As I have stated I am not about to post my feelings/thoughts on the ongoing negotiations between the district and the MGEA. Peter and Jessica have discussions on their blogs.
I will provide links that the public can review and formulate their own opinions:
MGEA
President's update
Teacher Update Flyer from School Board
Herald Independent
There are probably others I could find, but these will provide lots of information for everyone to read up on. Please provide your feedback to both the MGEA and the Board to give them your thoughts and opinions. We have received some feedback.
If you have any direct questions please give me a call and we can discuss.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Badgers Offensive Preview
It is time for my review of the upcoming Badger football season. I see this team in much the same light as the Packers. Great offense, questionable special teams and defense.
The O-line returns 5 starters and a couple others who have some substantial playing time. Many of the pundits are calling this group the best in the Big Ten. I think that they are capable of being one of the top 5 lines in the country. With tackles like (MG grad) Carimi and Oglesby anchoring the line the offense is well stoked to run block or pass protect.
The receivers look like they can go 5 deep. Toon is the unquestioned #1 receiver. He has all of the makings of a guy who will play on Sunday's. It looks like Kyle Jefferson has been found. He took the last couple of years off after a great freshman debut. Hopefully he can fulfill some of the promise he flashed previously. Lance Kendricks will extend the run of mismatches from the H-back/Tight End position.
At running back the Badger return Heisman Candidate John Clay. Clay is reported to be healthy and in better shape. I am projecting him to get about 1400 yards. Not sure that will keep him in the Heisman talk, but it will lead to many wins. Monte Ball is a more than capable back and will get some key carries. Zach Brown is still around for depth, but probably won't get many touches as Clay and Ball will carry the load. The remaining few carries may come from James White. White is a great speed back with the size to help him handle the pounding of running between the tackles. Expect White to surprise some defense with at least one game where he breaks off 2 or 3 long runs after Clay and Ball have worn out the defense.
Scott Tolzein is back at QB for a 2nd year. While Tolzein is not the flashiest QB out there he is very sound foundamentally. He takes care of the ball and delivers it to the open receiver. Behind him you have Curt Phillips and Jon Budmayr. Phillips is coming of ACL surgery and may not be able to play right away. Budmayr has lots of potential, but has not yet had the opportunity to show it in a game. I am hoping that the Badgers can get a big lead in 1 or 2 of the non-conference games and Budmayr gets some reps. If Tolzein goes down the Badgers will take a step back just from the lack of experience behind him.
I will preview the defense soon.
The O-line returns 5 starters and a couple others who have some substantial playing time. Many of the pundits are calling this group the best in the Big Ten. I think that they are capable of being one of the top 5 lines in the country. With tackles like (MG grad) Carimi and Oglesby anchoring the line the offense is well stoked to run block or pass protect.
The receivers look like they can go 5 deep. Toon is the unquestioned #1 receiver. He has all of the makings of a guy who will play on Sunday's. It looks like Kyle Jefferson has been found. He took the last couple of years off after a great freshman debut. Hopefully he can fulfill some of the promise he flashed previously. Lance Kendricks will extend the run of mismatches from the H-back/Tight End position.
At running back the Badger return Heisman Candidate John Clay. Clay is reported to be healthy and in better shape. I am projecting him to get about 1400 yards. Not sure that will keep him in the Heisman talk, but it will lead to many wins. Monte Ball is a more than capable back and will get some key carries. Zach Brown is still around for depth, but probably won't get many touches as Clay and Ball will carry the load. The remaining few carries may come from James White. White is a great speed back with the size to help him handle the pounding of running between the tackles. Expect White to surprise some defense with at least one game where he breaks off 2 or 3 long runs after Clay and Ball have worn out the defense.
Scott Tolzein is back at QB for a 2nd year. While Tolzein is not the flashiest QB out there he is very sound foundamentally. He takes care of the ball and delivers it to the open receiver. Behind him you have Curt Phillips and Jon Budmayr. Phillips is coming of ACL surgery and may not be able to play right away. Budmayr has lots of potential, but has not yet had the opportunity to show it in a game. I am hoping that the Badgers can get a big lead in 1 or 2 of the non-conference games and Budmayr gets some reps. If Tolzein goes down the Badgers will take a step back just from the lack of experience behind him.
