by | March 10, 2007 · 4:39 pm

One of Madison’s Own

Kaleem Caire, a person with deep roots in Madison and an old friend has recently started The Next Generation Foundation an organization whose mission is to “To increase school participation and success rates of adolescent males of color, and prepare them to succeed in college preparatory high schools and higher education.” They are currently working only in the Washington DC area, but as Kaleem put it his “heart will always be on Fisher Street” and he would like to bring the programs to Madison.

The recent Isthmus story on “disconnected youth” highlights the need for the work Kaleem is doing. Kaleem’s background as a “semi-disconnected youth,” experience and connections in Madison make me believe that Next Generation could do much good here. We should all try to help him bring his work back where his heart remains. I’m going to.

Please, do take the time to check out what the Next Generation Foundation is doing.

TJM

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by | March 10, 2007 · 12:18 am

Rainwater Releases Budget Changes

The superintendent released his budget changes to balance the 2007-2008 budget. They will be presented to the entire school board on Monday, March 12th. The full document can be found here.

Robert Godfrey

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by | March 9, 2007 · 4:33 pm

NY Times Article on Reading First and MMSD’s Reading Program

AMPS is committed to the 3 P’s: public support, proven practices and proper funding for public education. This post is focused on proven practices.

There’s been a lot of back-and-forth about whether MMSD made a wise choice in turning down a $2 million federal grant for the highly-prescriptive Reading First Program. This NY Times article today (March 9) goes in-depth both on some of the results Madison has seen using its balanced literacy approach (which is much more student-specific than Reading First) and presents more information on exactly why the district turned the money down.

I have no interest in resurrecting curriculum wars in MMSD, but thought the data on what Madison is seeing as a result of its strategies and how the district listened to their own reading teachers and specialists in deciding to proceed with their approach is worth reading.

Beth Swedeen

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by | March 9, 2007 · 2:55 am

Why this year is different for state public school funding

Many people in Madison continue to say that the district and its leadership (including the Board of Education) are helpless in changing the revenue caps and the way public education is funded in Wisconsin. They point out that the revenue caps have been in place for 14 years and at least during in the last three budget cycles (since 2000), districts have been screaming for help. I’m not a political insider, but here’s at least some reasons that this year (and definitely the budget cycle in 2009) is significantly different:

— A Democratic governor just won re-election but a significant margin (some could call this a mandate)
— The powerful Joint Finance Committee (for the first time I can remember) is comprised equally of Dems and Republicans (in the last budget cycle just 4 of the 16 members were Dems)
— For the first time I can remember, 2 of the 16 are from Madison. For years, there was no Madison representation on Joint Finance.
— This is the first budget cycle in which school districts are publicly saying that if referenda don’t pass, they will have to close (Florence last year; Markesan this past fall; and now Wisconsin Heights, which actually did NOT pass its referendum). Luther Olsen, who represents the Markesan area, is on Joint Finance. HE HAS HEARD AN EARFUL on revenue caps from his mostly-very-conservative constituents.
— Each year, state and federal percentages of overall school funding have decreased to the point that even “wealthy” suburban schools are in peril.

Other people who are more in-the-know on state politics care to comment?

Beth Swedeen

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by | March 8, 2007 · 9:12 pm

Beth Moss discusses the district’s budget dilemma

School Board candidate Beth Moss appeared on WORT this morning to discuss the difficult budgeting issues facing the district due to the state’s QEO/Budget Cap squeeze. Tony Castañeda was the interviewer and you can hear it here.

Robert Godfrey

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by | March 8, 2007 · 6:29 pm

Contact Info for Joint Finance Committee Members

SENATE

Co-Chair, Senator Russell Decker (D-29)

323 South, State Capitol
Madison, WI 53707-7882
Phone: (608) 266-2502
Fax: (608) 267-9027
E-mail: Sen.Decker@legis.state.wi.us
Hometown: Schofield
Counties: Marathon, Price, Rusk, Taylor, Portage, Sawyer, Shawano

Vice-Chair, Senator David Hansen (D-30)
319 South, State Capitol
Madison, WI 53707-7882
Phone: (608) 266-5670
Fax: (608) 267-6791
E-mail: Sen.Hansen@legis.state.wi.us
Hometown: Green Bay
Counties: Brown, Marinette, Oconto, Shawano

