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WKOW-TV: The Monona Grove School District referendum is just five days away, and the tension has just gotten thicker. The issue has split the community, and now it has Monona’s Mayor and the School Board divided. Both sides issued statements today and exchanged some heated words. The Board accused the Mayor and Council of meddling […]
Arlene Silveira and other Leopold referendum supporters addressed the MMSD Board of Education a few days after the failed referendum. I posted my reactions on June 6, 2005: Leopold school supporters packed room 103 of the Doyle Building to speak at a meeting of the Long Range Planning Committee on Monday evening, June 6. Arlene […]
WKOW-TV: Pulfus cites the speedy payoff of the high school as one example of a way the District has worked to keep costs down for taxpayers. He also says the district attracts 140 students each year from surrounding districts under the school choice program, showing they have quality programs and education. “If parents didn’t believe […]
A note from Superintendent Art Rainwater to the Madison Board of Education on 2006 Referendum scheduling: At Carol’s request we have prepared an analysis of the possible dates to seek referendum approval for one or more new facilities. The analysis includes our view of the positives and negatives of three dates: April 06, June 06 […]
Channel3000: A resolution for a referendum will go before the Madison school board Monday night. The West-Memorial Task Force has recommended an addition to Leopold and to build a new school on the far west side of the city. The Long Range Planning Committee chairman said there’s not enough time to build a campaign for […]
WKOW-TV: The Madison Metropolitan School District is hoping to address issues of overcrowding and future growth. One school board memember says Monday the board will decide whether to once again bring their concerns to the public in a referendum. The issues on that potential refereundum could include a new elementary school on the Linden Park […]
Channel3000: The Monona Grove School Board set a referendum date of April 4 to ask voters to spend $28 million on a new school and renovations.
Barry Adams: The Monona Grove School Board looked Monday at more than the bottom line when it considered a spring building referendum. Besides keeping the price tag under $30 million, it also made sure it offered something for both Cottage Grove and Monona. Under the plan, Cottage Grove would get a $23.2 million middle school […]
By Susan Troller, The Capital Times, January 31, 2006 Madison voters may be looking at another referendum on school building this spring to address overcrowding issues, but the School Board appears split in its support of taking the issue to the voters. School Board President Carol Carstensen has recommended that the administration prepare language that […]
To some Colorado residents, Referendum C is the best chance to spare the state’s schools from deep budget cuts. To others, the ballot measure—which will go before voters Nov. 1—represents a steep tax increase and gives lawmakers too much power over how state revenues are spent. Referendum C is a proposed five-year suspension of Colorado’s […]
Cristina Daglas: The Madison School Board flirted Monday night with the idea of holding another referendum to seek funding for a second school on the Leopold Elementary grounds, but then backed away from it for now. The board’s Long Range Planning Committee met with parents from Leopold at the school and heard their pleas for […]
Reader Rebecca Stockwell emailed this link to a PDF document published by the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns (Westchester County, NY) after a renovation & expansion referendum failed. The newsletter begins: The referendum was to finance a major school facilities renovation and expansion project. The proposal, which was the result of more than two years […]
Joan Knoebel offered her thoughts on how to win support for the operating referendum, and I whole-heartedly second them. On the Leopold referendum, I’d ask the board and supporters to do two things: 1) Lay out three or four alternative locations and configurations for a new Westside school, draw possible boundaries, develop cost projections, and […]
The County Clerk web site has referendum results, by ward, for people who are interested: http://www.co.dane.wi.us/coclerk/elect2005c.html
The Capital Times has posted consolidated links to its referendum coverage, editorials, and forum responses to editorials on the May 24 questions. The URL is: http://www.madison.com/tct/news/stories/index.php?ntid=40948
I oppose the Leopold School referendum. I oppose it not because I’m a Republican (I’m not), not because I’m a Democrat (I’m not, though the Mayor would have you believe that that would constitute an oxymoron — a sad commentary on what it means to be a Democrat, seems to me), but because opposing the […]
7MB MP3 audio file from their WTDY appearance. (last 20 minutes only – sorry). Bill Keys is a former teacher and current member of the Madison Board of Education. Thuy Pham-Remmele is a retired Madison schools teacher.
