Letters to the Editor

Say 'No' to Voucher Expansion, Says Former Superintendent

Muskego-Norway's former chief, Joe Schroeder, says Governor Walker's school voucher expansion proposal is poor public policy

  To the editor: As a Lake Country resident and Waukesha county school and district administrator since the late 1990’s, I am writing to share my feelings about the voucher expansion highlighted in Governor Walker’s 2013-15 budget.  Voucher expansion is misguided public policy for many reasons: 1)    Vouchers do not improve student achievement.  These are the findings of numerous studies over the years, including the most recent five-year longitudinal study conducted by the Wisconsin Legislative Audit Bureau. 2)    Vouchers eliminate public accountability.  And this stands in stark contrast to the strong controls placed on public schools in many areas, including teacher certification, instruction/assessment requirements, graduation …

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At Home At the Helm: Kelly Thompson Set to Lead Schools on Their Upward Course

Stepping in as superintendent, veteran educator stays close to home literally and figuratively, keeping the focus and mission of the district in place.

With the Muskego-Norway School District in a solid position, don't expect any big changes with a new superintendent at the head of the class. Kelly Thompson, who has served the district for 19 years in various roles, including coordinator of pupil services, high school associate principal, director of instruction and assistant superintendent, is focused more on continuing the improvement seen in the past five years. "I'm very mission-driven, and I don't see our mission changing," she said. "It's just become so embedded, you see it everywhere, from teachers' classrooms to the hallways of all our schools." "Every student learning, growing and succeeding" has become synonymous with the district, and Thompson said her focus will be on …

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Brian Hofmeister

12:39 pm on Friday, July 27, 2012

Thank you Dr. Thompson for your mission to serve our kids. I and other parents are very much looking forward to supporting you all along the way.   more ›

Week in Review: June 23 - June 29

Wow, where to begin? If you've been busy with your own news, here's what we covered in the past week.

June 23 From our blogs, Lisa Alberte asked for your help in celebrating a local vet who's been recovering from a brain injury suffered in battle. Say Happy Birthday to Local Veteran at Jammin' on Janesville June 26 It was a full slate of meetings and equally big agenda Tuesday night at City Hall, with Fireworks Continuing to Spark Debate, as a former fire fighter and Muskego resident asked for the ordinance allowing fireworks with a permit to be reconsidered. In addition - June 27 June 28 

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School's Out: Joe Schroeder Takes Success to New Position

Assuming the role of administrative coach on the state level for teachers and principals, Muskego's school superintendent hopes to provide same positive results on a broader scope.

Sitting back in dress casual attire, Joe Schroeder preferred to have his interview conducted at the conference table rather than across his desk. "This eliminates a barrier when we're talking," he said. The leader of the Muskego-Norway School District (MNSD) for the past five years had just defined part of his philosophy of success: openness and transparency; in particular, input the district received before and during the collective bargaining reforms of 2011 (Act 10 legislation). "We have been more successful, especially in regard to what came with the Act 10 legislation," Schroeder said. "We have a lot of thoughtful committee members who worked with teachers and parents, and in the end it's a very human enterprise, so we wanted to be …

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Muskego-Norway Schools Continue Hiring, Promotions

Linda O'Bryan will take the helm at Lake Denoon, but leaves a new spot to fill as head of Mill Valley Elementary.

Schools See a Surplus, But When and Where to Spend Remains to be Seen

Departing superintendent recommends that $255,000 overage be used to pay off phone lease early, however some are asking for more caution before money is spent.

Superintendent Dr. Joe Schroeder credited Business Director Scot Ecker and Coordinator of Pupil Services Ted Gennerman for netting the district $90,000 in reimbursements related to special education services the district provides. The savings was added to those from utilities, which came in under budget by about $165,000, realizing a surplus of $255,000. Schroeder said the dollars could be put into the district's fund balance, but instead requested that $140,000 of it pay off their phone lease early. "In doing so, we would be pre-paying off this lease-to-own financial obligation and position the district to realize anticipated interest savings," Schroeder explained in a memo to the board. "More importantly, this would open up approximately…

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The Week Ahead: May 27 - June 2

We're walking into the first summer Jammin', and want to hear what you'll be up to if you're a business or organization

After a couple of busy weeks, we're looking at a lighter-than-usual stretch ahead, with no scheduled meetings at city hall on a shortened work week. However, the good news is that we'll be highlighting different facets of the upcoming Jammin' on Janesville on Friday, June 1 and hope to talk with our friends at Relay for Life, which will be taking place at Muskego High School on June 1 as well. We are also hoping to catch up with the comings and goings at Muskego-Norway School District offices. Dr. Joe Schroeder will be superintendent for only one more month, and newly-hired Dr. Kelly Thompson will be stepping into the lead role, vacating her position as assistant 'super' at the same time. These are the weeks where a fairly quiet news …

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MHS Principal to Take on Role of Assistant Superintendent

Dr. Dennis Bussen was recommended for the number two job in the Muskego-Norway district by incoming superintendent Dr. Kelly Thompson.

In a release from the Muskego-Norway School District, incoming superintendent Dr. Kelly Thompson has recommended the assistant superintendent position be filled by Dr. Dennis Bussen, who is currently the principal at Muskego High School. The appointment would be effective July 1, 2012. "Dr. Bussen has served the district remarkably well during his 11 years as Muskego High School Principal and is very deserving of this promotion," Thompson said in the release. "Dr. Bussen is an exceptionally dedicated learning leader, who through his deliberate efforts has led the high school to achieve high marks in many areas of education including academics, fine arts, co-curricular activities and athletics. His commitment to high standards for students …

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Rewriting History: Lake Denoon Teacher Helps Students Learn From the Past

Therese Rilling takes a new approach toward the old, and shows middle schoolers there's more to history than dates.

Chances are your own memory of history class was, well, not memorable. Perhaps there was something about the Magna Carta, and the Hundred Years War that wasn't really that long, but it was so long ago it was ancient history. It's too bad teachers then didn't take the innovative approach to history that 7th grade teacher Therese Rilling does at Lake Denoon Middle School. While there is always an importance of when and where events took place, how students learn it is the difference. "She is an incredibly talented teacher who brings both creativity and organization to each project-based lesson she creates," said Dr. Joe Schroeder, superintendent of Muskego-Norway School District. "You may remember social studies as a focus on memorization of…

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