Senator Robert Jauch (D-25)
130 South, State Capitol
Madison, WI 53707-7882
Phone: (608) 266-3510
Fax: (608) 266-3580
E-mail: Sen.Jauch@legis.state.wi.us
Hometown: Poplar
Counties: Ashland, Bayfield, Barron, Burnett, Douglas, Iron, Sawyer, Washburn

Senator John Lehman (D-21)
303 West, State Capitol
Madison, WI 53707-7882
Phone: (608) 266-1832
Fax: (608) 267-6793
E-mail: Sen.Lehman@legis.state.wi.us
Hometown: Racine
County: Racine

Senator Mark Miller (D-16)
106 South, State Capitol
Madison, WI 53707-7882
Phone: (608) 266-9170
Fax: (608) 266-5087
E-mail: Sen.Miller@legis.state.wi.us
Hometown: Monona
Counties: Dane, Columbia, Sauk

Senator Lena Taylor (D-4)
3 South, State Capitol
Madison, WI 53707-7882
Phone: (608) 266-5810
Fax: (608) 267-2353
E-mail: Sen.Taylor@legis.state.wi.us
Hometown: Milwaukee
County: Milwaukee

Senator Alberta Darling (R-8)
317 East, State Capitol
Madison, WI 53707-7882
Phone: (608) 266-5830
Fax: (608) 267-0588
E-mail: Sen.Darling@legis.state.wi.us
Hometown: River Hills
Counties: Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington, Waukesha

Senator Luther Olsen (R-14)
9 West, State Capitol
Madison, WI 53707-7882
Phone: (608) 266-8077
Fax: (608) 282-3641
Email: Sen.Olsen@legis.state.wi.us
Hometown: Ripon
Counties: Mostly: Green Lake, Marquette, Waupaca, Waushara, Also: Adams, Columbia, Fond du Lac, Outagamie, Sauk, Shawano

Assembly
Co-Chair, Representative Kitty Rhoades (R-30)
321 East, State Capitol
Madison, WI 53708-8953
Phone: (608) 266-1526
Fax: (608) 282-3630
E-mail: Rep.Rhoades@legis.state.wi.us
Hometown: Hudson
Counties: Pierce, St. Croix

Vice Chair, Representative Dan Meyer (R-34)
306 East, State Capitol
Madison, WI 53708-8953
Phone: (608) 266-7141
Fax: (608) 282-3634
E-mail: Rep.Meyer@legis.state.wi.us
Hometown: Eagle River
Counties: Oneida, Vilas

Representative Steve Kestell (R-27)
17 West, State Capitol
Madison, WI 53708-8952
Phone: (608) 266-8530
Fax: (608) 282-3627
E-mail: Rep.Kestell@legis.state.wi.us
Hometown: Elkhart Lake
County: Calumet, Sheboygan, Manitowoc

Representative Jeff Stone (R-82)
320 East, State Capitol
Madison, WI 53708-8953
Phone: (608) 266-8590
Fax: (608) 282-3682
E-mail: Rep.Stone@legis.state.wi.us
Hometown: Greenfield
County: Milwaukee

Representative Scott Suder (R-69)
21 North, State Capitol
Madison, WI 53708-8953
Phone: (608) 267-0280
Fax: (608) 282-3669
E-mail: Rep.Suder@legis.state.wi.us
Hometown: Abbotsford
Counties: Mostly: Clark, Marathon, Also: Chippewa, Eau Claire, Wood

Representative Robin Vos (R-63)
304 North, State Capitol
Madison, WI 53707-8953
Phone: (608) 266-9171
Fax: (608) 282-3663
E-mail: Rep.Vos@legis.state.wi.us
Hometown: Burlington
County: Racine

Representative Pedro Colon (D-8)
104 North, State Capitol
Madison, WI 53708-8952
Phone: (608) 267-7669
Fax: (608) 282-3608
E-mail: Rep.Colon@legis.state.wi.us
Hometown: Milwaukee
County: Milwaukee

Representative Mark Pocan (D-78)
322 West, State Capitol
Madison, WI 53708-8953
Phone: (608) 266-8570
Fax: (608) 282-3678
E-mail: Rep.Pocan@legis.state.wi.us
Hometown: Madison
County: Dane

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by | March 8, 2007 · 6:19 pm

Testify on School Funding!

