Parents in Dane County have scheduled an event to update the public on Governor Scott Walkers’ devastating cuts to their children’s educational opportunities and to plan what they can do, together, to form advocacy groups and work for a better way. The event follows closely on the heels of a similar meeting in Greenfield, March 5, that saw over 400 people come together to plan the next step.
March 27, members of the Dane County School Board Consortium and WAES will host a community meeting — “The Future of Public Education and A Call to Action” — at the Monona Grove High School Commons, 4400 Monona Drive, Monona. The hoped-for outcomes of the event, which runs from 3 to 4:40 p.m., include an increased understanding of school funding in Wisconsin, alternatives to cuts in funding, and formation of community advocacy groups. For more information, call 608-217-5938 or go to here.
From the Wisconsin Alliance for Excellent Schools (WAES)
Governor’s budget plan for education
gets a bad grade on basic mathematics
As long as the cost of education does not increase, the tools Governor Scott Walker “gave” districts to offset his devastating cuts to school aids might work, theoretically, for some communities. In the real world, however─where costs increase and children need opportunities to succeed, the coming years look pretty bleak.
That was the assessment following Tuesday’s credentialed media only press event behind locked doors where the Governor rolled out his version of the 2011-13 budget for public education. Not everyone was as optimistic as Walker.
Superintendent of Schools Tony Evers called the budget “a crushing challenge,” while the School Finance Network said the budget is “shortsighted and counterproductive” and “the simple fact is that (it) will result in cuts to programs and services and increases in class sizes.”
In general, the Governor’s budget that cuts aid and reduces districts’ revenue authority doesn’t take into account 18 years of cuts to programs and services and basic inflationary cost increases. WAES maintains that sooner or later, the result of the cuts─small, large, and cumulative─will be or already has jeopardized the future of Wisconsin’s children and communities.
Wisconsin’s School Administrator’s Alliance (SAA) said its members are united in their opposition to Governor Walker’s agenda of privatizing public education.” “According to John Forester, the group’s director of government relations, “The school aid cuts in the Governor’s proposed budget plan are of a magnitude not seen since the Great Depression.”
There is so much good stuff out there on what has been happening in Madison and around the state this week that I really don’t have too much to add. I will point toward the CAST Statement I helped draft, Rep Mark Pocan’s “Scott Walker’s Top Ten Lies” for a good fact check and Alder Brian Solomon’s “Madison, WI: A Prelude for Economic Justice” for some questions and context. I’ve been energized and filled with hope by the the rallies and protests this week, but like Brian I have concerns about the limits of the agenda being put forward.
That is why I want to try to focus attention on what comes next, the other shoe waiting to drop, Governor Walker’s Biennial Budget. It is going to be a giant shoe and we need to be ready to catch it and throw that one back too.
Throughout this, Walker has made it clear that the so-called Budget Repair bill is only a prelude to the Biennial Budget. The GOP talking points have been that destroying public worker unions is a way to give local governmental units (counties, municipalities and school districts) the tools to deal with the budget cuts that radical slashes to state aid, shared revenue and unprecedented limits on local control of revenues — all anticipated in the Biennial Budget — will bring.
Scott Walker and the GOP don’t want you to know what is in the budget bill, they especially don’t want this information out there while the people are in control of the Capitol and paying attention. So, instead of releasing the Budget on Tuesday February 22 as scheduled, they have moved it to March 1. Whether in the Capitol or elsewhere, we all need to be paying attention and we all need to mobilize on this too.
There have been some hints and leaks about what will be in the Budget and it ain’t good.
Anticipated $900 Million in cuts to State School Aids.
Unstated, but large cuts to shared revenue
Talk of a hard cap in property tax increases equal only to growth in property wealth (se the video above), taking away the ability of local governing units to mitigate the cuts in state aid.
Rumors of new refusals of federal aid, including Title I, a longstanding program targeted at the education of children in poverty.
Hard times ahead for Counties, Municipalities and School Districts and all those who depend on them for services.
