Author Archives: Thomas J. Mertz

by | April 15, 2007 · 3:17 am

It Could Be Worse

There has been some tension between MMSD Board members and administrators, but generally the relationships have been civil and those involved have displayed mutual respect. All involved should be proud of this.

The situation in the Menomonie Area district appears to be pretty bad. (More here and here.)

Besides limiting contact between board members and administrators, the March 30 letter tells school board members that administrators have been instructed to notify Harness if a school board member contacts them by phone, e-mail or in person.

In addition, the letter requires administrators to request permission from Harness before contacting a school board member; they must also provide a reason for doing so.

According to the memo, Harness must be present during any meetings between administrators and school board members and that the meetings must be prearranged.

The letter, signed by the administrators in the district, indicated that they felt their trust had been violated when an alternate staffing plan was introduced at a March 19 school board meeting. The plan was aimed at saving programs and positions in an effort to forestall the need for a referendum at this time.

I don’t think you can blame this entirely on the state finance system, but clearly the pressures of annual budget conflicts and the difficulties of referenda are part of it.

Thomas J. Mertz

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Filed under AMPS, Budget, Referenda, School Finance, We Are Not Alone

by | April 15, 2007 · 12:47 am

Write Your Letters to Legislators NOW on School Funding

Good afternoon everyone,

As you are probably aware due to all the recent press on the MMSD budget, the school district has to make dramatic cuts this year in order to comply with the state-mandated revenue caps. We have reached the point as a district where all cuts are to the bone and are very painful. Although we can always find efficiencies in any operation, there is no way that this could account for the $10.5M cuts we have to make. The main culprit is the state system for funding public education. It is broken. Until this is changed, we will have to cut more and more each year. On March 29, The Board of Education (BOE) held a community advocacy meeting, focusing short-term on the governor’s budget and longer-term on the state funding system. The focus of the meeting was on how we, as a community, can advocate to bring additional funds into the district (short-term governor’s budget) and change the state funding system (long-term). We had a great turn-out but need more help to get the word out about our issues.

The meeting was broken into 3 segments: 1) education on the state funding system; 2) overview of the governor’s budget; and 3) advocacy. We had an extensive amount of Q&A with the audience.

Information Presented

Information presented is located on the district web site http://www.mmsd.org Click on “Take Action on School Funding”

I have also attached the talking points and sample letters that can be sent to legislators. The Governor has included some items in his budget that, if passed, could bring additional funds back to MMSD this year and next year. The 2 primary areas are in Special Education Aid and Bilingual-Bicultural Aid. We need to call or send letters/emails to our legislators in the next 2-3 weeks to support the aid increase in the governor’s budget in these 2 areas. If passed, we could receive an additional $1M in funding from the state this year and $1.7M the following year. This is explained in more detail on the web site and in the attachments. There are also other areas listed that could bring additional funds into the district.

The state is not doing their job. Unfunded mandates from the state are strangling the district. In 1993 when revenue limit started, the special education reimbursement was 45%. It is now 28.6% from the state. For the bilingual-bicultural aid, the state’s commitment to funding has dropped from 33% to 12%. If the state had met its commitments to funding, the MMSD would not have to cut its budget this year. We would have an additional $11.6M in funding (our initial cuts were targeted at $10.5M).
_
How Can You Help?
It is important to write letters to your legislators in the next 2-3 weeks regarding the Governor’s budget. See the talking points and sample letters for help. If you have questions, please let me know. To find out who your legislators are:
http://waml.legis.state.wi.us/

Write your letters and ask your friends to do the same.
Longer-Term: We are setting up a community *”Legislative Action Team”*. We are developing an email list of people who want to be involved. We will soon be setting up follow-up meetings and action items to start the longer-term lobbying to change the state funding process. If you would like to be added to this list, please send me an email.

Thanks for your help. Now is the time to come together as a community to advocate for change. The future of our schools and our community is dependent upon this. Please circulate this to all you know. If you have any questions, please let me know.

Arlene Silveira
Madison Board of Education

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Filed under AMPS, School Finance, Take Action

by | April 14, 2007 · 1:58 am

Latest Update on MMSD Advocacy Effort on State Public School Funding from Arlene Silveira

Wednesday, April 25, 6:30pm, location TBD

Next Legislative Action Team meeting. A more detailed agenda will be available next week. Highlights: Empowering the community to lead the effort in legislative advocacy action items – next steps

Let Your Voices Be Heard

Please let your voices be heard regarding the Governor’s budget. Email, call or visit your Madison delegation and joint finance committee ASAP. We want our Madison legislators to say, “Wow, this is really important to our community. This needs to change!” Letters to the editor of both newspapers will also help.

