No....Mother Teresa (were she still with us) would not qualify to be the new Waukesha School Superintendent. Nor would Gandhi, the Dalai Lama, and Albert Schweitzer would only make the first round of cuts.
Why would these otherwise kind, great humanitarians not qualify for the Superintendent's position? Because their efforts to promote kindness, compassion, wisdom, and vision were met with acceptance and appreciation. Given the current funding challenges facing the new District regime, any of the aforementioned traits will be discounted by some in the local Waukesha Community as being "not what's needed" right now.
The Waukesha School District continues to face budget cuts every year for a variety of reasons, but primarily because of an extremely flawed State funding formula. These cuts will erode the quality of this District (and many others in the State) unless an intervention occurs - and soon! I would love to believe Mother Teresa has a miracle awaiting us?(she doesn't) Could Gandhi promote Waukesha Community "accord" and togetherness instead of heavily polarized opinions? (no chance at all) Would the Dalai Lama expound philosophically with a subliminal message of hope for future students? (submarinable...submersible...subhumanal...never mind...) Would a Schweitzer "cure" for the State school funding debacle qualify him for a second Nobel Peace Prize? (sorry - someone would say he fixed the State formula just to make himself look good...)
If the above notables would fall short in many areas needed for this position, what kind of expectations should we hold for the next Waukesha Superintendent? Let's start with realism and a healthy dose of hope. Add to that a desire for an intelligent, compassionate, dedicated, and concerned approach. Finish with an incredibly thick skin because this Community has demonstrated a curious need to criticize at a level often approaching public humiliation, while never offering a hint of constructive criticism.
The next Superintendent of Schools truly has his or her her work cut out for them.
Maybe Al Gore (After all - he invented the Internet!) would be interested???