Geez — Title I. This is beyond insane. For me this is the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Everything else — tax cuts, aid cuts, revenue limits, union busting…– is maddening and insane, but refusing Title I is so stupid and so offensive that as Marvin Gaye said “It makes me wanna Holler, ” and scream and organize.
Note: For awhile, I’m going to be illustrating the “On the Agenda” posts with various graphs documenting achievement gaps in MMSD as revealed by the admittedly flawed and limited WSAS/WKCE results. I think regular reminders may do some good.
A busy week for the Madison Metropolitan School District, with the biggest item being the finalization of the 2010-11 budget and tax levy. This is somewhat anti-climactic, with most of the action coming in the Spring and only relatively minor changes now on the table.
The budget will be voted on at the 5:00 PM Monday meeting (Doyle auditorium). I’ll be at work at that time, but there will be public appearances and it would be good to give one more reminder that people in Madison support public education and are willing to support it via increased property tax levies when the state doesn’t do its part. Speak now or forever hold your peace. More on the changes below.
On Tuesday at Noon in Doyle rm 103, the Ad Hoc Hiring and Diversity Committee meets. Other MMSD meetings for the week are: MMSD Wellness Committee (Tuesday, 3:00 PM, Doyle rm 103); Common Council/Board of Education Liaison Committee (Tuesday, 5:30 PM, Doyle rm 103); and the Madison School & Community Recreation (MSCR) Advisory Committee (Tuesday, 6:30 PM, MSCR/Hoyt building, rm 21). Agendas for all of the above are here.
The short version of the budget story is that MMSD will levy about $10 million less then they allowed for educational programs, at best limiting the improvements to education in Madison; at worst harming the educational opportunities of our children (there is also about $2 million in Fund 80 “underlevy). The slightly longer version is that the Board — like Boards around the state — caught between a state budget that cut educational investments and property taxpayers who are struggling sought a happy medium between cuts and tax levies (helped by some real savings due to efficiencies), nobody ended up happy. The way to start changing this story and get to a happier ending is Penny for Kids.
Many of these changes are related to (slightly) higher than (and still inadequate) state aid. This also resulted in some recommendations for “add backs” from the administration. An interesting list (and note half is designated for tax relief):
There is also an update on ARRA funds, that if I read it correctly says that 59.92% of this money (over $7 million) has not been allocated to any project! The clock is ticking…I’m not sure why this money is not being used. More on ARRA things in the Operations Support Committee Report.
That’s about it for the budget. I’m only going to highlight a limited number of things from the regular meeting that follows.
Some info on Leadership, Teacher, Parent and Staff Councils (no membership lists). I don’t know about the rest, but with one parent from every school (selected by the Principal, so you’ll be sure to get those with “issues”) the Parent Council is so large that it is unwieldy.
On the consent agenda is a donation of $28,510 from the Reading Recovery Council of North America to support tuition, texts and travel for teacher training.
Just a once over lightly this week. Maybe some follow ups later.
Note: For awhile, I’m going to be illustrating the “On the Agenda” posts with various graphs documenting achievement gaps in MMSD as revealed by the admittedly flawed and limited WSAS/WKCE results. I think regular reminders may do some good.
Between campaigns, grading mid terms and the happenings at West, I’ve been insanely busy. I missed last week’s agenda post and am only doing the minimum today.
Four meetings listed for the Madison Metropolitan School District, none involving the High School Reform (no Student Senate listed).
Monday, October 18 5:00 p.m.
Special Board of Education Meeting
1.Public Appearances
2.It is recommended to change the start time of the Regular meeting of the Board of Education to 7 p.m. for the October 25, 2010, meeting only.
3.Four-Year-Old Kindergarten Data Retreat
4.Adjournment
Doyle Administration Bldg.
