Oconomowoc students react to news of teacher layoffs
Oconomowoc High School students wore shirts to school Friday with the message "We love our teachers" after news that 15 teachers received layoff notices this week.
While the district is not talking about the impending layoffs, news of the firings broke after the teachers were informed earlier this week. OHS students Julia Luebke, Calum Bedborough, Emily Huffaker and Lauren Boritzke have also organized a Facebook group, OHS Solidarity.
"This is the official Facebook group for the OHS Solidarity movement, in support of the 15 amazing teachers who have been cut from their positions for the coming school year.
"This group exists solely for the purpose of coming together as a student body to give back to the teachers who have given us all so much of themselves over the years," reads the page created by students. They continue to say they've created the page in an effort to get the correct information out to the community and dispel rumors.
The Facebook group created Wednesday has more than 2,000 members.
Luebke and Bedborough plan to address the School Board at its meeting Tuesday. While the school community's response may be emotional, Luebke said the group is not an effort to protest or run a political agenda. It's solely about supporting the teachers who will lose their jobs, she said.
"We are not protesting, and we're not being critical of our administration. We know this was a tough decision for them, too," Luebke said.
She said the students on Friday had been giving the teachers who will be cut hugs and "words of encouragement."
"Aside from our parents, our teachers are probably the biggest part of our lives. So we're not just losing our teachers, we're losing our family," Luebke said.
Watch for more on this story as it develops.
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43 Comments
Charlie124 - Apr 20, 2012 2:12 PM
time2run - Apr 20, 2012 2:25 PM
mikete96 - Apr 20, 2012 2:29 PM
- Apr 20, 2012 2:30 PM
Wisco Kid - Apr 20, 2012 2:30 PM
bigbillyno - Apr 20, 2012 2:34 PM
about their teachers to encourage this action. Maybe if more Milwaukee city
students cared about school as much, Milwaukee wouldn't be in the predicament
that it is in with regards to poverty, racism, and the like.
Stand with Walker - Apr 20, 2012 2:40 PM
Unless everyone wants to continue to pay more and more taxes, it's time that pay for performance and keep your job rather than tenure wins out!
12315753218 - Apr 20, 2012 2:44 PM
apple73 - Apr 20, 2012 2:50 PM
WhiteGuyTaxPayer - Apr 20, 2012 2:50 PM
ILoveMMA - Apr 20, 2012 2:53 PM
to the teachers. The teachers did as much as they could. As much as I could
tell, alot of the teachers were scared of the young adults.
All in all, the teachers union members should be the first to go when these
layoff's occur. The savings with their salary and entitlements could save those
teachers jobs.
There fault for drinking the union koolaid. Trades unions were the first to go in
the 2000's. Now teachers unions next. How can anyone that is a teacher reelect
these union leaders that do everything in their power to fatten their own pockets
instead of preserving jobs. You know jobs that create tax revenue for business,
state, local, and fed.
Walker for President 2016!
Big Pete - Apr 20, 2012 2:56 PM
ILoveMMA - Apr 20, 2012 2:57 PM
do you have a budget at home? Do you follow it? Do you over spend? What
gives the gov and state the right to overspend? More importantly, are you a
teacher? If not, why do you even have a horse in that race? It is such common
sense that a teacher should get the way businesses work. All businesses, most
families follow budgets and so should the government.
Apple,
How about you pay a little bit more each year to allow a teacher who works 8-9
months out of the year to have amazing benefits. There benefits are still
amazing after Walker's Act 10! War Walker!
Bob Palindrome - Apr 20, 2012 2:59 PM
I would, however, be interested to know how this district used the tools of Act 10, and why these teachers are being laid off. Are they bad teachers? Union thugs that are starting trouble?
ILoveMMA - Apr 20, 2012 3:00 PM
WEAC! He already saved Millions. He too cannot be perfect!
Perhaps Barrett can build trolleys in every state in Wisconsin to promote job growth!
Perhaps the revenue generated from the Trolley cars will offset the ridiculous WEAC
premiums!
alba - Apr 20, 2012 3:12 PM
It's all part of the plan. Keep the kids dumb so they'll work non-union jobs on the cheap, with no benefits.
apple73 - Apr 20, 2012 3:12 PM
Michael H - Apr 20, 2012 3:22 PM
You can solve this problem. Sell your cars, motorcycles, cell phones and give up your other perks, maybe even a part of your allowances. Give that money to the School Board for the purpose of keeping the teachers who woould be otherwise laid off.
Don't want to do this? Think that it isn't "fair"? The taxpayers who live in your school district feel the same way, most of them. There comes a point when everyone has to say "this costs too much."
It may be simple to blame Governor Walker for this, as some would hope that you do, but really, it isn't that simple. You have two huge, new middle schools, and a huge high school, and several grade schools, some of whic are nearly new. The taxpayers are telling the School Board "enough!"
You've probably expereeinced something like this ate home because your family lives on a budget. And your will most certainly expeerience it when you are at university and need to live on your budget.
It's good that you support, admire and respect your teachers. They deserve it! But remember - there is no such thing as unlimited money.