Quicktime Video 25MB MP3 Audio 4.8MB Kirby Brant is President of local PAC Get Real (he’s also a former Watertown School Board member and was a candidate for the Madison School Board in 2002). Brant gives his views on: the Madison School District’s budget process The May Referendums Madison’s per student spending vis a vis […]
Joe Wineke, Don Severson & Mitch Henck discuss the upcoming Madison School Referendums, administrative consolidation and the budget in this 40 minute mp3 file (via 1310)
Back in October, I testified at a meeting of the Long Range Planning Committee. I asked the committee “to do only three simple things.” To my knowledge, the Board and Long Range Planning Committee have not done them, so I’m going to vote against the referendum on Leopold. If the Board has done what I […]
Timing is everything. Timing is the reason that I believe a one-year operating referendum has a better chance of passage than a two or three year referendum. Since being elected to the Madison school board last year, it has been very clear to me that many people in our community are educated in school board […]
Angela Bettis: It�s official, Madison homeowners will be asked to vote on three school referenda in late May. School Board President Bill Keys said, �This community is at a crossroads. This will determine what type of schools we want.� But one man opposed to the referenda thinks Madison residents can keep good schools if the […]
I received this message from Brian Grau, a teacher from LaFollette who recently visited his hometown of Racine, who like Madison is going to referendum. Enjoy! The Journal Times, Racine, WI, 3/24/05 Referendum means it’s time for finger pointing By Jeff Ruggaber Hey Racine! It’s that time again. Time to complain about money spent on […]
Lee Sensenbrenner on the 119M in planned May 24 referendums: If the voters approve a referendum May 24 to prevent classroom and extracurricular cuts for three years, along with two other referendums to ensure adequate maintenance for five years and to expand Leopold Elementary School on the south side, the five-year property tax impact of […]
On March 28, the Madison School Board will vote to place three referendums on the ballot in a special election on May 24. The total bill for the referendums will be $85.1M if the operating budget referendum is for three years, as proposed by Finance Chair Carol Carstensen.
I realize that many people in this community arent happy about the recent decision made by the Madison School Board to go to referendum for the operational budget shortfall. This will indeed raise property taxes. I am more than sympathetic to senior citizens (or others) on fixed incomes and how this decision affects them. I […]
Lee Sensenbrenner summarizes last night’s Madison School Board meeting where the board approved going forward with the third of three planned May referendums.
Overseeing the building of a new school on the Leopold site is one of the responsibilities of the Long Range Planning committee, of which I am a member. On this committee, board and citizen members have voted to ask the public via referendum to build a school on the Leopold grounds. This has been part […]
These video clips were taken from the March 1, 2005 Long Range Planning Meeting on the proposed Leopold Referendum (arranged in discussion length order): Mary Kay Battaglia 48.8MB Beth Zurbachen 47.3MB Arlene Silveira 23.5MB Tony Dassler 23.4MB Lori Rinehart 10.6MB Mira Capella 6.2MB Janet Morrow 6MB Judy Olson 5.7MB Chris Hammer 5.4MB Kris Kolar 4.9MB […]
Lee Sensenbrenner chats with current Madison School Board Members on the upcoming referendums.
Watch a recent Madison School Board Maintenance Referendum Hearing (video). Don Severson, Roger Price, Art Rainwater and others discuss the planned maintenance referendum.
On Monday, February 21, the Long Range Planning Committee of the Madison School Board will hear the administration�s explanation of five options for reducing overcrowding at Leopold School and providing seats for students from new housing developments on the west and southwest side of the district. Last Monday, after I asked the administration to withdraw […]
Fox 47/WKOW 27 broadcast a report on the Madison Schools planned maintenance referendum Tuesday night [3.9MB Quicktime Video] The story included an interview with Superintendent Art Rainwater and ACE’s Don Severson. Lee Sensenbrenner has more here and here. UPDATE: Aubre Andrus has more on the recent board meeting.
Don Severson forwarded a pdf [67K] of ACE‘s presentation to the Madison School District’s Board of Education on the proposed maintenance referendum. Don also forwarded ACE’s suggestions for the Board of Education’s strategy. [97K PDF]
The Madison School Board’s Long Range Planning Committee is holding a public hearing on the proposed maintenance referendum (one of potentially 3 referendums this spring) Wednesday night, January 19, 2005 @ 6:00p.m. at the Doyle Administration Building, McDaniels Auditorium. I’ve emailed the MMSD TV folks to see if they are broadcasting this event, but have […]
MP3 audio file (22 minutes, 3.8MB) of Ruth Robarts & Don Severson’s recent appearance on local AM radio station wiba.
