20,537 results
Nanette Asimov: The California Performance Review team that drafted the efficiency plan is recommending a constitutional amendment to abolish all 58 county Boards of Education, the 53 elected county superintendents and the five who are appointed. School districts, with their school boards and superintendents, would remain intact. In place of the county offices of education […]
Sam Dillon writes in the NY Times: But there was an alternative – the city could shut them down on its own and create small, new, privately managed schools to replace them. And that, Mr. Martin wrote, would bring a crucial advantage: the new schools could operate outside the Chicago Teachers Union contract. It seemed […]
The Madison School District has more or less standardized many computers on Microsoft’s Windows operating system software. This approach, pitched as “sensible” because “that’s what most people use” ignores the explosive growth of other technology platforms such as: Linux; which, ironically, the MMSD uses to run its own web servers (likely because of the ongoing […]
Wisconsin DPI just released statewide third grade reading test results: DPI Superintendant Elizabeth Burmaster’s comments: (6 page pdf) Sarah Carr: Still, at the state level, educators need to work on closing a persistent achievement gap between students of different races and socioeconomic classes, said Joe Donovan, state Department of Public Instruction spokesman. This year, 64% […]
Ray Smith’s article on the growing property tax backlash is one of many excellent examples of why Ruth Robart’s ongoing efforts to create a more strategic & transparent Madison Schools budget process is vital. The district’s plans for 2005 referendums simply increases the urgency for a well thought out process – rather than throwing hot […]
“Whenever you have a reform that has been successful in some places and then it�s scaled up quickly, with a lot of people who only understand it superficially, there�s a lot of danger that some people will do it poorly and that the idea will go down in flames,” said Linda Darling-Hammond, a professor of education at Stanford University who is an expert in small-school design.
Every Thursday before the Monday meetings of the Madison School Board, a school district employee driving a district vehicle pulls up at each of the seven homes of the board members to deliver a packet of information for the upcoming meeting. Sometimes the vehicle is a van. Sometimes it’s a diesel truck.
“Charter Schools: A New Vision of Public Education in Wisconsin.” Date: July 7, 2004 (Wednesday morning) Time: 9:00 am to 11:30 am Site: Madison – Concourse Hotel (Capital Ballroom A – 2nd Floor) Concourse Hotel Purpose: Discuss the significance of the evolving charter schools sector as an institutional innovation within Wisconsin’s public education system. You […]
From Education Week an article by Catherine Gewertz New data from a survey of more than 500 school districts show the average salary of their superintendents has risen by more than 12 percent over the past decade in inflation-adjusted dollars, and that of their high school principals by more than 4 percent, while the average […]
There is overwhelming evidence that gifted students simply do not succeed on their own.
Two articles of interest appear in the issue of Isthmus dated June 15, 2004. A small article on page 6 says “Several Madison elementary schools, including Thoreau and Glenn Stephens, will begin teaching Singapore Math next year. The change comes amid concerns that the district’s preferred math program, TERC Investigations, which stresses self-guided problem solving, […]
With budgets expected to be tight for the foreseeable future, this means that cuts in other areas – like gifted and talented – are unavoidable, according to John Box, superintendent of the Mequon-Thiensville School District.
Under state law, all Wisconsin districts are required to identify gifted students and give them access to appropriate programs. Robinson and others worry that many districts are no longer complying with the law. Adding to the concerns is the fact that the state Department of Public Instruction has not had a consultant exclusively for gifted education since 1994.
According to the National Association for Gifted Children, Wisconsin is one of only eight states that do not have a state coordinator for gifted programming. It is one of 17 states that did not allocate any money for gifted programming in 2002.
Getting a DPI consultant is “critical,” Clinkenbeard said. Without enforcement from DPI, she said, there’s no way to know how many Wisconsin school districts actually are meeting legal requirements – but she estimates it could be as low as 25%.
According to Clinkenbeard, Wisconsin was recognized as a national leader in gifted education in the 1970s. Its reputation started to decline as teachers retired and weren’t replaced, she said.
“It’s hard to measure what you lose by not challenging them,” said Clinkenbeard, who calls investing in gifted education good for the economy, because it can slow down Wisconsin’s much-publicized brain drain.
Sue Grady, a DPI consultant whose assignment covers gifted and talented among other areas, says the lack of a consultant for gifted and talented does not reflect a lack of commitment. She is involved in plans to hold a summit on gifted education this fall.
Reductions in gifted programming present an equity issue, Robinson said. Affluent families still will be able to give their students enrichment by sending them to camps or special weekend programs. Gifted students from poor families will be able to get the help they need only if it is offered through the public school system, she said
Q: What is ?Fund 80?? A: A property tax that school districts may levy for ?community programs and services.? Unlike property tax levies for school operations, Fund 80 property taxes are subject to less restrictive revenue limits. Beginning in 1993, Wisconsin law has imposed limits on the increases in residential property taxes that school districts […]
On June 7, teachers, students, parents, and community representatives took the Madison Board of Education to task for its recent decision to eliminate the full-time district-level position of Fine Arts Coordinator. The same night, parents of children attending YMCA and After School, Inc. after-school programs at Midvale-Lincoln and Allis schools questioned the district?s unilateral imposition […]
Barb Schrank sent along this 1 page pdf file (37K) that covers the June 24, 2004 School Finance Reform Walkathon. For more info, see www.nocaps.org or contact MTI Staff Rep Doug Keillor (keillord@madisonteachers.org).
