Latest news with #Press-Gazette
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Wrightstown school board clerk will resign amid board president recall, legal challenge
(This story has been updated to add new information.) Wrightstown School Board member and clerk Tony Decker will resign from the board effective April 30. Decker has served on the board since 2024. He told the Press-Gazette he's resigning for personal reasons and has been thinking about it for some time. "As a board member, I had the opportunity to meet many wonderful people this last year," Decker told the Press-Gazette in an email. The remaining board members will choose someone to fill his vacancy. Interested applicants should submit a written notice of their interest to Superintendent Ron Saari, at saari@ by May 2. The board will decide at its May 7 workshop whether to hold interviews and swear in the new board member May 21. That new member will serve until the spring 2026 election. Decker certified the recall petition against board president Angela Hansen-Winker, who filed a complaint against his certification with the Wisconsin Elections Commission. Hansen-Winker faces a recall election for her board seat on April 22. She alleges Decker improperly certified the recall petition, claiming the petition's circulation was "riddled with fraud, undue influence, bribery, threats, misuse of school district property, manipulation of petition signers' data by the circulators (some of whom were school board members) and promotion by some school board members on private internet chatrooms in violation of Winker's First Amendment rights," according to Hansen-Winker's complaint. Decker said Hansen-Winker didn't show sufficient evidence that those claims were true, that he was following WEC guidance "when appropriate" and that Hansen-Winker's claims that signatures were fraudulent comes down to confusion over municipalities due to a recent annexation. On the claims of threats, bribery and First Amendment right violations, Decker said determining legality was outside his authority and scope as a board clerk. Contact Green Bay education reporter Nadia Scharf at nscharf@ or on X at @nadiaascharf. This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Wrightstown school board clerk will resign board president recall
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
4 Pulaski candidates seek 3 seats on Village Board in April 1 election
PULASKI ― The contest for Pulaski Village Board has the distinction in this year's April 1 election of being the only village- or city-level race in Brown County that's contested. Three seats are up for grabs in the nonpartisan contest, and there are four candidates vying to serve for the next two years on the Village Board. Of the four candidates, only Howard Zernicke is an incumbent; his colleagues Robert Gajewski and Rich Roth chose not seek reelection. The other three candidates ― Rebecca Beaulieu, Keith Gering, and Stephen Kehler ― are running for the first time. Village Board President Keith Chambers is unopposed in his run for reelection. The Press-Gazette asked each candidate two questions about why they were running for office and how they would address issues they've heard from Pulaski residents. Answers were slightly edited for grammar, spelling, brevity, or clarity. Kehler acknowledged to the Press-Gazette he had received the questionnaire but did not answer the questions. Gering did not respond to the Press-Gazette's questionnaire after multiple follow-ups through email and phone. Zernicke declined to provide a photo. More information for voters, including how to register to vote and exact polling locations, can be found on the MyVote Wisconsin website at Here are the candidates for Pulaski Village Board alphabetically sorted by candidates' last names, and their biographical information and answers to our questionnaire where available. Age: 45 Job: Sales representative at Allstate Liquor and Wine/Capitol Husting Sales Company Highest level of education: Bachelor's of arts degree; certified specialist of wine Relevant experience: Hosts annual neighborhood events in Pulaski; former membership coordinator for MOMS Club of Wethersfield, Connecticut; started a new MOMS Club chapter in Newington, Connecticut, where she served as the president for two years; lifelong service industry worker. Online: Becky Beaulieu Pulaski Village Trustee Candidate Did not respond to the questionnaire. Did not respond to the questionnaire. Age: 70 Job: Retired Highest level of education: Pulaski High School Relevant experience: Pulaski Village Board trustee for four years; Planning and Zoning Commission member for 30 years Online: None Beaulieu: I want to continue to make a difference in my community. Pulaski is growing and changing pretty rapidly, and there is a current disconnect from longtime residents and newer residents. I'm hoping to bridge the gap while doing what's best for everyone in the community by bringing in businesses that make sense, keeping our community safe, and eliminate wasteful town spending. Zernicke: The village of Pulaski is a great place to live and raise a family for many reasons, but I think I can make it even better. Beaulieu: The main issue right now seems to be the water issue. There is so much misinformation and hearsay about the situation. Most residents seem unaware of what's happening during board meetings and also have never attended one. I am hoping to increase communication from the board members directly to the residents, so that they are aware they can speak their mind every month and have a pulse on what's happening in their own backyard. Zernicke: It seems like every resident I talk to in my four years as trustee, they all ask when are we going to get a family restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In the next two years, I will try to accomplish that. Jesse Lin is a reporter covering the community of Green Bay and its surroundings, as well as politics in northeastern Wisconsin. Contact him at 920-834-4250 or jlin@ This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: 4 Pulaski candidates seek 3 seats on Village Board in April 1 election
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Wisconsin students struggle with reading. These adults are learning for the first time.