I will preview the defense soon.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Packers Outlook
How much hype can the pundits’ heap on the Packers? Depending on which talking head you listen to the Packers are Super Bowl bound or the team to beat in the NFC. I think that they will be good, but I am not willing to place them with either of those labels. Instead I view them as one of about 4 teams that will be pretty good in the NFC and have a chance to get to the Super Bowl.
Let’s start with the defense because this will be a huge question mark to start the season. Overall depth at cornerback with Al Harris coming off injury is a major concern. It is time for the likes of Pat Lee, Jarrett Bush and Brandon Underwood to show that they are more than Special Teamers. I am not too concerned about Bigby not signing yet, as I think draft pick Morgan Burnett will have better stats by the end of the year regardless. This kid was a steal in the 3rd round.
The loss of Johnny Jolly hurts the overall depth more than anything. I am not as sold on 2nd round pick Mike Neal as the Packers are. I think he will get quite a bit of playing time, but not sure if that is a good thing. I expect much more out of B.J. Raji and Cullen Jenkins this year. Ryan Picket will be his usual steady self. Justin Harrell could very likely be given his walking papers if his back flares up again. He might provide some depth if he could stay healthy, but I think it is a 100-1 shot that he does.
The strength of this defense is in the front 7 and the LB’s are a huge reason for that. The D-line does its job and eats up blockers allowing the LB’s to make plays. Matthews and Barnett will have similar numbers to last year, although Matthews may not have as many sacks. Brad Jones played well and should continue to growing into the position. A.J. Hawk will never live up to the hype placed on him coming out of college. He is a good 4th linebacker, but will never be the star many thought he would be. Brandon Chillar and Brady Poppinga provide solid depth, but one or 2 of the young guys will have to make a few plays when given the chance.
On offense there are 2 critical pieces and the 1st piece directly impacts the 2nd. Coach McCarthy needs to set starting 5 on the line early in camp and let them develop some chemistry. I start Clifton, Colledge, Spitz, Sitton and Tauscher, with 1st round pick Bulaga replacing Clifton when he gets hurt (because you know he will). How this unit performs will determine if the 2nd concern becomes an issue.
If the line is unstable again, then Rodgers is going to spend lots of time running for his life or on his back. If he goes down then, so do the Packers hopes. Flynn just does not pass as a capable backup. Rodgers should have a stellar season and my guess is he is in the top 5 in yards and TD’s. The weapons on the outside in Jennings, Driver, Jones and Nelson give the Packers depth. You add in the continued growth of Jermichael Finley and Spencer Havner and you have great options to throw to.
Depth at running back is adequate, but nothing stellar. Ryan Grant will get is 90 – 110 yards a game and have 1200 on the year. Brandon Jackson and Gregg Lumpkin will both get pushed by James Starks for playing time. Jackson will probably keep his 3rd down role with Lumpkin and Starks fighting to be the primary backup. The Packers will get enough from the running game to keep defenses honest and will lean on it when they build a lead.
The main sources of competition are the Cowboys, Saints and Vikings. I think Atlanta will also have a good year, but don’t think they are quite in the same realm as the other 4. The Vikings season hinges on Brent coming back, but we all know he will. Yes I know I misspelled his name. With Brent and Romo under center for the Vikings and Cowboys, both will choke in the playoffs just like in the past. So as I see it the main concerns are the Saints, injuries and the Packers reading the press clippings. The Packers will finish 10-6 or 11-5. Both will be good enough to get them to the playoffs and probably a home game or two. If they keep their heads on straight and stay relatively healthy (i.e. Rodgers is under center) then I think they will win 1 playoff game and have the chance to get to the Super Bowl.
This is my take on the upcoming season as training camp approaches.
Let’s start with the defense because this will be a huge question mark to start the season. Overall depth at cornerback with Al Harris coming off injury is a major concern. It is time for the likes of Pat Lee, Jarrett Bush and Brandon Underwood to show that they are more than Special Teamers. I am not too concerned about Bigby not signing yet, as I think draft pick Morgan Burnett will have better stats by the end of the year regardless. This kid was a steal in the 3rd round.
