Yes, it is true. Sodemann whipped his phones plus car past the Walker protesters and raced in to eat, drink, and be merry with Governor Walker.
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Sodemann & Walker are one in the same. Sodemann/Walker have played Joe McCarthy Republican politics for far too long with our children's education. Enough is enough. A message must be sent. Vote out Sodemann.

I figured as much from a partisan. Hollywood? DOCUMENTARY! Done by researchers not hollywood directors. Of course a documentary must be partisan, right? Your premisies are almost completely a JOKE and your fear for a search for the truth is comical at best. So is your assumption that the majority is with Scooter. Keep assuming all the way to the recall. Unemployment in Wisconsin stayed well below national averages and stays there. That has NOTHING to do with Walker or his draconian policies.
I am guessing all of the documentaries done by Iraq war vets, talking about how the war has negatively affected them is Hollywood as well, right? See your views are so shaped by your choices in media, its absolutely predictable. Keep the rhetoric and repeating coming, its not working anymore. Maybe in Janesville some buy it, but NOT the majority at all. Rock county didnt vote for Scott Walker, nor do they generally vote republican. If walker faces a recall election he WILL lose, BADLY! I believe that he will not only face a recall but he will be SOUNDLY defeated, by whomever he runs against.

"Teachers are underpaid, Henry said, and the district has not looked hard enough for things to cut from the budget."

I looked at the website somebody put on a blog on another topic. I picked a friend I know and it was $60k plus beni. HOW is that underpaid. Somebody PLEASE explain. She isn't near her retirement years either!
Pretty good money for 3 months off a year. Yes you work 7-5 everyday. So do a lot of people. STOP saying you are all poor and don't make any money. I am tired of hearing it.

I disagree COMPLETELY! It makes agendas more based on money and personal politics, more than good of the people. We need the abolition of political parties, and the complete and total ELIMINATION of private funding within them. Corruption has gone too far, citizens united has proven that even the supreme court is a biased institution. I want the judiciary branch to be unbiaed , realizing that is IMPOSSIBLE because of human nature. I think ANY judge attending a political rally/function of any kind while serving on the bench should be IMMEDIATELY removed from duty. I also believe lobbying should be illegal and politicians should be limited to 1 term and one term only. I am scik of these greedy bastards corrupting our system and reaping the benefits. In a system that I just described, we would be far less prone to greed and corruption and far more prone to fair justice and society for all people to participate in not just th elite few. Call it socialism, call it what you want, I just want honesty. That is all.
The second president Bush will be remembered as the worst president in American History, mark my words. His father was a far better president, unfortunately he had to deal directly with the huge problems created by the reagan admin, so he got voted out in favor of another awful president Bill Clinton, who created a system of smoke and mirrors as well.
I challenge you or anyone else who reads my post to watch "Inside Job" a film just released that won the oscar this year for best documentary film. It breaks down the financial crisis of 2008, why it happened, how it happened and who was mostly responsible. I guarantee you it will make you think about who is really responsible for this mess!

@Jody- NOT a union member or apologist. I just don't misplace blame> I also never called you out on your very repetetive posts and calls for solutions. You obviously didnt read my postst that were FULL of other solutions. Just stick with your same posts that keep repeating the same stuff. Can you even state a MAXIMUM amount of savings from your "suggestions"? If it was more than a million dollars I would be shocked! You ask for suggestions, but then refuse to comment on others that suggest something other than your constant attack on food service, and maintenence/clerical staff.

@ Jody- do they "volunteer" because they want to do whats best for actual EDUCATION quality? Look at some of our "volunteers" and the positions they take, I am guessing that their service on the board serves a personal benefit, disagree??
I will also say this, while I dislike almost EVERY position Bill Sodemann has taken on the school board, I may even vote for him if he ran for city council! He IMO would NEVER have voted for the ICE RINK! 3 million dollars of the very same tax dollars that all of you cry about that go toward having a good school district. While I do not believe in an open checkbook for education, I certainly think that 3 million dollars for a new ice arena is a HORRIBLE investment in the community. Conservative business leaders IMO are much more needed on the city council than the school board.

Heres another suggestion, maybe we close ONE elementary school as suggested and move the charter school into that vacant building, that the DISTRICT already owns! Stop leasing out buildings, a pretty bold change yes?? NO! A common sense move, especially since we are so broke! Why dont we use the tools that our mentally hadicapped , corrupt governor has suggested that we have. Even districts that have made the changes to their salary and benefit packages , are saying "What tools?". Its just a talking point that continues to be repeated, when you hear repeating, you have to know its a bunch of HOOEY!

