Category Archives: Schools

by | February 4, 2012 · 5:27 pm

South Milwaukee Loses A Legend: Bill Spaltholz Passes Away At 86

Update: Here is Coach Spaltholz’s obituary in Sunday’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. There will also be a visitation starting at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, before the funeral service. 

Hall of Fame South Milwaukee football coach Bill Spaltholz — the namesake for the high school’s football field — has passed away. He was 86.

The visitation is from 4 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday at Molthen-Bell & Son Funeral Home, 700 Milwaukee Ave. in South Milwaukee. The funeral is at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday at Grace Lutheran Church, 3401 Puetz Road in Oak Creek.

Please keep the Spaltholz family, and all who knew him, in your thoughts and prayers.

And learn more about the coach on the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association website here. Among his accomplishments …

  • Spaltholz was inducted into the WFCA Hall of Fame in 1986.
  • He led his teams to 150-96-6 career record, including seven conference championships and one undefeated season.
  • He was conference coach of the year in 1955 and 1961.
  • His team also took part in the first WIAA postseason back in 1976, a game recounted in this NOW story from last fall.

What will you remember most about Coach Spaltholz? Did you play for him, or others who did? What will be his legacy? Post your comments below.

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by | January 30, 2012 · 10:23 am

Celebrating South Milwaukee’s Baseball And Football Coach … And His Wife

South Milwaukee NOW has a great story on South Milwaukee High School baseball and football coach John Galewski and his wife Sandy — who both will be honored by the  Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association in February.

John will be inducted into the WBCA Hall of Fame. Sandy is the organization’s Woman of the Year.

Check out the story here. From it:

“Throughout the 25 years, the most dependable person I had was her,” said John, who nominated his wife in October. “She picks up any job I need her to do. The only thing I always knew from year to year was I’d always get help in any area I needed from her.

“It was something where I didn’t know if she’d win or not, but at least she’d find out I was thinking of her.”

John and Sandi’s relationship has always included baseball, softball or coaching. For eight years of their marriage, John played softball five days a week and on the weekends from April to October, many of those years when the couple had young children.

At times, he was coaching as many as three high school sports, including girls basketball and football.

Even today, John is South Milwaukee High School’s head football and baseball coach. But never once did Sandi issue an ultimatum and make John choose between her and athletics or coaching. As she puts it, how could she? The family loved traveling around on the weekends, taking mini-vacations to watch John play softball, and coaching, well, that brought out a special side of her husband.

“Once he started coaching, you could tell it was his passion,” Sandi said. “The passion he had for it, and how many lives of kids he’s changed, kids that didn’t have that fatherly figure … I just saw how much he loved it, and I wouldn’t want anyone to tell me I can’t do something that I loved.”

Congratulations to John and Sandy. Well deserved!

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by | October 10, 2011 · 10:03 am

Focused On Character: Another Reason To Be Impressed With South Milwaukee Schools

As my now first-grade son makes his way through Rawson Elementary, I’ve been nothing but impressed with the South Milwaukee School District.

Administrators, teachers and staff — I’ve been lucky enough to be exposed to all levels of leadership in the district and am always happy with what I see.

From the commitment to long-range planning (and acting on those plans) to the classroom learning I see my 6-year-old receiving, I feel blessed to live in this city and public school district.

The district’s latest effort around character education is the latest reason to believe.

Simply, the district is now turning its focus to improving the character traits of its students.

Learn more in this Journal Sentinel story. From it:

One of the current participants is the School District of South Milwaukee. Leaders of the district and each of its six schools have been going to the sessions. What is emerging is a districtwide focus on improving relationships within schools.

South Milwaukee had an all-staff professional development session around character education recently. (Disclosure: I spoke briefly as part of the program.) The featured speaker was Adolph Brown, a Virginia-based psychologist who does presentations all over the country.

One of Brown’s themes: “More is caught than is taught.” Students pay attention to and learn a lot from what goes on around them. Not only the way they are treated but the way they see others (including the adults in a school) treat each other shapes their education.