The loss of Johnny Jolly hurts the overall depth more than anything. I am not as sold on 2nd round pick Mike Neal as the Packers are. I think he will get quite a bit of playing time, but not sure if that is a good thing. I expect much more out of B.J. Raji and Cullen Jenkins this year. Ryan Picket will be his usual steady self. Justin Harrell could very likely be given his walking papers if his back flares up again. He might provide some depth if he could stay healthy, but I think it is a 100-1 shot that he does.
The strength of this defense is in the front 7 and the LB’s are a huge reason for that. The D-line does its job and eats up blockers allowing the LB’s to make plays. Matthews and Barnett will have similar numbers to last year, although Matthews may not have as many sacks. Brad Jones played well and should continue to growing into the position. A.J. Hawk will never live up to the hype placed on him coming out of college. He is a good 4th linebacker, but will never be the star many thought he would be. Brandon Chillar and Brady Poppinga provide solid depth, but one or 2 of the young guys will have to make a few plays when given the chance.
On offense there are 2 critical pieces and the 1st piece directly impacts the 2nd. Coach McCarthy needs to set starting 5 on the line early in camp and let them develop some chemistry. I start Clifton, Colledge, Spitz, Sitton and Tauscher, with 1st round pick Bulaga replacing Clifton when he gets hurt (because you know he will). How this unit performs will determine if the 2nd concern becomes an issue.
If the line is unstable again, then Rodgers is going to spend lots of time running for his life or on his back. If he goes down then, so do the Packers hopes. Flynn just does not pass as a capable backup. Rodgers should have a stellar season and my guess is he is in the top 5 in yards and TD’s. The weapons on the outside in Jennings, Driver, Jones and Nelson give the Packers depth. You add in the continued growth of Jermichael Finley and Spencer Havner and you have great options to throw to.
Depth at running back is adequate, but nothing stellar. Ryan Grant will get is 90 – 110 yards a game and have 1200 on the year. Brandon Jackson and Gregg Lumpkin will both get pushed by James Starks for playing time. Jackson will probably keep his 3rd down role with Lumpkin and Starks fighting to be the primary backup. The Packers will get enough from the running game to keep defenses honest and will lean on it when they build a lead.
The main sources of competition are the Cowboys, Saints and Vikings. I think Atlanta will also have a good year, but don’t think they are quite in the same realm as the other 4. The Vikings season hinges on Brent coming back, but we all know he will. Yes I know I misspelled his name. With Brent and Romo under center for the Vikings and Cowboys, both will choke in the playoffs just like in the past. So as I see it the main concerns are the Saints, injuries and the Packers reading the press clippings. The Packers will finish 10-6 or 11-5. Both will be good enough to get them to the playoffs and probably a home game or two. If they keep their heads on straight and stay relatively healthy (i.e. Rodgers is under center) then I think they will win 1 playoff game and have the chance to get to the Super Bowl.
This is my take on the upcoming season as training camp approaches.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Brewers Trade Deadline Thoughts
Let’s talk sports. The MLB trade deadline is only 3 days away, the NFL starts training camps this weekend and college football kicks off their camps shortly. Finally something to get excited about, as the whole World Cup passed by without watching more than 5 minutes total.
Do the Brewers blow up their hitters and focus on adding as many quality arms as possible now or do they ride the year out and try to remake themselves in the offseason? I don’t think there is any way they will trade Prince Fielder in the next 3 days. His value will be greater in the offseason when they would have a better chance of landing 2-3 young power arms.
Part of my concern with Prince is that I don’t see many people willing to take on his future contract demands. If the $200 million the Brewers offered is not enough then who will give him his big payday? The Yankees, Angels, Mets, Cardinals and Phillies all have 1st base covered for the foreseeable future. The Dodgers have a good one that lacks Fielders power. The intriguing option may be Boston. The Red Sox have Youkilis at 1st and Beltre at 3rd. Both are getting up there in years, so they may be willing to buy high. I doubt that the White Sox, Cubs, Rangers or Orioles (previous big spenders) would be willing to bite at his demands. Lastly, Prince won’t sign a contract knowing he will be a full-time DH from the beginning of the deal. It may happen later in the deal, but not starting it.
