Introducing “Three Things”
Today the Alliance is introducing a new, weekly communication feature called “Three Things.” Each week we’ll share three different happenings, issues, or stories that impact the members of our school district community.
Today the Alliance is introducing a new, weekly communication feature called “Three Things.” Each week we’ll share three different happenings, issues, or stories that impact the members of our school district community.
The Alliance is concerned about the District’s ongoing misuse of policy as a shield for its pattern of harmful decisions negatively impacting the students and school community and the potential impact of her termination on First Amendment rights, teacher retention, and the promise for more transparent communication with parents.
Another highly qualified teacher has publicly resigned from the Waukesha School District:
“SDW could turn its focus to a lot of real problems, among which include making sure every student has their needs met: a safe place to learn, a meal in their belly, and academic support to help them grow and thrive. Instead, the school district has a policy to steer this ship backwards, and it’s headed for a rocky coast.”
The School District of Waukesha is again experiencing a significant departure of high-quality educators. When high quality, experienced teachers leave the district, it is student learning that suffers most.
The Alliance is disappointed to learn that on May 15, 2023, after being on administrative leave for more than a month, Heyer Elementary School First Grade Teacher Melissa Tempel was notified that the Superintendent of the School District of Waukesha was recommending her termination.
This Teacher Appreciation Week, there is one partner missing from our first-grade classroom at Heyer: Maestra Melissa. Her class has been without her, or any permanent teacher, for 25 school days and counting.
Thank you to all of the teachers out there making a difference in kids’ lives, past, present, and future! Thank you to the teachers who taught us when we were kids!Thank you to the teachers who are teaching our children now!Thank you to the teachers of the future who will teach the coming generations! We invite everyone to give a shoutout to an influential teacher in their lives in the replies!#TeacherAppreciationWeek2023
The Alliance for Education in Waukesha (AEW) would like to commend Dr. Underly for her letter and her involvement. At the same time, AEW would like to respond to comments made by Dr. Sebert and local legislative leaders in their answers to Dr. Underly’s letter.
It is time for Ms. Tempel to be returned to her students and for the district to take accountability for starting this mess in the first place simply, because they wanted to keep rainbows out of a first-grade classroom.
STATEMENT ON BIAS IN WAUKESHA SCHOOLS
The School District of Waukesha (SDW) made national news for banning the song “Rainbowland.” This decision is a consequence of nearly three years of bad policy implementation by the SDW Superintendent and Board. Rainbowland is merely a symptom of an on-going pattern of bias, bullying of students, staff and parents, and failure to appropriately document and respond to incidents of discrimination and harassment.