“Wealth is a relational barrier. It keeps us from having open relationships.”
― Randy Alcorn, Money, Possessions and Eternity
Let's honor the teachers in the School District of Janesville, having an open relationship that fosters and promotes standards of professional behavior. Thank you Janesville teachers.

Wislady, thank you for pointing out my comment. I stand by it. What was your point?

TCB, are you suggesting that for all of the years that the teachers took minimal pay increases while the economy was doing well, that they were not aware of economic realities? And, if you are a professional who is earning $50,000 a year, supporting a family of 4, taking a pay cut of $4000 and a reduction in benefits does hit a family quite hard. So, perhaps destruction was a strong word; but the empathy from the community seems to be non-existent, which I find deplorable.

"Make a decision. Either you come back or not."

Yeah and make it before the district decides what they are going to ram down your throat, great idea. Not a single person on these boards would sign a commitment to work without knowing the conditions, why do you expect teachers to be any different?

Make a decision. Either you come back or not. You cannot be in limbo. You cannot take what people voted for hostage anymore.

Thanks

June 15 is the last day to opt out penalty free. April 15 is the day when contracts must be signed, as in the past. If you don't sign, you're basically saying I'm not coming back.

When a district wants to know who is leaving after the current school year what date is that? Can someone please answer this question.

State statute says non-renewal letters must be sent out, and I believe April 30 is the state deadline, so the district it's giving itself a buffer window.

Dtb

Answering a question with a question? Hmmm....there is a date that the district gives teachers just in case they intend to leave..it's way before June 30th...or whenever the contract expires at the end of the year...

harry, do you know what a contract is?

Does anyone know if the April 15th deadline is the same date for a teacher to tell the district if they intend to comeback for next year? just curious...

To believe what Soderman says is insane as he is the very one demanding them to sign his blank check. But then again you have those select few as usual believing them and that their word is truthful. No one in their right mind would sign a blank contract and those that say different are not of sound mind. You know who you are. no matter how wrong and corrupt the GOP and the likes are, you will have simple minds defending them. Revamp time for our children's future and get people on board that believe in Education and the children to become all they can be. This is not about adults here THIS IS ABOUT OUR CHILDREN. Janesville has some of the greatest teachers I have had the opportunity to meet and deserve to be treated with dignity not disrespect and humiliation. to actually think that the well educated teachers would fall for this, actually shows how ignorant the school board really is. and some in here.

I don't understand the significance of the April 15th deadline. Is this somehow related to the law or to the current contract? Why are we rushing all of this?

As ridiculous as it sounds on the face of it to ask anyone to sign an incomplete contract, if you have the option to opt out without penalty until June 15th, I don't see what the big deal is.

harry, you couldn't be more wrong. You don't have to be a union member if you don't want to. Never have.

Have to agree with the teachers on this one- sign a blank contract- NO WAY! Not sure you can make anybody do that either!!!

analertcitizen
Thank you.

broadheadnative,
Great comment a few days ago.

On Teachers union to school board: Negotiate or face lawsuit
Posted on March 13 at 6:59 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

"It is because of ACT 10 Evansville has half a chance of having a balanced budget. Being bent over by the unions has just screwed the Evansville district to no end. Until now."

Broadhead- I always disagree with wislady but not fair to say she uses aliases. She doesn't-although many do.

brodheadnative

You are a liar, I have never posted under a different user name. There was an instance, however, when I had to contact the Gazette when someone else tried posting under a clever adaptation of my user name.

"Yes, they may have to pay their "fair share" dues, but that is because whether in the union or not, ALL members of the bargaining unit benefit from the union's work."

Forced union dues are no longer MANDATORY.

I hope everyone on here knows Wislady has had numerous alias/handles on here. She tends to make up things about her self or situation to make it seems like she knows more than she does. She can win a argument so she lies.

