Superintendent Dan Nerad [1.5MB PDF]:
Providing four year old kindergarten (4K) may be the district’s next best tool to continue the trend of improving academic achievement for all students and continuing to close the achievement gap.
The quality of care and education that children receive in the early years of their lives is one of the most critical factors in their development. Empirical and anecdotal evidence clearly shows that nurturing environments with appropriate challenging activities have large and lasting effects on our children’s school success, ability to get along with others, and emotional health. Such evidence also indicates that inadequate early childhood care and education increases the danger that at-risk children will grow up with problem behaviors that can lead to later crime and violence.
Background/Charge On February 9, 2009, the Board of Education asked the Superintendent to reconvene staff, and community members to begin planning for a collaborative 4K program in the Madison Metropolitan School District. The committee was directed to develop recommendations and timelines to present to the BOE.
Process Membership is attached and was generated by the AFSCME Child Care Representatives with membership growing as the months proceeded. Kathy Hubbard began facilitation and Jim Moeser is currently facilitating the committee work. Throughout the months of meeting, membership and attendance has been constantly high with energy and enthusiasm the same. The matrix presented in this packet includes a brief overview of the five committees below.
Related:
- A late 1990’s analysis of Madison School District dropouts.
- Ongoing Madison School District Task Force Initiativs: Fine Arts, Math, “Talented & Gifted“.
Perhaps the District might implement these initiatives first – and evaluate their effectiveness prior to expanding the organization (and budget) for 4K.
I give priority to 4 year old student programs. Madison is reactionary, half of the school districts in the State have these programs which have been held in hostage by MTI who has been demanding union dues from the teachers of 4year olds in exchange for allowing the programs. We have long ago given up managements rights to administrate our schools.I feel we dont really listen to our teachers in these matters ,we have given too many decisions to MTI. We need to get the Union Boss farther away from the Boards decisions.
I agree with Mr. Rowe. The Equity Task Force recommended 4k as one of the best, if not the best, equalizers possible for the MMSD. The longer we wait to get 4k going, the longer the achievement gap stays static. We’ve closed the gap in some ways, but if we don’t get as many kids as possible on the same page and at a higher level when they enter formal education, the less effective all of these ancillary initiatives will be.