545 W. Dayton Street
Madison, WI 53703
McDaniels Auditorium
6:00 p.m. Ad Hoc Board of Education Meeting—Equity and Decision Making
1. Public Appearances
2.Responses to Board Member Questions and Comments regarding the Equity Plan
3.K-12 Literacy Alignment as it relates to Equity
4.Next Meeting Date/Time/Location and Agenda
5.Adjournment
Doyle Administration Bldg.
545 W. Dayton Street
Madison, WI 53703
Room 103
7:00 p.m. Ad Hoc Board of Education Meeting—Five-Year Budget Plan
1. Public Appearances
2.Administrative Recommendations for Five-Year Budget Parameters
3. Overview of MMSD Budget Account Codes
4. Timeline for Development of 5-Year Budget Model
5. Adoption of Goals for Committee
6.Next Meeting Date/Time/Location and Agenda
7.Adjournment
Doyle Administration Bldg.
Room 103
Tuesday, October 19
8:00 a.m.
MMSD Literacy Advisory Committee
1.Welcome and Agenda Review
2.Update from Focus Group on the Library Media Specialist Survey Responses
3.Article Review—“The Why Behind RTI (Response to Intervention)”
4.Presentation on RTI Framework
5.Develop Definition of the Elements of a Comprehensive Literacy Program
6.Discussion of District Literacy Professional Development at Elementary and Secondary Levels
7.Adjournment
Thursday, October 21
Doyle Administration Bldg.
4:30 p.m.
Sustainable Schools Initiative Meeting
1.Check-in/Introductions
2.Presentation—Draft vision and Sustainability Planning Process
3.Small Group Discussion—Draft Visions and Sustainability Planning Process
4.Small Group Report Back
5.Next Steps
6.Next Meeting Dates
Nothing linked — including member lists — for the last two.
All reports – in the media and personal — are that the sit-in at West today was very positive. I was unable to attend, but am glad that students are demonstrating their concerns and getting some attention. [I just got a robo call about our son being absent t tale part in the sit-in…OK]
The plan presented this week is not the Board’s plan. We received the plan the same day the teachers received the plan. The plan was developed by Administration, which is how something like this works. The plan is scheduled to be reviewed by the Board on November 1. This is a review meeting, not a voting meeting. Final review/vote by the Board is scheduled for late November. Now the Board should be reviewing the plan, asking questions and talking/listening to constituents, like students. All feedback is good (if respectful). At the meeting where the Board votes, we can approve/reject the plan as is, modify the plan or approve/reject parts of the plan. We still have a lot of questions and information-collecting to do. Keep your feedback coming as it does help us to understand how this plan would affect each of you. Questions/comments: board@madison.k12.wi.us.
This is a tight time-line, especially for the Student Senate meeting. To expect anyone, especially busy students to have considered input based on minimal information this quickly it asking a lot.
With that in mind, I want to offer some more background things (lots linked in this post, some repeats).
I’m having a lot of concerns about the emphasis on standards. As noted before, we are stuck with the Common Core Standards and adding the ACT College Readiness Standards (click the links to read more — we are adding many things from the ACT and will be writing big checks for the privilege). I don’t like standards-based reform much.
And also these quotes from Deborah Meier elsewhere seem applicable:
If we agreed all the time on most things, we’d never need democracy. But if I want schools that encourage disagreement, it follows that I, too, must compromise. E.g. If I want schools to include the same mix of kids that make up our body politic, then that imposes on someone else’s ideal of public education. If, as Juan Gonzalez argued, schools are the backbone of communities, then neighborhood schools need to be preserved! Ditto for tracking by ability. Can we outlaw schools for “the gifted” to preserve heterogeneity? Can everyone have what is best for themselves while still having the best for the common good?
….
Warts and all. “Smartness” of the kind we seem lately to revere—the kind that gets you into the Ivy League—is not the purpose of the public’s support for public education. Imagine if our standards were set, not on Harvard, but on our concern for the common good?
I fear that by allowing the ACT to define “College Readiness” and then buying products from the ACT to prepare students to take tests from the ACT to demonstrate that readiness, we lose sight of that common good.
