Menomonee Falls High School Principal William Hintz has announced that he is resigning at the end of the school year.
The decision comes in the wake of a year that has included an increase in the number of students suspended, a controversy over students 'grinding' at dances and the addition of ninth-grade students to the school. The year also featured positives, including a 99.5 percent graduation rate for the Class of 2009.
What do you think of the principal's decision? Weigh in on the principal's decision in our interactive forum.
(17) Read All ResponsesCraig, please take care to know your facts before you post incorrect information. Currently, there is one principal, one transitional prinicpal (to ease the new freshman transition) and one associate principal at the high school. That in no way equates to five-six positions as you say. As far as statistics are concerned, administratively, that building is understaffed for a student population of nearly 1600. And, eliminating all of those positions wouldn't even come close to the 1.5 million dollar operating deficit that the district faces.
MF teacher: The building is not understaffed- the staff just isn't doing the work. That school has had much bigger numbers of students in the past, and it was a controlled environment. I have been in that office and there are too many running the asylum- maybe they do not have formal titles, but if they are teachers...they belong in the classroom.You are right that getting rid of the dead weight isn't going to save 1.5 million. To achieve this we need to add copays to teacher's health benefits and start making them pay a portion of the costs. I know of no other occupation that gives full health care to part time employees. Teachers work 190 days a year- 6 hours a day (if that). You do the math, but wait until after school. You are on the clock now.
MF Educator, your reply was just what I would expect from a teacher. Let me see if I can understand your math: one principal and one transitional principal and one vice principal = over one half million dollars. By the math I learned, that makes two principals- I don't know what you are teaching or IF you are teaching. (based on your comment at 10:34 AM- unless you had a vacation/sick day) With the proposed cuts being tossed around to meet the budget issues maybe you would like to pay a copay like the rest of the world when it comes to health care? How about share the costs of health insurance? Even someone with your highly educated mind and all the free time to calculate - should recognize this would be a huge savings for the people who pay your salary. I have heard at least three names associated with assistant principal- maybe these are just glorified teachers with more than one free period each day and a lunch hour. Whatever the reasoning for that is, it is certain that there is much improvement that could be done to reduce the tax burden. Perhaps you would like to comment on how many teacher jobs were preserved this year due to the added zero hour at the High School?
Mr. Hintz oversaw one of the most challenging periods in MFHS history: Building reconstruction and expansion and reintroduction of the 9th grade class. It is easy to be an armchair quarterback, but he was dealt a weak administration and school board during his tenure, plus a teacher's union that rules the roost. Mr. Hintz never gave up. He put in long, long days, as anyone who is around the school can attest to.
I've been talking with a lot of parents & teachers and it seems there are problems all over the place. Due to deficit teachers and support staff are being cut and the kids are the ones paying the price. The teachers have too many kids, the schools aren't being cleaned properly (due to custodial cuts) the only thing that's not changed is the amount of administrators. NMS has a principal and 2 vice principals and for the rest of the year 3 vice principals. Plus the HS & NMS have a full time police officer. Has Dr. Marty ever explained why this need? How come there used to be 1 principal and 1 VP and no cop (don't police respond if theirs a problem) cuts need to be made I get that but why everywhere but administration?
There is something in the falls high called new leadership,when u are hired as principal u are in control of the school,u make sure you hire the right people for the job,u make sure the school is run the right way as a school.The police are not the promblem in the high school,it's not there fults that the falls has had promblems,with the principal cutting school dances because of money then u got promblems,stundents will make noise u hire 1 prinicipal,a VP u knows what he's doing
Hintz is just a scape goat - How about Dr. Marty. How about the teachers. ALL (including Hintz) should be held accountable. The 220 program is a joke, with the little bit of money that program brings in it just brings in more problems. Teachers are afraid to say anything, students play the race card, and get "another chance". Parents defend their children even if they are constant trouble makers! We need somebody who isn't afraid to step up and enforce school rules no matter what!! And FYI if we all ran our house-hold budgets the way the school does we would all be bankrupt!
Now 2 boys at North Jr High are expelled because of an alleged sexual assault. When is Mr. Marty going to be fired!! Him and the rest of the school board should all be gone...they are an embarrassment to this community. I'm sure they will give some lame excuse like "the media is making this a bigger issue". REALLY!!! Our district is on the nightly news more for disipline issues then MPS! As long as they all keep pretending like we are just a fabulous district with great sports teams this district will keep getting worse. Hey Menomonee Falls Now...how about a survey asking if Mr. Marty should be fired!
