🏫 District dismisses complaints about principal

🏫 District Dismisses Complaints Against Van Hise Principal

• Madison school district officials say they have found no evidence of wrongdoing by Van Hise Elementary School Principal Rebecca Stein after several parents complained about her conduct.
• “Teachers, parents, and students have expressed concerns about the school's culture under the current leadership,” said an online petition from a group of parents calling for an independent review, which has received more than 140 signatures. “Reports of perceived and experienced retaliation have created an environment of fear and distrust.”
• A Madison Metropolitan School Department spokesperson said the district had reviewed all available information and found no evidence that would require further investigation. [Cap Times, Change.org]

🚨 Police Say Shorewood Hills Trustee Verbally Abused Staff

• Shabnam Lotfi, a trustee with the village of Shorewood Hills, allegedly verbally abused village employees and threatened their jobs at the village hall, according to a report filed by village Police Chief Jaime Weitzel.
• Weitzel said at the Dec. 16 Board of Trustees meeting that Lotfi’s actions rose to the level of disorderly conduct, but he decided not to charge Lotfi in an attempt to cool recent tensions in village government.
• The incident arose when Lofti was searching for documents at the village hall related to the company that previously owned the Lodgic building on University Avenue.Village trustees had originally sought to purchase the building for $6.5 million for use as a new village hall, but abandoned the plan after pushback from residents. [Isthmus]

🇵🇭 UW Students Want To Save Filipino Language Classes

• Next fall, UW-Madison will no longer offer Filipino language courses, a casualty of federal budget cuts by the Trump administration, including the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education’s International and Foreign Language Education program.
• The Filipinx American Student Organization is rallying to save the program. In addition to raising awareness about the cancellation, they are reaching out to donors and other fundraising sources, including Filipino organizations. [Badger Herald]

🚓 Madison School Board Vice President Arrested

• Maia Pearson, vice president of the Madison School Board, was arrested Friday by Madison police on charges of disorderly conduct.
• The city’s Office of the Independent Police Monitor said it is reviewing the incident, given that the matter presents “unique circumstances due to the role of the complainant and the proximity of that role to the police oversight system itself.” Pearson is a member of the city's Police Civilian Oversight Board. [Cap Times, City of Madison]

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