An old blog post from “HC English Teachers” that in a positive manner describes the Hersey High reforms — a model for what MMSD is doing – from an outsider perspective is also interesting. I keep going back to the fact that Hersey is a 7% or 8% poverty school and West is 35%. This reminded me of the differences and the conditions for successful reform:
There was a perfect storm that allowed CV to put the program into place… intra-district rivalries, falling ACT scores, an activist superintendent, a principal who was looking for answers. None of those things exist here.
I think there are even more conditions needed, but fear that many are lacking (or under developed) in Madison.
What is lacking most is a desire for change and confidence that change will bring real improvements. I’ll add that some of this lack of desire is based on a lack of acknowledgment that West is failing many students. It doesn’t help there was no mention of achievement gaps in the first document (there is in the second). Here is one graphic of a gap at West.
It is also based on a denial that the most advanced classes at West are segregated in many ways. I think it is worth noting that only 18 African American students, representing 31% of African American 12th graders, took the ACT last year. I don’t want to give up the inclusiveness of the 9th and 10th grade core classes (and am not sure there is need to), but some change is called for to address persistent gaps and segregation at the highest levels.
I’ve kind of morphed into the subject of grouping. I’m going to be lazy and share two things from the Equity Task Force (1 & 2). The first in a chapter by Adam Gamoran and the second is a statement from the National School Psychologists. In the intro to the first for the Task Force I wrote:
At the crudest level it is about equity because it is about resource allocations. Choosing among approaches (or pursuing multiple approaches) will mean dedicating staff, curricular materials, facilities, training and other resources in a manner that will make these unavailable for other uses. We all understand this. Looking at our working definition of equity I see other ways that equity is in play. I don’t have the exact language but my memory is that the three key components are access and opportunity, educational excellence for all, and social responsibility. On access and opportunity the research is clear that without open enrollments, recruitment of historically underserved populations and structures of support, any ability grouping will result in racial, economic and other segregation. Even in heterogeneous classrooms using differentiated instruction, an approach that many believe provides wider opportunity and access to advanced instruction, special efforts are often needed to make sure that minorities and others are not overlooked.
Whatever direction we go in, a statement on this should be considered (sorry, that was my position and I am trying to make this as objective as I can). The real conflicts are about a perceived tension between excellence and social justice. Some of this is due to differing ideas about the definitions of both educational excellence and the social mission of public education. I could go on about each of these for pages, but I will try to be brief. The research about which approaches produce which academic results for which students are far from conclusive (see the Gamoran). What muddies the water further is that some believe that excellence is achieved by getting the most students scoring in the highest range, some look to get the fewest students scoring in the lowest range, some look to have the highest scoring students scoring higher and higher…. All of these and more are legitimate definitions and noble goals.
The research seems to indicate that an approach that absolutely maximizes one of these will be less than optimal according to other definitions. Note the words maximum and less than optimal. It isn’t that the various approaches necessarily have a negative effect on one metric or another, it is that that one approach might do better according to one measure and another according to a different measure. There are choices to be made.
Here is where the social justice issues can come into play. For many a diverse classroom intrinsically has a nonacademic but none-the-less educational benefit for all students. Beyond this, the choices (if you accept that it is impossible for a single approach to maximize excellence across the range of definitions) are choices about the academic component of the social mission of the schools. Is the social mission best fulfilled by catering to the extreme high achievers? Is the most important social mission to lift students from the bottom to the middle; from the middle to the top…? I think we can do very well on all these measures; I don’t think anyone believes we can maximize them all simultaneously. I hope this has helped you see and grapple with the choices we face.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot this week and a phrase keeps popping into my head. Let me close with this, the motto or ideal of the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs (circa 1890): “Lifting as We Climb.”
There are choices to be made and the last thing I want to say is about the choices.
The students, the parents, the teachers, The Board of Education and a surprising variety of people who have been contacting me are all looking for more information. This is great; informed decisions are the right way to go.
