Putting Children First

As the slip of paper is removed from the box, a new name is read, and the child jumps to her feet, hugging her mother who has tears streaming down her face.  "I don't believe it," she cries, oblivious to others around her.  Some children stare at her with envy etched into their young faces, while others bow their small heads, hands folded in prayer as the next name is read. 


Scene from Waiting for Superman, where children enter a lottery to see if they are selected to a charter school.


The Academy Awards recently awarded an Oscar for the best movie of the year, "The King's Speech".  I'm sure I'll get around to seeing it on DVD.  In the meantime, I was surprised to see that one of my favorite movies of 2010, the documentary "Waiting for Superman" was not even nominated.  The movie is a disconcerting look at the failure of our American public education by following five minority students in San Francisco, Baltimore, New York and Los Angeles.  The movie focuses on a few charter schools that have been able to successfully educate students and compares them to the failing traditional public schools -- positioning poor teachers, lack of proper financial incentives, tenure and teacher unions, as some of the impediments to effective school reform.

I was not surprised that Hollywood (and by default the documnetarians with The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences) is not interested in presenting an attack on one of their beloved liberal bastions --public education.  However, director Davis Guggenheim is the same director who gave us "An Inconvenient Truth" -- a look at Vice President Al Gore's fervent crusade to halt global warming -- so you can't say that his political leanings are shared by too many conservatives.

The purpose of this post is not to discuss the merits of this documentary being nominated, however.  Rather I want to take issue with some of the positions taken -- and not taken -- about our current education system.  Start paying attention parents, your child's future is depending on it.

The charter school universe.
"Charter schools are not the silver bullet," director Guggenheim states, "but they are an experiment.... a very new experiment."  Charter schools like the KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) schools, profiled in the movie, provide students with a successful structure:  more school days, longer school days, accountability (when was the last time you heard that in a public school?), and setting the goal of going to college.

I've always been told  that for you to succeed you need to see yourself succeed.  Students today are told that it's alright to fail.  The dreaded "self esteem" merits schools handing out awards for "trying hard" and not keeping scores in athletics.  It's not surprising that competitions that award "first, second and third place" attract the most talent.  Schools need to allow our children to succeed and fail, while emphasizing the effort needed to be great.

Another feature of charter schools is their ability to innovate.  Unlike public schools -- even great public schools -- a charter school's curriculum and instruction are reflective of the school's unique mission/structure.  Direct instruction in reading and math may be the strength of one school while the performing arts and music are emphasized somewhere else.

Emphasize the needs of children, not teacher unions.
The National Education Association and the American Federal of Teachers are the most organized and powerful voices in education politics.  These unions continue to block reform that would put the emphasis on children not teachers.  In the case of Wisconsin's battle against public employee unions, a bill limiting collective bargaining is under fierce opposition from professional labor and teacher unions determined to hold on to their power.

"Waiting for Superman" highlights New York City where teachers awaiting disciplinary measures are kept in "rubber rooms" doing nothing while still receiving full pay as their grievances went through the system.  The city is now spending more than $100 million every year paying teachers who have been excessed but have yet to find a job.   This is what the unions want:  to keep the teachers on the payroll regardless of the work they do.  Why?  As long as they are on the payroll, they keep paying union dues.  The unions don't care about the children who are hurt by this misallocation of funds, only about protecting their members and, by extension, their own pockets.

Another shocking example in the movie is an animated illustration of "The Dance of the Lemons." It is the systematic shuffling of incompetent teachers from one school to another.  These teachers can't be fired because union contracts require excessed educators are to be given first crack at new job openings.  Administrators don't want to hire these bad teachers, and districts are unable to fire them -- so guess what happens?

Parents/family need to be involved.
Years ago, as a cub scout leader for my boy's troop 17, I was constantly frustrated by the lack of involvement by parents.  They would drop their scout off at my home and vanish for the next 90 minutes.  So I can empathize with teachers whose difficult job is made more difficult by students who 1) don't do scheduled homework, 2) are disrespectful in class, or worse yet 3) don't show up for class.

Many of the problems our public school systems face today are a result of lack of parental involvement in their children's education.  And I don't mean showing up for parent/teacher conferences twice a year.  Parents need to let their children know, and provide strict guidelines for, doing well in school.  Just like we want schools to emphasize excellence in school, we -- as parents -- need to stress excellence and an expectation of our children to do the best that they can.  That means sitting down with them and helping them with homework, talking to the teacher about work not getting done, and making sure that they are going to class.

