{"id":454,"date":"2023-06-20T14:04:16","date_gmt":"2023-06-20T19:04:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.alliancewaukesha.org\/?p=454"},"modified":"2023-06-20T14:04:17","modified_gmt":"2023-06-20T19:04:17","slug":"another-open-letter-to-the-school-district-of-waukesha-from-a-resigning-teacher","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alliancewaukesha.org\/index.php\/2023\/06\/20\/another-open-letter-to-the-school-district-of-waukesha-from-a-resigning-teacher\/","title":{"rendered":"Another Open Letter to the School District of Waukesha from a Resigning Teacher"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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As the Alliance for Education in Waukesha (AEW) reported last week, the School District of Waukesha (SDW) is again experiencing a significant departure of outstanding educators. In recent days, AEW has received another open letter from a highly regarded and qualified teacher wishing to share his resignation publicly. His letter highlights why many educators are leaving the School District of Waukesha.<\/p>

SDW\u2019s school board and administrative leadership must change course immediately. The AEW calls on them to stop the politicization of education, trust teachers to do their jobs, respect the First Amendment rights of all district employees, give raises and incentives commensurate with other local school districts, and remove policies that are targeting and harming vulnerable students, interfering with their ability to learn and thrive.<\/p>

The AEW will continue to advocate for robust, inclusive public schools in Waukesha by holding school board members publicly accountable until they enact and implement better policies, or until those school board members are replaced with new leadership with the capacity and desire to represent ALL Waukesha students and families.<\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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The text of Mr. Edlund’s letter is reproduced in full below; you can also find it here.<\/a><\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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\n \n Why I Quit Teaching in the Waukesha School District <\/span>\n\n \n \n <\/span>\n <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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There was a time not long ago that I thought I would spend my whole career in the School District of Waukesha. Now that I am moving on, there are some important signposts on the road to my exit that are worth mentioning. When I got to Waukesha, I had just earned my teaching license, and being fresh-faced and energetic, the interview panel considered me an investment for the long run. That is what former Associate Principal Todd Sobrilsky told me. During that new and exciting period, I\u2019d learned that Waukesha South High School was a place with many strengths, most of which flew under the radar of the other two high schools. For instance, South High School is a microcosm of America as a whole: a diverse place populated by a plurality of social, political, economic and ethnic backgrounds. Students with Trump flags on their cars sitting in class alongside Latinos and Leftists, finding their way individually, but sharing a community where their voices could be heard, and to learn from one another. Among other things, South really did feel like a family where students, colleagues, support staff, and administrators had each other\u2019s backs. I\u2019ve seen this sense of community many times in the past six years. I\u2019ve seen this through administrators who\u2019ve given me their personal cell number if I ever needed emotional support, or the thunderous applause coming from the student body when students who are differently abled showcased their hard work at pep rallies or talent shows. From colleagues with whom I\u2019ve forged lifelong friendships, to the many times my students have cried on my shoulder. For these reasons and more, I have found the prospect of leaving too painful to bear, until now.<\/span><\/p>

The School District of Waukesha is doing harm to the students, but it\u2019s not as simple as the School Board blaming pride flags, or disaffected teachers blaming the Superintendent. The system itself is a cancer that has metastasized and crept into every classroom across this massive district, and we know it\u2019s doing harm to students because they show us that it does. To begin to scratch the surface of these problems, we have to identify the goals of the elected school board members, who overwhelmingly support the agenda of the nationally infamous Moms for Liberty organization. Board policies reflect a drive to adopt a curriculum that whitewashes any discussion of discrimination, whether it\u2019s related to race or gender identity. Their narrative has always been to equate the discussion of racism with \u201ccritical race theory;\u201d or a student grappling with gender dysmorphia, confiding in their teacher with \u201cgrooming.\u201d Material ways that we can observe how this narrative harms students, includes implementing StudySync and TCI into our English and Social Studies curriculum. These so-called \u201crich\u201d and \u201ccomplex\u201d texts offer highly outdated and disengaging views of history and literature. TCI, which my class dealt with this year, is three miles wide, and a half-inch deep, so there is no chance to engage in deep inquiry, or time to create projects. Truthfully, the problem isn\u2019t the curricular resource itself, rather the fervor with which it was implemented. At the beginning of the school year, all of the English and Social Studies teachers were gathered for a meeting where school board policies were laid out in front of us, saying that every supplemental resource outside of the aforementioned would have to be approved by our supervising administrator. Every article, video, political cartoon, activity, had to be vetted for indoctrination. What did this meeting tell us? Well, the Director of Secondary Learning told me personally, when I expressed how this would ultimately cause students to disengage, \u201cRusty, your days of autonomous teaching are behind you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