Having Hintz step down and Tays retire is just the first step in correcting issues at the school. As a "Transition Principal" she did a pathetic job. Why else would we have all the detentions and suspensions. Mr. Marty is repsonsible for all of this and should be the next to go. Many on the school board should go as well. I voted for three new members this past election. Unfortunately one returned. I nearly died when she spoke about how good things were in High School when she spent the day there. "Kids were welll behaved in the Honors Chemistry class I sat in". REALLY! ARE YOU SERIOUS! Of course they were good...it was an honors class, not exactly the type of students who cause problems. Typical school board member...pretend like everything is so great.
MFHS Parent: I couldn't say it any better then you did. I also voted for 3 new school board members and laughed when I heard the current member talk about her day at the school. She must have been there on a good day because my student recently came home and told me he walked into the bathroom and there was a puddle of blood on the floor and blood all over the mirror. Hmmm sounds like a fight that the administration missed. Part of the problem is the people in the Falls keep voting the same people in over and over again. Really, what has the returning school board member done that was so great or even good to be re-elected? As for Ms Tays, she should have been gone long ago. I found her to be pretty useless when she was the principal at North and if anyone caught her speech to the 8th grade class a few years back you would wonder how she ever ended up in such a position. It was pathetic and made no sense; even the students were rolling their eyes.
It it about time Dr. Marty woke up--staff has gone to him over the past four years and he would not listen to the staff. There is so much turmoil among the staff. The principal has had his own agenda since he came from Homestead and did not care about what was the best for the high school. How can you work in a building and not know the names of your teachers. He needs to find another job and bring in someone who has more interest in staff not just being an announcer for basketball.
WAKE UP PARENTS! It is time you start demanding the removal of Dr. Marty. The problem starts at the top and things will not improve at the high school until he is gone. We will get rid of the other school board members next chance we get. This lame district will just pick another principal that will follow the lead of others..."we are a great district adjusting to some minor issues due to the 9th graders being moved". Enough with this excuse. The school year is amost over and nothing is better. Just the other day there was a huge fight in the cafeteria with students jumping off tables...sure that will never be mentioned by the school staff. 1st step: Fire Marty 2nd step: Vote all remaining school board members out of office 3rd step: Examine the benefits of keeping 220. Until these things are addressed expect things to get worse.
Sandy S- You are dead right. We wonder why we have teachers like MF Educator- Blogging when he/she should be teaching a class. It is problems from the top down that cause this issue. I noticed that MF Educator did not respond to my suggestion that he work when at work and didn't comment regarding copays for benefits or the number of Assistant Principals. Maybe he can only surf the net from school, which should be against the rules unless it is teaching related. I do understand why he/she would defend the sitting Principal: the inmates are running the asylum- everything goes; including blogging while working.
What has happened to one of the best high school's in the area? Someone needs to step forward and take control. What is Dr. Marty and the School Board doing? They need someone who has good leadership skills to run the school and not let the teachers runs the school. There are teachers who really care and there are those who are just jocks. If you are a football coach you have different rules than the rest of the teachers and if you are a football player you can get in a fight and never get suspended. Why does the high school need a principal and three associate principals? Check out other districts who work with less. Let's get this going before the whole district is in shambles.
Suggest DON'T replace (fill) the position (save the money), instead post Police Officer in school when students are present (use existing police resources for no extra cost). Police Officer should be busy arresting/ticket those who are in violation of whatever, for example, teacher could call officer to cite student for disorderly conduct. Someone reported 'blood in the restroom' in a different comment, so I don't think this is at all excessive. Also, drug tests might be in order to anyone acting weird (like a roadside sobriety test to start with), student or staff. EDUCATE the high school students to the real world. It is not a teachers job to be a cop, its a cop's job to be a cop, so put a cop where the need is.
Dr. Marty is the accountable one. He is not a good decision maker. He means well, but he is not up to the task of running this district. I am not sure I would let him run a gas station. He can't balance the budget, and he can't manage his administrators. He is loyal to the inept administrators and lets them flounder without holding them accountable. On his watch the school district has gone from being the best district in the state (and award under Dr. Jim Shaw) to an also ran. Dr. Marty should go,
With new leadership comes new opportunities- I wish he would take his 5 Vice Principals with him. Not only would that save the budget problems, but we may actually get some productive things done. Rules are changed, but rarely enforced. If the Police would stop enforcing the law, do you think the crime rate would stay the same? It is no wonder why there are so many problems at the High School. There is good news to all of this: Hire 1 Principal and 1 Vice Principal and demote the remaining VP's- this will save enough money to keep the programs the School Board is looking at cutting. In the future, if we have a dead horse Principal- get rid of them and hire one who is willing to do the job!