On Vineyard reflects goal of quality wine and a rural lifestyle

Posted on July 25 at 7:54 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

When I visited the winery in Milton, I learned that they bring in juice from grapes in California, and then make their wine. My business will go to the Stallers who use their grapes (Wisconsin), get grapes from two other vineyards in Wisconsin, and have two suppliers in New York. Buy local, sound familiar? Although they use some grapes from New York, the majority of their wine is made from Wisconsin grapes. I wish the Stallers the best, and I will be supporting their business.

On Janesville School District officials provide details on cutbacks at meeting

Posted on April 4 at 12:39 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

I'm still looking for major cuts in Special Ed staffing and programs? Hmmm..oh, that's right,there are State and Federal mandates. Let's see them. John Q Public is not so ignorant as to believe everything done for Special Ed. is ordered by the government.

Flash Back to February 2003. These students were referred to as Low Incidence/High Cost Students. 3 student's range was $50,838-$65,363, 8 student's range was $40,661-$43,833, 27 student's cost ranged from $27,770-$39,725, and 36 student's cost the district $6,159-$24,915. Grand total: 74 students cost the district $2,074,560 to educate. Now these costs included teacher, transportation, special education aide, technology, occupational and physical therapy, specially designed physical education, music therapy, nursing, speech and language, vision and/or hearing impaired services. This doesn't take into account the thousands of dollars spent to renovate buildings to accomadate these children.

This was in 2003. Can you imagine what the costs are now? Our Special Ed. continues to grow. People move here, and remain because of the pristine education their Special Needs child(ren) receive.

How sad that all our regular ed children(which are thousands) are asking for are decent size classrooms, with a librarian and counselor in each building and courses that allow them the ability to compete in today's world.

Oh, and in 2006-2007 the cost to educate a Special Education Student started at $35,000. Started there, and the only way is up.

Come on folks. There is "fat" to be cut everywhere. Those State and Federal mandates need to take "time-off" too. Funny that no one of authority steps up to the plate, and says enough is enough. Regular Ed. parents no one is going to fight for your child(ren) except you. You are not a horrible person if you question the cost of Special Ed. You love your child as much as anyone else, and your child deserves the best,too!

On More Janesville teacher cuts detailed

Posted on March 20 at 10:05 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

WalterReuther settle down. Special Ed seems to be dear to your heart. I respect that. I also respect that sports is very important to the development of regular ed children. You see special ed children get their "sports" through staff hired to provide them with an individual program for their specific needs.

On More Janesville teacher cuts detailed

Posted on March 20 at 11:07 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

WalterReuther I am not whining, I am doing something, educating the public. So few people understand there are state/fed mandates that are unfunded and have to be paid for by local districts. The more informed people there are, the more they will understand and take action, if they choose too. Mudsill, the statistics I used about paying $70,000 for one student was from the 1980's. I can only imagine what that amount is now. Before you accuse someone of being a liar, please contact the school district and ask them for those amounts. I'll get back to you so you know what figures to ask for. Don't be surprise if you run into a few roadblocks. These are statistics they usually don't share with John Q Public. Freedom fighter you are playing the sympathy card. I am being realistic. No one wants to see people lose their jobs. I am sure the regular ed aides, facing the same future your wife is, feels the same way. JohnWicket, please get past the GM compensation thing. It has nothing to do with what is happening in the Janesville school district. You just want to stir the pot, and get people's emotions all rattled. When that happens sensibility goes out the window.

