Parent Drops Effort to Recall Fox Point-Bayside School Board Members

Parent David Braeger has scraped his effort to recall three members of the Fox Point-Bayside School Board, saying that his attemp was starting to hurt the image of the district.

“When I put in for the recall, I started to receive a lot of attention from outside special-interest groups in Madison that focus on the protection of arts in our schools," Braeger said in a statement Monday. "Although I am in total agreement with their cause, I can’t let these highly organized groups use our community and school as the 'poster child' of weakened curriculum and schedule."

Braeger, a Milwaukee-area financial sector CEO who has two children in the district, filed paperwork May 8 to launch recall efforts against board President Debbie Friberg, Vice President Tim Melchert and member Alice Lawton.

His effort centered on the board members' support of scheduling changes to arts, general music, technology and physical education programs in the district, and teacher layoffs proposed at the time. Many parents spoke out against the changes and layoffs over the past month or so. 

The School Board will discuss the scheduling changes on Tuesday. The board has since spared seven of the 10 staff members in danger of losing their jobs. 

Read more:

• Recall Effort Looms If School Board Doesn't Reverse Budget Cuts
• Recall Launched Against Fox Point-Bayside School Board
• 7 of 10 Fox Point-Bayside Teachers Targeted for Layoffs Spared

Braeger said he also decided to back off on the recall because of comments from Bayside Middle School math teacher Mark Conforti expressing confidence in the board. 

"Obviously, I disagree with that," Braeger said. "Nothing has changed. We had teachers including Mr. Conforti yelling that the teacher layoffs were a 'witch hunt' and just because seven teachers that should have never received layoff notices had their jobs saved, it does not solve the numerous problems we still face.

"That being said, he is the chief negotiator and voice of the teachers, and I must respect that," Braeger added.

“I have to have confidence that the two newest members of the School Board can bring in a new ideas and leadership," Braeger continued. "I have met with one of them and have heard both of them are very capable.”

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