This Just In ...

The larger issue in the Franklin 'pipe bomber' case

Posted by Kevin Fischer on March 13, 2012

Sad but true, the current crop of Franklin Public School administrators is ineffective, incapable of efficiently managing and operating the Franklin Public Schools. Their inept bumbling of the “pipe bomb” incident clearly demonstrates what buffoons we have running our schools, even to the point of keeping parents in the dark for almost two weeks as they remained silent about a multiple-accused felon allowed to come to class every day.

Franklin, like any other school system has a clear dual function:

1) Educate students (There are no specific targeted goals. Basically, we tell our school district to just do it).

2) Educate students in a safe environment.

Educate students in a safe environment. Understood, no guns or explosives have gone off in any Franklin school. Even so, Franklin has failed miserably in this regard because it has given parents little if any satisfaction their children can be entrusted in the care of Franklin bureaucrats.

On March 1, Alex and Matthew Matecki were arrested. Alex is a student at Franklin High School. Media reports show they were charged with various, serious felonies on March 7. If convicted, the Matecki brothers could face up to ten years in prison and $25,000 in fines.

Yes, I’d say that’s serious stuff. Unless, of course, you’re a Franklin Public School administrator, like say the superintendent or the high school principal. If that’s the case, you  either…

1) Yawn and wonder what all the fuss is about, or…

2) Hide under the mattress, say absolutely nothing and pray the whole ordeal blows over.

Incredibly, Franklin school officials did both.

They literally kept unknowing Franklin parents in the dark for nearly two weeks about the potential danger stalking the high school hallways. When confronted by WISN’s Mark Belling, Franklin’s highly-paid superintendent Steve Patz showed how stupid an over-compensated guy with multiple degrees can truly be. He pooh-poohed the entire notion of safety in the schools he’s responsible for. Oh, those two kids! They did all their bomb and gun making off school property, thus, no big deal! What are you bothering me for?

Oh my. Not good. Not a very good response at all.

Patz compounded his astonishlingly foolish responses to Belling by not realizing Franklin is a conservative community and its residents listen to Belling by the droves. Even liberal Franklin parents want their kids safe in school.

Patz inserted both feet in mouth and Franklin High School principal Michael Cady was sent out a few hours after Belling made Patz look like the biggest buffoon since King Kong to do damage control. Cady responded with not one, but two lame, insincere, phony responses.

I love this line from Cady’s second e-mail to Franklin parents:

“…student safety and security is our priority.”

What an absolute joke.

Does he think we’re all stupid?

Clearly safety and security is NOT their priority. Their priority is their image. They didn’t give a damn about safety and security until AFTER they were caught, outed, BUSTED!

Michael Cady is a complete fool in this case. On Monday he was telling parents Franklin acted properly because the possession and weapon-making occurred off school property. Suddenly, less than 24 hours later, Franklin now found it was OK to get rid of bomb manufacturer Alex Matecki. Gee, what a wonderful Epiphany, Mr. Cady. Amazing how you can run that high school every day without help from conservative bloggers and talk show hosts!

Cady and Patz, a la Pontius Pilate, are thinking and hoping Franklin residents are too stupid to see what’s really going on and will swallow their attempt at damage control and move on. They are banking that residents/parents will forgive and forget. I don’t think so.

Patz has shown he wants out. Fine. Dump him. When his contract comes up, let him go.

Steve Patz controls a Franklin School Board, cowering over them and dicttating policy when it should be the other way around. Most school board members cow tow to Patz. That’s wrong and needs to be changed with a new superintendent and a new board filled with members who are education and taxpayer-friendly.

Clean house, Franklin.

Get rid of Business Manager Jim Milzer who once told the Franklin School Board they were voting for a property tax levy increase of over 5% when it was really close to 13%.  He lied and got away with it.

Franklin is telling us they’ll fund all kinds of wants when it comes to facilities. Just tell us what you want, they say. The approach is half-assed. The question should be what do we need, THEN how do we fund it. Franklin’s current power structure operates under the notion that if we spend other people’s money, we can build grandiose things and create better students, even though there is no evidence of the kind. Sadly, they’ve been able to persuade too many that can happen.

Over many years, Franklin has squandered incredible amounts of money supplied by generous property taxpayers that went to over-taxation, excessive spending, and personnel, not the classrooms.  Now we’re being told facilities are in desperate need. Excuse me?

Finally, for the staggering amount of tax money that has gone to Franklin Public Schools over the years, can anyone claim our system is a great school system? No one has to my knowledge.

What about student performance?

Can we honestly say the financial support for Franklin over the last 5, 10, 15, 20 years has paid off?

We need a complete new crew of folks running our schools from the top down, and that includes our school board. Janet Evans must be retained. Aimee Schlueter must be elected. Linda Witkowksi has never sold me. Tim Neillsen has underwhelmed.  Ultimately, Evans and Schlueter, if elected need far stronger support than I’ve seen from anyone else on the board.

We can change how our schools are run.

We must.

The “pipe bomb” case showed we have no choice.