Colin Jacobs, principal of Rawson Elementary School and one of the leaders of the South Milwaukee effort, said the message resonated with staff members. As he put it, “I’d rather see a sermon than hear one.”

He said a focus in coming months will be on practices that say to everyone in a school, “This is what we can expect from each other.” One goal is to see if more cases involving problems with specific students can be solved by building relationships rather than by, say, referring the student for a special education evaluation.

After Brown’s presentation, staff members from each of the South Milwaukee schools met to discuss how they might launch into this. One thing they did was vote, from a list of 51 attributes, for what traits they thought should be emphasized. Input from parents and others is also being sought, Jacobs said, with the goal of focusing on nine.

In the overall staff voting, the most votes went to three traits that you would expect to be at the top of the list: Honesty, respect and responsibility. But coming in a close fourth was perseverance.

I’ll keep you posted as this initiative takes flight.

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by | October 3, 2011 · 10:04 pm

Recapping The South Milwaukee School Forum And Other Headlines Of Interest

Missed the Wisconsin Education Association Council education forum in South Milwaukee last week? Check out a good YouTube recap here.

And check out these other local headlines of interest:

And check out this blog post by Jerrianne Hayslett thanking South Milwaukee police for pulling over a speeder recently.

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by | September 23, 2011 · 9:37 am

Seeing White: Homecoming TP Follow-Up

Update: I just added a poll question on this topic. Vote!

The area around South Milwaukee High School was again transformed into a sea of toilet paper overnight as students prepared for Friday’s Homecoming game. 

I have mixed feelings about it.

First of all, I think the school district’s response for the most part worked, and I thank the district for being proactive about the issue this year. Working with students and the police, school officials attempted to keep the TP confined to school property, west of the railroad tracks on the parkway and not north of the street. A drive through the area this morning confirmed that students pretty much stayed within those limits, and I appreciate that.

That said, I know some neighbors still aren’t happy with the mangitude of the TP. And I can’t disagree. It’s a lot. And I noticed rolls of toilet paper on city sidewalks and yards along 15th Avenue south of the school. That can’t happen.

Now, I am all for having fun during Homecoming week, and TP’ing is part of that tradition. I don’t want to be a fuddy-duddy on this issue. I’m only 35 after all, not that far removed from some of these same traditions myself.

However, as alderman, I must speak for constituents who do have issues with this. And I will.

Of course, the real test will be in the cleanup. I am anxious to see what the trees look like a week from now.

Hopefully, they’re green again. Not white.

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by | June 16, 2011 · 10:06 pm

Building Community Partnerships: South Milwaukee School District Seeks Your Input

I got a note from South Milwaukee School Superintendent Rita Olson recently about the next steps of the long-range planning process I was a part of last fall and winter. From it:

As you know, during the first half of the year, we had a Visioning and Planning Committee work on our district’s Vision, Mission, and Goals. Over the past several months, different leadership groups have identified their role in helping us achieve our goals. Some committees disbanded when they realized that their original purpose was no longer aligned to our Visioning and Planning. New leaderships are forming to fill in missing components. It is all very exciting work!

One of the new groups that has formed is focusing on improving communication and building relationships. The group has enlisted the help of Fund Development Corporation to help us create a “marketing” plan to increase positive perceptions and active engagement.

Fund Development Corporation began meeting with staff, students, community members and prospective partners last week to learn about what they need from the school system as well as what resources they could possibly share.

They want your voice as well via online survey. Please take a few minutes and take the survey here.

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by | May 19, 2011 · 8:41 am

Mourning the Loss of South Milwaukee’s “Coach”

Longtime South Milwaukee High School football, baseball and basketball coach Brad Knoche has died.

Here is his obituary. And there is a touching tribute to Knoche in this Fond du Lac Daily Reporter column by one of his former players, Doug Whiteley.