Are you aware that the teachers have proposed many cost savings to the district that could save millions the problem is that up until now the board would not listen to anything other than re-open a contract, which was NEVER a realistic hope. They did IMO use this issue to turn local yocals opinions against the educators. Maybe the gazzette should seek out many of the teachers proposed answers for savings in the district? They have offered furloughs(not sure if that can work outside the contract), Personal Donations local fundraisers that LOCAL businesses could participate in, and put their names on. Also cuts in overspent programs. The teachers also were willing to listen to contributions they could make contractually until Mrs Schulte said that there were no guarantees on Jobs being saved. so they should cut off their nose despite their face??
Know all of what your talking about before you attack, I know some things, but I certainly dont know all of the info that the board has. I would suggest they start listening to any and ALL options in front of them. Sick of STUPID partisan politics being played out on the backs of teachers and kids.
I would suggest that anyone suggesting cuts in the district should be this, that, or the other thing. Might research the fund 10 Balance , how it was created, and why it is so untouchable for some. I say if you want to balance the budget on the backs of teachers, then discontinue the fund 10 balance and split it up amongst the teachers, so at least those that are SOL after this school year will have a little something to tide them over until they can find another teaching job!

Jody- No offense but you need to READ more of my posts, I have suggested over and over that the fund 10 balance be used. A balance that was created by the teachers savings in their SELF-FUNDED health care system. I will continue to ask questions of certain members of this board because they DO NOT have the best interests of the students in mind. Look back in the archives on this website, certain members have been demonizing teachers pay and voting against teachers contracts from the QEO on forward. Their interests lie simply with their own bottom line, and I think that facts bear that out.
I would also like to point out that your suggestions only seem to include contracting out certain parts of the operating costs that haven't proven to bear out ANY savings. I for one have read your calls for the same calls for outsourcing services OVER and OVER, and frankly they just get old. Cutting state funding to schools while tranportation and other specialinterest groups that have given large donations to the govs campaign, have gotten funding increases. Seems like pay for play to me.
The facts locally remain, the 25+ million dollars sitting in surplus on the side was created by teachers health care savings, LOCALLY! So instead of all of these outsourcing ideas that keep getting repeated, try something else, something more. Because if the 10-13 million dollar hole that is being advertised certainly wont be plugged by your maintenance, food service, and clerical outsourcing solution. You coouldn't even poiunt out how much money that would save, the contracts with private companies certainly may save a little but they still present a cost, they certainly won't be working for free. I also would be very skeptical of the process that would be used for awarding such contracts and their liabilities. Remember the district would need to be insured against any say accident that might come from an outside company's workers. Plus the thought of just replacing folks at a cheaper wage up front, seems as to participate in the "race to the bottom" that most conservatives are happy to do. I for one dont think its a good idea to replace a custodian who makes 14 dollars an hour , with one that makes 8 dollars an hour as some kind of move forward. Remember the one that makes 8 dollars an hour probably has about a 12 dollar an hour cost to the district plus insurace costs. Your solutions for cost savings are just repeated, by you and another poster "Cass" seems to me like you may be one in the same.

If you don't want that decision villified Mr D. then why was the decision made? JEA didnt even vote before when it appeared a little safer? Was there ONE of you on the board that actually thought they would have some sudden revalation and say yes? Really? Sorry, but this was NOTHING more than a PR ploy to forward an agenda by local conservatives and get a certain block of local voters out , IMO. What honest purpose could that have served , other than to re-iterate that they said NO!!! PR stunt in my book, funny thing is, in this community it works for you.

Boy Ill tell you I for one am convinced of your claims of "verbal abuse" by teachers and their unions that protect them from you. I mean your son being put on detention for "walking too loudly" seems totally believable to me. I am sure that there is only one side to that story right?
I can tell you this, as a parent if I felt my son was being verbally abused by a teacher I certainly would be seeking legal advice and possibly pursueing action to not only have that teacher removed but those who would help someone be protected after "verbal abuse". I am guessing you overblow stories to score political points, or you are just that politically driven against unions. Either way you should refrain from using terms like"verbal abuse" unless you can prove it, and have your kid do the same thing that you and many others expect the teachers to do, "suck it up"

totellthetruth: I am glad you are concerned and active parent. More people like you are needed. Please consider though, far too many students, the schools provide the bulk of mental and physical nourishment, and sometimes the only respect and opportunity these kids receive. Kids that come to Janesville schools are needier than ever.

Cutting teachers pay and gutting the system will not help. Vote out Sodemann/Walker and their cronies.

Who Says "We need to mend our wounds, do the business that needs doing, and work toward repairing our district as we go forward." I agree WE need to repair our district. The first step in that repair will be me voting Sodemann and his crew out. THEY provided the leadership that put us in this deficit. I will vote for students first.

Sodemann = Walker. Walker and the Koch cronies bad for Wisconsin, Sodemann and his cronies bad for Janesville, both BAD for students!

It is important to not vilify Mr. Sodemann for the Board’s decision to offer another opportunity to the JEA and the other bargaining units. I was the one who lobbied for two weeks to meet, for the purpose of offering a safe (?) opportunity to our employees and we felt we found a method.

There was discussion about making the employees look bad in our decision process, but we felt that the value to those same employees and the education of our youth warranted the possibility. Assembling this offer after the law passed, prohibiting Unions from existing in the form they do now, was uncertain. There was an attempt on the JEA to see if they could open the contract and help, but ambiguous wording in the law made attempting this course problematic.

