Schools

Middleton’s boys tennis team has been the class of the Madison area for quite some time now.

This year, the Cardinals would like to challenge the Milwaukee-area schools for state supremacy.

But as Middleton found out last weekend, that won’t be easy.

The Cardinals performed admirably at the Madison Memorial Invite, but settled for second place. Middleton fell in the title match, 4-3, to Mequon Homestead.

“We played pretty well, but we are still make tweaks and adjustments to our lineup to find the combination that gives us the best chance to win,” Middleton coach Deke Bradley said. “We were fairly happy with the results, but we were really hoping to beat Homestead.”

Middleton freshman Jake Van Emburgh notched a 6-3, 6-2 win at No. 1 singles over Homestead’s Will Kamnerait. Cardinals senior Ben Luskin also earned a 7-5, 6-4 win at No. 2 singles.

Middleton seniors Evan Stone and Joey Niesen also posted a 6-4, 7-6 (7) win at No. 1 doubles.

Because of weather cancellations on Monday and Tuesday of last week, teacher Andrew Harris did not actually start his new job teaching science at Kromrey Middle School until Wednesday morning. That didn’t stop a series of events surrounding his controversial return to the classroom from unfolding, however.

Four years ago Harris was fired for having opened e-mails containing adult images on his school computer. The ensuing investigation revealed other staffers had viewed adult images on school computers as well, but they received suspensions, and were not fired. At no time were any students exposed to any of the e-mails in question, school officials determined.

The local teachers’ union took Harris’ case to arbitration and won. Subsequent court appeals upheld the arbitrator’s decision, and last week, Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District officials finally agreed to abide by the ruling. Harris has been rehired.

Last week, as he prepared to re-enter a seventh grade classroom after a tumultuous four-year absence from teaching, science teacher Andrew Harris said he understands the concerns many parents have about his return.

“If I were a parent in this situation, I would want to know what’s going on,” said Harris, who will take part in a teacher work day at Kromrey Middle School on Friday and then begin teaching students there on Monday. “I made a mistake, and I’m sorry for the mistake I made. I’d like to rebuild the trust, show people that I’m a good teacher.”

The Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District re-administered a math test and plans to delve into some of its policies and procedures following allegations that students cheated on recent exams.

In a message sent to parents and guardians late last week, Middleton High School principal Denise Herrmann said the district recently discovered a calculus exam was “compromised.”

That exam, which took place on Tuesday and Wednesday, was re-administered after the district learned of the allegations.

“In response, we launched an investigation that included interviews with staff and students as well as a review of video footage,” wrote Herrmann. “We also received several letters from students and parents which provided additional information to the scope and severity of cheating on tests in courses across the curriculum.”

Residents interested in learning more about becoming a member of the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District Board of Education are invited to attend one of two orientation sessions to be held in the next month.

The sessions will be held on Monday, Dec. 2 and Monday, Dec. 16 at 6:30 p.m. at the District Administrative Center, 7106 South Ave., Middleton, before the regular meeting. Superintendent Don Johnson, Board president Ellen Lindgren and other BOE members will be available to answer your questions and provide more information.

There are nine members who make up the Board of Education and each year three seats are up for election. Citizens residing in the areas are invited to run for the Board of Education for a three-year term.

This year’s seats up for election are:

* Area II, currently held by treasurer Bob Green.

* Area IV, currently held by clerk Annette Ashley.

* Area IV, currently held by Bob Hesselbein.

Middleton High School’s homecoming parade took place on October 11.  The procession featured an array of clubs and organizations, as well as plenty of school spirit. Pictured here are Sharon Buchholz (with sign) and other members of the Sexuality and Gender Equality (SAGE) club. 

The title – “How Many Kids Left Behind? An Interactive Community Conversation on the Future of our Public Schools” – said it all. 

The Middleton School Board hosted a meeting Sept. 5 in the Performing Arts Center featuring a panel of public figures who spoke about school funding. Among them were state senators Kathleen Vinehout (D-Alma), and Dale Schultz (R-Richland Center), Julie Underwood, the Dean of Education at UW-Madison, Jeff Pertl, a Department of Public Instruction (DPI) policy advisor, and Joe Quick, the government relations specialist with the Wisconsin Association of School Boards.

The meeting discussed the current state of the state’s education budget and the “shadow” school system involving vouchers, various charters and private school reimbursement. The panel discussed the financial impact of these relatively recent developments, especially on rural districts with shrinking enrollment.

The Middleton Cross-Plains Board of Education could have accepted the resignation of a middle school teacher who viewed pornography on a school computer in 2010 for about $21,000, but instead has spent $600,000 in legal expenses trying to fire him, according to documentation provided by an attorney representing the teacher.

A state appeals court concluded that firing a Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District teacher for viewing pornography on the job was excessive and inequitable in light of sanctions imposed on other teachers in 2009.

The District 4 Court of Appeals opinion last week upheld a Dane County circuit judge who had ordered reinstatement of Andrew Harris, a Glacier Creek Middle School teacher.

The appeals court also upheld reducing suspensions to reprimands for teachers Mike Duren and Gregg “Doc” Cramer.

On appeal the district contended that anything less than termination for Harris violates public policy against exposing children to pornography in schools.

The District 4 Court stated “we are not persuaded,” noting the district cited no case law to support its position and the district undermined its own position by not terminating any other teacher who viewed sexually explicit pictures on school computers.

West Side Christian School principal Hank Hoenecke knew his institution didn’t have a particularly high chance of being selected to receive newly expanded parental choice/voucher school funding.

His suspicions were confirmed earlier this month when a dozen new applicants to the school had filed by the August 9 deadline, a far smaller number than the private schools that made the cut.

“Looks like we’re going to have a long shot to qualify,” he said shortly before the results were confirmed. However, Hoenecke said he was still glad West Side Christian gave it a shot, and he believes the experience could come in handy as the state’s controversial commitment to voucher schools continues to grow.

“We’re definitely going to look into this in the future,” he said, “because they’re going to expand the number of vouchers. It was a short turnaround this yearcbut still a nice excuse for people to come out and see our school.”