From the obituary:

He was a passionate educator and took a special interest in his students in and outside the classroom. With great love, he supported his children and took pride in all their accomplishments. Brad loved Mary Kay unconditionally. They were a great team and devoted to each other. He was active in the community and belonged to South Milwaukee Lions Club, where he served as past president and longtime treasurer. He also served as Parish Council President for St. John’s Church in South Milwaukee.

Did you know Knoche? What will be his legacy?

Post your comments below.

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by | May 12, 2011 · 10:38 am

Expanding School Choice … to South Milwaukee?

Gov. Scott Walker has proposed expanding the Milwaukee school voucher program to Green Bay, Racine and Beloit, and that’s most assuredly the start of a discussion about an even bigger expansion.

Indeed, why stop there?

Check out the story here, and a story on the mixed response here.

Simply, Walker is suggesting that taxpayer money be used to send local students to private schools in more than just the City of Milwaukee — a program that itself is being expanded under a bill co-sponsored by South Milwaukee Rep. Mark Honadel.

I’m wondering what you think about this. Would you like to see school choice brought to communities like South Milwaukee? Would you like to see the City of Milwaukee’s school voucher program expanded?

Post your comments below, and vote in the poll question on the right-hand side of this page.

I am lukewarm on school choice at best.

I have a hard time buying the argument that taking kids out of the public school system will somehow save the public school system. Why not invest in the system itself? Here’s why: Commiting to real solutions to make things better inside MPS is hard. Taking kids out of the system and sending them outside the district is easy, and it avoids the problem. Let’s stop avoiding the problem.

I also do not support increasing the income limits for families to participate in the City of Milwaukee program. The program was meant to help low-income students, those who may not have the means to afford sending their children to private schools, and that is where the focus should be. I am with Howard Fuller, the founder of school choice, on this one.

As to allowing Milwaukee students to attend schools across the county, I am OK with that. If you are going to offer true choice to city students, then they should able to pick from a broader list of options (including perhaps some in South Milwaukee).

But let me be clear: I do not support expanding school choice to other communities, be it Green Bay or South Milwaukee. The program was formed to help certain students in the failing Milwaukee Public Schools system to find a better education, and it should stay there.

First of all, there is no clear evidence that the program actually works — and by “works” I mean delivers better results. Early studies, in fact, have shown that achievement may not be any better for voucher students than non-voucher students. Until there is a clear benefit in this area, why expand the program to other cities?

And as to South Milwaukee, I don’t see a need for school choice here. As I have written about, I think we have a first-class school system that I am proud to send my 6-year-old to. My wife and I have the means to send our children to private schools, but we have made our “school choice,” and it’s the South Milwaukee school system. 

Giving incentives for people to do otherwise is wrong.

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by | May 6, 2011 · 9:23 am

On South Milwaukee High School and Graduation Rates

The Journal Sentinel has a story in Friday’s edition that at first glance is rather alarming.

From it:

Wisconsin’s graduation rate declined slightly in 2010 to 85.7% under a new calculation method that is supposed to better represent how many students receive regular diplomas within four years of high school. … The Northern Ozaukee and South Milwaukee school districts suffered some of the greatest losses in employing the new calculation method, falling from 92.6% to 78.9% and 96.2% to 82.6%, respectively.

Wait. A 13.6 percentage point decline in graduation rates? In one year?

Of course, there is a lot more to this story, and it all comes down to how the figures are calculated. More from the story:

Under the new method, the state tracks students from their freshman year to graduation four years later. The process is mandated by the federal No Child Left Behind law, which requires all states to calculate their graduation rates the same way by the end of the current school year.

Previously, Wisconsin officials counted the number of students who graduated with a regular diploma and subtracted those students known to have dropped out during the previous four years, potentially undercounting dropouts and including students who took longer than four years to graduate.

