Wausau and the Multiplied Power of One

From the desk of WFA president Julaine Appling:

The multiplied power of one works.   Just ask citizens in Wausau.

A couple of weeks ago Wisconsin Family Council learned that the administration of the Wausau School District had pretty much unilaterally decided to make some changes to their music program.  The two most attention-getting changes were first that the district’s elementary schools would no longer have a winter or Christmas or holiday concert and second that music sung by the district’s choral groups, including the elite and extremely popular Master Singers, could not have as much religious music as it had had in the past.  The second decision resulted in a very popular, long-tenured, music faculty member and director of the Master Singers saying the options the district gave him for music selection were unacceptable and he immediately suspended rehearsals for the group.

The administration, led by District Superintendent Kathleen Williams, claims they sought legal counsel in making their decisions about the music selection.  What the administration did not do is consult with the school board, and they certainly did not consult with parents.

When news of these changes became public, the citizens and students quickly began letting each other know that they did not agree with the administration’s actions.  Facebook pages appeared, petitions began with signatures rapidly collected, all manner of media reports were sent out, phone calls were made to board members and the administration.

Originally, this matter was going to be taken up at the board’s regular meeting which was this Monday.  Soon after the public ramping up began, however, we heard the school board had decided to take up this matter at a special meeting devoted specifically and exclusively to this issue and they set the date for last Thursday evening.

The collective effort was truly a great example of “the multiplied power of one.” As one person reached out to another to explain, encourage support, enlist help, the numbers of people involved and willing to take action on this issue quickly multiplied.  In fact, the school board, realizing they had hit a nerve, decided not to have the meeting in their normal board room but rather to hold it in Wausau East High School’s auditorium, which seats well over 500 people.

Thursday night showed what happens when “the multiplied power of one” works.  By the time the meeting started at 6:30, the room was filled.  The media were there in full force. Everyone knew this was significant.

I was among the hundreds of people in that auditorium.  I saw high-school students, young parents, middle-aged parents, grandparents and even some great grandparents.  The crowd was truly a cross-section of Wausau School District.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, somewhere between 40 and 60 people spoke.  Out of all those who spoke, only two agreed with the administration’s decisions.  All the rest made their case for why the administration had made the wrong decisions.  One by one they came up to the microphone and added their single voice to the hundreds, and yes, thousands of concerned Wausau citizens.

Before the night was over, the board passed three resolutions related to this matter. They passed a resolution authorizing the individual elementary school principals to make their own decisions regarding having a concert in December.  They passed a resolution returning the music selection policy to what it had been before the administration took it upon itself to change it; and they called for the formation of a committee to do a thorough review of all related policies and make recommendations to the board.  The board also openly requested that a consideration regarding a performance review of the superintendent be added to the agenda for the next meeting.

In addition to these board decisions, the superintendent made it clear that she and others had met with the Master Singers director, and they had agreed that Master Singer rehearsals would resume effective the next Monday.

I firmly believe none of these resolutions or the wildly welcomed announcement about the resuming of the Master Singers would have happened without “the multiplied power of one.”  In this instance, the religious freedom of the students and parents was respected in the school board’s decisions.  But if the citizens had not individually cared enough to get involved to protect their religious freedom, the administration’s bad decisions would have carried the day.  Don’t ever, ever doubt the reality of and the importance of “the multiplied power of one.”

Not-so-silent Night in Wausau; Parents Call for Supt. to be Fired/Apology to Music Teacher

It was a not-so-silent night at the special meeting held by the Wausau School Board and administration last night to address the recent decision to limit “religious” music performed at annual Christmas concerts.  The Wausau East High School auditorium was packed with concerned parents, taxpayers, students, and alum who voiced their strong opposition to the new policy; only one supporter spoke last night.  The meeting lasted nearly 4-1/2 hours.

Over and over those who were upset by the religious music policy called for the dismissal of Supt. Kathleen Williams, who apparently instituted the policy without board knowledge or approval, and an apology to Mr. Phil Buch, the beloved director of the elite choir, Master Singers.

WFA president Julaine Appling spoke at the meeting, “Schools are to be a reflection of the community…. It is incumbent upon administration, it is incumbent upon school boards to reflect in their decisions, and in the process by which arrive at their decisions, community values.”  She continued, “As school board members and as administration, it is very important that you stay in touch with, and reflect in that decision-making process, what this community values.”  “Some portion of this problem is the age-old issue of communication.  I believe much of this situation could have been addressed had the process been openly communicated all along the way. What you’re seeing tonight in this auditorium are parents and citizens who say ‘we woke up one morning and found out that what we thought was happening, isn’t what’s happening.'”  Addressing the school board directly, Appling stated, “You don’t get crowds like this if the issue isn’t important to the people.”

The Wausau School Board passed a resolution last night to leave holiday concerts up to the music teachers at individual schools, reversing the controversial policy that limited “religious” music.  They also passed a resolution that returns the music selection for concerts policy to what it had been prior to the controversial change.  An additional resolution was also passed to form a committee to study this issue and make recommendations to the Board for policy changes and refinements.

One school board member asked that consideration of a performance review of the superintendent be added to the board’s regular meeting which is this coming Monday.

The Master Singers will resume rehearsals on Monday.

WFA Signs On with 41 Allies – Ad in USA Today to Boy Scouts of America

From Family Research Council:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – FamilyResearch Council (FRC) and 41 allied organizations ran an ad today in USA Today urging the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) to stay true to their timeless values and not surrender to financial or political pressures by corporate elites on the issue of homosexuality. BSA is considering changing its long-standing policy prohibiting openly homosexual members and leaders.

Among the groups signing onto the ad are the American Family Association, American Values, Bott Radio Network, Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute, International Communion of Evangelical Churches, Liberty Counsel, Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, Patriot Voices, and a number of state family policy organizations.

The organization decided last July, following a two-year study, and because of the opinions of a “vast majority of parents” of Boy Scout members, that the policy would not be changed. BSA has since reconsidered and will release their decision about the policy on Wednesday.

The ad states that a policy change would be “a grave mistake” and that, “Every American who believes in freedom of thought and religious liberty should be alarmed by the attacks upon the Boy Scouts,” whose oath includes that members should be “morally straight.” The ad emphasizes that, “To compromise moral principles under political and financial pressure would teach the boys cowardice, not courage.”

The ad highlights BSA’s policy of recognizing the right of parents to teach their children about sexual topics. The ad concludes by challenging readers to ask themselves, “How will parents be able to entrust their children to the Boy Scouts if they trade the well-being of the boys for corporate dollars?”

To see a copy of the ad and the complete list of co-signed organizations, click here:http://downloads.frc.org/EF/EF13B06.pdf