Jeanette Kunz for Hudson School Board

Concerned Citizen #2 February 14, 2013 at 12:51 am

She's got my vote!

Tanya K February 14, 2013 at 10:11 pm

Mine too!!!!

Scott Erlenborn February 17, 2013 at 07:51 am

She will not be getting my vote. She sounds way too similar to Sandy Gerhke. Both seem determined to dismantle our eductional system by suppressing wages and forcing our best and brightest teachers across the river in search of competitive compensation. Both dishonestly represent the economic conditions of our area as the reason for this suppression of wages. Neither have the wisdom or the experience that our district and our children deserve.

JMK February 17, 2013 at 01:19 pm

There you go again, Scott, twisting my words. In no way did I question the value of our teachers. In fact, I stated the opposite and gave them credit for having the courage to do so. I questioned the comparability study for raises relating to the administration and superintendent only. You are the one being dishonest here and are obviously out to attack me for reasons unknown. We have never met.

T N T February 17, 2013 at 02:40 pm

Oh Scott. I have seen you post against Ms. Kunz on more than one occasion. Let me as you this. Have you ever actually contacted her to speak with her or do you just tend to make assumptions as to who she is? With a child in the High School and Grade School, I hardly doubt she is out to ruin our education system. Anyone and everyone that knows you also knows that you never had any intentions of ever voting for Ms. Kunz. So instead of trying to egg her on why don't you try and sit down and have a conversation. Or maybe actually look in to the other candidates and their qualifications and "agenda". Just a suggestion. Also if i were Ms. Kunz I would stop responding to Scott as it seems to be in my opinion that you are beating a dead horse. Just my thought.

Scott Erlenborn February 17, 2013 at 03:26 pm

So TNT are you Mr K? Your emotional responses (some of which had to be removed) would indicate that you might be. Another disadvantage of not requiring posts with people's real names - you don't get to see who's teamed up with whom in these debates. Anyway, I watched the candidate forum and thought Jeanette presented herself well, I just completely disgree with her and Sandy G's narative and think it is completely disingenuous. Both are obvioulsy budget hawks. Out of 367 school districts Hudson ranks absolutely dead last in local revenue support. Jeanette like Sandy G. seem to think that it should be even lower. We have been sticking it to our teachers and students financially for way too long in this district. Teachers have had pay freezes 2 out of the 5 years my wife worked for the district, and then the removal of the lanes and columns salary grid. Students are in obvious need of significantly more space. Teachers and families have left the district and will continue to leave under such a lack of visionary leadership. Jeanette has said nothing to alleviate these concerns or change my perception of her. Don't take it personally, it is for the same reason I cannot support Kari or Schrock. If I have in some way mispercieved you, please correct my misperceptions. But I doubt you will, but will rather claim that this is in some way a personal attack - I assure you it is not, as we have never met.

T N T February 17, 2013 at 11:34 pm

Funny how my responses have been removed yet I am not the one saying rude remarks. Using vulgar language and making nasty assumptions. I don't see where my responses is emotional at all. And I am in no way surprised that you are supporting the 2 candidates hand picked by the administration to run for the position. Were you also a part of the forum that chose to interview the candidates yet conveniently forgot to invite 2 of them?

Micheal Foley (Editor) February 17, 2013 at 11:47 pm

I sent you an email explaining why some of your comments were removed. Check your inbox.

Micheal Foley (Editor) February 17, 2013 at 11:49 pm

Please stop baiting other users with personal attacks. That's no way to hold a civil public discussion.

Micheal Foley (Editor) February 17, 2013 at 11:49 pm

Please stop baiting other users with personal attacks. Attack the argument, not the individual.

Scott Erlenborn February 17, 2013 at 11:59 pm

Foley- there seems to be a flurry of flagging/mediating on your part all of sudden. Just wanted to note it for the record.

Micheal Foley (Editor) February 18, 2013 at 12:00 am

Scott: I thought you were done with Patch. I'm surprised you're still commenting.

T N T February 18, 2013 at 12:39 am

Thanks I just read the email. I masked the profanity because it was so rude. I hope that the future use of the word in question will get flagged as inappropriate.