Let’s share: if you have written letters, made calls, etc., *please share* what you have sent as well as the responses you may have received.

******************
April 19 Press Conference
Mark Your Calendars, April 19 Press Conference

Representative Sondy Pope-Roberts will be having a press conference on April 19 at 10:00am in the Assembly parlor (2nd floor, west wing). *All are encouraged to attend!!* This press conference is to promote a joint resolution that she introduced in the Wisconsin Assembly and Senate that demands that the Legislature fix the state school-funding system by July of 2009.

The resolution says that fixing the system is the job of the legislators. It also lists some key components of a new school finance system. If you can attend the press conference to show support for this resolution and for the legislators who have signed on, please do so. We need to make a strong showing in support of this resolution. The resolution is linked here.

*Student Senate* – The student senate of our high schools have joined our cause. Representatives from the student senate will be attending the April 19 press conference at the capitol. They will also be holding their own press conference on state funding on April 19 prior to the Board’s evening public hearing on the budget at Memorial High School. Thanks for your support. Any questions or comments, please let us know.

Arlene Silveira

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Filed under AMPS, Pope-Roberts/Breske Resolution, School Finance, Take Action

by | April 14, 2007 · 12:19 am

Saving Schools and More

A group of parents and community members has begun organizing to agitate for an operating referendum to be placed on the ballot February 19th 2008 (the Spring Primary, including presidential). The details of the referendum are still in the early planning stages. I am part of this group.

As they consider the 2007-2008 budget (including school closings), it is important to show the Board of Education that there is broad and growing support for this referendum. With the realistic possibility of a successful referendum prior to the next budget cycle the Board can be induced to take nearly irreversible cuts (such as closing schools or eliminating 5th Grade Strings) off the table for this year.

You can help with this. There is a letter that will be submitted to the Board on April 19th here. If you support this, please say so and add your name and information in the comments. There are also some talking points here. We are asking that as many people as possible attend the upcoming Board meetings (April 17th and April 19th in particular) and express support for a referendum and not cutting those things that will be difficult to restore. We are also asking that individuals and groups contact the Board and news outlets (Capital Times: tctvoice@madison.com; Wisconsin State Journal: wsjopine@madison.com) to express support.

As always, educating and agitating on the state finance system that has created these conditions is important.

Thank you

Thomas J. Mertz

26 Comments

Filed under AMPS, Budget, Elections, Local News, Referenda, School Finance, Take Action, We Are Not Alone

by | April 13, 2007 · 4:27 am

MMSD Equity Task Force Report

With all the energy that goes into trying to come up with a budget that does the least damage it is easy to lose track of the work being done to make our schools better. I have been honored to be part of one effort, the Equity Task Force.

On Monday April 16th we will be presenting our work to the Board of Education. I hope that this only the first step and that the Board takes the time to carefully consider what we have to offer and and use this to make our district better and more equitable.

In the coming months and years those of us who care about equity in our schools need to work to make sure that happens; that the district reaffirms, expands and acts on equitable principles.

Thomas J. Mertz

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Filed under AMPS, Best Practices, Equity, Local News

by | April 12, 2007 · 4:49 pm

A Look at Class in an Urban Middle School (Lecture)

The Wisconsin-Spencer Lecture Series on Education presents

“They Don’t Know What They Don’t Know”
A Look at Class in an Urban Middle School

Adriane Williams, Dissertator
Educational Policy Studies

In this talk, Adriane Williams will discuss research she has conducted in an urban middle school, where she has observed a lack of “genuineness” in school administrators’ communications with students’ parents who do not have college experience themselves. The primary implication of her research is that the school administrators lack commitment to involving the parents of prospective first-generation college students in education planning in part due a lack of awareness of how critical a role parents play in the process.