It does not matter how any Board member voted on the issues for the past year. The fact that we vote as a Board, and make decisions as a Board, those become Board decisions, which means we are all responsible. We need to mend our wounds, do the business that needs doing, and work toward repairing our district as we go forward. Remember these are my opinions and only my opinions, as I am only one of nine.

Please attend our “Conversations Toward Excellence” listening sessions next month at Lincoln School on April 7the at 4:30 PM. I hope that any newly elected members of the SDJ Board will attend to share questions and answers along with the retained Board members. This is an opportunity to ask questions of all members present, engage in back and forth conversations, both as a group and individually. These conversations offer opportunities not offered at regular Board meetings because of rules.

Karl Dommershausen
Janesville School Board Commisioner

Sodemann = Walker. Walker and the Koch cronies bad for Wisconsin, Sodemann and his cronies bad for Janesville, both BAD for students!

Issues with retaining teachers who don't perform adequately is not the fault of the Union. It is a common slogan repeated in the media and by the talking heads, but in reality, it holds very little water. I have seen teachers "strongly encouraged to leave." and others outright not renewed.
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Any fault of retaining under-performing teachers lies with the Administration not doing their due diligence and not having a backbone. There is no protection for the colleague that doesn't do their job - only lack of Administrative skill.

I also personally know of another situation where a little boy gets "hauled into the office" for an infraction frequently and they NEVER EVEN TALK TO THE OTHER KID.

hehehehe, let me tell you a "teacher story"...I'm not saying this is common or that it even happens anymore but years ago when I was in grade school, there was a teacher from the Philippines who made so many mistakes with the English language it was laughable and she would actually try to correct things students had written correctly with THE WRONG CORRECTION...She would also physically abuse kids when she felt like it by pulling their ears and such...It may have been the school's fault for not being able to get rid of her, I don't know, but there were SO many parent complaints it was unreal and they never fired her.

totellthetruth: It sounds like you are the one feeling entitled here. Have you considered home-schooling your son?.... There are typically two sides to every story with a teacher/student issue. I guess we all should take you at your word that the student and parents are completely without fault. And surely your adversial approach helped with whatever issue came up.
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It is unrealistic for every dispute and incident between a student and teacher to be played out via politics. Just as it is unrealisitic to mention every time a teacher or student goes the extra mile in promoting a good learning community....and in that regard, I know Janesville teachers that go above and beyond their duties in helping the students-without fanfare. If you want specifics and truths there, let me know.

I recently attended a forum where all candidates were invited to speak. I think Kevin Murray comes off as a nice guy, but it's clear he doesn't understand much about a budget. How can you lock in higher costs when you know that your revenue is going to be reduced? You cost many teacher's their jobs!

What everyone seems to forget is that the State has zero money. No one is against the teachers (my brother is a teacher) but we simply have to cut costs at all levels of government. We can not afford to care for people from cradle to grave. WI is currently ranked as the 10th highest taxed state. This tells you that it is not a revenue problem (i.e., taxes are already high enough) but that we have a spending problem. This isn't anti-teacher or anti-student! It is simple math- we must get expenses in line with revenue.

It's downright creepy reading this tit for tat. I can't help but think of all the nasty male pubescent interplay from "Lord of the Flies." Be afraid of "group think" folks, be VERY afraid.

Don't you think that perhaps it's time to become adults and face some realities?

totellthetruth - Exactly what reality are you talking about? Blame the teachers et. al for everything that has happened because that's Sodemann's strategy.
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By the way, if the JEA voted to concede some of its benefits, that would only cover slightly over 3 million of the 10.4 million pre-Walker budget shortfall. Where'd the other 7+ million come from? Read my previous post for the answer.

Thank you for remembering the tax payers and forgetting about students and teachers!

Taxes won't go up because of Walker's bill, but referendums will be needed. You can either pay for education now, or pay more later for juvenile detention, jails, the courts, etc..

Sodemann = Walker. Walker and the Koch cronies bad for Wisconsin, Sodemann and his cronies bad for Janesville, both BAD for students!

Thank you for remembering the tax payer.

You the man rocksolid, the silent majority support you!

OMG, have the teachers taken a breath lately??? The constant montra seems to be "it's ALL about me, MY rights, My benefits". Is there no end to the crying? Get a clue. The economy both in Wi. and nationwide is in shambles, and all we hear is the drumbeat about me, me, me. Kind of reminds me of when my children were young and didn't get their way. Firmness worked with them, and it will work with the unions and it's members. The time has come to kiss your sweetheart deals goodbye and come live in the real world. The "rights" that you chant about aren't "rights", but privileges. Now, like the rest of society you need to buck up and live like the people who pay your wages have to live to survive. I have a great idea for the union cry babies. Why not go and try to find a job in Janesville in the private sector? I guarantee you'll see the light. I will cast my vote for school board members who use common sense, and fiscal restraint. I trust most taxpayers will do the same.

Of course the skyrocketing cost of benefits is the teachers fault, right?

