Correction: Comments attributed to Whitewater Unified School District Board Member Maryann Zimmerman in response to Geoff Hale during public comments were made by board member Jennifer Kienbaum. The story has been corrected to reflect that change. Fort Atkinson Online regrets the error.
By Kim McDarison
Members of the Whitewater Unified School District Board of Education Monday ratified the resignation of a high school technology education teacher and the employment of two others.
Board members formally accepted the resignation of tech ed teacher Cody Watson. The effective date of his resignation was listed on the agenda as Jan. 17.
Watson is the second high school tech ed teacher to leave the department in recent months. Twenty-seven year veteran tech ed teacher Mike Wintz retired in December, following an investigation undertaken by the district after an accident involving a student occurred last November.
In addition, board members welcomed two new teachers to the high school’s tech ed department. They are Mason Pautsch, whose effective date to begin working at the high school was listed on the agenda as Jan. 18, and Tim O’Toole, who will begin working in the high school’s tech ed department on Jan. 31.
During the ratification process, board members unanimously approved Watson’s resignation and O’Toole’s employment.
Pautsch’s employment was approved by a vote of 6-1, with board member Larry Kachel casting the “no” vote.
Prior to the regular board meeting, the board met in executive session to consider: “financial, medical, social or personal histories or disciplinary data of specific persons, preliminary consideration of specific personnel problems or the investigation of charges against specific persons except where par. (b) applies which, if discussed in public, would be likely to have a substantial adverse effect upon the reputation of any persons referred to in such histories or data, or involved in such problems or investigations, specifically, to discuss disciplinary data of a previous district employee.”
The subject was listed on the agenda as an action item.
The board, upon reconvening into open session, did not disclose any action taken during the executive session.
Public comments
In open session, during public comments, two speakers came forward to address the board.
Nick Baldwin, who described himself during a previous board meeting as an auto shop teacher in a different school district and a parent of students in the Whitewater school district, addressed the board Monday sharing concerns about changes in Whitewater High School’s tech ed program.
Baldwin cited concerns about certifications required allowing the district to continue its participation in what he described as a “dual credit” program facilitated in collaboration with Gateway Technical College. In past years, he said, Whitewater High School was able to offer its automotive shop students an opportunity to earn tuition-free college credits through Gateway. Baldwin told board members that participation in the program requires shop teachers working with Gateway to be Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certified.
“Whoever it is that teaches automotive, I ask that the school board or district administration works toward pursuing this option, so it’s something that we can continue to do with our kids,” Baldwin said.
Responding to a board member’s request for information, Baldwin said when a class offered at the high school meets with a certain percentage of the curriculum offered at Gateway, the students taking that class can earn “transcripted” credits though the technical college.
“Those college credits stay with them on their record,” Baldwin said, adding, “the instructor needs to be ASE certified, and that’s a deal between Gateway and the instructor, not the school, so whoever does teach automotive will need to be certified in that if they plan to continue that program.”
Whitewater Unified School District Superintendent Caroline Pate-Hefty said the district was already engaged in talks with Gateway.
Whitewater resident Geoff Hale addressed the board sharing his frustration about decisions made regarding the retirement of Wintz.
Said Hale: “As servants of our community, is there a creed for a school board member? Is there a creed for the principal? Is there a creed for a superintendent? If there is none, you may wish to find one. … Ms. Pate-Hefty pretty clearly misrepresented the true facts in the Wintz case. Mike Wintz never, ever wished retirement. As a school board, was there ever any concern or consideration given to asking the tough questions? Did anyone ask if it was truly Mike’s wish to step down? Did anyone think to ask how someone with a spotless, revered, life-changing 27 (year) career would choose retirement when he had two more years to make a difference with so many more young lives? Your failure to ask, your failure to react, your failure to hold a superintendent accountable has enthused a tidal wave of tension and resentment throughout our community.”
Hale claimed a history of what he cited as “non-transparent activity” at the high school, which, he said, was being “pushed by this administration.
“It’s felt in the classrooms, in the hallways, by students and teachers throughout our high school. There’s a sense of fear and intimidation that is coming from the top down.”
Addressing the superintendent, Hale said: “Ms. Hefty you ought to be ashamed for the manner you chose to handle Mike Wintz. … As our superintendent you need to take all the credit for taking down and destroying one of the most beloved human beings in Whitewater’s history.”
Hale called events leading to Wintz’s retirement contributors to one of the “largest community controversies Whitewater has ever seen,” which, he said, “incited community-wide anger and the pullback of $4,800 in scholarships.”
Responding to Hale’s comments, school board member Maryann Zimmerman said she, too, was frustrated and asked the community not to punish Whitewater students by taking away scholarships.
“We have a 50% poverty level, so those scholarships are needed,” she said.
School board member Jennifer Kienbaum added: “The frustrating part for me is we are all adults, and the questions have been asked, and we do follow through, so for other adults to, when you don’t know the story, to assume or put blame where blame not necessarily is, is very frustrating.
“There’s a lot of ways that this could have probably maybe been handled a little bit different, but to say that we didn’t ask or to accuse is very frustrating, because we have processes in place and we do follow them. From a state level, from a board level, and I, quite frankly, I don’t tolerate bullies. So if you’re going to come in here or anybody else, and say I’m going to pull money because this wasn’t done, that hurts the kids.”
“You think I’m a bully?” Hale asked.
Kienbaum responded: “I’m not saying that; I’m just saying, don’t come in and say we’re taking money away from the kids in this community, because we’re all sitting at this table trying to help the kids.”
In other employment-related actions, the board unanimously:
• Accepted the resignation of Kimberly Knudsen, a cook at Lakeview Elementary School, which, the agenda stated, was effective as of last December.
• Welcomed Sean McKenzie as a district data analyst. McKenzie began working at the district’s Central Office Monday.
• Hired co-head coaches for high school track Nicholas Bee and Matthew Green; middle school track coach Sallie Berndt, and assistant high school track coach Rachel Cook.
Following a closed session meeting, members of the Whitewater Unified School District Board of Education Monday convene in open session in the Whitewater High School library. The image shows the board via Zoom.
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