On More Janesville teacher cuts detailed

Posted on March 19 at 10:15 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

Hmmm...now everyone take a deep breath, because I am going to enter the world of special ed. Think with your head, and not with your emotions. That is what regular ed. parents are being asked to do, as they watch courses and teachers being cut. No where do I see specifically that cuts are being made in the special ed. areas. I am not referring to counselors, speech, etc. I am addressing those children who individually cost the district more than $70,000 a year. Let me repeat, individually. What cuts are being made to their programs? I know there are state and federal mandates that must be addressed. Too easy to say that in these times. If a state or federal mandate is not fully funded, than it should be removed. If we can't fund regular ed programs and teachers, then we can't fund special ed. programs and staff. Regular ed parents watch this closely. Many of the influential staff in central office has a special ed. background. I've already heard that the special ed. support staff have been told they will receive layoff notices but will be hired back. I wonder if the regular ed. support staff were told that. Also, remember the Charter Schools? Rumor has it a principal, regular ed support teacher, special ed support teacher and other staff members are headed for a "conference" in New Orleans to learn about a charter school for ELL children. By the way, did anyone else notice that ELL wasn't being touched? Must be one of those state/federal mandates/guidelines. Those need to go. I am not cruel, or insensitive. However, I will not allow people to play the sympathy card when defending special ed. All children deserve the education that will allow them to become productive members of society. Regular ed. students are getting the short end of the stick. Special ed. administrators, staff and parents have hidden behind the concept that it is a "state/federal mandate/guideline" and so it must be followed. I say no more and we need to let the administrators know this. It is time we equalize "regular ed." and "special ed."

On Janesville School Board faces stark choices

Posted on February 5 at 9:34 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

Wondering if our school board and administrators have looked into the Lakeland School in Elkhorn. It is a cost efficient Special Education facility. Of course our administrators are looking into three new "charter" schools. This requires an entourage of "educators" to go out of state and attend conventions that explain these "charter" schools. Hmmmmm

On New Janesville School District tool focuses on improvement

Posted on January 24 at 8:47 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

If Studer is paying for everything, then who pays for the subs, airline tickets, hotels, food, transportation etc. when staff attends the "Studer" seminars? Isn't that called "building budgets?"

On Janesville School Board to consider cutting social worker positions

Posted on January 10 at 8:25 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

catladyblues You are playing the sympathy card again. People have to be able to discuss Special Ed without doing that. When I talked about physical changes to buildings I was not talking about making public buildings handicapped accesible. Let me be more specific. In one elementary building a bathroom received a lock to the door, so the aide could lock it while helping the student use the bathroom. Then there was the purchase of a changing table, and the cost of attaching it to the wall in the bathroom. It reminded me of changing tables found in some restaurants and waysides. With that said, the child moved to another elementary school the next year, and the whole process was repeated and paid for again. That is excessive, but required by state/federal mandates. If we had buildings that met the physical/social/emotional/and educational services required to meet the needs of special ed children, plus opening them up to parents who want their children educated in this environment, it becomes much more cost effective. Plus it gives regular ed parents a choice.

On Janesville School Board to consider cutting social worker positions

Posted on January 9 at 9:08 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

reality_bites Thanks for bringing up our Hispanic population. Here is food for thought. The administration is planning on sending a principal and special ed. learning support person to a convention (of course out of state) to learn about a program where regular ed. children that have English as a second language are placed in a building where they learn their "native" language along with English. Looks like we have a new Charter school in the making. How about a Charter School where regular ed. students attend that have no need for special ed. services. Another novel idea would be to take a few elementary schools, 1 high school, 1 middle school and place the special ed. children there. The twist would be that the schools would offer reg. ed. education also. That would give parents the choice of their children working with special ed. kids or not. Right now regular parents have no choice.

On Janesville School Board to consider cutting social worker positions

Posted on January 9 at 8:48 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

whosays...I agree we have to get past the rhetoric and find solutions. The best way to do that is to show the special ed. expenditures and state/federal mandates. Be specific. How many children are considered special ed. and what are their individual expenditures. What programs are offered in special ed. What facilities are used, equipment supplied, personel required and the cost of each. How have buildings been renovated to accomadate special ed children, and what has it cost in the past 10 years. People can't ask questions until they know what they are talking about. Once again, knowledge is power. Give John Q Public the knowledge and they will ask the questions. As far as this being a school board activity, administration is kept well aware of everything.