If there was one glaring omission in "Waiting for Superman" it would be a discussion on parental involvement.  The five children in the movie came from poor black and Hispanic families with one parent (the Hispanic family consisted of two parents, but one was unemployed).  So parental responsibilities extend beyond school -- forming relationships between two adults that remain together and who work for a living.  Certainly not an easy task.

Children need a strong family foundation and setting, where they can get attention and support.  The family dynamic and the need to get off state-provided assistance and welfare (where single family homes flourish) is another topic for another day.  And perhaps for another documentary that will not be nominated.

Like the name implies, "Waiting for Superman" presents a system badly in need of a superman -- be it charter schools, vouchers, two parent homes --  to save it.  Putting children first, and having the courage to stand up to unions -- not necessarily teachers -- is the equivalent to Superman beating kryptonite.

No one said it was going to be easy.

An Assault on Democracy

"We are calling on all people from throughout the Midwest to descend on Madison and make a stand.  We did not create the economic crisis and we are not going to pay for it!" -- Bryan Pfeifer, organizer for part-time faculty at Wayne State University in Detroit.

When I read that quote from the The Capital Times, a "progressive" newspaper in Madison, I couldn't believe my eyes.  Why the hell was someone from Michigan organizing a rally in Madison to fight a decision by voters to address a budget crisis facing Wisconsin?

Last November, the MAJORITY of WI voters decided to put Republicans in the State Assembly, Senate and Governor seats, leading many of us to believe the Badger State was finally going to do something about our out-of-control spending.  After reading today's papers and watching local/cable news, I'm beginning to see what we're up against.

In addition to out of state teacher groups (like Wayne State University), organizations like the Democratic National Committee's Organizing for America (OFA) are helping promote these protests by providing buses and offering phone banks to promote a week long sit-in.   President Obama himself stepped in and accused Walker of promoting "an abuse of unions".

Why the all-out war?

Like most states, Wisconsin is out of money.  It faces a current budget shortfall of between $2.2 and $3.3 billion.  Wisconsin was rated in 2009 by the Pew Center on the States as among the top ten states with budget problems, having run negative balances in the general fund for five straight years.  It is also the nation's fourth most indebted state, per capita, for unemployment costs, which have exceeded $1.4 billion.  Wisconsin has a total state debt of $17,971,519,547 when calculated by adding the total of outstanding debt, pension and OPEB (which is defined as benefits that an employer offers to retirees as compensation for past services, such as healthcare, dental, life, disability and long term care), unemployment trust funds and the budget gap as of July 2010.

I mention this not because I want to impress you with my knowledge of bad economics in my state, but because I want you to understand the seriousness of our problem.

As a result of this debt, Republican Governor Scott Walker has proposed a $137 million budget repair bill that requires state employees to contribute 5.8% of their salaries toward their pensions, and also pay 12.6% of their health insurance premiums.  This move alone is designed to save $30 million by the middle of this year, and $300 million over the next two years.

In addition, Walker's budget also eliminates almost all union bargaining rights on everything except salaries.  Unions would be unable to seek pay increases above those pegged to the CPI unless approved by a public referendum.  Finally, unions would have to hold annual votes to stay organized and would be unable to force employees to pay dues.  Thus the all-out war.

The problems I have with the ongoing reaction (protests) to Governor Walker's proposal are:

1) As part of a democracy, we voted last November to do something about our budget shortfall -- cut spending, cut taxes and control future expenditures.  What the state employee unions, the DNC and President Obama are doing is refusing to listen to the people of Wisconsin.  Doesn't our vote count for anything?

2) Teachers always claim to want to help kids, whether it's school lunches, athletics or studies.  So what do they do?   They close schools throughout Wisconsin, mislead students about why they're protesting (taking valuable class time to do so), and set a horrible example by skipping school and throwing temper tantrums when they are asked to pay more for their Cadillac benefits.

3) The Democrats, as reported today, bailed out on even voting on the bill.  They jumped in a bus and headed for Illinois to prevent a quorum from being present (twenty senators are needed for a vote -- 19 Republicans were present).  According to one of the missing senators, this move was designed to "give the people of Wisconsin time to discuss the issue."  Talk about an assault on our democratic rights!  They are disenfranchising their districts and voters by refusing to participate in this process.  Once again, politicians putting themselves before the wishes of their constituents.  Who voted for these cowards?