Roggensack Supports Using Taxpayer Dollars to Fund Scientology Schools

Submitted by Jud Lounsbury on Thu, 03/14/2013 - 3:45pm

Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Patience Roggensack supports the use of tax payer dollars, via school vouchers, to fund Scientology and any other religious teaching that someone may find controversial.
In 1997, then a 4th District Court of Appeals judge, Roggensack wrote the dissenting opinion that would be the basis for the landmark 1998 Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling upholding the law that enables tax dollars to be spent on religious schools, including Scientology, through school vouchers.
People may scoff at notion of a Scientology school receiving funding in Wisconsin, but there is nothing to prevent it and, in fact, it would be illegal to discriminate against Scientologists should they wish to be included in a voucher program and met the minimum qualifications of other voucher schools. And the idea isn't that far-fetched: Scientologist elementary schools are popping-up all over the country.
This issue recenlty came up in Louisiana, where Republicans passed a voucher bill and wrongly thought they were funding "religious" schools of the Christian variety and were shocked to find that tax payer money could be spent on Scientology and, even worse, a MUSLIM school:

http://www.uppitywis.org/blogarticle/rog...

Professor X

Belonging to a union is a requirement to hold a teaching job in WI.

People should work wherever they want without coercion.

Prof,

As a condition of employment are teachers required to be members of the JEA? In other words, can you be a teacher in the JSD and not a member of the union?

Wislady--Once again, no one is "forced" to join a union. Yes, they may have to pay their "fair share" dues, but that is because whether in the union or not, ALL members of the bargaining unit benefit from the union's work.

haveconcerns,

If you think the school board can simply in your terms "completely destroy their wages, benefits, and working conditions" you are certifiable. Teachers are professionals with high skills and valued members of the community. No one, is calling for the destruction of wages or benefits or working conditions.

There are economic realities that impact public sector employees and there is a tax capacity at which municipalities can support services. Cant you at least concede this point? Or are teachers, which are college graduates simply victims that cannot distinguish right from wrong and need their hands held by some benevolent caretaker for a fee (union)? It 2013 not 1903.

Thank you, Bill Sodemann.

Bill, you conveniently left out a key difference in this situation. In the past the agreements were signed knowing that the union was negotiating for the rights of the teachers in whatever terms that were being worked out. Now they are being made to sign these with the WEAK hope that you and the board will not completely destroy their wages, benefits, and working conditions. And let's be honest, you have a reputation of caring more about saving childless angry tax payers $80 a year than you do about maintaining decent wages and benefits for our school district staff (who are also, by the way, tax payers).

While I generally no longer comment on these posts, I do think that it is important to relay accurate information.

1. In essence, the new modified contract being signed by a date set in state statute is no different than what has occurred before every other contract was negotiated. The contract was seldom settled before the statutory required dates of “non- renewal” notices expired and employees routinely signed these contracts that had “items still to be worked out”. It is true however, that with the changeover to a handbook format under Act 10, the type and scope of items being worked on are more open to change than in previous years.

2. Signing the modified contracts does not lock that person into accepting unknown terms. By signing the contracts they are guaranteeing themselves that they will have a job. They still have the right to rescind, without penalty, up until June 15th if they are not happy with provisions of the handbook. The handbook should be completed well before then.

3. This is the same procedural step that our administrators went through last month.

To characterize that this equates to “agree to work for unknown terms or you are fired” is completely false.

Sincerely,
Bill Sodemann
608-531-1883
bsodemann@janesville.k12.wi.us

The "intelligent" people continue to name call to try to make their point. Fail.

I don't hate unions, I do hate FORCED union participation.

Sounds to me that the Janesville School Board is trying to intimidate teachers to leave the district.