A lot of talk has centered on Corey Hart and the big year he is having. While I agree his trade value may never be higher I think the Brewers will regret trading him if they do. He is back performing at a level which many expected him to be at. He is a 25/25 guy for the next 5-7 yrs. He is a good defensive outfielder and by most accounts he wants to be a Brewer. That has to count for something.
Trading Hart is like trading Tony Gwynn Jr. in my opinion. They gave up on Gwynn without giving him a chance and got pretty much nothing for him. Had they kept Gwynn they could have traded Hardy for an arm instead of Gomez who has lots of talent, but nothing that says he will put it all together.
This runs counter to conventional wisdom, but I would trade a guy like Bush or Riske or Hawkins or Hoffman to teams needing pitching for the stretch run. I would also consider trading Counsell and Edmonds. Getting a young player in A or AA for any of those guys would be something I would jump at. Then promote another young guy from our farm and give them a chance. Our young players have had their ups and downs, but the experience they have gotten is invaluable and the rest of the year needs to have one eye on next.
I will have a post about the Packers and Badgers soon.
Do the Brewers blow up their hitters and focus on adding as many quality arms as possible now or do they ride the year out and try to remake themselves in the offseason? I don’t think there is any way they will trade Prince Fielder in the next 3 days. His value will be greater in the offseason when they would have a better chance of landing 2-3 young power arms.
Part of my concern with Prince is that I don’t see many people willing to take on his future contract demands. If the $200 million the Brewers offered is not enough then who will give him his big payday? The Yankees, Angels, Mets, Cardinals and Phillies all have 1st base covered for the foreseeable future. The Dodgers have a good one that lacks Fielders power. The intriguing option may be Boston. The Red Sox have Youkilis at 1st and Beltre at 3rd. Both are getting up there in years, so they may be willing to buy high. I doubt that the White Sox, Cubs, Rangers or Orioles (previous big spenders) would be willing to bite at his demands. Lastly, Prince won’t sign a contract knowing he will be a full-time DH from the beginning of the deal. It may happen later in the deal, but not starting it.
A lot of talk has centered on Corey Hart and the big year he is having. While I agree his trade value may never be higher I think the Brewers will regret trading him if they do. He is back performing at a level which many expected him to be at. He is a 25/25 guy for the next 5-7 yrs. He is a good defensive outfielder and by most accounts he wants to be a Brewer. That has to count for something.
Trading Hart is like trading Tony Gwynn Jr. in my opinion. They gave up on Gwynn without giving him a chance and got pretty much nothing for him. Had they kept Gwynn they could have traded Hardy for an arm instead of Gomez who has lots of talent, but nothing that says he will put it all together.
This runs counter to conventional wisdom, but I would trade a guy like Bush or Riske or Hawkins or Hoffman to teams needing pitching for the stretch run. I would also consider trading Counsell and Edmonds. Getting a young player in A or AA for any of those guys would be something I would jump at. Then promote another young guy from our farm and give them a chance. Our young players have had their ups and downs, but the experience they have gotten is invaluable and the rest of the year needs to have one eye on next.
I will have a post about the Packers and Badgers soon.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
R.I.P. Maggie
Yesterday I put down one of the most compassionate and trusting dogs to ever walk this earth. This post is not about how hard this was, but about what I have learned from this experience.
1. I learned how trusting Maggie was until the end.
2. I learned how a soon to be 9 yr old deals with the death of a pet that has been with her since the day she was born.
3. I learned how much Maggie touched the lives of our friends’ kids. Maggie was such a mellow dog that many of our friends kids learned how gentle dogs could be. She helped many kids over their fears of big dogs.
4. I learned that when I eat I always take bites in a manner that would leave the last bite for Maggie.
5. I learned that I don’t need to do this anymore.
6. I learned how strong my wife and daughter are in the face of a tough situation.
7. I learned that no matter how much I thought I was in control of the house that I was in fact last, behind Sydney, Maggie and Linda.