When Ahmed arrived in the United States from Somalia seven years ago, he'd never been to school. He could read the Quran in Somali, but he didn't know a word of English or even how to read the characters. Now, after years in the country, he can go to the grocery store alone, read notes home from school and fill out applications. It's a freedom that's taken a lot of work to reach. 'I used to ask myself, 'Why? Why didn't you go to school when you were young or a kid? You know, everything would be a lot easier today',' Ahmed said through a translator. "But you can do nothing about the past. I just have to start over and try my best.' For over three years, Ahmed has been learning English at Literacy Green Bay, an adult education advocacy organization that offers English language classes to non-native speakers and tutoring sessions and GED instruction to adults in the area. It pays its bills through donations and corporate sponsorships; tutors volunteer. Ahmed isn't his real name: the Press-Gazette was allowed to attend the class on the condition that students not be named due to stigma and fears of immigration enforcement. Literacy is a major issue in Wisconsin. Overall, just 51.1% of Wisconsin public school third-graders could read at grade level in the 2023-24 school year, and in Green Bay, nearly half of K-3 elementary students were 'at risk' of not meeting their grade-level reading goals. Being unable to read — or, in the case of some Literacy Green Bay students, to read and understand English — can put students at an extreme disadvantage. Translation services don't always work, and students taking English classes talked about needing to read and fill out job applications, or to understand communications from their child's school. Learning to read is hard work at any age. Every night, Ahmed and his wife take their books to the living room and study for hours, ELL class program manager Alexis Abel said. Many of the students struggle with burnout, particularly when they're starting from zero. "A lot of students quit, because it's like, 'what's the point of this?'' Abel said. 'Where they're trying to get is so far away that it feels impossible.' In a classroom at the end of the hall, Lia Woo stands in front of about a dozen desks, most of them filled. She holds a photo of something most people use every day. "What's this?' she asks. 'A ffff-, fffff-' 'Fridge!' a student in the back row realizes. Woo started teaching at Literacy Green Bay when she was looking for ways to get involved with the community, she said. It's not always easy balancing students' different life experiences and skill levels, but Woo makes it work. Some of the techniques Woo used to teach her English learners mimic those used in American kindergarten classrooms: going through words sound by sound, and reenforcing those words. Today's class focuses on things in the kitchen. After introducing the fridge, freezer and stove, the students get out of their seats and form a circle. Woo pulls something out of her bag and hands it to the student next to her. 'This is a fork,' Woo says. 'A fork?' the student asks, following the choreographed back-and-forth script. 'Yes, a fork.' 'Oh, a fork!' The student turns to another student and starts again, and 'this is a fork' continues down the line. Each aspiring English learner comes to Literacy Green Bay lessons for their own reasons. Some are looking for better jobs. Others want to be able to talk to their child's teacher. 'There's big, long-term goals, and then just day-to-day survival in our modern world, you know,' Woo said. "They all have cell phones. They're getting emails and need to be able to understand what they're saying. Is this important? Is this spam? What is this?' As much as English classes are a way to advance, they're also a place for both new and established immigrants to socialize and find community. Over the history of the program, students from nearly 100 countries have taken classes, forming bonds with each other and their teachers. They hold events for Lunar New Year and Ramadan. It's something Abel and the program are trying to protect as political uncertainty has reared its head. Staff went through training on what to do if immigration officials show up, and they've been working to educate immigrant students on their rights, Abel said. 'I've really tried to lean into diversity and inclusion down here, because that really is what we're built on,' Abel said. Literacy Green Bay's English classes haven't seen a big dropoff in students, she said. One recent class was the biggest she's seen. Learning to read English is difficult at any age. There are rules and exceptions in nearly every sentence in the language, and many of the words don't look like they sound. But in Woo's classroom, the students smile and laugh, even if they miss a word or get confused. They're working toward a hopeful future, where they, like Ahmed, don't need a translator at the grocery store. Contact Green Bay education reporter Nadia Scharf at nscharf@ or on X at @nadiaascharf. This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Reading scores are low in Wisconsin. Here's how adults are learning
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
St. Norbert professors vote 'no confidence' in college president after major cuts recommended