So, what does this all mean for South Milwaukee? I asked Superintendent Rita Olson for her take on this, and here is her email response:

Of course, we are looking into the discrepancy between the “legacy” rate (the percentage of students who graduate each year) and the new “cohort” rate (the percentage of students who graduate within four years). We believe that one of the contributing factors is that South Milwaukee requires students to have 26 credits for graduation, whereas many other districts require only 21 to 24 credits. So, for example, if a student transfers into our district at the beginning of senior year with 16 credits from another district, they would be re-classified as a junior in South Milwaukee. It would be almost impossible for them to pick up another 10 credits in order to graduate in one year.

In addition to analyzing our data to find out why we have the discrepancy, we are also working on a new schedule at the high school that allows for a “resource block.” During this time, students will be able to receive individualized attention and interventions with classroom teachers.

Dr. Olson also spoke with the reporter for the story and told her much the same thing: that “educators are investigating why the district’s graduation rate declined so much using the new method.” From the story:

She suggested that the district’s requirement that students acquire 26 credits, combined with the high school’s block schedule, could make it difficult for students to graduate in four years, especially if they transfer from other schools with lower standards and traditional schedules.”Now they’re punishing kids that it might take a little longer for,” Olson said.

So, as usual, you can’t always take statistics at face value, especially when they don’t support what you see with your own eyes.

And all of what I’ve seen — from my time on the school district’s long-range visioning and planning committee last fall to what I’ve witnessed in the growth of my son in 5K at Rawson Elementary — has instilled great faith in the South Milwaukee school system.

I look forward to my son and now 3-year-old daughter growing up in South Milwaukee schools, and I have complete confidence in the education they’ll get at every level. From where do I draw this belief? It’s the people.

The CEO of MillerCoors, my employer, is fond of saying that “people make it happen.” I couldn’t agree more. And it’s the people of the South Milwaukee School District — the teachers, staff, administration, school board and others — who make it happen with our kids.

No matter what the numbers say.

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by | April 23, 2011 · 7:56 pm

Helping Those Who Need it Most: Free Summer Lunches at 2 South Milwaukee Schools

The South Milwaukee School District is offering free lunches this summer to those ages 18 and under through a program funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and administered by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

The goal? Provide nutritious meals to children during the summer, when school lunch programs are not available.

Adults can purchase a lunch for $2.

The lunches start June 20 and are offered at South Milwaukee High School, 801 15th Ave., and Lakeview Elementary, 711 Marion Ave.

Learn more in this flier.

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by | April 20, 2011 · 10:12 pm

Honadel Leads Charge to Expand Milwaukee Voucher Program

A driving force behind the move in the legislature to expand the Milwaukee school voucher program is from the suburbs.

South Milwaukee, specifically.

Rep. Mark Honadel is the chief sponsor of a controversial bill in the Assembly that would lift a cap on the number of Milwaukee children who are allowed to attend private schools at taxpayer expense — expanding the program to those not just from low-income families and allowing voucher students to enroll in schools throughout Milwaukee County.

This story from the Wisconsin Radio Network sums up the issue pretty well.

Honadel and Delafield Rep. Chris Kapenga introduced Assembly Bill 92 on April 12. His rationale? This Watchdog.org article includes this passage:

“There’s no rationale for limiting the number of students in the program to 22,500,” Honadel said. “By removing this cap we can ensure that our schools can feel secure in making long-term investments in programs.”

Of course, the bill is not without its opponents, including one-time school choice champion Howard Fuller, who say the program was never meant for middle-income children and question if voucher school students outperform those who attend Milwaukee Public Schools.

Hearings on AB 92 and another school voucher-related bill were held Tuesday in Madison.

I’d like to know what do you think of the proposal — and the fact that Honadel is one of its chief proponents. Post your comments below!

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by | March 30, 2011 · 4:41 pm

Budget Approved: School District Cuts Total $1.1 Million

The South Milwaukee School Board has passed the district’s preliminary 2011-12 budget … with most of the cuts proposed earlier this month intact.

Check out the final list of budget assumptions here.

