Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Greenfield School Board members voiced concerns about a board-staff communication policy, which spiraled into a conversation about the relationship between staff and administration.
A Greenfield School Board member’s distaste about a new staff policy that tells staff not to come to the school board with concerns and complaints set off a war of words about the district's culture. The policy, drafted by administration at the board's request and approved in July, directs staff to bring concerns and complaints that fall outside the previously established grievance policy to the administration—and not directly to board members. This is the heart of board member Rick Moze's issue with the new policy, which led to a tense and testy discussion at Monday's meeting. The policy, after the board approved it, drew the ire of Greenfield teacher union president Kerri Jo Patten. Moze, who was not on the board when the policy was …
Friday, August 24, 2012
The Greenfield School Board passed over the new employee handbook on Monday because members wanted more time to review the changes, including the grievance policy and the board-staff communication policy.
Teachers will begin the 2012-13 school year without updated employee handbooks after the Greenfield School Board decided to table their approval until next month’s meeting. The 2011-12 handbooks will remain in place until the newer versions are approved. “We’ve never had this happen before but we do have handbooks in place that were approved specifically for 2011-12,” Superintendent Conrad Farner told the School Board on Monday. Farner told board members administrators wanted the books approved because teachers reported this week. He told them handbooks could be revisited and modified at any time. But some board members requested more time. Newly appointed board member Rick Moze said he had just received the handbooks Thursday and needed …
Friday, August 17, 2012
The contentious relationship between the board and administration has been boiling over for months, beginning with very public comments made by teacher Kerri Jo Patten and board member Russ Spahn in June.
In the months since the April election brought three new members to the Greenfield School Board, one thing has become abundantly clear: Some board members are determined to question all aspects of district business. Two of the new members—Cathy Walsh, a longtime board member who returned after a two-year absence, and Russ Spahn, the city’s former fire chief—have consistently challenged Superintendent Conrad Farner and his administrative team on agenda item after agenda item. The contentious relationship between the board and administration has been simmering for months, beginning with very public comments made by teacher Kerri Jo Patten and Spahn at the June 11 meeting. Patten chastised administration for reassigning her from Maple Grove …
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Greenfield School Board member Cathy Walsh said the combined resignations and retirements have been extraordinary; Superintendent Conrad Farner pointed at Acts 10 and 32 as creating unusual circumstances.
Greenfield School Board members approved four more teacher resignations Monday, leading some to question what was happening in the district. Board member Cathy Walsh said those four resignations raised the total to 15 or 16 teachers leaving the district through resignations or retirements. She pointed to a review of the last 10 years related to employee resignations conducted by the administration, and said this year's numbers show something new. Superintendent Conrad Farner told Patch earlier this month the review showed employee resignations across the district are averaging four fewer per year over the past five years compared to the previous five years. But Walsh said she did not agree with Farner's conclusions. “When I just took out …
But the conversation at Monday's Greenfield School Board meeting brought into question just what the role of the board members is or should be.
With the intention of doing their due diligence – and not cramming too much more into what was already a 3-hour meeting – the Greenfield School Board held off approving employee handbooks Monday. They will likely do so, or at least discuss them with administration, at the August board meeting at the suggestion of board member Cathy Walsh, who said Greenfield should follow in the footsteps of other districts and take its time. “When it comes to employee handbooks, we shouldn’t be isolated,” she said. “We really should be considering what’s happening in other districts, that we’re comparable, that we’re not doing anything extraordinary that would make us stand out and make people not want to come here.” Board member Pam Sierzchulski said she…
Saturday, July 14, 2012
The deadline to submit an application is 4 p.m. Monday, July 16.
Two familiar faces and a political newcomer have expressed their interest in joining the Greenfield School Board and filling the spot vacated by Dave Richlen, who resigned last month. Former board member Rick Moze is one of three candidates to submit a resume and cover letter, according to Board clerk Cathy Walsh. Moze finished fourth in April's spring election, finishing behind Russ Spahn, Walsh and Len Cich. Paul Palama, the fifth-place vote-getter in April's election, has also officially expressed his interest in the vacant seat, as has Brandon Rosner. The School Board is expected to review the candidate resumes and will eventually vote on a Richlen's replacement. Greenfield Patch will update this story with a final list of candidates …
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
The Board initiated the process to replace Dave Richlen, who resigned earlier this month when he and his family moved to Franklin.
Greenfield School District residents have about three weeks to submit applications to join the school board, now that the search to replace Dave Richlen has begun. The Greenfield School Board vacancy came about after Richlen moved out of the district and resigned June 19. His term on the seven-member board would have expired in April 2013. Board President Bruce Bailey initiated the application process at Monday's Board meeting at the School District's Administrative Building. Interested candidates must submit a written letter of interest and are strongly encouraged to include a resume to Board Clerk Cathy Walsh no later than 4 p.m. July 16. “Although we probably want to hurry to get someone in here, we also need a chance for people to be…
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Russ Spahn, Cathy Walsh and Len Cich replace Rick Moze, Julie Rome and Audrey Ellison, and Bruce Bailey was reelected president of the Greenfield School Board on Monday.
The Greenfield School Board ushered in a new guard as three new members begin their terms Monday. Russ Spahn, Cathy Walsh and Len Cich were sworn in and gave brief remarks before the board began deliberating official business on its meeting agenda. "Together we are facing a huge task ... to give our students the best opportunity to compete in this unstable economy. I think with the additional help from parents and volunteers, we can achieve that goal," Cich said. "Failure to accomplish this is not an option." Spahn retired as the City of Greenfield’s fire chief June 1, after spending 30 years with the department and nine years with the city’s Division of Public Works. "During my tenure on the board, my focus and concern will always …
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Russ Spahn, Cathy Walsh and Len Cich earned enough votes Tuesday, April 3, to claim the three available Greenfield School Board seats.
Russ Spahn, the unofficial winner of Tuesday’s Greenfield School Board race, is grateful for the voter support that landed him one of three available seats. Now he’s ready to get down to business. Spahn unofficially won Tuesday’s election with 2,001 votes, or 18.6 percent, edging Cathy Walsh (1,990; 18.5) and Len Cich (1,977; 18.4), who also earned slots in the six-person race. “I’m excited to know that, that many people had enough faith in me to vote and put me on the board,” Spahn said. “Finishing first, second or third didn’t matter to me as long as I had a seat because I had a lot of things I wanted to bring to the board.” Spahn hopes to bring his leadership skills he honed as the city’s fire chief until he retired last June, as well …
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Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Russ Spahn, the city's former fire chief, pulled out a narrow victory over longtime board member Cathy Walsh, with Len Cich coming in third.
Russ Spahn’s popularity and familiarity among voters likely played a role in propelling the city’s former fire chief to the top of Tuesday's Greenfield School Board race. Spahn unofficially won Tuesday’s spring election with 2,001 votes, edging longtime board member Cathy Walsh, who completed a comeback with a second-place showing of 1,990 votes. Those two claimed two of three available seats, which were vacated by outgoing board members Julie Rome and Audrey Ellison, who chose not to run for re-election. The third seat unofficially belongs to political newcomer Len Cich, who finished third with 1,977 votes, distancing himself from incumbent Rick Moze, who was fourth with 1,831. Paul Palama, who lost in last year’s primary, finished fifth …
SickOfThe Naysayers
2:05 pm on Friday, November 16, 2012
Nearly every district in Wisconsin and the surrounding states have this policy which is written byNEOLA - not administration - are they all wrong????? Do you not have a "chain of command in your household" or are the 12 yr olds allowed to make all the decisions or override the ones they don't like...seriously more ›