DE PERE - St. Norbert College faculty voted no confidence in college president Laurie Joyner on Tuesday, more than a month since the college recommended cutting faculty and 13 academic majors. "In light of the overwhelming evidence of failed leadership, we, the faculty of St. Norbert College, formally declare no confidence in the Presidency of Laurie Joyner and call for immediate action by the Board of Trustees to restore leadership that aligns with the mission, values and sustainability of the college," the resolution, shared with the Press-Gazette, reads. Faculty voted 66-11 to pass the motion, with two abstentions: 85% of voting faculty and administrators in total voted no confidence, according to multiple faculty members who attended the vote. The resolution calls for a pause on faculty and program eliminations, an independent financial review and a leadership change. While no confidence votes are symbolic, they show significant opposition among the faculty to leadership. Administrators who receive no confidence votes leave office within a year about half the time, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. The Press-Gazette reached out to St. Norbert with questions on whether the vote will impact recommendations to cut faculty or influence any other changes. The college did not respond, but provided statements from Patti Brash McKeithan, chair of the college's board of trustees, and the abbot of St. Norbert Abbey, Dane Radecki, who stated the board and the Norbertines will both continue to back Joyner. "We are deeply disappointed by the vote of no confidence. This vote, unfortunately, adds to the misguided and misinformed campaign attempting to diminish President Joyner's efforts and trust in her leadership. We stand firmly with President Joyner, and we urge the community to see the bigger picture and the progress we have made under her leadership," a portion of the letter from McKeithan reads. "Votes of no confidence have become weapons of resistance rather than genuine warnings of leadership failure. We call on faculty, staff, students, and alumni to focus on constructive engagement—working with the administration to navigate challenges rather than seeking to delay, deny, and delegitimize the leadership charged with enacting essential changes to ensure St. Norbert College continues its inspiring mission." The statement comes less than two weeks after McKeithan released an initial letter backing Joyner. This is the second no confidence vote Joyner has faced in her career. At Saint Xavier University, faculty members voted no confidence 71-33 after university administration reportedly stopped recognizing the faculty union and rewrote faculty bylaws. Joyner left Saint Xavier, which is in Chicago, for St. Norbert in 2023, just under two years after the vote. St. Norbert faculty were first notified they'd been recommended for cuts on Jan. 15. The college still hasn't made a decision on whether those cuts will be finalized, which some professors have said leaves them in limbo on what their futures will look like. Faculty members declined to speak on the record before cuts have been finalized. The recommended cuts would eliminate 13 majors, including theology, and revise four more, and administrators said at a town hall that there would 'probably' be a fourth round of cuts in the future. St. Norbert hasn't released the final number of faculty recommended to be cut or what that timeline looks like. From a former president: 'Snuffing out the light': Former St. Norbert president opposes recommended cuts in letter to trustees Students were told the college would ensure they'd be able to fulfill their degree requirements and that the administration was exploring options including online programs, working with partners like UW-Green Bay and hiring adjunct professors. St. Norbert's faculty handbook forbids the college from hiring new professors in academic areas where tenured faculty have been terminated unless the terminated professor was offered and rejected reinstatement. When asked about this, marketing communications director Morgan Bobinski said the college's leadership is following faculty handbook guidelines 'exactly as written.' On Jan. 31, the American Catholic Historical Association announced it was canceling its 2025 spring conference, which was scheduled to be held at St. Norbert, due to news of the college's recommended cuts to the humanities. The association urged the college not to go through with the recommendations. No confidence votes aren't unheard of in Wisconsin. Last year, both the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and Marquette University voted no confidence in their administration. This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: St. Norbert professors vote 'no confidence' in president after cuts
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Here is our Green Bay-area voter guide for the February nonpartisan primary
Here's your guide to contested races in the Feb. 18 primary in the Green Bay area. The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. There are a lot of resources for voters at You can: See what races are on your ballot Find your polling place Request an absentee ballot Check to see if you're registered to vote Here's the list of primaries the Press-Gazette is covering: Three seats James Lyerly (i) Rick Crosson (i) Jeanette Knill Ethan Rouse Alex Mineau Katie Gentry Elliot Christenson Current board member Bryan Milz is not running for reelection. The top six vote-getters will meet in the April 1 election. Primary preview: Green Bay school board candidates see crowded primary. Here's what to know before you vote Two at-large seats Debbie Vander Heiden Jeff Nelson (i) Jonathan Curtis Melinda Lemke (i) Amber Cox The top four vote-getters will meet in the April 1 election. Preview: Wrightstown school board candidates talk superintendent search, top issues ahead of primary Jill Underly (i) Jeff Wright Brittany Kinser Primary preview: Wisconsin state superintendent voter guide for spring 2025 primary: What 3 candidates say about ICE, school police, referendums and more More: State superintendent skips forum while her challengers take questions on vouchers and more This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Green Bay-area voter guide for February 18 nonpartisan primary
