What Kind of Post-Retirement Benefits Should Shorewood Teachers Receive?

The School Board tabled a proposal to have a committee conduct a financial analysis of non-pension retirement benefits, and instead asked its handbook committee to examine the district's values and how those align with the benefits it offers.

A committee that helped fashion the school district’s employee handbook will now begin to tackle the issue of non-pension post-retirement benefits. Members are tasked with re-shaping three questions on the matter: The School Board had planned to ask an ad hoc Finance Committee to plot the financial ramifications of any changes. But last week, the board voted instead to ask the employee handbook committee to look at the questions differently. Board member Michael Mishlove said the questions were not of a finance modeling nature, but rather philosophical and social. "What I hear us referring to a committee is what benefits this district is offering to its employees," Mishlove said. "That's not a financial modeling question." Get great local …

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School Officials Approve New Wave of Teacher Hires

With enrollment trending upward, school officials hired three new teachers, including a Lake Bluff Elementary K4 teacher, and language arts teacher at Shorewood Intermediate School.

With district enrollment trends looking up, school officials moved to hire of three new teachers Tuesday night. "We are seeing some pretty good enrollment trends," said Superintendent Martin Lexmond. The new hires include: Lexmond said Mandela’s hire is enrollment driven, with Lake Bluff experiencing a boost in enrollment for junior and senior kindergarten The School Board hired three teachers July 10, including new theater teacher Joe King who take over Shorewood's renowned theater department in the wake of longtime department director Barbara Gensler's retirement, and another eight Aug. 14. The district welcomed 22 teachers last year. The district is currently vetting two candidates for director of curriculum. A preliminary budget called…

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3 Teachers to Join Shorewood Next Year; Search for New Administrator, Aides OK'd

Two educators will join Shorewood High School and another will take over as director of the district's theater department. Meanwhile, officials approved the retirement of a special education teacher, bringing this year's tally to six.

Shorewood schools will welcome three new teachers to its classrooms next year with officials approving their hires Tuesday night. The School Board also gave the go-ahead to begin locating candidates for numerous other teaching and administrative positions. The hires include new math teacher Steven Andris, family and consumer education teacher Heather Clancy — both at the high school — and district theater teacher Joe King. King will take over Shorewood's renowned theater department in the wake of longtime department director Barbara Gensler's retirement. Officials gave the OK to start the search process for several other positions, including: A preliminary budget called for a salary of $110,000 salary and $35,700 benefits package for the …

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Shorewood Snapshot: School Board Considers Hire of 3 New Teachers; Summer Concert in the Park

A look at this week's local events and news.

Here's a look at what's coming up this week in Shorewood. If we're missing something, please add it to the calendar. School Board meeting — Shorewood school officials will consider hiring two new high school teachers for and a district theater teacher at a meeting slated for Tuesday night at 7 in the Shorewood High School Library, 1701 E. Capitol Dr. Officials will also consider several district policies for approval. Music of Fox & Branch — Head over to the Shorewood Public Library for some hand-clapping tunes performed by popular music duo Fox & Branch. This program is part of the Shorewood Public Library's Terrific Tuesdays summer series. The event starts at 2:30 p.m. at 3920 N. Murray Ave. Music in the park — The Alex Wilson Band, …

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Anticipated Boost in Enrollment Results in Proposed Addition of Teachers

Officials continue to work through options as they prepare to approve a preliminary budget later this month.

Shorewood would slightly increase teaching staff under the latest version of the school district's 2012-13 budget, presented Tuesday. Superintendent Blane McCann's latest version of the budget has the district $80,000 in the red, compared to the $429,949 starting point a few months ago. A version presented in late March suggested a surplus about $167,000. He outlined for the school board some of the significant changes, which included the addition of a sixth-grade teacher at Atwater and two instructional aides at Lake Bluff, thanks to upward enrollment trends. McCann is also proposing the elimination of a half-time kindergarten teacher at Lake Bluff and a reallocation of a full-time teaching position to the high school, though McCann said …

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SPECIAL REPORT

How A Year of Uncertainty Has Affected Shorewood Teachers

They’re giving voice to fears and concerns, as board members and the outgoing superintendent offer reassurances.