BTW, Mr Rocksolid; you spoke earlier of your strong relationship with the JEA. I find that interesting since the board that you preside over just came back to them attempting to get them to open their contracts after already being told no once. Many in the community and especially the JEA saw that as nothing more than a PR stunt close to an election. I know that you are an intelligent guy, you had to know what the answer would be, so why subject the teachers to the negativity in the papers? Most that disagree with you seem to think that it was an election cycle move to get some votes to get re-elected. Good luck with that. Why so opposed to opening fund 10? The teachers are the ones mostly responsible for it being there. Back to your relationship with the JEA , maybe professional but strong? I would be SHOCKED if you got 10 votes, and that shouldn't surprise you. I have lived in this city for 10 years , and ever since your little op-ed in the newspaper "in my world" speaking to the health insurance situation. Insinuating they dont live in the real world, and your general lack of disrespect for teachers and their wage/benefit packages, leads me to believe that your relationship with the JEA is a professional one at best. Also considering that you are a contributor to the Walker campaign, which you have every right to, you should not expect any support from the peoples lives that you seek to control.
To be fair i have seen you at a charity event for a teacher which I respect, but you sincerely have to be kidding yourself if you think the JEA in any way supports you or you, or push to be re-elected. I do think that there is a big enough segment in this community that agrees with your politics, so I am certain you will be elected once again. I am just curious why you wish to continue to be involved in public education? I think that you should run for state senate or assembly, a much more fitting place for partisan politics. It certainly seems that your only concern is keeping your taxes low as a business owner in the community. I am a property tax payer and would not be objected to a sales tax increase, or a slight property tax increase to help. Please Mr Sodemann, try another arena, if you like politics be a politician. If you ARE seriousd about education, then start looking for other slutions to this besides destroying wage/benefit packages for educators.

Of course you don't add that the "ten thousand" per student is an average. Another number that a skeptical person might look at along with the demographics of public education in this country compared to private schools and other countries that are able to pick and choose their students. I for one am glad that we as a nation give EVERYone a fair shot at an education. It's really not fair when you consider all factors, but for some of the simple minded folks its seems to me that you only want to talk about absolutes in every single situation, and forget all the variables. As someone that knows first hand about the MANY variables educators face, for you to question the quality overall of our system based on biased BS numbers about functionality; you are just partisan and there is no hope for you. This country still has one of the very best education systems on earth, and the only one that educates ALL. I know that some seem more worried about the per student cost, but be honest, would you rather spend money on educating our future generations, or just continue the downward spiral that started in the 1980's? Maybe we should keep the limitless funding in defense so we can keep our continuous war in oil country going? I hear all these repubs talking about how broke we are, yet we keep sending foriegn aid all over the world , and participating in armed military conflicts that costs billions. Defense spending will once again increases in the next budgets, that seems like a MUCH wiser investment than education dont you think?
Please dont talk about our school aged kids knowing "fiscal responsibility" when Ill bet just about every single homeowner in here borrowed against their home to buy Harleys, or put on a deck or to buy a boat. Or why dont we talk about all of the geniuses from Ivy league schools that were advising the financial sector and were responsible for the almost overnight collapse of the financial sector. The smartest people in the world were just overtaken by greed, to think the same thing isn't happening here in Wis? You are mildly disabled if thats your case toward "balanced budgets" and "fiscal responsibility"

Wow, I would love to take credit for Mr. Sodemann returning to the posting on this blog, but I think MANY others continued to call Mr. Sodemann's bluffs and LIES!! Jnsvilleteacher said it better than I did with Sodemann's lack of a tax levy from previous school boards that he has been a part of that is DIRECTLY related to why the school district finds itself in this predicament!! And why oh why citizens of Janesville do you believe that either Mr. Sodemann or Mr. Severson have ANY clue what they are doing on the Janesville School Board? And you also feel they represent you? Do you even think they care one way or the other about you or where you come from? NOPE!! As long as they get your vote to remain on the school board to push their CORRUPT agendas is all they care about!!

I owe an apology to KLC and even to "athos..." - ouch - It turns out that Lori was indeed at the budget address. I just assumed that there was no way that she would be there and I should have actually checked before commenting. My mistake.
Sincerely,
Bill Sodemann

The biggest indicator of how a child will do in school is not the quality of teachers or schools, it's the quality of parenting.

Over ten thousand dollars per year PER STUDENT, is indeed, a "money pit" when we get the net results that we get.....Yes indeed.
And most students are being greatly ripped off.
When schools can't even teach practical money-handing and finances, what other obligations are they shirking??

As a point of clarification: Commissioner Stottler was indeed at the budget address; unless of course she has a twin.... I am not sure that this means she is for or against. I personally applaud her for being there doing due diligence in learning as much about what is going on with legislation that will impact her responsibility on the Board. I share this only to set the record straight.
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see minute 15:00 on this youtube link.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXfOP3f6z...