But 916 you and others said we were boke? Was that a lie? Wisconsins highways are that terrible? When Obama suggests spending on infrastructure you and your team chastize him for it, interesting.
So what e are seeing is that Republicans LOVE government spending as much as democrats do, just on what THEY deem important, and are willing to lie to you about being broks to win elections then spend money on THEIR agenda. Why dont they just tell the truth then? We want to defund public education to pay off large campaign contibutors like Michels construction who will get HUGE government highway contracts as a reward ofr their donations.
Just be honest dont lie about it. Dont say were broke out of one side of your mouth and spend like a drunken sailor out of the other side. Its disengenuous and makes you all look very silly.

fear....You are absolutely right. While I completely agree with Walker improving some of the state's most important infrastructure(the highway system), he shouldn't have borrowed the money to do so. He should have cut entitlements such as Badgercare and the Quest program. I wouldn't be opposed to an across the board tax rate increase--including the cancellation of tax credits exemptions for people that pay zero state income tax.
We finally agree on something!!!!

Is this the type of accountability republicans want in education? :
http://www.jsonline.com/news/education/t...

Three private schools in Milwaukee continued to receive taxpayer money through the voucher program after losing their accreditation, under a loophole in state law that requires such schools to obtain that official approval but not maintain it.

Scott walker spends like:

http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepoliti...

a billion more than he has......WHTA A REFORMER!! Lets see wislady defend her hero. Balanced budget huh??? Havent laughed that hard since wisladys last post.

Blatant union hatred RIGHT there. Please PROVE your indoctrination claims. You can't. All you can do is show your colors about hatred for unions with disdain for teachers. You know no teacher around here. I happen to know DOZENS of them, in both Janesville and Milton. NONE of them are indoctrinating anyone. More dumbed down agenda addressing a national ideology, has NOTHING to do with the reality of the siutuation.
Darlene would never sign a blank contract, niether would Bill Sodemann, or any of these dispicable individuals. We can thank these lunatics for showing anyone who doubts it that unions are not only relavant but extremely necessary.

Regarding the contract that needs to be signed by April 15, why not wait and see what it is before whining. It certainly won't be as long as a union contract (which usually takes MONTHS to come to agreement), and probably is only a few pages. I am sure the teachers should be able to read the agreement in less than 7 days.
The teachers and union are just having another tantrum, since they have not had to sign contracts before. Adapt, most companies have personnel policy handbooks and workplace rules that employees are required to read and sign as a condition of employment.

"the teacher spends their resources looking out for the best interests of the student, and the union spends their resources looking out for the best interests of the teacher"

That would be great if it were true. It seems that the teachers and the unions have become joined at the hip. We do not need unions running the schools, and pushing progressive indoctrinations of students. Time to get politics out of the schools, and it can't happen when unions are in control. This is one of the reasons that parents look to private schools.

Unions had a place and time, but times have changed.

I would ask the School Board whether they would sign a contract that is incomplete. Would Soderman sign a business contract that is "open" for the customer to fill in terms after the fact? Yeah, I didn't think so.

The school board should negotiate in good faith and not be pulling this blank contract garbage. Janesville should not treat their teachers this way.

The next time I need a phone system, I am calling Sodemann's company and asking him to deliver most his top of the line system that he sells along with a signed blank contract. If he says no deal after I fill in the amounts and terms and conditions, then he agrees to pay me liquidated damages of my choosing. Deal? If that is no deal, then he agrees to allow all to drag his company through the mud in the Gazette as being a lousy business with lazy, unskilled, over-paid employees, etc. - you know, the same way he allows the public to deal with the teachers without a word of support from him to counter the false claims.

This is why unions exist. Someone needs to stand up for individuals against an unreasonable situation when the individuals have no reasonable means to defend themselves.

A lot of people have failed to grasp the difference between a union and a teacher - the teacher spends their resources looking out for the best interests of the student, and the union spends their resources looking out for the best interests of the teacher. They are two separate logical entities - each with an important purpose. And the school board looks out for tax payers, so everyone is represented. Now if we can get the school board and the union to negotiate a reasonable compromise, everyone wins (or at least no one loses) - this is what educated and civil people expect from their elected leaders (whether local or national).

Come on realist; be a realist. Wislady will not respond, she'll just make a distraction reference to why don't we have a budget yet or something else she doesn't like about Obama. It's how she rolls.