8. I learned how different it is to come home and not be greeted by all her excitement.
9. I learned how compassionate the vets are when they deliver bad news.
10. I learned that no matter how well you think you are prepared for this…you are not!
1. I learned how trusting Maggie was until the end.
2. I learned how a soon to be 9 yr old deals with the death of a pet that has been with her since the day she was born.
3. I learned how much Maggie touched the lives of our friends’ kids. Maggie was such a mellow dog that many of our friends kids learned how gentle dogs could be. She helped many kids over their fears of big dogs.
4. I learned that when I eat I always take bites in a manner that would leave the last bite for Maggie.
5. I learned that I don’t need to do this anymore.
6. I learned how strong my wife and daughter are in the face of a tough situation.
7. I learned that no matter how much I thought I was in control of the house that I was in fact last, behind Sydney, Maggie and Linda.
8. I learned how different it is to come home and not be greeted by all her excitement.
9. I learned how compassionate the vets are when they deliver bad news.
10. I learned that no matter how well you think you are prepared for this…you are not!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Recent Absence
I have been absent for a while as I took a week off for vacation and then it took a week to catch up with work and school board items. There has not been a lot of activity over the past 2 weeks for the school board. On Wed. the 16th the Policy and Curriculum committees had their 1st meetings. On Wed. the 23rd Business Services had their 1st meeting. The link for all the agendas is:
http://www.mononagrove.org/board_committees.cfm
This week we have a closed session to meet regarding the Superintendant's annual review (an agenda won't be out until later today). We all have individual evaluations that we complete and then we meet to compile them into 1 formal document. This is pretty much the same process we followed last year, although the form used is slightly different.
The other item of note is that interviews for the next Business Services Director took place last week. This process continues on as Craig looks to replace Mary Ellen as quickly as possible, but also with the best person available. This position is so vital to all school districts that it is more about getting the right person than it is about filing the position quickly.
Our next board meeting is scheduled for July 14th. Have a great 4th of July weekend.
http://www.mononagrove.org/board_committees.cfm
This week we have a closed session to meet regarding the Superintendant's annual review (an agenda won't be out until later today). We all have individual evaluations that we complete and then we meet to compile them into 1 formal document. This is pretty much the same process we followed last year, although the form used is slightly different.
The other item of note is that interviews for the next Business Services Director took place last week. This process continues on as Craig looks to replace Mary Ellen as quickly as possible, but also with the best person available. This position is so vital to all school districts that it is more about getting the right person than it is about filing the position quickly.
Our next board meeting is scheduled for July 14th. Have a great 4th of July weekend.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Teacher Negotiations
I was catching up on the H-I from this past week and was reading Sunny's Column. I take exception with the characterization that the board is not involved in the process or aware of how the process is working. That is not the case in my opinion.
Because of the sensitive nature of this discussion I WILL NOT make comments or posts regarding it after this. If you have questions please contact me directly and I will provide as much information as I can. Just be aware that we are restricted in what we can discuss and I WILL NOT stray anywhere close to crossing that line.
I know that will seem like the easy way out to some, but be assured that it is not. However, there is a process for these negotiations and I will not in any way do or say anything that would impact them negatively.
Jason
Because of the sensitive nature of this discussion I WILL NOT make comments or posts regarding it after this. If you have questions please contact me directly and I will provide as much information as I can. Just be aware that we are restricted in what we can discuss and I WILL NOT stray anywhere close to crossing that line.
I know that will seem like the easy way out to some, but be assured that it is not. However, there is a process for these negotiations and I will not in any way do or say anything that would impact them negatively.
Jason
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
June 2nd Special Meeting
We have a special meeting this week. We will have a closed session to hear from the district's attorney regarding teacher negotiations. We will also hear from Barb Waara and her recommendation on the future of the Food Service Dept. We will discuss the possibility of outsourcing this function for the upcoming year.
The recommendation will be to outsource the food service dept. The proposal is very enticing and seems to be strongly recommended by the administration and the union.