So began a cycle: Enforcement of milquetoast curriculum gives way to teachers feeling mistrusted and undervalued, which gives way to subpar instruction, which results in classrooms of disengaged learners who see no incentive to rise to the task. Ultimately, it returns to the problem of curriculum and policy, where the many factors causing these problems are not considered valid in the eyes of many of our stakeholders. In a discussion I held with my classes during final exams, the students reported that they noticed that some of their teachers appear to be phoning it in. Some teachers are asking for work in an unreasonable amount of time; others are too exhausted to lead engaging lessons. Regardless of the way this burnout is expressed, it is not their fault. What we are seeing is neither the students\u2019 fault, nor is it teachers\u2019 fault, because many of Waukesha\u2019s best educators are seeking asylum elsewhere. In some cases, teachers are shifting to different buildings, others to different districts, and some, sadly, are leaving the profession entirely. I am leaving for a school that bears no resemblance to SDW, and I am glad of it. Education is too important to lose learning over culture wars, and students know this. Conservative students and Liberal students at South understand better than any that they have to exist on the same plane, and so they do far more to bridge their differences than the adults, and ultimately they found themselves agreeing with one another in a class discussion that regardless of what their ideology is, they are the ones who are getting the raw deal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

There can be no question that SDW is in crisis. It is hemorrhaging teachers, and it is harming our students. So why is it that the policies and actors working to uphold them are doubling down, when the evidence is overwhelming that it\u2019s doing more harm than good for morale at SDW? One example is how library staff are being overly scrutinized, often by people with no credentials to supervise a library; being questioned about certain books or publications that imply that this drooling dope of a supervisor can\u2019t tell the difference between an anatomy textbook and a copy of Hustler. A second example is how leadership has shifted away from a collaborative way of problem solving, to one that relies on \u201ccorrective conversations\u201d and letters of reprimand. Corrective conversations are doled out like candy these days: I had one for playing a video about Paul Revere; one colleague had one for using a source other than the approved curriculum. A third had one where she was accused of being racist (she\u2019s black).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

What disturbs me more than demoralizing strong educators with so-called corrective conversations (what are they trying to \u201ccorrect,\u201d anyway?), is the clear pattern that those who speak up will be ousted or intimidated into silence. Ross Freshwater, a colleague of mine who is also leaving the district sent an email addressing his concerns about the impending curriculum rewrite for the classes he was teaching. When administrators were faced with the challenge, they simply asked, \u201cIs this your resignation, then?\u201d They are jumping right to \u201ccomply or else\u201d without any semblance of reconciliation or desire to find common ground. I spoke up at a staff meeting about how the board policies were going to ruin everything we loved about South; this must have put a target on my back because within a matter of months I\u2019d had two corrective conversations and a letter of reprimand. As far as I could tell, I did nothing discernibly different than in years past, so it\u2019s hard not to believe that these measures were done out of spite. Lastly, I have one word: <\/span>Rainbowland<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

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\u2019s headed for a rocky coast. Our students are hurting because our teachers are hurting, because the policies of this district are cruel and exclusionary. Why feed a child when you can scare a trans kid back into the closet? Why allow a black student to study Angela Davis when you can attack a teacher for advocating for better conditions? It is tragic that the right wing ideology of this board has turned what was once a reputable school district into the Florida of the North. The cancer continues to spread across the school district, and many of the best and brightest teachers will choose a way out over pushing through in hopes that things will get better. If the school board wants to retain good teachers, they will have to do better than increase pay. They will have to restore autonomy to the classroom, and issue directives that would support teachers instead of malign them. Stop worrying about smut on the bookshelves and start focusing on meeting the needs of our students. Administrators, stop punishing teachers in hopes that they will fall in line. Until the community throws out the Moms for Liberty, or the teachers actually organize themselves, nothing is going to change. And until these things happen, you can continue to say goodbye to so many wonderful teachers, and you will struggle to attract new ones. Potential candidates will say, \u201cWaukesha? Isn\u2019t that where they fired a teacher over a rainbow song?\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Or do the school board members simply want to brow-beat our schools into such disarray that they can finally justify using public funds to send their children to religious schools, free of any \u201cliberal indoctrination,\u201d and of course, free of critical thinking.<\/span><\/p>

