Discover Janesville at Janesville Academy for International Studies

For a while I have wanted to do an episode of Discover Janesville which would showcase the charter schools in Janesville. Designed to help students who either struggle at traditional schools or need something that public schools may not necessarily offer, Janesville charter schools have grown over the years and feature a number of dedicated educators. My goal for this particular program was as always to highlight the people involved, but also to provide some information for students and parents considering whether these would be helpful to their situation.

First interview is with Carrie Kulinski, ATODA and CRES Academy coordinator. CRES Academy was started for youth who completed alcohol and/or drug treatment programs but for whom returning back to regular classes is only likely to return them to behavior patterns that got them in to trouble in the first place.

Next interview is with Dr. David Parr, mentor and on-line teacher for the Virtual Academy. Besides his involvement with the Virtual Academy, Dr. Parr also serves as the president of the Janesville Education Assocation.

Next, please take a look at this interview with Jane Thompson, lead teacher at the Janesville Academy for International Studies. International Academy's goal is to provide extra educational opportunities for students who want to learn more about international relations. Students spend part of their day at regular high school - Parker or Craig - and spend the second part of their day at the Academy. Besides being a teacher, Jane Thompson also serves as Rock county Supervisor.

Next, please take a look at the interview with Jon Simon, at-risk teacher at TATE Center. TATE is a place for students who were expelled from the Janesville School District.

Next, take a look at this interview with Mary Hathaway. Mary is at-risk teacher and Dean of Students at Rock River Charter School, the original charter school of the Janesville School District.

Finally, here is my interview with the Superintendent of the Janesville School District and current principal of TAGOS Leadership Academy, Dr. Karen Schulte.

Discover Janesville at Woman's Club

This episode was a culmination of several ideas: one is that I am always on the look out for a good theme for a show. The next was that I am interested in history and the historic building at 108 S Jackson in Janesville has attracted my attention for a while. It is a regal building in its appearance yet it is hidden so unless you know it's there or remember to turn your head while driving down the street, you may never notice it. Thanks to a suggestion by my friend Meredith Helgerson and with help from JATV and Julie Richardson, I was able to put together an episode highlighting the 108 S Jackson Street building housing several women organizations in Janesville. Thanks also to Vivian Creekmore who helped me with research as I prepared for the taping of this episode.

First interview is with Julie Richardson. Julie is the past president of the Woman's Club and is the current president of the Foundation for the Preservation of 108 S Jackson.

Next is the interview with Wendy Facinger, co-president of the AAUW (American Association of University Women). I originally got to know Wendy through the Janesville Noon Lions and thanks to Discover Janesville, I learned of Wendy's involvement with AAUW.

Doing this program gave me a wonderful opportunity to sit down for a taped conversation with someone who deserves the name of Janesville Institution as much as anyone, namely Jackie Wood. It is hard to imagine all the things that Jackie has done in Janesville from working endlessly to help the downtown to having served as a County Supervisor and on and on and on, suffices to say that her small stature can't hide her energy or track record of getting things done in Janesville for very long. Jackie is also a past president of the Woman's Club and is a wealth of information on history of the building.

Next, please take a look at this interview with Anne Wanke who represents Daughters of American Revolution in her position as Regent. Anne provided an absolute wealth of knowledge about this organization and should inspire anyone who thinks they may be related to anyone involved in the Revolution to research and certify their family roots.

Next, please take a look at this interview with Claudiadair Fitzgerald. A woman who has done so much to shape our community, Claudiadair has been involved with the visual arts for many years and while she is technically credited on the show as being the 2nd VP of the Arts League, in the past she has been the President and practically everything else that the Arts League needed over the years. Claudidair has also been inducted in the United Arts Alliance Rock county Arts Hall of Fame.

Finally, here is the interview with Frieda Lubkeman, treasurer for the MacDowell Music Club. The club is an organization that supports music and has been part of Janesville for many decades.