mauston another access off the interstate, such as the area by the K-Mart. This would relieve some of the wear and tear of the roads and would allow more exposure of other businesses in Mauston as well as make areas more available for businesses to build near exits of the interstate. Everybody seems to grow except Mauston. Now why is that?