Tuesday, April 17, 2007
3:00pm – 4:00pm
220 Teacher Education Building
Light refreshments will be served.

~~~All lectures are free and open to the public.~~~

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Filed under AMPS, Best Practices, Local News

by | April 11, 2007 · 11:39 pm

I Just Want to Be A School Volunteer Again: An Open Letter to Joint Finance the Governor Doyle on School Finance Reform

Dear Members of the Joint Committee on Finance and Gov. Doyle,

I used to be an active parent volunteer in the Madison public schools. I helped with reading groups and on field trips when my children were in elementary school, then tutored middle schoolers and tutored and led after-school clubs as my children got older.

Then a couple years ago, I had to stop my in-class volunteering. Why? Like hundred of parents and school staff across the state, all my volunteer hours were eaten up with supporting a series of referenda to keep intact programs that both benefited my children and are needed to support the learning of thousands of Wisconsin’s children. Over the past 8 years, I have seen music and arts programs cut, driver’s education eliminated, family and consumer education and technology education at the middle schools eliminated, class sizes increased and sorely-needed social work, counseling and psychology positions cuts.

Still, the cuts loom large. This year, schools with great reputations and devoted community support may close. Activity fees will continue to increase. Middle school and high school course options are at risk. I paid more last year on start-of-school fees and supplies than I did on Christmas gifts. Yet, the cuts go on, the fees continue to rise.

So, what’s involved in passing a referendum? There are multiple evening meetings to PTA groups and neighborhood associations to educate them on complicated school finance issues. There are letters to write, phone calls to make, meetings to attend, signs to assemble, fundraising to organize, and general public relations discussions to have with neighbors, colleagues, friends and relatives. You lose friends. It’s very political and it’s not very fun. And to top it all off, it pulls hundreds of civic-minded, good-hearted, kid-loving adults away from children, classrooms and teaching and into a role they never asked for and don’t relish: politics and deal-making.

I’ve heard elected officials say that before a school district should come to the legislature for funding, they should really work a little harder locally at passing a referendum. What? I was under the impression that teachers, principals, superintendents and other school leaders were hired to educate children, not launch political campaigns. I want my district’s principals hiring and supervising teams of high-quality teachers and exploring new ways to teach students in meaningful ways, not spend their days on talk radio and their evenings at civic forums.

And I want to go back into classrooms again. I want to talk to kids about their passions and comment on their improvements in writing, not spend Saturdays stapling yard signs together and Sunday afternoons strategizing on campaign slogans or calling long voter lists.

So, I am asking please, that the State Legislature:
— Fund at two-thirds its original commitment to categorical aids, the program that provides special education services to students with disabilities. This would mean a $45 million increase in the first year of new budget and $55 million next year.
— Continue its commitment to SAGE programs that cap class sizes to 15 in schools with high poverty rates.
— Remove the revenue caps that make districts across the state incapable of simultaneously balancing their budgets and retaining existing program levels for students.

Beth Swedeen

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Filed under AMPS, Budget, Elections, Referenda, School Finance, Take Action

by | April 11, 2007 · 4:20 am

Fact Check

John Nichols’ column today is yet another example of how little attention the media in our town pay to school matters and school politics. His thesis is that Maya Cole’s support for a referendum and Marj Passman’s caution was decisive. Nice theory, too bad the premises are wrong. Of all the candidates, Marj Passman was the only one who whole-heartedly supported Carol Carstensen’s proposal. Ms Cole gave answers about finding new partnerships and efficiencies and innovations and never expressed clear support for the proposal. She may have even said she did not support it (I’d have to look at videos of forums to be sure). Examples of the answers from each can be found here.

If you ask me, the decisive factor was the endorsement by Mr. Nichols’ own paper and if this is any indication of the thought and work that went into that endorsement…words fail me.

What makes this even worse is that days before the Capital Times gave Ms Cole a “strong” endorsement (which after the election they clarified by saying they would have been “perfectly satisfied” to see either candidate win — I hope I have the time to write something about that editorial, good and bad), Mr Nichols himself expressed support for Ms Carstensen’s proposal.

I really don’t know what to make of this. I do know that our community is ill served by irresponsible journalism.

I also know that the talk of partnerships and efficiencies and innovation (none of which are bad in and of themselves) has been used to distract from the very real needs for finance reform and the need for referendums under our current system. Marj Passman knew this and said it. Ms Cole benefited from the way these distractions attracted the votes of the “we already spend too much on schools” crowd and she never (in any public statement I can find or — to the best of my recollection — at any of the many forums I attended) made a clear statement in support of Ms Carstensen’s referendum proposal.