With the recent elimination of the Fine Arts Coordinator in the Madison public schools, music and art (arts) education in Madison�s public schools will continue to crumble and to fall apart but at a faster pace. That�s bad for our children�s education, but it�s also bad for the City�s economy. This letter to the editor […]
I’ve summarized my recent emails to and from MMSD Board of Education President Bill Keys below. I want to thank Bill for taking the time to respond to my notes. I’ll post any further messages and/or links.
RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING BENEFITS AND IMPORTANCE OF SCHOOL-BASED MUSIC EDUCATION PASSED BY US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PASSES MUSIC EDUCATION RESOLUTION On May 4, 2004 the United States House of Representatives approved a resolution supporting music education. We encourage you to send a letter to your congressperson thanking him or her for supporting […]
Tom Beebe writes: Wisconsin�s public school system is arguably the most important component of our high quality of life. It has historically been part of the �village� that raises intelligent, motivated, and successful participants in both public and economic life. The quality we have known for decades, however, is under siege. Unless we act soon […]
A great article including links to build a coalition in support of school finance reform. From the FightingBob website which is a great resource in and of itself for progressive news: http://www.fightingbob.com/article.cfm?articleID=219
The Madison School District owes strong support to its administrators, especially our building principals. Without the hard work and long hours of our administrators, we could not serve our children as well as we do. Nonetheless, in tough financial times, the School Board must not approve wage and benefit increases for administrators until it carefully […]
Salary and benefits comprise nearly 85% of the MMSD’s $308 million school budget. When you look at the approved 2004-2005 budget and compare salary and benefits to 2002-2003 expenditures for the same, you see that Instruction increased 1% while salary and benefits expenditures for Business Services increased 6% and for MSCR the increase was 18% […]
On Monday, May 17th, the MMSD School Board made less than $1 million in changes to Mr. Rainwater’s proposed $308 million budget for the 2004-2005 school year. These changes were made right after the Board approved more than $500,000 in salary and benefits increases to Administrators. The primary changes later made to the 2004-2005 budget […]
Don Severson sent this email over the weekend regarding Monday’s BOE meeting (5.17.2004) : Please join me (Don Severson) in a MMSD Board of Education watch Monday evening, May 17 at about 6:00 p.m. The agenda is copied below. The Board will start discussing amendments to the 04-05 budget proposed by Supt. Rainwater sometime by […]
At the May 13th MMSD Budget Hearing parents and community representatives spoke against the proposed elementary string fee, calling it outrageous and equivalent to cutting the program. “We are not a good-things-come-to-those-who pay town,” said parent Maureen Rickman, adding that the proposed fee would “cut out a big chunk of the students [in the middle […]
In an effort to find funding for custodians and maintenance work, a Madison Board member proposed an unprecedented $460 fee for elementary strings, which is an academic curriculum subject in the Madison School District. No other fee, not even for extracurricular sports is as high. He noted as part of his explanation for the fee […]
Like last year, the May budget discussions of the Madison School Board focus on a list of cuts that the superintendent recommends to balance the budget for next year. The proposed cuts represent about 3% of $308.7M budget for 2004-2005.
On Wednesday, May 5th, six of seven Madison School Board members turned in their budget amendments to the Superintendent’s proposed 04-05 MMSD School Budget. Along with their budget amendments, school board members handed in recommendation on how they would “fund” their recommended changes to the Superintendent’s proposed budget.
If the City of Madison is to have confidence in the School Board’s decisions, a fair and equitable budget process that is clear and understandable to the public is essential. In late April 2004, the District Administration responded to the Bill Keys’ question about the cost of the District’s elementary strings program. The following letter […]
In an article by Vikki Kratz in the Isthmus, published on May 7, 2004, the author wonders if the MMSD is tone deaf. “Bill Keys, president of the Madison Board of Education, recently asked for a budget analysis of the popular 4th and 5th grade strings program. … The move by Keys was the last […]
Fees help to pay for extracurricular, special school activities that are not required by state law but that are valuable to a child�s education. Fees for extracurricular, special activities need to be developed fairly and equitably across all activities. Introduction: Exponential increase in social service, special education, ESL expenses � unfunded mandates that hit the […]
by Ruth Robinson (President, Wisconsin Association for Talented and Gifted) and Susan Corwith (President, Wisconsin Center for Academically Talented Youth)
7:00p.m. Commodore Room @ the Radisson Hotel (Odana & Grand Canyon) Active Citizens for Education (ACE) is seeking grass roots input from interested parents, teachers and others regarding the current effectiveness and future direction of MMSD curriculum, instruction, programs, services, leadership and operations. ACE believes theinformation, experiences and suggestions from those people who are living […]
A new study of remedial programs for students with dyslexia shows “that more aggressive treatment can make dyslexic brains work the way normal brains do, activating a region that plays a vital role in reading fluency”.
A group of West High math teachers recently wrote a letter to the Editor of the Isthmus criticizing the direction of the MMSD’s math program.
2004 DIRECT INSTRUCTION TRAINING AND CONFERENCE August 9-10, 2004 Edgewood College Campus Madison, Wisconsin Direct Instruction Training for both Beginning and Advanced Sessions Specially Designed for Deaf/Hard of Hearing Teachers College Credit Available Great New Location KEYNOTE SPEAKER Sara Tarver, Ph.D., Professor, University of Wisconsin, Madison Issues and Debates about Direct Instruction FEATURED PRESENTER Terry […]
“The strings program has been very valuable to my son. It has built up his confidence, and the musical performances have really shown him how his hard work pays off. Strings are an asset to his education that benefits him beyond the musical arena.”