The recommendation will be to outsource the food service dept. The proposal is very enticing and seems to be strongly recommended by the administration and the union.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Alt School Location
At this past Wednesday's board meeting we approved changes to student fees and the purchase of new computers. The big change in the student fees is that the sports fees are $60/sport and the increase of the nursing fee associated with the MATC program from $25 to $200. This fee is still short of the $375 fee the district pays, but it does help offset the costs. The computers are part of the 5 year replacement cycle and are an annual expense. Bill Herman tried once to go to a 6 year replacement cycle, but had lots of problems, so he went back to a 5 year cycle.
We also discussed the changes in the board's meeting schedule now that the standing committees are back for this next year. We will meet once a month on the 2nd Wed. of the month beginning with our June 9th meeting. Committee meeting dates and times will be determined once the committee chairs are in place.
The biggest topic of discussion in my opinion centered on where to house the Alt. school next year. The Alt. school is currently housed in a rented facility that needs improvements and frankly they have outgrown the space. It has been assumed that the Alt. school would move into Nichols. The costs for this move is more than anticipated due to some concrete work that needs to be done to make the 2nd egress functional. The other possibility mentioned was using space in the lower level at Winnequah.
I think it is extremely ironic that we are even discussing Winnequah as a valid option. During the past few months we have heard many parents state that it was unacceptable to have 4k students in the same building with 5th graders and now we are going to consider putting 3rd graders in a building with high school students. The board has to make this decision at the May 26th meeting, so there is no time for public input, but I am not sure we need any given the strong feelings we heard about putting kids who would have been 5-6 years apart in age. Imagine the reaction if we put kids that are even further apart in age in one building.
I would rather see the Alt. school in Nichols where it has its own identity. There will be some that say we can keep the elementary and high school kids separated, but that is false as explained by Ann Schroeder and Mark Scullion. The reason is that the down stairs bathroom would be used by both groups of students. The additional part that scares me is the security of the building. Right now everyone enters thru the main door by the office. If the Alt. school goes in then they would enter thru the downstairs doors. This to me creates a potential security risk that is unnecessary in an elementary building.
The estimated costs for both buildings will be discussed further on May 26th. The initial estimates are $20K for Nichols and $10K for Winnequah. The other variable in this discussion is that we won't hear on the report for Nichols by D.L. Evans until the June 9th meeting. No matter what is decided it may be a one year solution. Given all these moving pieces I still feel that for next year Nichols is the better option.
Also, for those that are going to tell me we need to save that $10K, I would argue that if we are willing to dip into fund balance for $190K this year that we surely can for $10K next year. I hope that no board member would use this as justification for voting to move the Alt school to Winnequah.
Again, this just drips of irony that we even discuss this as an option. I hope that the same people who felt it was unacceptable to have the 4k and 5th graders in one building are just as outraged at the thought of putting an 8 yr. old 3rd grader in the same building as an 18 yr. old senior. If there is not the same outrage then it will truly indicate that the concern is not for the students, but to keep Maywood open at all costs.
We also discussed the changes in the board's meeting schedule now that the standing committees are back for this next year. We will meet once a month on the 2nd Wed. of the month beginning with our June 9th meeting. Committee meeting dates and times will be determined once the committee chairs are in place.
The biggest topic of discussion in my opinion centered on where to house the Alt. school next year. The Alt. school is currently housed in a rented facility that needs improvements and frankly they have outgrown the space. It has been assumed that the Alt. school would move into Nichols. The costs for this move is more than anticipated due to some concrete work that needs to be done to make the 2nd egress functional. The other possibility mentioned was using space in the lower level at Winnequah.
I think it is extremely ironic that we are even discussing Winnequah as a valid option. During the past few months we have heard many parents state that it was unacceptable to have 4k students in the same building with 5th graders and now we are going to consider putting 3rd graders in a building with high school students. The board has to make this decision at the May 26th meeting, so there is no time for public input, but I am not sure we need any given the strong feelings we heard about putting kids who would have been 5-6 years apart in age. Imagine the reaction if we put kids that are even further apart in age in one building.