As of now we have two choices — the status quo and the Dual Pathways draft — and there has been very little information about the latter offered, some rose-tinted glasses views of the former and nothing about the possibilities of something in-between. Among the information that is needed is a clear understanding of a variety of options and what these options will mean in terms of budget, student schedules, potential benefits and acknowledged losses (including possibly some electives and the good things about English 9 & 10 and the Social Studies classes).
I know that’s a lot to ask, but I think it is possible and I think it is the way to move forward.
If and only if you aren’t out working to elect pro-education candidates (or taking a break from doing that), I hope to see you there (me, I’ll be on a break from campaign work).
Before I delve into the mess and the proposal, I think it is important to say that despite huge and inexcusable problems with the process, many unanswered questions and some real things of concern; there are some good things in the proposal. One part near the heart of the plan in particular is something I’ve been pushing for years: open access to advanced classes and programs with supports. In the language of the proposal:
Pathways open to all students. Students are originally identified by Advanced Placement requirements and other suggested guidelines such as EXPLORE /PLAN scores, GPA, past MS/HS performance and MS/HS Recommendation. however, all students would be able to enroll. Students not meeting suggested guidelines but wanting to enroll would receive additional supports (tutoring, skill development classes, AVID, etc.) to ensure success. (emphasis added and I would like to see it added in the implementation).
Right now there are great and at times irrational barriers in place. These need to go. I hope this does not get lost as the mess is cleaned up.
This is in four sections: The Mess; What Next?; The Plan: Unanswered Questions and Causes for Concern; and Final Thought.
The Mess
The exact size and shape of the mess — like so much else with this — aren’t clear. You can gauge for yourself by visiting the Facebook pages “Save Our Future- Madison West High” and “Walk-Out Against MMSD High School Reform.” I heard reports that 200 or more students met at lunch yesterday and likely the number will be greater today. The fact that students care and want to do something is great. I’m sure that Administrators and Board Members have also heard from parents and teachers.
Then there is this video:
It is great to hear the passion and desire to be part of the process; it is sad to realize that they feel they have been shut out.
As far as I can tell the proximate cause of the student reaction at West was confused and incomplete information relayed by teachers. The ultimate cause is that this has been drafted and communicated in what seems to be a rushed and top-down manner.
Note the “seems to be.” Much of this has been in the works — at least indirectly — for a long time and there have been some opportunities for input and collaboration along the way (see the High School Initiatives presentation from earlier this year).
So while this doesn’t come out of nowhere, it has also been rushed out in a manner and form that leave much to be desired. Extensive changes of this sort need to be considered and revised in an open, inclusive, deliberate process. To do otherwise misses opportunities for improvement and creates distrust instead of buy-in from those most affected.
At least one Board Member is saying that “the proposed curricular changes are not related to the DPI complaint re. failure to comply with state law on TAG programming.” You can parse that statement carefully and maybe say it is true because things have been in the works prior to the TAG complaint, but it is equally true that the the timing and failed roll out were a reaction to the complaint. To deny or not acknowledge the relationship to the TAG complaint in how this was “finalized” and presented (not conceived) only exacerbates the distrust that is perhaps the biggest mess of all.
You don’t have to take my word on this being rushed and incomplete, just look at some of the early items in the plan that have dates attached: “Plan communicated to all stakeholders in September” with a variety of information to be compiled in September to support the communications. This communication didn’t happen in September and if the supporting information has been prepared, it has not been shared. If it has been prepared and not shared there is much more wrong here than a rushed time-line, there is a basic lack of understanding of communications principles.
There may also be a basic misunderstanding of policy formation principles at work. Part of that communication item for September reads:
Develop data-based rationale for reforming the MMSD high school curriculum providing both an accelerated pathway and a preparatory pathway.
I’m going to be nice and assume that the intent here was to say “Develop a presentation of the data-based rationale…,” because otherwise our self-styled “data -driven” district is making policies and then creating “data-based ratuonale(s)” after the fact. Let’s chalk this up to the rush job.