Rusty Edlund<\/span><\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Another highly qualified teacher has publicly resigned from the Waukesha School District: <\/p>\n

“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. 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In recent days, AEW has received another open letter from a highly regarded and qualified teacher wishing to share his resignation publicly. His letter highlights why many educators are leaving the School District of Waukesha.<\/p><p>SDW\u2019s school board and administrative leadership must change course immediately. The AEW calls on them to stop the politicization of education, trust teachers to do their jobs, respect the First Amendment rights of all district employees, give raises and incentives commensurate with other local school districts, and remove policies that are targeting and harming vulnerable students, interfering with their ability to learn and thrive.<\/p><p>The AEW will continue to advocate for robust, inclusive public schools in Waukesha by holding school board members publicly accountable until they enact and implement better policies, or until those school board members are replaced with new leadership with the capacity and desire to represent ALL Waukesha students and families.<\/p>\n\n<p>The text of Mr. Edlund's letter is reproduced in full below; you can also find it <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/18_8lZk9y9ajeI9BS6k8rE8_O-DCoQc94u6hoXN_dj8E\/edit\">here.<\/a><\/p>\n<h3>Why I Quit Teaching in the Waukesha School District<br\/><\/h3>\n<p>There was a time not long ago that I thought I would spend my whole career in the School District of Waukesha. Now that I am moving on, there are some important signposts on the road to my exit that are worth mentioning. When I got to Waukesha, I had just earned my teaching license, and being fresh-faced and energetic, the interview panel considered me an investment for the long run. That is what former Associate Principal Todd Sobrilsky told me. During that new and exciting period, I\u2019d learned that Waukesha South High School was a place with many strengths, most of which flew under the radar of the other two high schools. For instance, South High School is a microcosm of America as a whole: a diverse place populated by a plurality of social, political, economic and ethnic backgrounds. Students with Trump flags on their cars sitting in class alongside Latinos and Leftists, finding their way individually, but sharing a community where their voices could be heard, and to learn from one another. Among other things, South really did feel like a family where students, colleagues, support staff, and administrators had each other\u2019s backs. I\u2019ve seen this sense of community many times in the past six years. I\u2019ve seen this through administrators who\u2019ve given me their personal cell number if I ever needed emotional support, or the thunderous applause coming from the student body when students who are differently abled showcased their hard work at pep rallies or talent shows. From colleagues with whom I\u2019ve forged lifelong friendships, to the many times my students have cried on my shoulder. For these reasons and more, I have found the prospect of leaving too painful to bear, until now.<\/p><p>The School District of Waukesha is doing harm to the students, but it\u2019s not as simple as the School Board blaming pride flags, or disaffected teachers blaming the Superintendent. The system itself is a cancer that has metastasized and crept into every classroom across this massive district, and we know it\u2019s doing harm to students because they show us that it does. To begin to scratch the surface of these problems, we have to identify the goals of the elected school board members, who overwhelmingly support the agenda of the nationally infamous Moms for Liberty organization. Board policies reflect a drive to adopt a curriculum that whitewashes any discussion of discrimination, whether it\u2019s related to race or gender identity. Their narrative has always been to equate the discussion of racism with \u201ccritical race theory;\u201d or a student grappling with gender dysmorphia, confiding in their teacher with \u201cgrooming.\u201d Material ways that we can observe how this narrative harms students, includes implementing StudySync and TCI into our English and Social Studies curriculum. These so-called \u201crich\u201d and \u201ccomplex\u201d texts offer highly outdated and disengaging views of history and literature. TCI, which my class dealt with this year, is three miles wide, and a half-inch deep, so there is no chance to engage in deep inquiry, or time to create projects. Truthfully, the problem isn\u2019t the curricular resource itself, rather the fervor with which it was implemented. At the beginning of the school year, all of the English and Social Studies teachers were gathered for a meeting where school board policies were laid out in front of us, saying that every supplemental resource outside of the aforementioned would have to be approved by our supervising administrator. Every article, video, political cartoon, activity, had to be vetted for indoctrination. What did this meeting tell us? Well, the Director of Secondary Learning told me personally, when I expressed how this would ultimately cause students to disengage, \u201cRusty, your days of autonomous teaching are behind you.