Local Politics: Zig and Zag with the Madison Studio School

Steven Elbow’s Tuesday article in The Capital Times on the proposed Madison Studio School included a rather tantalizing opening quote from organizer Nancy Donahue:

When Nancy Donahue began her effort for a charter school in Madison, she had no idea she would be wading into a world of politics.
“It’s a campaign,” said Donahue, who hopes to have her arts- and technology-oriented Studio School up and running next fall. “And before this I was very apolitical. But I’ve learned if you believe in something you do what you have to do.”

A couple of close observers of Madison’s political tea leaves emailed some additional context:

Former teacher and Progressive Dane education task force member Kristin Forde is a member of the Madison Studio School’s “core planning group”. In the past, Forde has participated in School Board candidate interviews and a Progressive Dane (PD) candidate Forum.
Madison School Board President Johnny Winston, Jr. has been and is supported by PD along with recently elected (in one of the closest local elections in memory – by 70 votes) board member Arlene Silveira.
PD reportedly requires any candidate they endorse to back all of their future candidates and initiatives. [ed: Shades of “with us or against us“. Evidently both Russ Feingold and Barack Obama have not read the memo.]

I find PD’s positions interesting. They recently strongly supported the Linden Park edge school [map] (opposed by a few locals who dislike the sprawl implications, though it handily passed in November, with 69% voting in favor). I do think Madison is behind the innovation curve with respect to online learning and possibly charters. Appleton has 12 charter schools, including an online school.
Background documents:

The timing and politics are a challenge, given the recently disclosed 7 year Madison School District structural deficit which will require larger than normal reductions in the 2007 / 2008 budget increases.
I have very fond memories of Madison’s Preschool of the Arts.
It will be interesting to see if the Studio School supporters endorse PD’s spring, 2007 candidates, which include Johnny Winston, Jr who is standing for re-election.

One thought on “Local Politics: Zig and Zag with the Madison Studio School”

  1. I’m on the fence with this Studio School. The constructivist mantra isn’t great for a lot of kids, but it works for some. The East attendance area has no charter schools, whereas every other area does. Now there is a huge deficit, yet folks want new programming. We can’t even pay for the old programming! We may lose a school or two on the east side before this is all over, yet folks are pushing for a charter school. It simply isn’t fiscally responsible to add a new charter school when we can’t support our current elementary schools….but the idea is intriguing and outside of the box, and it might give some hope to a new generation of east side kids if it gets placed in Emerson or Lowell. I would like the Board to consider this: Those of us who have paid taxes for years to MMSD might get no benefit from the Studio School, and actually see our own kids lose more services to provide for a charter school for families who might not have paid taxes to the MMSD for years…thin argument, but realistic sentiment on the northside!

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