Shorewood High School English teacher Mike Halloran taps the wall-mounted screen at the front of his classroom and instructs his students on how to upload their term papers. He turns back around, surveys the class with a devilish grin, and shows his students how effective the new software is at detecting plagiarism. He pauses a moment before laughing softly and telling his class that he knows them well enough to know it won't come to that. The wall behind him fills with a slideshow and he moves on to ancient mythology. As an English teacher, Halloran helps students find their voice through writing. Similarly, in his role as president of the Shorewood Education Association, he has relished watching his colleagues develop their own voice. It…

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CowDung

5:00 pm on Saturday, February 18, 2012

I would think that the issue of 'getting through boring stuff' is best left in the high school. In elementary school, they should be doing everything they can to make subjects more exciting and interesting for the kids. Forcing a 4th grade kid to fight through a science project that holds no interest for him/her really isn't the best way to foster a lasting interest in the sciences. A quick walk …   more ›

When it Comes to Teacher Evaluations, Shorewood May Go it Alone

School Board decides not to join 28 other Wisconsin districts studying new system for reviewing teachers.

In September, 14 Shorewood School Board members, citizens and teachers formed a committee to work on a new grievance procedure for the district. That document defined teacher work rules, and board members said they wanted a fair policy — one not so stacked in the district's favor. School officials took a similar route with a new employee handbook. Now, school officials can add teacher evaluations to a long list of matters to tackle. Reform of how districts measure their educators is on the horizon in Wisconsin. Gov. Scott Walker and state Schools Superintendent Tony Evers formed the Educator Effectiveness Design Team last winter to create new framework for teacher and principal evaluations. Shorewood Superintendent Blane McCann said a …

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The Donny Show

9:34 am on Tuesday, November 1, 2011

I am not so happy about it though! LOL   more ›

22 New Teachers Prepare for First Day of School

With an especially high number of retirements and some faculty restructuring, Shorewood welcomes many new teachers to the district.

Twenty-two new teachers will climb district steps Thursday, a number that reflects an anomalous 10 retirements and a strengthened commitment to support struggling students. Most teachers are replacements, filling positions vacated by retirements, resignations and teachers reducing time. But the Shorewood School District also allocated $100,000 to hire new teachers to aid at-risk students, and some advanced students. Classified as Tier 2 interventions, the teachers will offer supplemental support that keeps students in regular classes but offers more personal instruction outside of class. Kindergarteners, first-graders and second-graders will be pulled out for extra help in math; seventh- and eighth-graders will get academic attention at …

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Superintendent Seeks More Staffing for Next Year

McCann asks School Board to consider adding staff for art and band programs, while director of instruction position is now off the table.

With next year’s school district budget process moving along, Shorewood Superintendent Blane McCann asked the School Board Tuesday to consider two staff increases as additions to the budget recommendation. McCann is proposing changing the status of an instrumental band teacher at Shorewood Intermediate School from part time to full time at a cost of about $21,500, and adding a one-day-a-week art teacher to work with art students at the middle school, which would cost $14,500. “Band is one of our strongest programs in the district and, of course, we want to be able to support it,” McCann said. McCann said the full-time band teacher was something requested from the music department. “It’s hard for me to recommend one way or another because …

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Is the Budget Repair Bill Pushing Teachers to Retirement?

The number of teachers retiring in 2011 skyrockets compared to previous years.

Gov. Scott Walker’s controversial budget repair bill drove educators to Madison, but is it driving teachers out of the Shorewood School District? Shorewood's School Board has approved the retirement requests of 10 district teachers since the beginning of the school year. In comparison, four have retired since the 2009 school year, according to Business Manager Mark Boehlke. Five of the teachers asked the board to approve their retirement after the introduction of the budget repair bill, which eliminates most collective bargaining for public workers, said Human Resources Coordinator Kim Grady. The district typically approves all retirements by December, Grady said, but after the repair bill was introduced to the Wisconsin Legislature in mid…

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"Himself"

7:11 am on Saturday, February 18, 2012

Retiring Shorewood Teachers: Thank you for your service to out community. Out with the old, in with the new!   more ›