T N T February 18, 2013 at 12:40 am

So Scott are you really a Pastor? I don't see your name as a pastor of the church you have on your Linkedin account

Scott Erlenborn February 18, 2013 at 01:15 am

Google me. I served as a pastor for 13 years with the Baptist General Conference/Converge World Wide - same denomination as Faith Community Church. Call Larry he can vouch for me. I believe he may have already joined in the fray anyway. Many of my sermons should still be online if you would like to listen to them. My Linkedin Account is very out of date and probably lists the last church I served at. I currently have a sales position having determined that though I love Jesus I'm not all that crazy about many of his people.

Vested Interest February 18, 2013 at 01:35 am

Very interesting - do you label Larry a coward too? We don't see anyone named Larry posting on Patch. Why haven't you demanded him to "man-up?"

Paine Reliever February 18, 2013 at 03:45 am

Interesting how whenever anyone is critical of Jeanette, she accuses them of engaging in personal attacks, and then goes on the attack herself. She called Scott a "so called pastor". Has she been called a so called parent, so called business owner, or so called anything? It is similar to How Sandy Gerhke reacted when accused of breaking board member policy. Do we want board members who need to blame others for their own actions and words? I am just sick of hearing how bad it is. Scott has brought up many good points. Some I agree with and some I don't. If questions like these upset Mrs. Kunz, maybe she is not board material.

T N T February 18, 2013 at 05:22 am

Funny that you should bring that up. When do you plan to run for something. All I see you do is complain. You have so many ideas, maybe you should get on a board wherever you live and try and implement them. I will give Ms. Kunz this advice again. You no longer need to engage with those who all ready dislike you without even knowing you as a person.

Paine Reliever February 18, 2013 at 11:10 am

That is a cop-out TNT. Let's look at the present and past school board members as an example. A small group of people have attacked them publicly and annonymously for years. Every decision they make is attacked as being some kind of conspiracy or conflict of interest. Where have your mocking prayers for their accusers been TNT? Jeanette herself has made many claims of board conflict of interest. At least Mr. Hanson and Mr. Johnson can acknowledge that our district in fact has been fiscally sound and our teachers are getting results. Jeanette likes to focus on perceived problems. She has only praised a team of north Hudson teachers. Everything else has been negative.

Elisabeth Nelson February 18, 2013 at 11:49 am

When citizens question the decisions and policies put forth by their duly elected leaders, it should not be considered an attack. Your words are hyperbolic and angry . . . . attacked, anonymously, conspiracy, mocking prayers, accusers. Do you not see yourself as guilty of the above? Or are those things OK if it is you doing it?

Paine Reliever February 18, 2013 at 12:16 pm

Not angry at all, and when I question someone who is questioning an elected official, that is not an attack either. If anyone has been mocking, it has been tnt's repeated mocking of Scott, who is/was a pastor and anyone else who has questioned Jeanette Kunz. I do not need the prayers of such a hypocrite. You posted of Jeanette's skills of community building. A quick search of her patch blog entries seems to suggest otherwise. I feel Jeanette is trying to play the teachers against the administration and the community against both. It worked for Sandy Gerhke. You posted of a vision for the future. I would like more specifics from all the candidates on their vision for the future of our district.

Paul Bourget February 18, 2013 at 12:52 pm

I'm a firm believer in checks and balances. Individual politics aside, HSD has not been able to solve the secondary space issue because a workable solution has yet to be devised. In an ideal climate, any of these candidates would be well suited to serving on the Board. But ours unfortunately is a divided community and the Board needs to be balanced to reflect those broader views and to challenge a status quo that's been spinning its wheels on an issue that should have been resolved a decade ago.

