Parents to Delavan-Darien school officials: We’ll keep working
DELAVAN — A parents’ group will continue its work to improve the school district—with or without the support of the Delavan-Darien School Board.
At a meeting Monday, the board voted 5-2 against a task force proposed by board member Dr. Jeff Scherer and supported by the parent group.
The task force’s job would have been to come up with ideas on a variety of issues, including academic improvement, disciplinary problems and open enrollment losses.
The vote on the task force came near the end of a long meeting that included a presentation outlining the district’s plans for improvements. The district plans include a parents’ group to generate ideas and promote the schools in the community.
Scherer said he didn’t have any problems with the district’s ideas but was hoping for something a little different.
“I was really hoping for something a little more urgent, a little more ramped up.”
How urgent are the problems?
It depends who you ask.
The district has been honest about its struggles with open enrollment and test scores and its desire to improve both.
Open enrollment allows students to attend the public school of their choice, if space is available. Last year, the district lost 205 students to other districts and gained 27 for a net loss of $1.4 million in student revenue.
District officials have said the school suffer from a perception problem—that people judge the schools unfairly. They’re working to improve test scores and the school environment with procedures designed to hold people more accountable.
The district has added advance placement courses and has more students than ever taking those classes, high school Principal Mark Schmitt said.
Joe Peyer, one of the leaders of the parents’ group, acknowledged those changes, but wants more done. More importantly, the parent group wants to be part of the process.
Earlier this year, Peyer approached Superintendent Wendy Overturf about his concerns regarding language and behavior at the high school.
According to Peyer, Overturf told him that many of the issue he raised were common at all schools and that they were being handled.
But as he continued to talk with parents—and then with teachers—Peyer and others began to feel as though conditions, especially in the high school, needed urgent action, he said.
After two contentious school board meetings in August, the parents’ group was looking toward the task force as a way to make changes.
“I thought the task force could bridge the gap,” Peyer said. “Instead, it was just thrown aside.”
Peyer said the parent group would continue its work on its own, focusing on five areas: open enrollment, discipline, academics, communication and teacher retention.
In spring, they’ll be out on the campaign trail, running for at least two of the school board seats assigned to city residents.
Scherer thinks the prospect of contested races is a good thing—even it means he loses his seat on the board.
“The apathy is gone,” Scherer said.
Sep 20, 2011 at 3:20 p.m.
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Sirens every 15-20 minutes in Delavan? I'm not hearing 'em. Guess I'd better go get a hearing aid!
Sep 18, 2011 at 6:24 a.m.
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No, just a couple of smart mouths who have nothing else to add to the discussion.
Sep 17, 2011 at 10:51 a.m.
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It looks like some people from Delavan are a little unhappy with Iriss right now.
Sep 17, 2011 at 10:08 a.m.
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Iriss you did a lot of drugs in your youtg? that explains a lot!LOL
Sep 17, 2011 at 9:31 a.m.
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Iriss...me thinks you've had one fix too many.
Sep 16, 2011 at 12:55 p.m.
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We all need to work together(Parents, Administrators, Staff) to improve Delavan Darien schools
Sep 16, 2011 at 12:16 p.m.
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First of all - jd1965 is absolutely correct. And for those of you who do not live in Delavan, do not speak of it. You don't know what you're talking about.
Iriss - I appreciate your "experience" while you lived in Delavan, but if you think that the same things you spoke of are not happening in your community than you too have turned a blind eye. I have family that live in your town, who attend the HS there - and I know for a fact that Elkhorn too has these problems.
Difference is - Elkhorn has an administrator who makes different decisions and has a better handle on the issues at the schools. Delavan has an administrator who needs to leave. She is not helping our school district and it is about time we find one who wants to.
jmo
Sep 16, 2011 at 11:34 a.m.
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Iris hit the nail on the head. The rest of you can bury your heads in the sand and turn a blind eye but those are the issues.
Sep 16, 2011 at 11:13 a.m.
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Oh that's just Iriss being Iriss. She has all the answers,typical DDHS student.
Sep 16, 2011 at 10:37 a.m.
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And Iris, though I agree with the last few sentences of your post, your attacks on Delavan are a little over the top. This isn't Somalia for pete's sake. Yes we have problems, but guess what: drugs, crime, etc are problems in other communities too. Lake Geneva, Walworth, and (gasp!) Elkhorn. Attacking Delavan like you did is not helpful.
Sep 16, 2011 at 10:35 a.m.
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The purpose of this post is not to sling mud at anybody but to set the record straight from a school parents point of view. The "elephant in the room" is the deep chasm that has developed between teachers, particularly at the high school, and administration. Simply put, there are policies of this current administration that I know they believe in and mean well, but simply do not work at the high school level in regards to discipline and academics. As a result of these policies, the teachers and students are finding the learning environment more and more difficult. Meanwhile, many on the school board, who I appreciate for their willingness to serve, do not realize that THEY are the bosses of the district, not the other way around. They work for the taxpayers and the voters, not the administration. This is the reason for the resistance to the parents group, who have been called bullies and a mob.
The solution is, in my opinion, a change needs to occur at the top and it needs to occur now, not 2 years from now. There is simply too much damage done to fix it. When the finest teacher in the school reluctantly takes a job in a district 15 miles away, there needs to be some accountability. When an excellent middle school principal leaves for a job in another district despite wide support from parents and staff, there needs to be some accountability.
All of us, parents, teachers, administration, and school board members want the same thing. We want to return Delavan Darien School District to the top performing district that it was just a short time ago. It can be done.
Sep 16, 2011 at 7:43 a.m.
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Hmm. I bet you're right. There's something that everyone knows, but that the press refuses to talk about. You gotta wonder why we bother with the first amendment at all, since the media really never use it, whether nationally or in Janesville and Delavan.
Sep 16, 2011 at 7:18 a.m.
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I think there is an elephant in the room..any ideas?
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