I would rather see the Alt. school in Nichols where it has its own identity. There will be some that say we can keep the elementary and high school kids separated, but that is false as explained by Ann Schroeder and Mark Scullion. The reason is that the down stairs bathroom would be used by both groups of students. The additional part that scares me is the security of the building. Right now everyone enters thru the main door by the office. If the Alt. school goes in then they would enter thru the downstairs doors. This to me creates a potential security risk that is unnecessary in an elementary building.
The estimated costs for both buildings will be discussed further on May 26th. The initial estimates are $20K for Nichols and $10K for Winnequah. The other variable in this discussion is that we won't hear on the report for Nichols by D.L. Evans until the June 9th meeting. No matter what is decided it may be a one year solution. Given all these moving pieces I still feel that for next year Nichols is the better option.
Also, for those that are going to tell me we need to save that $10K, I would argue that if we are willing to dip into fund balance for $190K this year that we surely can for $10K next year. I hope that no board member would use this as justification for voting to move the Alt school to Winnequah.
Again, this just drips of irony that we even discuss this as an option. I hope that the same people who felt it was unacceptable to have the 4k and 5th graders in one building are just as outraged at the thought of putting an 8 yr. old 3rd grader in the same building as an 18 yr. old senior. If there is not the same outrage then it will truly indicate that the concern is not for the students, but to keep Maywood open at all costs.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Visionary or Historian
I had a board of directors meeting this past Thursday and Friday for my day job. During the meeting we had some very candid discussions about how bad the past year or 2 have been. We discussed how the economy has impacted our stations and how we wish things were different. We talked about changes that were made and how we wish we would not have had to make some of those decisions. It made for a very negative meeting on Thursday.
After we got that out of our system we spent the better part of Friday discussing our successes. We talked about the good things we have done for clients, for the public and for our listeners. We made a conscious decision to stop dwelling on the past and the things that we cannot change and instead focus on the company’s future and what we can impact. The management team in this market is going to stress the wins and successes no matter how big or small. Right now every win is a step in the right direction.
On the way home this got me to thinking about the MG School District. Why can't we celebrate the successes and focus on the future? Where do we want to go and how do we get there? Why can't we celebrate our "wins" whether they are academic or extra-curricular? Why can't we toot our own horn on the good things our students do? I think we do some of this, but not nearly enough.
As a board member I have heard over and over about how things used to be or how they were done in the past. Well I was not a part of those boards and frankly I don't care how they did things. I am a part of this board and I only care how we are going to do things going forward. I am tired of continually looking backwards, when we should focus on the tasks ahead. How do we become more proactive instead of reactive?
I don't really have any answers at this point. However, I can tell you that my perspective has changed. I intend to try helping push us into the future. I will try to be more proactive with regards to the items that face us. Let's get them on the table and discuss them. Let's have those discussions and let's make the hard decisions. We won't know if we made the right or wrong decision immediately, but not making any decision is far worse in my opinion.
After we got that out of our system we spent the better part of Friday discussing our successes. We talked about the good things we have done for clients, for the public and for our listeners. We made a conscious decision to stop dwelling on the past and the things that we cannot change and instead focus on the company’s future and what we can impact. The management team in this market is going to stress the wins and successes no matter how big or small. Right now every win is a step in the right direction.
On the way home this got me to thinking about the MG School District. Why can't we celebrate the successes and focus on the future? Where do we want to go and how do we get there? Why can't we celebrate our "wins" whether they are academic or extra-curricular? Why can't we toot our own horn on the good things our students do? I think we do some of this, but not nearly enough.
As a board member I have heard over and over about how things used to be or how they were done in the past. Well I was not a part of those boards and frankly I don't care how they did things. I am a part of this board and I only care how we are going to do things going forward. I am tired of continually looking backwards, when we should focus on the tasks ahead. How do we become more proactive instead of reactive?
I don't really have any answers at this point. However, I can tell you that my perspective has changed. I intend to try helping push us into the future. I will try to be more proactive with regards to the items that face us. Let's get them on the table and discuss them. Let's have those discussions and let's make the hard decisions. We won't know if we made the right or wrong decision immediately, but not making any decision is far worse in my opinion.
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