She also highlighted the importance of having teachers know the cognitive process of how children learn to read to improve literacy outcomes.
When asked about school-based police officers, a divisive topic in the Madison School District, Vanden Wyngaard said she doesn’t have a problem with police being in schools but thinks they should only be involved if a felony-level crime is suspected.
She also spoke to giving teachers the ability to “fail forward” when they make mistakes, allowing them to learn and adjust.
To increase the number of teachers of color, Vanden Wyngaard said the district can try to recruit directly from historically black colleges, expand a district program that encourages minority students to become teachers and change the culture of the district to be more welcoming for teachers of color.
People can provide online feedback for each candidate until 8 a.m. Friday. For Vanden Wyngaard, the website is: mmsd.org/wyngaard.
More on Vanden Wyngaard
Certain events may be streamed (and archived), here.
Despite spending far more than most taxpayer supported K-12 school districts, Madison has long tolerated disastrous reading results.
Notes and links on previous Superintendent searches.
2013; 2019 Jennifer Cheatham and the Madison experience.