On October 11, the administration will recommend to the Long Range Planning Committee of the Madison School Board that the district go to referendum on April 5, 2005 seeking funds for construction of a second elementary school building on the grounds of Leopold Elementary School. The new school would house kindergarten through second grade and […]
On September 13, the administration for the Madison Metropolitan School District advised the Long Range Planning Committee of the Board of Education that the district needs $27M for maintenance projects between 2005 and 2010. A referendum would be necessary to raise this amount, because the administration is seeking a total of $46M for maintenance over […]
Lee Sensenbrenner writes about Madison Schools Superintendent Art Rainwater’s recent comments regarding three possible 2005 referendums: “Facing growing subdivisions on the city’s edges, the expiration of a maintenance fund, and state laws that annually force cuts, the Madison School Board may be looking at three referendums next year.” State laws do not directly “force cuts”. […]
Gavin Escott The budget represents an increase of $51.8 million over the previous year and comes after the 2024 operating referendum created a “financial foundation for the future,” Superintendent Joe Gothard said in a letter. The district intends to spend $566.2 million on operations from revenues of $557.4 million, a 3.79% and 5.94% increase, respectively. […]
Chris Gomez-Schmidt (former Madison School Board member) A recent Wisconsin Policy Forum report projects a 20% increase in school property taxes this December, a $883 increase on the average home, driven by the two 2024 referendums and declining state aid. For a city that prides itself on deliberate work to address affordability, this tax increase […]
Kayla Huynh: Even with additional funding from the referendum, the Madison school district will also rely on $22.4 million in one-time funds this year to balance its budget. Undernext year’s proposed budget, the school district would spend $9.5 million more than it receives in revenue, according to the Wisconsin Policy Forum, a nonpartisan, indendent research group […]
Kimberly Wethal: The proposal likely represented the biggest increase for any agency’s budget in the two-year budget, said Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam. “The budget has to be right-sized to what’s affordable,” Born said. “It is a priority, but you have to be able to afford it, and it has to be reasonable.” Critics say […]
Dave Cieslewicz: But the district is not holding itself accountable where it matters: student performance. For whatever reason, Madison taxpayers have never demanded that the school board set goals for the results of all that investment. Last November voters overwhelmingly approved two referendums, totaling $607 million, the largest increase in MMSD history. And they did […]
Chris Rickert: About $478 million, or 20.2% more than last year. It’s a percentage increase that “is more than twice as large as the previous record for the district in our data going back to 1994,” according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Wisconsin Policy Forum. The increase is being driven by several factors, according […]
Tim Sullivan After a failed referendum in April, there was no question that the Watertown Unified School District would have to reduce its number of buildings. Indeed, even before the $7 million recurring operating referendum failed, it was expected that at least one elementary school building would close. Tuesday evening, a special meeting saw architecture […]
Kayla Huynh: Last year, during the Madison Metropolitan School District’s campaign for two referendums, the district estimated property taxes would increase by about $1,000 for the average homeowner. Voters in November approved the combined $607 million in school referendums, hiking property taxes to fund school building upgrades and day-to-day operating costs. Approval of the $100 […]
Quinton Klabon: WHY are school districts going to REFERENDUM? DPI just revealed a huge part of the explanation.Since 2020, schools added 2,140.79 staff!Unfortunately, —— Additionally, districts actually –added– staff in the years after Act 10. ——- “An emphasis on adult employment”
AJ Bayatpour Waukesha is the latest school district dealing with Wisconsin’s demographic problem. Declining birthrates are fueling declining enrollments. Administrators are presenting their plan to reduce the buildings footprint here by up to 15%. With 23 schools, that could be 2-3 closures ——- Meanwhile, Madison is expanding buildings and taxes amidst declining enrollment.
WILL: The News: The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) has issued a warning to the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and its Superintendent, Jill Underly, to comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, or potentially lose federal funding. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has set a deadline for Thursday, April […]
Tim Daly —— Meanwhile Madison is adding bricks and mortar (and raising property taxes) amidst declining enrollment..