4) At one time, unions were valuable to workers -- demanding fair wages, safe working conditions and providing a legislative voice.   In the early 1960's, Wisconsin even played an important role in developing the modern-day collective bargaining agreement for public employees that is being challenged today.

Unfortunately, unions today are functioning as labor cartels.  Union contracts give teachers, nurses, and other state workers group identities instead of treating them as individuals.  Unions want employees to view the union, not the individual's abilities and skills, as the source for economic and monetary gains.  As a result, the collective bargaining agreements being so fiercely defended are actually hurting workers, keeping individual wages, promotions and excellence -- in check.

5) State public employees complain about poor wages, with the trade off being excellent benefits.  According to the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance, the average annual salary for a Wisconsin state employee in 2008 -- the last year available -- was $53,703.  Factor in benefits and the total compensation package for them is worth $71,000 a year.  UPDATE:  The MacIver Institute just reported that for the first time in history, the average 2010 teacher salary in the Milwaukee Public School district is $100,000 when taking the full compensation package into consideration.

In addition, teachers get time off during the year for holidays, conferences and summer.

I can understand why they like the compensation they are getting.  What's most frustration, however, is their reaction to paying a little more for these benefits.  Comparable wages and benefits in my office are nowhere close to what they are receiving (on average).  It's time they start paying their fair share or they will be out of a job.

6)  Democratic supporters claim their human rights are being violated by Walker's actions.  They are wrong.  US labor laws do not provide protection for collective bargaining for the majority of businesses in the United States.  In addition, the Bush Labor Board excluded employees with minimal supervisory duties, disabled janitors, grad student assistants, independent contractors, newspapers and others.  If these workers are not protected, then it is not a "human" right.  Collective bargaining is a privilege, not a right.  Visit Saudi Arabia, Iran or Iraq if you're unclear on what constitutes human rights.

During his rush to pass Obamacare last year, President Obama was quick to remind Republicans that "Elections have consequences.  I won and you lost."  It's too bad today's state workers (and those helping them) don't remember last November's election results.

Let me remind you:  "We won, you lost."

When You Say W-I-S-C-O-N-S-I-N

The Wisconsin Badgers basketball team pulled off an improbable win against Ohio State, and became the first team to beat the nation's number one team in football and basketball in the same year, since the University of Florida did it in 2006-2007.

I'm not too old to forget my days at the University of Wisconsin-Madison when it was a major accomplishment to win a game of basketball or football against a good team.  Back in 1980, our basketball team was 11-16, finishing ninth in the Big Ten (back when there were only 10 teams in the conference).  Remember Bill Cofield as coach?  Me either -- I had to look that one up.   In football, our record was 4-7 and we finished once again unranked under the coaching of Dave McClain (God rest his soul).  And so my years in college passed by -- enjoying the occasional wins over San Diego State, Minnesota and Northwestern.  It's funny how some things never change...

But for the most part, I felt like I was wandering through an endless desert of mediocrity,  occasionally tasting relief by celebrating championships in men's hockey and cross country.  Well, maybe not cross country.  But I did enjoy hockey.  In 1980, the men's hockey program drew approximately 2,000 more fans each game than the basketball team.

I remember vividly sitting in Camp Randall on a football Saturday as the rain poured down-- the heavens were crying as well -- hearing the sound of rain echo off the aluminum bleachers emptied of most fans.  My rain poncho was leaking as badly as our defense, as a constant stream of water ran down my back, soaking my pants, socks and shoes.   For a Badger sports fan, it was the worst of times.

My parents would remind me that there's more to college than football and basketball.  But for someone who didn't take my studies too seriously until my junior and senior years, I relished the opportunities to watch 300 yard passing attacks and power dunks.  Even if it was by the visiting team.

Fast forward to Saturday's basketball game between the Badgers (ranked #13 by the AP) and the Buckeyes (undefeated and ranked #1).  The Badgers were in deep trouble, having fallen behind by 15 points with 13:16 remaining in the game.  In what will be remembered as one of the Big Ten Network's "Greatest Games" years from now, Jordan Taylor, a junior point guard for Wisconsin, hit a career high five 3-pointers and scored 21 points in the second half to rally the Badgers.  During a 30-8 run, Taylor scored or assisted on 26 of those points by scoring 18 and assisting on another eight points.  When the game clock hit zero, the Badgers had won 71-67, knocking the Buckeyes out of their number one ranking for the second time in less than four months.

