Lots going for Madison schools as classes begin

Wisconsin State Journal:

Madison has plenty of challenges. That's for sure. Yet the district has a lot going for it, too, as students return to classes Tuesday.

Cheatham has embraced higher standards and will publish annual progress reports. She's a fan of using student data to measure for results and hold educators accountable.

Yet Cheatham also talks convincingly about supporting principals and teachers. She plans to focus intently on high-quality teaching practices, shared leadership and professional development. Teachers seem to appreciate her call for more consistent priorities and curriculum.

It's almost a back-to-basics approach, using research and results to inform strategies.

Unlike her predecessor, Cheatham hasn't proposed a long list of new spending initiatives. Money, of course, matters. Yet Madison already has lots of resources, and it does many things well. Cheatham wants to start with what's working and build from there.

"The really exciting news is we have all the ingredients to be successful," Cheatham said this summer.

That's good to hear.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at September 5, 2013 12:27 AM
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