Four of my five children attend Slinger schools, and while much of their experience has been generally good I have concerns that have been left unaddressed and can cause significant problems in the future.
One of my children’s classes has an ongoing reputation for disruptive behavior – so much so that staff has noted it and shares my concerns. I’ve spoken with administration on multiple occasions and provided ideas for how to correct the situation, but their best solution was to train the teachers (who were already trying their best).
The idea of holding the kids/families accountable and implementing greater consequences was not an option. Another one of my children was reading a book with content that caused me concern, so I opted her out of the book. Rather than finding a replacement book at her
competency level to read, she was placed in a position where she felt singled out and was put in a reading group that made her uncomfortable.
All of our schools need to have a culture where parent concerns are welcomed and taken seriously without fear of “blowback” on our kids. That culture is set by leadership, which in this case is our school board. Only one candidate in our Slinger School Board race has plans to welcome parent and public input: Bill Brewer. He also wants to institute a district-wide discipline policy to clarify expectations and consequences for every building in a consistent manner. We need fresh ideas to set up a better culture for our kids and parents. That’s why I’m voting only for Bill Brewer for Slinger School Board this spring!
Emmi Becker