Vested Interest February 18, 2013 at 01:49 pm

@Paine - your history on this blog is well known. You've chastised anyone who dares question this school board, the previous school board or the administration. You've placed them as untouchables and now question anyone who might get on the board who may hold these people accountable. Why is that? One easy conclusion may simply be because you benefit financially from it. Is that true? Do you have a problem with people having their children educated by non-public means? Do you have a problem with someone getting on the board who may challenge the status quo or ask the hard questions? I don't! I want to hear those hard questions asked and there better be reasonable answers to them - not this air-babble we hear now.
I suppose you don't see a problem at all with this superintendent recruiting two of the candidates from the Rotary Club - a club she belongs to which we taxpayers pay her dues for membership. You might want to look at how many present and past members of the school board are in Rotary as well. What a sweet deal. I'd love to arrange who my director is so I can get the raises I want and never need to worry about someone having too critical an eye. If you can't see how corrupt this group is, you are beyond hope. It's time to get people on this board who haven't gotten the cult mentality of the uppy Rotary Club.

Paine Reliever February 18, 2013 at 03:01 pm

I agree with Jeanette and others that the timing of the raise was bad. That said, even with the raise the super is still paid less than the median of comparables, so that makes it a non-issue to me. I do not benefit financially from the school district. I have no problem with people sending their kids to private schools. If we lived in an urban setting with under performing schools, I might even be for a limited voucher system. If challenging the status quo and asking hard questions mean a continued dishonest assault on public education, than yes, I am against that. We have a space problem. Not a low test score problem. Not overpaid staff or administration problem and not an open enrollment problem. Fix the problem. There is no smoking gun. The same people that are now complaining the district has done nothing are the same that fight them every time they try to. The supposed rotary club conspiracy is a new one.

Paul Bourget February 18, 2013 at 03:13 pm

Serving on the Board is a pretty thankless job. I have a great deal of respect for anyone willing to do it. I was not suggesting in my previous post that the present body hasn't achieved anything...they have a lot to be proud of. I am, however, doubtful that the secondary school space issue can be resolved without a more balanced mix of voices on the Board that can respectfully speak to more than one side of the argument.

Vested Interest February 18, 2013 at 03:22 pm

The raise for the superintendent wasn't warranted. It's already been admitted that the administration initiated the superintendent salary survey because she considered herself underpaid compared to certain surrounding districts or other chosen districts. My belief is if you don't think you're paid enough here, apply for one of those jobs at districts that pay higher.
You say we don't have a low test score problem. I say we do when comparing our test scores against other districts that pay their admin staff the type of salaries this board is giving here. If you don't believe me, check out the salary paid to the superintendent in Elmbrook comparing the number of students they have verses any education scoring method you want to use. We simply don't measure up, and it's because we have a board that refuses to address the problem - which starts at the top. The other reason this community hasn't been able to address the space problem is simply because we've got a school board that believes they can act in a vacuum. If any school board believes they can plant a 2500 student high school where ever they want in this community by a simple majority of voters, they need their head examined. Yet, that's what they think and that's why it will fail each and every time.

Paine Reliever February 18, 2013 at 05:07 pm

So Jeanette, you think our superentendant should not be paid just below the median of other like sized and performing districts until our schools achieve the results of one isolated example? Ok, let's look at Elmbrook. They have invested large on technology, science and other student programs to help students achieve. Oh but wait, they also just finished large building projects. They have invested heavily in bricks and mortar field houses, music and arts auditorium space. They even have "event space" to lure sports tournaments and other community functions that benefit not just the students but the whole community and local businesses as well. What is their cost per pupil Jeanette? How much are their property taxes? Sign me up! Let's follow the Brookfield high school model. Once again Jeanette picks one data point and runs with it, without looking at the bigger picture. Again, we need space, no matter who is on the board or who can sell it. It will happen. Jeanette is deluded if she thinks we can't get it done without her.

Paine Reliever February 18, 2013 at 05:34 pm

Oops my mistake, my above comments should have been directed at vested interest and not Jeanette Kunz

Vested Interest February 18, 2013 at 07:29 pm

@Paine - are you saying we haven't invested LARGE on technology? What about the $1M levy override that got passed to infinity and beyond for the district that they just piddle away each year and use as a slush fund to try and find things to spend it on. And yes, let's look at Elmbrook's facility costs - if they have invested heavily in buildings, why is their facility cost per pupil lower than Hudson's? I do pity the Elmbrook school district taxpayers on one thing, they get very little state funding compared to Hudson.