Dannecker, 45, said people in the district are concerned about behavior in schools. In general, he said, “high school is a big issue to parents,” and many are not happy with most MPS high schools, particularly Bay View High School.
Dannecker played a central role in the decision in recent months to place police officers on a full-time basis in Bradley Tech High School and in a cluster of schools centered on Custer High School. He said he favors creating “almost an internal reform school” within MPS for students with major behavior issues.
Another trait: He says he pays attention to the way decisions are made. He often finds the decision-making of the current School Board and MPS administration lacking.
The recent MPS campaign against cell phones in school is an example. Falk said that with the way the ban works now, only some children don’t bring cell phones to school and enforcement efforts are weak.
The crackdown was not well thought out, he said, given the way students actually respond.