\u201d<\/p><p>So began a cycle: Enforcement of milquetoast curriculum gives way to teachers feeling mistrusted and undervalued, which gives way to subpar instruction, which results in classrooms of disengaged learners who see no incentive to rise to the task. Ultimately, it returns to the problem of curriculum and policy, where the many factors causing these problems are not considered valid in the eyes of many of our stakeholders. In a discussion I held with my classes during final exams, the students reported that they noticed that some of their teachers appear to be phoning it in. Some teachers are asking for work in an unreasonable amount of time; others are too exhausted to lead engaging lessons. Regardless of the way this burnout is expressed, it is not their fault. What we are seeing is neither the students\u2019 fault, nor is it teachers\u2019 fault, because many of Waukesha\u2019s best educators are seeking asylum elsewhere. In some cases, teachers are shifting to different buildings, others to different districts, and some, sadly, are leaving the profession entirely. I am leaving for a school that bears no resemblance to SDW, and I am glad of it. Education is too important to lose learning over culture wars, and students know this. Conservative students and Liberal students at South understand better than any that they have to exist on the same plane, and so they do far more to bridge their differences than the adults, and ultimately they found themselves agreeing with one another in a class discussion that regardless of what their ideology is, they are the ones who are getting the raw deal.\u00a0<\/p><p>There can be no question that SDW is in crisis. It is hemorrhaging teachers, and it is harming our students. So why is it that the policies and actors working to uphold them are doubling down, when the evidence is overwhelming that it\u2019s doing more harm than good for morale at SDW? One example is how library staff are being overly scrutinized, often by people with no credentials to supervise a library; being questioned about certain books or publications that imply that this drooling dope of a supervisor can\u2019t tell the difference between an anatomy textbook and a copy of Hustler. A second example is how leadership has shifted away from a collaborative way of problem solving, to one that relies on \u201ccorrective conversations\u201d and letters of reprimand. Corrective conversations are doled out like candy these days: I had one for playing a video about Paul Revere; one colleague had one for using a source other than the approved curriculum. A third had one where she was accused of being racist (she\u2019s black).\u00a0<\/p><p>What disturbs me more than demoralizing strong educators with so-called corrective conversations (what are they trying to \u201ccorrect,\u201d anyway?), is the clear pattern that those who speak up will be ousted or intimidated into silence. Ross Freshwater, a colleague of mine who is also leaving the district sent an email addressing his concerns about the impending curriculum rewrite for the classes he was teaching. When administrators were faced with the challenge, they simply asked, \u201cIs this your resignation, then?\u201d They are jumping right to \u201ccomply or else\u201d without any semblance of reconciliation or desire to find common ground. I spoke up at a staff meeting about how the board policies were going to ruin everything we loved about South; this must have put a target on my back because within a matter of months I\u2019d had two corrective conversations and a letter of reprimand. As far as I could tell, I did nothing discernibly different than in years past, so it\u2019s hard not to believe that these measures were done out of spite. Lastly, I have one word: <i>Rainbowland<\/i>.\u00a0<\/p><p>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\u2019s headed for a rocky coast. Our students are hurting because our teachers are hurting, because the policies of this district are cruel and exclusionary. Why feed a child when you can scare a trans kid back into the closet? Why allow a black student to study Angela Davis when you can attack a teacher for advocating for better conditions? It is tragic that the right wing ideology of this board has turned what was once a reputable school district into the Florida of the North. The cancer continues to spread across the school district, and many of the best and brightest teachers will choose a way out over pushing through in hopes that things will get better. If the school board wants to retain good teachers, they will have to do better than increase pay. They will have to restore autonomy to the classroom, and issue directives that would support teachers instead of malign them. Stop worrying about smut on the bookshelves and start focusing on meeting the needs of our students. Administrators, stop punishing teachers in hopes that they will fall in line. Until the community throws out the Moms for Liberty, or the teachers actually organize themselves, nothing is going to change. And until these things happen, you can continue to say goodbye to so many wonderful teachers, and you will struggle to attract new ones. Potential candidates will say, \u201cWaukesha? Isn\u2019t that where they fired a teacher over a rainbow song?\u201d<\/p><p>Or do the school board members simply want to brow-beat our schools into such disarray that they can finally justify using public funds to send their children to religious schools, free of any \u201cliberal indoctrination,\u201d and of course, free of critical thinking.<\/p><p>Rusty Edlund<\/p>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alliancewaukesha.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/454","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alliancewaukesha.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alliancewaukesha.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alliancewaukesha.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alliancewaukesha.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=454"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.alliancewaukesha.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/454\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":460,"href":"https:\/\/www.alliancewaukesha.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/454\/revisions\/460"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alliancewaukesha.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=454"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alliancewaukesha.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=454"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alliancewaukesha.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=454"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}