4K Moving Ahead in West Bend
Sigh...
Two of three members of the Board Instruction Committee gave the okay to Ted Neitzke to continue studying the possibility of adding 4K to the West Bend School District. Voicing strong objection to this added program, Dave Weigand recommended not pursuing it further.
The West Bend School District is looking to “partner “with local parochial schools, the YMCA daycare and other preschool providers for an offsite 4K program. It would not be fully funded until its third year.
Tim Stepanski questioned why the district would add a non-mandated program in the midst of “budget cuts”. Weigand echoed that thought, further stating that the district would likely use union teachers, which are part of the current budgetary problems we have today. Weigand cited the financial liabilities and legacy costs that come with hiring teachers from the teacher’s union. No one denied that the district would hire union teachers for 4K, even though it would not be necessary to due to 4K not being mandated by the state.
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Kris Beaver strongly supported the proposed program, stating that not all moms can prepare their kids for school. “There are moms who know how to teach kids and moms who don’t”.
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We are told that this program is optional, “We’re not encouraging anyone to do anything.” they say. But, they are forcing the tax payer to add another program which will increase taxes and cause parents to give up their responsibilities to the schools again.
So let’s see… we allegedly have a budget crisis, but in the past few weeks we have moved ahead with a new fitness center, keeping the pool open, and now 4K - none of which are either mandated or part of the core mission of the district. I guess there’s plenty of money flowing already. It’s like the guy in the welfare line talking on his brand new iPhone.
Last week in the Ozaukee Press they ran a story about this same program put on by the Port Washington/ Saukville school district. The thing appears to be a money maker costing less then $2,000.00 per student, but the kicker is they sub contract the complete program out to area day care centers, thus eliminating any type of facilities or union employees. They have some minor administration but thats about all they touch. Has been up and running a few years and the district is happy.
Of course they are happy its a cash cow for them and the taxpayers eat the cost to provide free day care under the false pretense of education. I doubt you need teachers credentials to baby sit, my issue is how can they justly call this education and these toddlers made part of the head count . They are quite blatent in farming it out to independent day cares proof positive it is a glorified baby sitting service and should not be funded by taxpayer dollars.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 21, 2010 at 0829 hrs
Waukesha is going through the same thing and this is basically what I get from looing into it myself for our daughter. Only one of the district elementary schools is actually offering 4k ... the rest is being done by day care centers that contract with the district. It’s only a 2 hour a day program, meaning households where both parents work will need to contract with a day care provider for ‘wrap around’ day care. Shockingly (or not), despite the subsidy the day care center gets for kids enrolled in the 4k program still charge about the same thing as if the child weren’t in 4k at all. The day care center is required to offer a specific cirriculum and they need to have instructors who are licensed for 4k instruction, but in almost all cases these are not district employees. 4k is not mandatory, so we won’t have our daughter in a Waukesha program, but our day care center provides the cirriculum already and our daughter will get it, without it costing the taxpayers anything. I don’t doubt that at the end of the day, that this is money maker for the district ... they wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t. But it also appears to be a boon for the day care centers who contract with the schools as well. If I had more time I’d look deeper into the finances of all this ... how much the disrict gets per pupil, how much the district pays the providers of the program, per pupil, how much the day care centers are charging for the wrap around care, etc. The whole thing doesn’t pass the smell test for me ... it just looks like a big scheme to get additional state aid for the schools and line the pockets of day care centers who contract with them.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 21, 2010 at 0852 hrs
it just looks like a big scheme to get additional state aid for the schools and line the pockets of day care centers who contract with them.
ding ding ding…
You nailed it.
Posted by Owen on July 21, 2010 at 0854 hrs
All the more reason we need to recall arrogant board members like Kris Beaver now. It is a small price to pay in order to prevent his continued reign of terror on the budget and taxpayers. His flippant and arrogant remarks about mothers should be galling to anyone, regardless of sex or creed.
Recall now!
Gary Tjark
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 21, 2010 at 0948 hrs
prevent his continued reign of terror
Really?? He’s a terrorist?? Now that’s just plain stupid.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 21, 2010 at 1201 hrs
Help me understand something here.
Am I correct that the schools get an infusion of cash (state aids) for offerring 4K programs?
Am I correct that one of the reasons school districts all across the state are suffering budgetary problems is due to less state aids available?
How about if the state cuts out the state aids for 4K and reallocates to K-12 educational purposes? Would that not prevent some layoffs of teachers and staff that serve K-12 students? Seems like school districts that don’t offer 4K should be screaming about lack of priorities when it comes to funding K-12.
About the only upside of 4K is that if might benefit a few stay at home moms/dads that want a break during the day to hit the Y or confab at Panera’s or something like that. Working parents are already paying for daycare, and might be eligible for Child Care Tax Credit which would mitigate that financial cost.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 21, 2010 at 1220 hrs
I don’t see what the problem here is. West Bend residents need to take advantage of those unwitting Wisconsin residents and their money….
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 21, 2010 at 1244 hrs
There’s already a program that’s being scammed under guise of offering “daycare assistance” to low income, working mothers. Why do these board members, and politicians feel the need to keep sticking their hands in my pockets to help those who refuse to take care of their own children?
Too stupid to teach them? Then don’t have them.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 21, 2010 at 1332 hrs
Really?? He’s a terrorist?? Now that’s just plain stupid.
So is clipping off the last part of the sentence in order to try to make a point.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 21, 2010 at 1541 hrs
So is clipping off the last part of the sentence in order to try to make a point.
prevent his continued reign of terror on the budget and taxpayers.
Really?? He’s a terrorist?? Now that’s still just plain stupid.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 21, 2010 at 1805 hrs
BOHICA!
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 21, 2010 at 1810 hrs
So is clipping off the last part of the sentence
I hate it when someone clips just a smidge of a sentence to make it sound like something totally different than what it was meant to mean. Don’t you agree Ski??
And as a conservative I hate it when other so called conservatives say stupid shit on blogs.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 21, 2010 at 1934 hrs
New fitness center,new swimming pool, new 4k free daycare, TAX TO THE MAX until it hurts.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 21, 2010 at 2004 hrs
I hate it when someone clips just a smidge of a sentence to make it sound like something totally different than what it was meant to mean. Don’t you agree Ski??
Yes.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 22, 2010 at 1040 hrs
“It’s like the guy in the welfare line talking on his brand new iPhone.”
Is that like the welfare queen driving a caddy? Can you get a picture of either? Id like to see it.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 31, 2010 at 1152 hrs
Hi,
The idea that there would be fewer scholarships donated by businesses also seems like nonsense to me. If the businesses really care about education, they will simply move to awarding two scholarships to west bend students instead of one to East and one to West.Posted by Preschool Long Beach on August 04, 2010 at 0144 hrs
I think buckwheat is gluten-free, so the structure of your bread will suffer. I’d suggest a half and half to see what happens with the addition of the buckwheat flour. Experiment.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on August 14, 2010 at 0149 hrs
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