Wipe the egg off your face and apologize Mr Nichols.

Thomas J. Mertz

6 Comments

Filed under AMPS, Elections, Gimme Some Truth, Local News, Referenda

by | April 10, 2007 · 3:55 pm

MMSD Board Member Arlene Silveira Provides Update on Legislative Action and How YOU Can Get Involved on School Finance Reform

We greatly appreciate your interest and involvement in working toward reforming the statewide school funding system. By continuing our work on this initiative, we are taking steps to ensure that our schools will be adequately funded in the future and we can stop this yearly process of substantial budget cuts.

his email is being sent to everyone who attended our March 29 Legislative advocacy session and others who have joined our Legislative Action Team since that meeting.

*UPDATES*

All of the information discussed at the 3/29 meeting can be found on the district’s web site. http://www.mmsd.org Click on “Take Action on School Funding”

*_Advocacy_*

__Remember to write letters or call your legislators about the Governor’s budget and school funding issues. Contact information is on the district’s web site. Please do so in the next few weeks!! If you need a reminder on talking points, a copy is attached and can be found on the web site. If you have specific questions, please let us know.

Also, write letters to the newspapers. Their editorial email addresses are below:

The Capital Times:
tctvoice@madison.com

Wisconsin State Journal
wsjopine@madison.com

For the papers: 200 words or less; no attachments; provide your name, address and phone number (only your name and city will be printed)

*Mark Your Calendars – April 19 Press Conference_*

__Representative Sondy Pope-Roberts will be having a press conference on April 19 at 10:00am in the Assembly parlor (2^nd floor, west wing). *All are encouraged to attend!!* This press conference is to promote a joint resolution that she introduced in the Wisconsin Assembly and Senate that demands that the Legislature fix the state’s school-funding system by July of 2009.

The resolution says that fixing the system is the job of the legislators. It also lists some key components of a new school finance system. *If you can attend the press conference to show support for this resolution and for the legislators who have signed on, please do so. *We need to make a strong showing in support of this resolution. The resolution is linked.

Click to access LRB1211.pdf

Meet Your Legislators_*

*__*If you are going to attend the press conference at the Capitol it would be a good time to set up meetings to visit your legislators. Give their office a call and schedule a meeting!!! If you don’t want to go alone, there may be others on this email list who will attend with you. Get a group together and let your voices be heard. The legislative contact information was in the March 29 hand-outs or can be found on the district web site.

Spread the Word_

We need many many voices in order for our message to be heard. Start recruiting others to join this list. Ask them to write letters and call friends. If you know of others who want to be on this list, please forward their email. If you need speakers to come to your PTO or community meetings to speak on this topic, please let us know and we will arrange for someone to attend.

Next Steps

We will provide more information available later this week on a time for the next meeting as well as a list of additional action items. At the next meeting, we want to empower you to take leadership roles in moving this initiative forward. There are a lot of things we need to do. If you would like to play more of a role in helping move things forward, please send me an email.

Thank you again for your support. If you have any questions, please email me asilveira@madison.k12.wi.us or the entire board comments@madison.k12.wi.us

Arlene Silveira
Madison Board of Education

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Filed under AMPS, Pope-Roberts/Breske Resolution, School Finance, Take Action

by | April 8, 2007 · 8:29 pm

WSJ Editorial Asks Legislature to Cut Public Schools Some Slack

Finally, some common sense. And from the Opinion Page of one of the state’s most conservative Editorial Boards. Today’s Wisconsin State Journal cautions communities to stop beating each other up over school finance woes and focus on the real culprit: our Legislature’s failed public school finance system.

Recounting the mixed results from more than 70 referenda requests in 52 school districts that were on the ballot this past Tuesday alone, the editorial goes on to explain why the state formula makes it virtually impossible for Wisconsin’s 425 school districts to both balance their budgets and avoid program cuts. After 14 years of cuts, critical programs….even those with proven track records such as SAGE….are potentially on the chopping block.

And instead of ponting the finger at the State Capitol, too much energy has gone into local finger-pointing: at administrators who “can’t cut the inefficiencies,” at school boards who “aren’t willing to long-range plan,” and even at students themselves, particularly students with higher educational price tags, such as students living in poverty and students with disabilities. Recent letters to the editor and blogs have called students “bozos” and “slackers.” Some bloggers have suggested that we really need to assess whether we can educate “all” students these days, given limited resources.

Let’s see: 1. Blame school leadership and school boards in communities across the state for not being “efficient” or having “long range plans; 2. Blame children because, hey, it’s easy. They don’t vote and they usually don’t blog; or 3. Focus on policymakers who created a flawed system and refuse to roll up their sleeves to make changes.

I know where my energies will go in the next few weeks.

Beth Swedeen

6 Comments

Filed under AMPS, School Finance