Please consider testifying or submitting written testimony at the series of upcoming Joint Finance Committee hearings. The 16-member bi-partisan Joint Finance Committee (Madison legislators Mark Miller and Mark Pocan are members) is the primary legislative committee responsible for appropriations and expenditures. They are the ones who take the Governor’s budget and make changes, then submit it to the Legislature.

Scheduled hearings are:

* Tuesday, March 20, 2007 from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm at the UW-Milwaukee
Student Union,Wisconsin Room, 2200 E. Kenwood Blvd., Milwaukee.
* Wednesday, March 21, 2007 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Arlington
Agricultural Research Station Public Events Facility, N695 Hopkins Rd.,
Arlington.
* Tuesday, March 27, 2007 from Noon to 5:00 pm at the Chippewa Falls
County Courthouse, Assembly Room, 711 N. Bridge St., Chippewa Falls.
* Wednesday, April 4, 2007 from Noon to 5:00 pm at the Prairie du Chien
High School Auditorium, 800 E. Crawford St., Prairie du Chien.
* Wednesday, April 11, 2007 from Noon to 5:00 pm at the Nicolet College
Learning Resource Center Theatre, 5634 College Dr., Rhinelander.
* Thursday, April 12, 2007 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at the National
Railroad Museum Lenfestey Center, 2285 South Broadway, Green Bay.

Tips for testifying:

 Don’t just talk about problems: say what you want. In this situation, that the Legislature keep its promise of two-thirds funding for public education in Wisconsin.
 Arrive 15-20 minutes early if you can to register.
 If you bring your children, alert staff. They MIGHT bump you up in line.
 Prepare to wait several hours or more to testify. This is NOT a fair process: oftentimes lobbyists and “friends” of legislators get to go first.
 Bring enough copies of your testimony to give to each member and leave with staff.
 Make eye contact, smile and try to converse, rather than just reading.
 Tell at least one personal story (short) about how school funding shortages have impacted your children or better yet, your community.
 Keep testimony to a single type-written page (about 3 minutes: they’ll cut you off).
 If you can’t stay to testify, leave a copy of your comments with your name, address and phone with staff there.
 Consider registering as a panel (that way you all get to come up together and testify).
 Try to get other schools and families across the state to testify. Efforts are most effective when the legislators hear from people at EVERY SINGLE HEARING.

If you can’t get to a hearing, send testimony to Joint Finance Members:

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by | March 8, 2007 · 2:16 am

MMSD BOE School Finance Advocacy Session

From Arlene Silveira, Communications Committee Chair

TJM

All – the Communications Committee of the BOE is holding an informational/advocacy meeting on March 29. Details are attached.

This is the first in a series for meetings. The next meeting will focus on advocacy efforts for the state funding system.

All are welcome to attend, actively participate and ADVOCATE!

Arlene Silveira

“Thursday, March 29, at 6:30 p.m. in the McDaniels Auditorium of the Doyle Administration Building. The meeting will provide you with information about the budget and advocacy “talking points” to contact legislators and gain support for some of the budget’s provisions.”

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by | March 8, 2007 · 1:52 am

We Are Not Alone #3

Actually on this one we are kind of alone. I don’t believe our PTOs have ever engaged in this sort of advocacy. I do know that on the state issues one of the most difficult constituencies for WAES to mobilize has been the PTOs.

TJM

From Horicon:

Members in attendance at Tuesday night’s meeting of the Horicon Parent Teacher Organization volunteered to call electors of the Horicon School District urging them to go to the polls on Tuesday, April 3.

District electors will be asked at that time to approve or reject a referendum asking that “the school district budget be permitted to exceed the revenue limit by up to $400,000 for the 2007-2008 school year, and $350,000 for each school year from 2008 to 2012. Funds will be used for upgrading aging technology hardware and software, maintaining instructional programs, maintaining facilities, providing secure buildings, and meeting the operating expense requirements incurred when properly operating the educational facilities of the district. The purpose of this resolution is non-recurring as it will only be authorized for five years.”

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Filed under AMPS, Local News, Referenda, School Finance, We Are Not Alone

by | March 7, 2007 · 11:15 am

What EXACTLY has MMSD had to cut since enactment of State Revenue Caps in 1993?

Is there a list you may wonder. Yes, a list exists–a LONG one! MMSD’s budget cuts have been documented since 1993.
See this list here…

Janet Morrow

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