Thursday, October 01, 2009

The Letter to Parents

Yesterday, the parents of the children at Badger Middle School in West Bend received a letter about the way the children were informed of Mrs. Olson’s toxicology results.  You can read it here. The administration has been treated harshly by talk radio in the hours since the letter was made public.

The administrators did what they had to do. They gave the parents the information and allowed the parents to make the value judgments to present this hard subject to the kids. If I had kids in the school, that’s what I would want them to do.

As with everything, I’m sure that no matter how this horrible, rare situation was handled, someone would complain that they did it wrong. I’m not willing to condemn them for this one.

(10) Comments
Posted by Wendy at 0820 hrs


  1. I did not hear what was said on talk radio about this letter.  Can you please put some brief comments about it here somewhere?  I think the letter and discussing the situation is appropriate, especially at the middle school age.  This is the type of life learning experience that will hopefully help these kids truly understand consequences and the risks of drinking and driving.  This type of lesson just might save some lives in the near future when these kids start driving.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on October 01, 2009 at 0912 hrs


  2. The points discussed on talk radio were that the letter did not inform the reader that it was Mrs. Olson who was drunk, mention the other victims, or condemn the teacher’s actions forcefully enough.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on October 01, 2009 at 0916 hrs


  3. I am with Jeremy.  I have no idea why that letter would be criticized. 

    Based on what I have seen in other situations, this info probably was all over the school long before it hit the news.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on October 01, 2009 at 0922 hrs


  4. Good post Wendy!  You should have your own blog (or “boot” Owen off this blog more often).

    The letter is excellent - can’t understand the nitpicking.  This is definitely a topic that needs to be discussed at the parental/child level, without editorializing from the school system. 

    I remember many years back, my older brother taking up smoking when he went off to college (which he only did for a year or so).  My younger brother was probably in 2nd grade at the time, and the dangers of smoking was the class topic.  I remember my younger brother being upset that our older brother was “going to die!!”.  It was kind of funny (we still joke about it), but I’m sure that in my brother’s second-grade mind at that time, it was very scary.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on October 01, 2009 at 0949 hrs


  5. I think the talk radio circuit has some good points to make.  The school is quick to inform our children of all sorts of things weather we like it or not.  I think they could have handled it better by being more open with students and use this a learning experience for the students.  Good people can make poor decisions that can affect the lives of others.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on October 01, 2009 at 1234 hrs


  6. There will be positives and negatives no matter how you look at this situation. Telling kids is not easy, and certainly not pleasant.  The word was out before those parents ever got that letter.  Open discussion was bound to happen, and it was best that the school district did not make a painful situation even worse with public assault.  On the forefront of homecoming, let’s hope a positive message from this terrible tragedy will save some lives.  I am hoping the school district will see this as an opportunity for good despite the catastrophic loss of life.  That would be more honoring and productive to both families in the long run.

    Posted by GAMazy on October 01, 2009 at 1514 hrs


  7. Where was the teacher when she was suppose to be going through her life-changing moment???
    Instead she made some other family go through their life changing episode.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on October 01, 2009 at 1542 hrs


  8. I read the letter (the link from the newspaper) and did not really see anything wrong with it.  I am thinking that this is probably the first letter of it’s kind to have to be written and go out to how many parents, so I am sure it was difficult.

    I did not hear any comments about it on talk radio.  Kelly shared a bit what they had to say a few posts before.  I really don’t think the letter needed to be railing on Mrs. Olson anymore with how serious the situation was.  One, because I think that everybody really knows how serious it was and two, because do her children, who are in the WB district at McLane   really need it shoved in their faces anymore??  I realize the letter went out to Badger parents, but do you really think that kids at Badger don’t have any siblings at McLane and possibly some of those kids may say something?  Kids are mean nowadays, yes, even in elementary school.

    One more point, I wonder how much money was spent on printing/copying all those letters, I mean c’mon, the cost of ink and paper??  LOL!!!  That money could have gone to off set the 12.13% tax increase they will shove up our butts soon!  Also, were they sent home with the students or mailed home?  Postage ain’t cheap nowadays.  Sorry, I had to say it and be a smarty pants.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on October 01, 2009 at 1552 hrs


  9. I thnk the letter is appropriate as it leaves it up to the parents to further discuss the issue with their children. Talk radio often screams about schools
    over-stepping their bounds, and now they are complaining about this letter?

    Seems they want it both ways.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on October 02, 2009 at 0518 hrs


  10. Seems like Adamski has had an enlightning moment.  The radio squawkers figured out that ratings go up when they are negative toward government or government type entities.  It is very rare for a government entity and especially a school to get an “atta boy” or “right stuff” award…excluding Scott Walker of course, he can do no wrong.

    I second GAMazy’s comments as well.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on October 02, 2009 at 1014 hrs


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