Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Even after a representative from the construction company explained why the stand cost $68,000, some board members feel the district did not get enough for its money.
The senior vice president of the construction company that built Greenfield High School, assured the Greenfield School Board it got its money’s worth during the project, even when the company erected an expensive concession stand. Dan Davis of CG Schmidt also told board members Monday a $68,000 price tag on a 12-foot-by-16-foot concession stand near the high school baseball field was a result of looking beyond short-term objectives. “We looked at the concession stand as phase one of a larger project,” Davis said. Davis said the original plan called for storage space and possibly locker rooms at the location, and that adding toilets is something that’s always been in the works. He added that the concession stand as it is now is more of a …
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
The 2012-13 employee handbooks are still awaiting approval by the board, and board-staff communication policies continue to be debated.
Greenfield School Board member Don Carlson has no problem with continuing discussions the board has had regarding its employee handbooks and what have become hot-button policies that define board-staff communications. That is as long as those conversations, which began nearly three months ago, remain focused on coming to a solution and not on personal attacks. One week after board member Rick Moze publically criticized district administration, including Superintendent Conrad Farner, and accused administrators of trying to censor employees and citizens, Carlson voiced his displeasure with his fellow board members at Monday’s board meeting. “Last meeting, there were some accusations that were made in reference to that (board-staff …
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 …
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Union president Kerri Jo Patten asked the School Board to consider her for vacant elementary school openings, two weeks before she is to start her new assignment as a middle school teacher.
Just two weeks remain before the 2012-13 school year begins. The Greenfield School District’s new teacher orientation is Wednesday and all teachers report back Thursday. Yet Kerri Jo Patten, formerly a first-grade teacher at Maple Grove Elementary, still doesn’t have the curriculum for her new assignment: teaching five subjects at the Middle School level where she has never taught. What’s more is Patten, the union's president, still isn’t all that thrilled with her new assignment, and after expressing her displeasure with her involuntary transfer at a School Board meeting in June, she has tried twice to reclaim her previous job, or one similar to it, but has been ignored, she said. On Monday, the School Board voted 4-2 to approve 11 new …
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…
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Russ Spahn told administration Monday he'd like to hear from those leaving, even after Superintendent Conrad Farner said the five resignations were in line with other years.
One of the Greenfield School Board's newest members is concerned with the number of resignations the Board was asked to approve Monday. Russ Spahn, who was one of three members elected in April, would like a chance to speak with the outgoing district employees to get their take on why they’re leaving. On Monday, the Board approved five resignations, including that of Elm Dale Elementary School principal Rebecca Toetz, and those of four teachers. “This is disturbing to see this many people leave,” Spahn said. Spahn asked if those leaving were given exit interviews. Superintendent Conrad Farner said just about all of them spoke with either building administrators, assistant superintendent Todd Bugnacki or him before leaving, but said they …
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 …
Chris Kelnhofer
11:44 am on Friday, December 21, 2012
A concession stand is definitely not worth that much. They screwed up on this one. more ›