When you say that the school district needs a "bailout". Thats just right-wing repeater jibberish. To act as if the schools is some kind of money pit with a balance sheet thats all out of whack, is just stupid. The schools have to be looked at as a long term investment not a small business with a balance sheet. Facts are there is NO incoming profits made by education and there never will be. To blame this garbage thats happening on educators and public unions is preposterous! The private sector is what ruined our economy, right along with government DE-regulation of the banks and the lowering of taxes across the board for the wealthiest folks in America.
A law passed by the first president Bush allowed Henry Paulson (fomer CEO of Goldman Sachs) to sell 485 million dollars in company stock tax free! Is that publicunions fault? Is that free-market capitalism working for us all? BTW Paulson , the man who played a HUGE part in the financial collapse was put in charge of the treasury department, by the second Bush. Fascinating how the lack of tax dollars for schools seems to always be put on the wages and broadly OVER priced health care benefits, yet no one talks of the financial collapse engineered by investment banks, insurance companies, and credit ratings agenciess? It somehow comes back to simple school districts being able to keep finances in order? Being "bailed out" by the taxpayer? The amount of "emergency TARP funds" granted and doled out to these criminals in a week was the most irresponsible "bailout" in the history of money. The whole "trickle down" crap that Ronald reagan and his group of investment bankers in his cabinet de-regulated us right into this mess, and its somehow teachers and local public employess bearing the brunt of this blame from simple minded conservatives that have an ideological problem with it for what reason I have no idea. Maybe its because you have been told that they are just bad folks, I dont know, but read about what really went on during the crisis, and what continues to happen, it will make you sick. Maybe it will help you with perspective.
Dont point to poor uneducated folks being had by predatory lenders so banks could "take the money and run" BC thats exactly what happened. I would also remind you that Fannie and Freddie were PRIVATE sector businesses that failed before Paulson and Bush oversaw their takeover in 2006, so the government takeover ov mortage giants a yr before the meltdown should tell you all you need to know about who knew what and who was trying to screw who.

Rocksolid/Sodemann's claim of having a decent working relationship with the JEA may be true. However he abandoned reasonableness the day after the Packers won the Super Bowl when he grabbed onto Walker's coattails of extremism.
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Sodemann's bio indicates he aspires to have a higher office than our school board. To move up the political ladder, Sodemann and Walker are not above using the divisive approach and political stunts that appeal to the zealotry. Education/school board should not be used as the Walker/Sodemann political football. Do we really want that in Janesville?
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As a moderate conservative and admirer of "the Great Compromiser" Henry Clay, I can assure you that Walker/Sodemann has nothing in common with my political affiliation.

Vote Sodemann/Walker out.

jodymac wrote: "I believe the Janesville school district needs to go all out, and lobby at the county level to make every school fall under a one county school tax system, and then divide the funding per child. Example would be how Rock County added the .5% sales tax years ago.
Janesville should not have to carry the load for every community in the area as being the center hub of economics with out being able to spread those cost on to Milton along with many other districts."

So you are saying that because the Janesville School District can't keep their fiscal house in order, it should ask the county for a bailout, and reward it for poor management while punishing other districts that have done a far better job. Unbelievable!

Walker and the Koch cronies bad for Wisconsin, Sodemann and his cronies bad for Janesville, both BAD for students!

I have talked with at least 10 Republican friends of mine that have disowned Walker. None expected Walker to lie about e-mail feedback from constituents, to open up to Koch brothers thoughtlessly, to consider planting union agitators, to hire his friend's (Sen. Hopper's) mistress, to never negotiate, and to manage in a such a reckless way.
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Sodemann's religious commitment to Walker has to have consequences. I, my Republican friends, and dozens of my other family and friends, have committed to NOT voting for Sodemann.

Don't worry, I'm sure your teaching degree will have some use in the market...somewhere.

I just think you all ought to ball up and quit whining.

Does my writing look like it came from Craig, Parker, or Milton high school?

What do you think?

You have no idea sluggo.

So is that tj admitting to rolling over and playing dead? Oh... I see everyone should follow your lead. Do you have a degree? From a real college? just curious

And I don't think you caught my sarcasm about the double standard. Most all of us in the private sector are not the evil rich as you like to believe. Our pay does not go way up in good times. And public employees got much better contracts in good times and things will improve again. Our pay, as does theirs, suffers in down economies. I enjoy the fact that you are so deluded to think that we are flushing cash when times are good. I've been on both sides of the standard. What you are too dense to get is that we already went through the same adjustment the public sector is no going through but with no evil politician to blame and no drums, megaphones, or signs. We shrugged our shoulders and went back to work. But not the public employees. They were so used to being immune to market forces they lost their minds over the idea of a pay cut and loss of collective bargaining, something the federal employees have not had since Carter, a democrat, took away! Why no protests, Michael Moore, or drum circles in DC? You get no sympathy from us, we've been there.

