Tosa Parents Unload at Superintendent Over Fights

Parents whose children attend Wauwatosa Schools are so displeased with a series of highly publicized fights that many voiced their opinions at the School Board meeting on Monday, March 6, 2023, at 6 p.m. to discuss the fights and various other items such as pay compensation.

They demanded that Superintendent Dr. Demond Means take their opinions into account and do something.

Parents are upset due to fighting incidents and say they are scared to send their kids to school because they don’t know what they will come home to. Concerned parent Kate Bertrum was very frustrated as she voiced her opinion to Means. She said her daughter, who attends Wauwatosa West High School, was placed in a boiler room while the school went on lockdown due to a possible active shooter in the school building.

Just last week, there was a fight that occurred between a parent and a student, and now there is another fight at the other high school in the same district, and some parents believe Means isn’t doing everything he can to prevent this from happening.

“I want to thank Officer Farris Griffin for what he did. This could have been a lot worse, it’s just a matter of time,” said concerned parent Danielle Long

Means quickly responded by saying that the fighting and altercations between parents and students can’t go on any longer and that it has got to stop sooner rather than later. He said that this is very ridiculous how it continues to be growing, and he did state that there will most definitely be repercussions if it goes on.

“Under no circumstances does this administration condone the fighting, the physical altercations, the bullying, the harassment, and the chronic misbehavior that is happening in our school district, and regardless of color of students or their zip code,” said Means.

The Wauwatosa School District held its annual school board meeting Monday, March 6, 2023, at 6 p.m. at the administrative building also known as the old Fisher school building on North Avenue to discuss the ongoing and various issues that are going on in the Wauwatosa School District at both high schools regarding the recent fights along with the various lockdown procedure that went into place last week at Wauwatosa West High School.

According to the Wauwatosa School District, “The Wauwatosa School District has held a total of 52 District level disciplinary hearings during the 2022-23 school year (34 were held in total last year). Forty six of those hearings were due to physical altercations/fights. The District has issued a total of ten expulsion notices. Six students withdrew after receiving the notice of expulsion and were subsequently withdrawn in lieu of the expulsion hearing. The District moved forward with a total of four hearings, and two of those expulsions were approved by the School Board.”

A parent got into an altercation with a student at Wauwatosa East High School the same exact altercation happened at Wauwatosa West High School.

During the lockdown at Wauwatosa West High School, Principal Corey Golla allegedly was punched in the face by a student while trying to break up a fight during the lockdown that went into place, following gunshots being fired in the school, due to the argument that took place, said Long. Parents said they are very concerned about the direction that Wauwatosa Schools are heading as they believe this should be the number one priority on the mind of the Wauwatosa School Board right now.

“A lot of the attention has been placed on the fighting that has been going on and discipline and that’s connected to having high-quality professionals in the classroom,” said concerned parent Carmella Rios. “When you have 24-year-old teachers, they have not gained the respect and they don’t feel the ownership of the classroom of the school, there not out in the hallways telling students what they are doing is wrong, and so this is an urgent problem, and it can’t wait.”

“We want students to have the right placement for their education experience,” Means told Fox 6 in the hall during the school board meeting. “If you can’t follow our rules, then maybe this is not the right placement for you.”

The tone in the meeting grew tense.

“Focus instead on keeping our children safe, focus on standards of behavior and results of lack of compliance. Our children are expecting that of you and are now demanding it,” said concerned parent Kate Bertrum. “What will it take for you to hold students and parents accountable?”

The School Board members agreed with what parents were saying, and Dr. Means attempted to state that there were fights like this that have occurred before he even became superintendent. However school board member, Sharon Muehlfeld, disagreed with Dr. Means because she’s been on the school board for about 19 years and said that this was never occurring like it has been so frequently.

“Nobody seems to care about the 99% of kids who are there doing what they need to do, and their mental health, Everyone preaches about mental health well nobody cares because are kids are so used to the violence at this point,” said Long.

“Their mental health is worth everything, their was not transparency about what happened and for everyone in this room that saw the video about Mr. Golla getting punched to the face that’s transparency, people need to show that.”

Means was very clear when talking about the recent fights that have been occurring. He says that it will be a challenge, but he thinks it’s probable that they will meet it.

Parents continued expressing their displeasure and concern for their kids’ safety.

“Dr. Means what will your legacy be, will you stand with the children of color who are subject to the constant violence in Tosa schools, those that watch you see you as a mentor and whose parents know Wauwatosa education is critical to their child’s success or will your legacy be one that allows partisan politics to drive those children down a different path, it is critical that all children of color see you as a leader who supports diversity by holding people accountable and protecting and promoting themselves,” said Bertrum.