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Thank you Larry!! Very eloquently stated. It is too easy to
cater to the few who wish to supress us for whatever reason. As we seek to
answer each of their barbs and missives, they win. If their hearts were in
the right place, they would dive in, roll up their sleeves, and be proposing
possible solutions and not just taking shots from the sidelines. There is
your proof of their intent.
Therefore, I say, let their noise happen unanswered and let's only
focus on the best solutions and moving forward. The only time I feel it
makes any sense to address such folks is when we seek the community's vote and
the nay-sayers could have too large an impact on voter's
opinions.
As
that is not an issue at this point, you have this taxpayer's permission to
focus only on solutions.
Within the framework of 'solutions,' one idea that has helped me through
the years in all aspects of my life is to seek counsel of those older and wiser
from the business community. Your issues, and in fact, all
issues, are not dissimmilar to the ones they have faced and learned from
over the years. I find that they have a great neutrality in such
instances. We are blessed with a mother lode of very wise, very
experienced business leaders with *great integrity* in our community.
Might it provide benefit to pull a panel of 4-6 of these folks together to seek
opinions and advice? These folks are a quick study so it would not involve
bringing them up to speed on all the issues. In all probability, they are
already up to speed on all the issues in this case.
Onward and upward,
Ray
Dretske
-----Original Message-----
From:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Larry
Laber
Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2002 9:34 PM
To:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]; Brant Deppa; Todd A Rasmussen; Steve Kranz; Ed
Thompson; Fred Peterson; School Board listserve
Subject: [Winona] WAPS
Last Saturday morning, the School Board held a
working session with administration working specifically with our over
capacity and shortage of funds. Toward the end of the session, Sharon
Ropes spoke frankly about an orchestrated effort by certain members in
the community to defeat the public school system and what it stands
for. At the time I was silent only because she said what I and others
have been thinking for some time.
We continue to be perform reactively to articles
that aremisquoted, misstated or use a play on words to show the public schools
in a negative image. I, for one have had about enough of this
garbage. I truly believe that our teachers, our principles, our entire
administrative team act in what they believe is best for education. I am
tired of each of us being used as a punching bag for someone else's
enjoyment. I am more than prepared to address each and every slander
thrown our way but will not be very effective if everyone who shares these
same thoughts just sits on their hands.
We have a very vocal minority chasing our
leadership in circles with their information demands and legal actions with
their only goal in mind to discredit all that these people do and what they
stand for.
It has been my pleasure to work side by side with
teachers and administration this past three years and when I see them accused
of such a sundry of improprieties I have to question what the motive is behind
it. Do these actions improve our educational system? I highly
doubt it. Have they caught anyone, anyone at all, doing any more than
what that person thought was right? No one. Yet this diatribe
continues. As long as we continue to give this small faction our ear we
will serve no good to our public schools. Yes, we need to be open to
constructive criticism. We need to look at new, innovative ways of
reaching kids who really do view the world a whole lot different that those of
my generation did. We can't do that if precious resources and time are
spent addressing the negativism that comes from these people.
I believe that Dr. Bartleson and his staff are as
good an administrative team as this school district has seen. We can't
realize their potential though unless we take an open, positive position in
their support. This is not meant for board members only. This is
spoken to the school community at large. The School Board understands
too well the public lashing district employees have had to stand up
to. We have good schools, good support staff, good teachers,
good administrators. They can be better if we let them do their
jobs. This will only happen when these attacks against the public school
system are stopped. Constructive criticism is a powerful animal.
Negative criticism only serves the people dishing it out. Enough I
say.
Larry Laber
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