Bill (RockSolid)- “DuWayne Severson and I were the only board members to vote against all 3 contracts which have significantly contributed to our budget challenges. To say that I am then responsible for our financial crisis is mind boggling.” I cannot believe your comments here. Do you seriously put 100% of the blame on the unions for creating the 10.4 million dollar deficit?
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First. All contracts have been collectively bargained by BOTH sides. An agreement was made by the board’s negotiating team (which you and Commissioner DuWayne Severson had every right to be part of) and each union. If the board didn’t feel the collectively bargained agreement was fair, it should have collectively voted no (which I understand was your vote – but you are only 1 of 9 votes).
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Second. I know you understand school district funding because I’ve had conversations with you regarding it. I know that you understand that if a school district chooses not to tax to the allowable limit that the state then DIRECTLY lowers its state aid (ie: for every dollar “shorted” by the district, the state will cut a portion of its money too). Now, let’s look back at your voting record and your comments on tax levy. EVERY year, you have argued and voted for the lowest possibly increase. While I understand the arguments for keeping taxes low (although I personally don’t agree with them), you saying that it is the teachers and other unions fault is completely erroneous. I’ll concede some of the current budget crisis is the raises, but MOST of it is the lack of foresight of the previous boards, which you have been a part of. If you want to see why we are in our current budget crisis, please look no further than the mirror and some of your colleagues (ie: Commisioner DuWayne Severson) who have sat on the board the last few terms. And please, stop trying to put 100% of the blame on the employees!
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Janesville – please vote Sodemann off our school board – he lacks the foresight needed to properly run the Janesville School District.

You must be a mind reader to know what other people think. You sure read a lot into what somebody else says. How low is too low? In my world the market determines that. But in your world I suppose not. But...I guess you'll be introduced to reality soon. We'll try to make the transition slow and easy because if it were too swift you may just fall apart.

Athos- One might assume that the administrators would have to be the ones to clue them in to some deadlines. TJ- I guess you get credit for admitting your bias as much as a double standard can be admired. I guess my next question is how cheap is cheap enough before you get what you pay for? BS cries about how he and his workers have taken financial hits during times like we see right now, but guys like him (and you) who feel the public sector should closely match the private sure sing a different tune when times are good.

Credit BOE president Sodemann for leadership that brings our district to it's current situation. Credit commissioner D. Severson for asking for adminstrative cuts after the state date for doing so had passed. Hard to believe that an elected decision maker wasn't even informed about dates that would impact our district's ability to address our budget woes. Sodemann = Walker. Walker and the Koch cronies bad for Wisconsin, Sodemann and his cronies bad for Janesville, both BAD for students!

truth1 - I actually agree with you on one point if I understand you correctly - Janesville students should be getting more technology into their hands. I meant "pie in the sky" because Mr. S seems to think the district can just download the books for free and magically materialize the hardware needed :)
Maybe he can tell us how much these cost, and how exactly the students would view the books.

Thanks spider. I'm for both sides of the double standard! That's why my message to public employees is welcome to my world! LOL!

TJ: which end of the double standard are you for? You chose your profession deal with it (when teachers and other public sector employees did not participate in the economic boom of the 90's) or my compensation went way down so should yours (now). Could somebody pick one and stick with it so the cops, teachers, firefighters, garbage guy can figure out when they are a productive member of society dvs. somebody living off of the gravy train?

As a matter of fact Sherm we did. Most all of us on here now make far less and pay more for our insurance and pension than ever before. To a much larger degree than teachers are being asked to.

Post and run. Nice job president BS. Kinda reminds me of King Walker. I did like how he admited/posted how he is in the minority and votes against things that are pro-teacher/JEA and pro-student. It just proves what peopla are blogging to be true. In addition, he states that the district had a $10.4 budget shortfall before Walker's bill added another $3-5 million. Does this $10.4 million shortfall reflect his leadership and work on the board for the past several years? I believe so. He worked very hard to keep taxes down, and now since the board has done that, the district has suffered in getting less state aide/$$$$$$$.

PLEASE DO NOT VOTE FOR SODEMANN.

Billnewbie, who is pulling Mr. Sodemann and Mr. Severson's "strings" as you say? Mr. Murray is voting for the students. Mr. Sodemann and Mr. Severson are voting for the businesses and for Governon Walker's corrupt agenda. Yes, Mr. Sodemann, Janesville was still facing a $10 million+ budget shortfall before the Governor's budget that you support was revealed. Why is that? Because you and Mr. Severson (and several past board members) believed that property taxes should NOT increase because so many people are unemployed. While that may be true to some degree, each year that the school board decides to not "tax to the max," the school district can get less and less from the state and local governments. It's called exponential decay (losing income/tax dollars) versus exponential growth (gaining income/tax dollars). Mr. Sodemann and Mr. Severson are both businessmen so they should understand this concept. And taxing saying $100 more per year (as an example) is like a carton of cigarettes (about $75) and two tickets to a movie. I truly can't believe that many of you can't afford to give those things up for an improved educational system. I know, those teachers that get EVERYTHING for FREE!! No, teachers pay for a lot of things for students out of their own pockets. And most have NOT gotten ANY kind of a raise since before the QEO implemented by Governor Thompson. Raises were given up to maintain benefits. Now that benefits are more expensive, school boards want teachers to pay more for them AND give back some of their salaries. I am sure ALL of you would agree to this in your line of work. NOT!