You will note that the pool is now off the chopping block, as well proposals to reduce an instrumental music position and reduce police liaison services.

The budget, passed at the district’s March 23 meeting, also assumes the “budget repair bill” officially goes into effect at some point – and its mandated health insurance and pension contributions.

It also assumes a more than $1.8 million decrease in revenue due to the revenue caps proposed in Gov. Scott Walker’s budget.

So, what’s next? Good question.

There are still a number of moving pieces, including efforts to negotiate union contracts for 2011-12 to better take advantage of the so-called “tools” in the budget repair bill, Superintendent Rita Olson tells me.

You’ll recall that the unions ratified 2009-11 contracts less than a month ago.

And the budget won’t truly be final until the district’s annual meeting in September, when the tax levy is formally passed. So stay tuned.

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by | March 11, 2011 · 3:19 pm

Summarizing the Budget Difficulties Facing South Milwaukee Schools

Update: WTMJ-TV has a story about Wednesday’s budget public hearing.

The South Milwaukee School District has posted a well-done PowerPoint presentation summarizing where they are at financially, how they got there and the difficult times ahead.

Check out the presentation from Wednesday’s budget public hearing on the district website.

The key message throughout: We are all in this together. I couldn’t say it better myself. Dealing with difficult budgets on all levels of government will take a community working together to figure out the best way forward.

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by | March 9, 2011 · 1:26 am

Public Hearing on Proposed School Budget Cuts Tonight

The public hearing on the preliminary South Milwaukee School District budget and staffing recommendations — and the district’s proposed $1.4 million in cuts for 2011-12 — is tonight at the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center.

The hearing starts at 6:30 p.m.

The district has set some ground rules for the debate, which you can view in their entirety in this document. Among them:

  • The budget hearing will begin with an overview of the district’s financial position. It is anticipated that this will take approximately ten minutes.
  • Prior to the start of the meeting (and during the beginning of the meeting) members of the public will be asked to sign up to speak and to designate the topic they wish to speak regarding. Each person will be limited to two minutes.
  • Only South Milwaukee residents, South Milwaukee staff members, students attending South Milwaukee or parents of South Milwaukee students will be allowed to speak.
  • Budget topics will be addressed one at a time. Members of the public that signed up to speak regarding that topic will be called forward one at a time to speak.

I hope that the discussion is honest, reasonable and civil.

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by | March 5, 2011 · 3:33 pm

Setting the Record Straight, and Sharing the Blame, on School Funding

A couple of readers have taken issue with a shot I took at Gov. Scott Walker in my earlier post on the proposed South Milwaukee School District budget cuts.

And they’re right. I was wrong to put this problem on Walker.

Indeed, there is plenty of blame to go around when it comes to the state’s inadequate funding of schools, and the problem certainly pre-dates our current governor. It’s also not a Democrat or Republican issue. Both parties have failed us here. Scott Walker, Jim Doyle, Scott McCallum, Tommy Thompson and all the legislatures in between share in the responsibility.

Simply, there has been a shocking lack of political courage when it comes to education funding over the years, a lack of courage from leaders to stand up and say that full 2/3 funding of schools — without getting there through forced budget reductions — is a priority and should be not be compromised.

Until that happens, and until revenue caps on school districts are addressed, you will continue to see school districts across the state struggle to fund their education programs … and face major cuts annually.

It’s what has happened in South Milwaukee for years, and it will continue to happen until politicians decide they don’t want to keep pushing hard decisions around education down the road.

Some laugh when they hear people say “it’s about the kids.” Well, this is.

All you have to do is look at the proposed cuts in South Milwaukee for 2011-12, and you can see that there is really no fat being trimmed from this budget. These are cuts that will directly impact learning, both inside and outside the classroom.

The question becomes: When will someone in Madison do something about it? When is enough, truly, enough?

No, Scott Walker did not create this problem. He inherited it. Let’s hope he is the one who solves it.

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