Menu

school board

An Exchange Between a Parent and a Board Member

, , , , ,

Dear Superintendent Sebert and School Board members, The international hubbub arising from the bottom end of Larchmont Avenue–my spouse’s elementary alma mater–brings to mind the fable of the Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Made famous by Disney’s Fantasia, Goethe’s poem has plenty of interpretive layers that extend well beyond this controversy, but the image is provocative–for me at least: You created a monster with this “controversial signage” policy–and doubled down with an unnecessary (and unnecessarily cruel) “parental rights” resolution. And now, every time you try to cut the rainbow, you just end up with two rainbows. Then four. Then eight. And the next thing you know, […]

The Alliance for Education in Waukesha calls on the School District of Waukesha to End Bias in SDW Schools

, , , , , , , ,

STATEMENT ON BIAS IN WAUKESHA SCHOOLS

The School District of Waukesha (SDW) made national news for banning the song “Rainbowland.” This decision is a consequence of nearly three years of bad policy implementation by the SDW Superintendent and Board. Rainbowland is merely a symptom of an on-going pattern of bias, bullying of students, staff and parents, and failure to appropriately document and respond to incidents of discrimination and harassment.

Does SDW Want Transparency? Or Censorship?

, , , , , , , , ,

What’s most concerning is the ease for someone to censor material based on bigoted beliefs under the guise of protecting children, thus removing material geared toward marginalized students without the public being the wiser. A parent may censor their own child, but that’s where the line needs to be drawn. No one should limit anyone else’s kids simply because they disagree with the content.

“An egregious assault on the protection of intellectual freedom”

, , , , , , , , ,

I have lived in this community for over twenty years. I have raised two children who attended this school district. I grew up in a small town 25 minutes from here just over the county line. We had a tiny school library and a tiny public library. But I was fortunate to have the benefit of an aunt who began her professional career as a children’s section librarian and who worked her way up to eventually be the director of the entire public library system of a large metropolitan city. That aunt passed away this year. But she left a legacy […]