The United Way of Dane County has yanked its welcome mat from a visit this weekend by a former Chicago and Philadelphia superintendent who critics say promotes anti-union approaches to public school reform.Paul Vallas, interim superintendent of the Bridgeport School District in Connecticut, is speaking Saturday at 1 p.m. at La Follette High School.Boys & Girls Club of Dane County CEO Michael Johnson, who organized the event, said he invited Vallas to share best practices, talk about school reform and answer questions on how to improve academic achievement.Vallas will be joined by Urban League of Greater Madison president Kaleem Caire, YWCA CEO Rachel Krinsky, former Madison School Board member Juan Jose Lopez, teacher Kong Vang and Kimberly Boyd, National Vice President for Boys & Girls ... Continue reading →
Ellen Berz, who won a Dane County judicial post in April in part by criticizing the incumbent as an appointee of Gov. Scott Walker, was herself appointed by Walker on Tuesday to take the job early.Berz, 54, of Madison, will take the job vacated on April 27 by former Circuit Judge Roger Allen, who was defeated in the spring election by Berz. Rather than stay in the job until the end of July, when his term was to end, Allen resigned so that he could return to his former job in the Madison city attorney's office.In a letter to Berz on Tuesday, Walker wrote that her appointment to the $128,000-per-year job is effective June 11.Berz was an assistant public defender before running for Allen's seat. ... Continue reading →