Wow, Mr. Sodemann graced us with his post, then he left. How sad. Well, if he truly believed what Janesville and Wisconsin are proposing to do with education was "rock solid" as his log in suggests, why does he waste his time on this blog defending himself? Are his posts going to change anyone's mind one way or the other? Or are some of the facts about Mr. Sodemann beginning to surface? Facts that lead any rational taxpayer to think twice before re-electing this businessman-first school board member back to the Janesville School Board. He is NOT pro-student, pro-teacher, or pro-education. And his voting record that he touts that didn't get us into this mess, or whatever he said shows that he shifts any and all blame to others. How about taxing his business (Phones Plus) to a reasonable level? Or Mercy Hospital (where Mr. Severson is the Vice President)? Do all of you believe these two businessmen truly relate to the "common person" in Janesville? How would each of you like to be verbally attacked in a public forum like Mr. Sodemann, Mr. Severson, and outgoing school board member Mrs. Stottler have done on this issue to members of the JEA? Teachers didn't get their way, so they protested. These 3 board members don't get the JEA to open the current contract that was negotiated in good faith by both parties, and they verbally attack JEA members in public? Hmmm. Seems like do as I say, not as I do.

I agree that jodymac seems fixated on cutting clerical workers. Just so you know, one clerical worker making roughly $13.00 an hour for a 6 hour day costs the district approx. $15,000 a year in pay and benefits. Getting rid of all 358 clerical staff that s/he constantly is proposing would make up less than half the supposed $10.4 million deficit. So how would you make up the rest, j-mac? (silence......)

One teacher costs the district about 4 times that of one clerical worker (an admitted guesstimation on my part). But you seem to think that 4 times as many clerical staff should be eliminated. You do realize that if they are eliminated and their work is contracted out, it will cost money, correct?

This is not at all post to encourage more teachers to be laid off, but it is designed to encourage jodymac to stop making such outlandish claims about the support staff that s/he so desparately wants to be rid of.

Thankfully I live in (and pay my taxes to) the school district of Milton. But since people who are near and dear to my heart work in the Janesville School District, I wanted to put my $.02 in.

jodymac, i think you are lumping the aides in with the clerical workers. Also worth noting: most of these are part-timers, many with no health insurance.

adding to my comments.......Since OVER TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS PER STUDENT is spent each year on "education", it shouldn't be that big of an issue to provide each student with a notebook computer since this is ALREADY BEING DONE IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY courtesy of a computer company.
I know, I will be called names for being "pie in the sky" since American schools just must remain in the stone age.

Interesting that Sodemann opposes a referendum even when it requires the community to ratify in an anti-tax climate.

When Walker was elected, it is "the people have spoken!" Now the people are not allowed a voice in a referendum for the future of our community? Sodemann shares a lot in common with him.

Do we really want an ideologue overseeing our childrens' education.

I'm going to have to call b.s. at Bill Sodemann. There are clearly many other factors that go into a budget. To make the claim that you voted against the contracts and therefore have not had an impact on the current financial crisis is ridiculous. You are currently the President of the School Board. Stand up and take responsibility for your actions that have led us to this $10.4 million hole!

I thank Rocksolid for cleaning up the minor misinformation.
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However, the big question still has not been answered by Rocksolid and wasn't asked by the Pro-Walker Gazette. Does rocksolid support Governor Walker and his radical, anti-union management of public employees?
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I suspect "AthosPorthosAramis" nailed this one-- Sodemann=Walker. I also suspect that many Janesville voters would find this disagreeable.

I'm sure the textbook producers shake in their shoes at the prospect of electronic learning technology taking hold since it is such a more diversified field than printing books on paper and would break their happy national quasi-monopoly on textbook printing.

First of all, I was in the Superintendents office when Governor Walker presented his budget. We even held a press conference shortly thereafter which proves that “athosporthosaramis” is a liar. I am sure that Lori Stottler was not in the balcony either. I have not been in the balcony at the capitol since 1977 when my uncle was inaugurated.

Second, our district faced a 10.4 million dollar deficit even before Scott Walker took office.

Third, DuWayne Severson and I were the only board members to vote against all 3 contracts which have significantly contributed to our budget challenges. To say that I am then responsible for our financial crisis is mind boggling.

Fourth, to say that I have “imposed my will” on the district seems odd when I am usually in the minority (high school referendum, contracts etc.)

Finally, even though we disagree on some things, I actually have a very good relationship with the JEA and its leaders. I have proven that you can disagree without being disagreeable.

Sincerely,
Bill Sodemann

FYI – This is my first and last post on this issue.

sluggo says:"the electronic textbook thing is pie-in-the-sky"
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I'm sure the very same thing was said 30 years ago about the internet.