What Next ?
Hard to say what will come next. There may or may not be a protest walkout at West on Friday. There may or not be a crisis communication strategy from the administration [there is, see the update at the top]. There may or may not be an attempt to go beyond crisis communication and initiate a more open and extensive collaborative process (I’d like that).
The Board of Education will see this on an agenda in some form I have heard (not confirmed) that this will be the first week of November. What form isn’t clear. They may be asked to approve the proposal or they may may simply receive or reject a report. I hope it is the former.
I also want to note that how this comes before the Board matters not only in terms of democratic governance, but because the new Communication Plan protocols require certain things — such as equity and budget analyses — with some Administrative proposals. These are not part of the materials circulating.
My guess is that whatever happens in the coming weeks, at least part of the time-line is out-the-window. Supporting work will be ongoing, but I’d be surprised if the scheduled significant changes to Language Arts and Mathematics are fully implemented in 2011-12. I’ve been surprised before.
In the meantime, effective involvement is crucial. Let the Board know your concerns (board@madison.k12.wi.us). Let Superintendent Nerad know too (dnerad@madison.k12.wi.us). Before voicing an opinion, it is good to do some study and get your facts straight and concerns clear. Keep and eye on the Board agendas (and this space) to see when it comes up and in what form. At every juncture, ask for a chance to be part of the process. If asking doesn’t work, demand.
The Plan: Unanswered Questions and Causes for Concern
From reviewing the proposal itself, a read of postings elsewhere, conversations and emails — with and from students, teachers, parents, Board of Education Members and administrators — some issues have stood out as things that I believe need further attention. What I’m offering here isn’t comprehensive or thorough, but introductory.
Before proceeding I want to again emphasize that the commitment to open access with supports is a huge and positive step (and note that it may be possible that this could be accomplished without the radical changes being proposed).
Pathways, Tracking and Ability Grouping:
I have supported the inclusive model for English 9 & 10 and 9th & 1oth grade Social Studies. I have also thought that real embedded honors would have improved the model. Some of the positive aspects of this will be lost if the new proposal is implemented. There will be two “pathways” and this will almost certainly mean an increase in segregation by race, language and income. I don’t like this.
Despite this inclusive portion of the existing West program, you’d be a fool to believe that segregation and something like tracking aren’t already part of the West reality. I’ll go further and say that I sincerely doubt that in the foreseeable future these will be eliminated.
So the questions become ones about the extent and nature of the segregation or groupings.
Willis D. Hawley makes a useful distinction between tracking and “ability grouping” (read Pathways) based on student movement among the tracks (or programs) and warns that “Ability grouping often turns into tracking.” This, along with the demographics of the pathways would need close monitoring and if there is great segregation with little or no movement, actions should be taken to remedy.
The existence of “embedded honors in the Preparatory Pathway is supposed to facilitate movement. I have serious doubts about that.
Doubts based in part on the fact that the access to the Accelerated Pathway is supposed to be open. This also needs to be monitored and special attention needs to be paid to informal ways that students are discouraged from challenging themselves and the availability of appropriate supports for success.
In general I don’t like the wholesale adoption of any standards, whether from an advocacy group (like the Common Core or for that matter the NACG Standards incorporated in the TAG Plan) or from an organization like the ACT or the College Board (AP), with supporting things for sale (an issue with the Common Core too). MMSD – and other districts — should pick, chose and adapt what is appropriate for local circumstances.
Advanced Placement is a little different. There are real concerns about a “cookie cutter” approach stifling creativity and breadth in teaching and learning. These and other issues have led some districts — including Scarsdale, NY — to abandon AP. There is a growing consensus that the rapid expansion of AP is problematic (for balance see here). Was any of this part of drafting of this plan?
In defense of expanded AP, it does provide an external measure of achievement and it does give students a head start on college. Like so much else, some good and some not so good.