As an indication of how far the Badgers have come from the 1980's, neither game was a surprise.  Yes, the Badgers were ranked lower in the AP polls, but if you were to listen to the talking heads on ESPN or listen to sports talk radio, you would have heard them picking Wisconsin to win both games.

It's a credit to the Wisconsin athletic department, coaches, players, fans and donors that Wisconsin athletics have been taken to new heights.  We've been able to recruit better athletes from throughout the United States -- with better practice/playing facilities, and provided more academic/study help -- which has resulted in better results and higher attendance. For example, in 2009-2010:

. Men's basketball led the Big Ten in attendance for the 3rd year in a row
. Men's football has ranked 15th or better nationally in attendance every year since 2002
. Women's hockey has led nation in attendance for 4th year in row
. Men's hockey has led nation in attendance for 12 years in row
. Wisconsin volleyball led the Big Ten in attendance

Overall, attendance in the 10 sports offered by the University of Wisconsin-Madison was over 1.3 million for the year ending in 2010.  Success has bred more success throughout the athletic department, with its annual budget of more than $81 million.

Despite its improvement in men's and women's athletics, my love for basketball and football have garnered most of my attention.  With Coach Alvarez and Bielema heading up the football program, Wisconsin has made it to a post season bowl game nine years in a row, in addition to making four Rose Bowl appearances, the most recent in 2010 (a close 21-19 loss to TCU).  The Badgers are consistently coaching up 3 star recruits to All-American status and Big Ten player (or rookie) of the year.  Bo Ryan has coached the men's basketball team to 12 post season appearances -- reaching the Elite 8 during March Madness and a number one ranking of our own in 2007.  His record in the Kohl Center is an amazing 154-11 since he began coaching the Badgers.

Success at hockey, basketball and football has put Wisconsin in the national spotlight.  It's an illuminating experience that this Badger fan has enjoyed every year.  From September to April, my wife knows I'll be watching (if possible) most Saturdays, Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays; my mother-in-law even knows I'll be watching if Badger football tip off comes during her birthday dinner.

Those empty aluminum bleachers at Badger football games aren't so empty anymore.  Tickets are harder to find and the best seats are costing more than my four years of school at Madison.  The next step for the Badgers  (again with better recruits, coaching and facilities) will be to not only beat the number one team in basketball and football, but to actually be the number one team in basketball and football.

Only God knows if I'll still be alive to see it.

Return to Titletown

Sometime in the third quarter of the Green Bay Packers' Super Bowl win, Aaron Rogers returned to the sideline after James Jones dropped an open-field pass that might've gone for a touchdown. Donald Driver, the Packer's elder statesman on the offensive side of the ball,  looked at Rodgers and smiled. 

Then Rodgers, shaking his head, smiled too.  He knew what was coming. 

Driver said. "Go ahead, and do what you do."

For Packer fans, Super Bowl XLV will be remembered for a number of critical decisions that changed the course of the game, and ultimately its outcome.  The 2010 Packer football season was the culmination of good decisions (dating back to 2008) that led to the Lombardi Trophy finding its way back to where it started 45 years ago, in Green Bay.   

It was a journey made possible by a few people doing what they do, -- making decisions that were unconventional and unwanted, as well as unbelievable -- which would bring success to a Packer franchise that last went to the Super Bowl in 1997.

A few of those decisions were--
 opening coin toss was won, then deferred to the second half.  A sign of confidence in their defense, which had led them to victory in two of their three post season games.  A defense which was second in the NFL with 32 takeaways and only 15 point per game.  Under defensive coordinator Dom Caper's tutelage, the Packers avoided the kind of meltdowns that led to heartbreaking defeats to Pittsburgh, Minnesota and Arizona in 2009.


The decision by Minnesota Viking owner, Zygi Wilf, to hire Brad Childress to be their new coach, preventing the Packers from interviewing him later that day.  The Packers instead interviewed and hired Mike McCarthy, a former quarterbacks coach for the Packers in 1999 (and whose ties to Pittsburgh included a man named Chuck Noll).  Despite leading a team decimated by injury -- my last count had 16 players on injured reserve -- McCarthy didn't receive a single coach of the year vote. 