Sodemann=Walker. Sodemann has imposed his will on the school district and I am voting him out. As a board commissioner he and his crony Duane Severson have set our district back. Our children have suffered and will lose in the future because of these 2. Please remember that these fellows provided the “leadership” on our board that created our current financial crisis. Walker and his cronies, the Koch brothers are imposing the Koch brothers’ will on Wisconsin. Sodemann and Stottler sit in the balcony at Walker’s budget speech chuckling and having a grand time, then they come back to Janesville and express concern about our local budget. :-( Walker and the Koch cronies bad for Wisconsin, Sodemann and his cronies bad for Janesville, both BAD for students!

Sodemann appears to be a board president bent on having an adversarial relationship with the teacher union. This can not be good for education. The JEA has long served Janesville well, and in its rewards AND sacrifices. These are our neighbors.

Sodemann puts the cart of outsider-capitalists before the horse- local teacher/labor and education.

"Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration." Abraham Lincoln

How convenient that past Sodeman comments make it seem as though his hands are tied because of Walker's repair bill. Any reason to stick it to the teachers and students of Janesville must make him smile. A vote for Sodeman truely is a vote for Walker. I see the similar chaos in the SDJ as I do the state. The only difference is that Sodeman cannot blame this on the previous regime. All of this happened under their watch. It has been cut cut cut for a long time, even when times were good. Now when times get bad, there is nothing left to cut.

billnewbie - I just want to know what these candidates would gain from becoming "union puppets" - I also believe they would be offended at that assumption.

I just want to know one major point about these candidates, which of these candidates' strings will most likely be pulled by the unions should they win election? So far, Mr. Murray and Mr. Henry are the most likely union puppets. Mr. Shalapour also seems to be sympathetic to the unions too. I base those assessments on their answers to the question of merit pay. The unions have always been opposed to merit pay since they have also been opposed to all efforts to assess teacher performance. In fact, according to Mr. Henry, assessing teacher performance is impossible. That has been standard issue teacher's union boilerplate for the last, oh say 50 years or so. And in Mr. Murray's case as an incumbent with a voting record, we already know his record suggests he's susceptible to heavy union influence.

"Kirk Henry, who said he offers something the board doesn’t have—the voice of youth." and first hand experience of being kicked out of school.

The electronic textbook thing is pie in the sky. For example, each student would need a computer all day. The middle schools currently have about 3-4 labs each. That leaves 580 kids short a computer. This does not even begin to address home access. Also, the textbook companies aren't stupid - they still charge for each password.

when answering the question:
Q: How would you as a board member react to the loss of dozens of teachers next fall as the district cuts jobs to balance its budget?
kevin murray said: "Any cuts that help save teachers jobs should be looked at."
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which of course means any cuts other than what governor walker suggested.
ironically, if the walker plan is actually put in place and we don't kowtow to the unions (the same ones mr. murray represents), WE WON'T HAVE TO CUT ANY TEACHERS.
go figure.

I personally am glad that Sodemann is on the board. What the board needs most is... balance! Not 9 people sitting on the same side of every issue. If that is not the way it should be, then why even have a school board?

I give a big thumbs up to all six of these men who have enough courage to throw their hat into the ring. How many posters on these blogs can say they are actually trying to help solve problems instead of just complaining about everything...

The most important question wasn't asked. Do you support Walker and his union-busting tactics?
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I am not sure about all, but we know Sodemann and Walker are in bed together. Sodemann = Walker. We need new leadership in the governorship and the local school board. Vote Sodemann out.

All you folks who are complaining about the board, I don't see one of you coming up with a perfect solution to balance the budget. Salaries and benefits is always the last to go after everything has been cut to the bone and the budget is still not balanced. So again give them the perfect solution to save the jobs. You all seem to have the perfect comments but never put your mouth to solve the problem.

What else is Sodemann "right" about? If you do an archive search with his name you will find out how he always tries to balance the budget. For him it seems to always fall on the teachers, wonder why that is? I really wish that Janesville would elect board members that have education in mind when talking budget, not their own bottom line.

Well, Sodemann is right about "textbooks".....How many people read a screen instead of paper?......thought so......Its time to get out of the STONE AGE in that dept.
I think he's right about LOTS of other things too.

Seems like Allfor1and1forAll said it for me and others in Janesville. You all want lower taxes. He's for that. But I would think each of you would want an educated society. Not with Mr. Sodemann and Mr. Severson (when his latest term is up) on the school board. Businessmen (and they both appear to be) who CAN'T balance the school district's budget, but they are "successful" businessmen? I have said it before, and I will say it again. Schools being run like a business will privatize schools for ONLY students of the rich attending. And your tax dollars will NOT go down!! So, a vote for Sodemann is a vote AGAINST strong schools in Janesville!!

“It’s just too important to let (students) suffer through teachers who shouldn’t be there anymore or who should not have been there in the first place,” Sodemann said.

I agree with ya here, Billy. And the same can be said about board members like yourself.

It's just too important to let students suffer through a school board president that shouldn't be there anymore or who should not have been there in the first place.

A VOTE FOR SODEMANN IS A VOTE FOR WALKER AND IN MY OPINION, ANTI-STUDENT/TEACHER.