Trade Offs: Electives, Budget and Schedules:
Because of budget and schedule constraints this proposal cannot be implemented without other things being cut. You can’t add support services without either increasing expenditures or eliminating something else. Teachers and students only have time for so many classes, if they are taking new AP classes, they won’t be taking existing offerings. So far there has been no clear statement of what these other things might be.
The rumors were that electives in some form were due to be cut. I have this response from a senior administrator:
This is not true. We are adding Advanced Placement courses in the four content areas. They will be open access courses and may be taken or an elective may be taken. For example Advanced Placement offers only two English courses. We require 4 years of English. This leaves room for elective choices
How much room, both in terms of budget and schedules remains to be seen. I think it is clear that many favored electives will be retained.
I’m not going to give my full Wisconsin and MMSD school funding rap, but I will ask those new to this to visit Penny for Kids, sign the petition, share it with friends, join the Facebook group…get involved.
Where Did This Come From?
As noted above, this has been in the works as part of a series of High School Initiatives. The immediate model for much of it is Hersey High School in Arlington Heights Illinois. Arlington Heights is not Madison and Hersey is not West. One statistic stands out — Hersey has a poverty rate of 7% or 8%, West’s is 35%. A quick review of the Evaluation and Policy Research page at Hersey shows that while the concerns and issues overlap, they are also very different. The review also showed some very questionable choices in what data is presented and how it is presented. Maybe more on this later.
Final Thought:
At the top, I called this mess inexcusable. I see this as a failure of leadership. Couldn’t they anticipate this reaction? Didn’t they read Susan Troller’s “branding” piece? Don’t they now that successful reform requires buy-in? This looks rushed and reactive, not considered and confident. I know lots of very good work has gone into this, but that work is in danger of being lost due to some key failures.
With this in mind, I renew my call for the evaluation of Superintendent Dan Nerad to be made public. Part of restoring confidence has to be sharing with the public what the Board of Education thinks is is going well and what the Board thinks could use improvement. I know at this moment many in the West community have some definite ideas about these matters (positive and negative…I see successes as well as failures).
The initial data on third Friday student counts are out and the numbers for MMSD look good. MMSD is up 378 students, or about 150 more than projections.
This is good news, in that it shows that fears about MMSD driving students and families away are unfounded. The chart above illustrates that MMSD’s gains as a percentage of enrollment of 1.51% were above the average for Dane County districts. The full data is here.
In the past, this would have been very good news, because revenue limits are based on enrollment and more students would mean more money. Since MMSD was planning on levying about $16 million under the limit, it only means we will be even further under the cap.
I haven’t been able to find more detailed breakdowns by school, race. income… I look forward to looking at this data to see the trends. I want to make clear that whatever the trends are it is wrong to think of some demographics as more desirable than others. Once districts, schools or teachers start thinking or talking or acting in this manner, they are betraying the basic promise of public education to move toward equality through opportunity.
Rally organizers call for making public education a top funding priority in Wisconsin, so that every child has access to a high-quality public education from kindergarten through college. Since an educated population spurs the economy and benefits all state residents, they also call for reforming the tax system so that everyone pays their fair share, including the wealthy and large corporations operating in Wisconsin. Increasing access to higher education for underrepresented groups and ensuring fair and competitive pay for academic workers are also top priorities.
Here is the list of speakers:
Ben Manski, Coordinator, Democratizing Education Network
Mike Bell, UW-Madison faculty member (Sociology)
Thomas J. Mertz, Board Member, Wisconsin Alliance for Excellent Schools
Kevin Gibbons, UW-Madison graduate student (Environmental Studies); Co-President of the Teaching Assistants’ Association
Elizabeth Wrigley-Field, UW-Madison graduate student (Sociology); member of the International Socialist Organization
Mark Thomas, Steward, AFSCME Local #171
I’ll be speaking on K-12 and pushing Penny for Kids. I could use some help collecting signatures on the Penny petition. Contact me if you are willing and able.
Strong public education is the best means we have of moving toward a better future. Join us to make sure that message comes through loud and clear.
AMPS 