On April 26, 2006, free-agent Charles Woodson signed a seven-year, $52 million contract with the Green Bay Packers.  Prior to his signing, not a single NFL team returned his calls, based on a bad reputation and a troubled past.  As one of Ted Thompson's RARE free agent signings, Woodson is the only player to have won a National Championship and Heisman Award (with Michigan in 1997),  Defensive Rookie of the Year Award (1981), AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award (2009), and Super Bowl ring (2010).  Not bad for a washed-up player who once said that he never wanted to play in Green Bay.

In one of the worse draft day decisions ever, the San Francisco 49ers chose Alex Smith instead of Aaron Rogers as the first player drafted in the 2005 draft.   After only three years, Rodgers is the NFL's all-time career leader in passer rating during both the regular season (98.4), and in the post-season (112.6) - among passers with at least 1,500 and 150 pass attempts respectively.  He also owns the league's lowest career pass interception percentage for quarterbacks during the regular season (1.99%).  And Alex Smith?  Is he still playing for the 49ers?

Rodgers’ journey from a junior college quarterback looking for a scholarship to Super Bowl MVP is typical of his approach to challenges.  Whenever confronted with disappointment -- he garnered little interest from college programs with only one offer, that of a walk-on from the University of Illinois.  He declined the invitation and attended Butte Community College in Oroville, CA -- he would accept the challenge and prove people wrong.  The decision by the Packers to draft him 24th, was another humbling event  followed by waiting three years for Brett Favre to retire.  His journey came to an end on Sunday when, against the best defense in football -- and without Ryan Grant or Donald Driver to assist on offense-- he was 24 for 39, 304 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.  And Super Bowl MVP.

Ted Thompson made the unlikely decision to trade up and select Clay Matthews as the 26th pick (in a trade with New England) during the 2009 NFL draft.  This move proved to be one of the best in that year's draft, as Matthews has terrorized the NFC North and others with his lightning quick speed and rushing ability.  In only two years, "the Beast" has managed 23 sacks, two Pro Bowl selections and close finishes in Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors.   (Last Sunday, on the first play of the 4th quarter with the Steelers driving to take the lead on the Packers, Matthews made the play of the game by tackling Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall, who fumbled the ball.  It was recovered by Desmond Bishop, and the Packers regained their confidence and swagger, leading to a Super Bowl win.)

Finally, the decision by the Packers to draft quality and speed, designed to put together a team that fit the mold of team first players, not star first players like Michael Crabtree, Jay Cutler and Dez Bryant.  Those team first players included Clay Matthews, Aaron Rogers, Bryan Bulaga, BJ Raji, Jordy Nelson and Greg Jennings, to name a few.  Ted Thompson also avoided midseason replacements like Randy Moss (who did more damage to New England and Minnesota than opposing teams) and Marshawn Lynch (who wore out his welcome in Buffalo, then made a brief appearance in a playoff game for Seattle).  And I won't even go there with Brett Favre (who deserves his own little place in football purgatory for returning to the Minnesota Vikings and deciding he was better than the rest of the team).  Our general manager deserves praise  in 2010 for decisions he DID NOT make, as well as those he did.

In 2010, the Green Bay Packers will be remembered as the team that did their thing, rather than bending to the pressures of  24/7 media coverage and rabid fan pressure -- starting in April and ending last Sunday in the Super Bowl.  

As a song popularized by Frank Sinatra goes, 


Regrets? I've had a few, 
But then again, too few to mention.
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exemption.
 I planned each charted course -
Each careful step along the byway,
And more, much more than this,
I did it my way. 


In Wisconsin, we did it the Packer way.

The Final Score

With a new day's dawn
I'll be grilling brats by my freshly cut lawn
getting ready for another win --
by the green and gold,
or the red and white -
ain't nothing left but the final score.

There's something exciting
about an Aaron Roger's sighting,
tossing the pigskin, running the ball
doing his all to prevent another Packer's stall.

I love my Wisconsin Badger football -
John Clay and JJ Watt giving their all,
not every year we make it whole
and favored to win the Rose Bowl.

My wife will tell you (as I drink a Wisconsin beer)
that I'm not always so clear
about who's winning or losing the game -
to her they're all the same.

But when the game is on the line,
there's nothing oh! so fine -
whether it's the green and gold,
or the red and white -
as the final score.