Karen Pilarski: Declining enrollment is nothing new to many school districts, including the School District of Waukesha. Due to this, the district is considering what the future will look like and making decisions accordingly. During the Finance and Facilities meeting on Monday, Superintendent Jim Sebert made a presentation called “Optimizing Our Future.” Sebert said due […]
Dave Cieslewicz: Some of my liberal friends have expressed their unhappiness over my endorsement of Brittany Kinser for State Superintendent of Public Instruction. So, let me expand on my reasons. When I was at the city of Madison and there was a managerial opening I always first thought about how that department was functioning. If […]
Danielle DuClos: Ratzlaff: Property tax relief. With the median home value in Dane County at $304,700, the typical annual property tax bill reaches $7,324 — far exceeding the national median of $2,690. There is no way that this can or will sustain itself. Plus, you add in the two referendums that the city of Madison has passed and […]
Lucas Robinson: At last Monday’s School Board meeting, Madison Teachers Inc. President Michael Jones called the referendums a “bait and switch.” “I should have known better than to trust a district that spent the equivalent of multiple educators’ annual salary on school logos and rebranding that no one asked for,” Jones told the board, referring […]
Lucas Robinson: “This is a major screwup, one that is both politically damaging and legally troubling for Madison’s City Clerk’s Office,” Amato said in an email, noting that the office already is embroiled in investigations and a lawsuit over uncounted ballots in the 2024 election. “It raises even more red flags about growing incompetence and mismanagement,” […]
Rory Linnane: While a referendum approved by voters last year helped the district close budget gaps and extend cost-of-living raises to staff, MPS still made cuts, citing inflation and the end of federal pandemic relief funds. Staff have said these cuts, including the loss of over 100 teacher coaches, left a harder workload for those remaining. […]
Abbey Machtig Gothard’s starting salary is $299,000, according to his contract with the district. He also gets at least a 2% pay increase each year of the contract, along with $25,000 each year in retirement contributions to a 403(b) account. As superintendent, Gothard will lead the district through the design and construction of 10 new school buildings […]
Danielle DuCloss “I work and reside in the community that everybody else does, and I think property taxes have increased at a rate that is unsustainable,” Ratzlaff said. “I just want to take a look and see if there’s anything we can do about that.” During his 2020 Assembly campaign, Ratzlaff said he supports municipal […]
Quinton Klabon Wisconsin predicts -69,053 fewer grade-school-age children (5 to 14) from 2020 to 2030, -9.4%. They predict -106,513 fewer from 2020 to 2050, -14.5%. The first 2 images are population loss by count. The second 2 are population loss by percentage. —— more. Madison’s 2024 tax & $pending increase referendum choose life
Alec Johnson: December is often seen as a month to celebrate the holidays and enjoy time with family and friends. On a less fun note, it is the month when people’s tax bills arrive. And if your taxes have gone up, it may make the holidays feel a little less cheery. In April, an MPS […]
Via my open records request: Debt schedule Standard & Poors Debt Rating September, 2024 “ai” summary: Madison Metropolitan School District – S&P Rating Summary (September 2024) Current Ratings SP-1+ rating on $50M Tax Revenue Anticipation Notes (due Sept 2025) AA+ rating on existing General Obligation debt Outlook: Stable Financial Strengths Stable operating performance with conservative […]
John Gittings: The Mauston School District, which officials say is likely to dissolve in two years without additional funding, is putting its third operating referendum in less than a year on the Feb. 18 spring primary ballot. During a special meeting earlier this month, the Mauston School Board unanimously voted to put a four-year, $7 […]
Kayla Huynh: “What sets me apart is being able to analyze data and derive meaningful conclusions from it. That is what I do day in and day out in my profession,” Wagner said. “We need a better framework for reviewing policy and programming so that we can be confident that the things we will need […]
kendall Keys: Palmer’s property taxes rose 30.5% from last year’s $3,600 bill. “Right now, it’s just here’s this gap, you know, deal with it,” Palmer said. He owes the city more than $1,100 to make up for what his escrow didn’t cover. “I’m lucky in that I have the money I can cover this with. […]
Wisconsin public policy, forum: The rise in gross levies this year is driven primarily by increases to K-12 property taxes — the largest local property tax most residents will pay. The $325 increase to per pupil revenue limits in the current state budget is one factor, but so was the willingness of many referendum voters […]
Kaylah Huynh: State Superintendent Jill Underly wants to put the responsibility of funding schools back on the state, she recently told the Cap Times in an interview. Underly, who leads the state Department of Public Instruction, is proposing over $4 billion in spending toward schools for the 2025-2027 state budget. The plans would reimburse 90% […]
Dave Cieslewicz To quote a Wisconsin State Journal story on test scores that were released yesterday: “The four specific categories used to calculate the district’s overall achievement score all declined in comparison with last year’s school report card. Graduate rates fell slightly, while chronic absenteeism, or the percentage of students that miss at least 10% of school, […]
Sami West As Seattle Public Schools faces continued public backlash over proposed school closures, a group of parents is attempting to recall board President Liza Rankin. In court documents filed with King County, the group argues Rankin adopted a “rushed and improper” school closure process and repeatedly failed to “provide transparency and community engagement on […]
Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner The state’s recently projected $23 billion in deficits over the next five years should come as a big surprise for Illinoisans given how well the Pritzker administration says it has managed the state’s finances in recent years. Illinois has “balanced its budgets,” “paid down its unpaid bills,” and “created a rainy day fund,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker has […]
Kyle Koenen: Jill Underly’s proposed DPI budget would eat up 65% of the state’s budget surplus, all while allowing property taxes to continue to go up. We fund students at approximately $20k per student on average. When is it enough? Abbey Machtig: State Superintendent Jill Underly is proposing more than $4 billion in new spending […]
Lucas Robinson: Residents and property owners will have to pay a monthly “infrastructure special charge” by 2027 to help the city continue balancing its budget if more financial support from the state Legislature doesn’t materialize in budget talks next year. Even with the referendum’s success, the city is counting on the untested charge to bring […]
PDF summary No copying!! Much more on Madison’s K-12 budget, here.
Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner: On Tuesday’s Nov. 5 ballot there’s a nonbinding referendum that asks voters if they want the state to tax millionaires a 3% surcharge on the money they make over and above $1 million. In exchange for agreeing to target millionaires, Illinois voters can expect property tax relief, the referendum reads, though the […]
David Blaska Summary: For the fourth straight year I voted NO on the Dane County Budget. For 2025 the county budget: Raises county property taxes by over $2.7 million. While this might not seem like a lot compared to a nearly billion-dollar total budget, it continues moving Dane County’s tax burden in the wrong direction. We already pay more property […]
Anjney Midha: One the saddest realizations for me when we were scaling the @midjourney server at @discord in ‘22 was seeing millions of US gen z kids struggle to prompt They literally don’t have the words. Broken english. Pidgin lingo. Translating thought to language is insanely hard for them Notes and links on the Fall $600,000,000+ […]
JD Busch: According to Chicago Contrarian, a property currently paying $25,000 in annual property tax (common for properties worth $750K-$1.25MM) will fork over an additional $4,685 annually based on the proposed 18.75% tax hike. And while the real estate market hasn’t yet processed this latest curveball (it’ll take a few months for closed transactions to reveal […]
Corinne Hess: “The Governor and DPI will very likely show that the Governor validly partially vetoed Act 100 and that DPI is entitled to the $50 million in disputed literacy funding,” Kaul wrote to the Supreme Court. “Both issues are destined for this Court, and leaving them to the ordinary appellate process would significantly harm […]
Jonathan Chait: Notes and links on the Fall $600,000,000+ 2024 referendum, here. Madison taxpayers have long supported far above average K – 12 spending. The data clearly indicate that being able to read is not a requirement for graduation at (Madison) East, especially if you are black or Hispanic” My Question to Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers on Teacher Mulligans and our Disastrous […]
AJ Manaseer: Notes and links on the Fall $600,000,000+ 2024 referendum, here. Madison taxpayers have long supported far above average K – 12 spending. The data clearly indicate that being able to read is not a requirement for graduation at (Madison) East, especially if you are black or Hispanic” My Question to Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers on Teacher Mulligans and our Disastrous […]
Kayla Huynh: Nearly 95,000 people in Dane County received Social Security payments in 2022. In January this year, the estimated average monthly Social Security check was about $1,900. The annual property tax bill on the average Madison home costs over $7,000 for city- and school-related taxes, according to city and school district estimates. In a few years, depending […]
Dan Lennington: Sun Prairie School District has a whopping 42% of all employees assigned as “administrative.” In their defense, they told parents basically, “we’re not as bad as other Dane County schools.” Ugh. Learn how bloated your district is at will-law.org/school-scoreca… @WILawLiberty Madison’s well funded k-12 system and city government are seeking substantial 607M+ tax […]
Wall Street Silver Final numbers for fiscal year 2024 Total US govt revenue = $4.918 trillionInterest on natl debt = $1.133 trillion23% of all govt revenue went to interest on the debt. 2025 fiscal year started Oct 1st, we are on pace for 30% of all govt revenue going to interest payments. America: Half a […]
Dave Cieslewicz: This morning it’s grades. They’re getting rid of them. No more letters, only “advanced,” “proficient,” “developing,” and “emerging.” Only four categories — apparently no one will fail. Actually, this is nothing new. MMSD has had this system for elementary and middle schoolers for a while and it was being “piloted” (read: phased in) at East […]
Will Flanders: Madison Percent teaching staff: 50.61% Madison’s well funded k-12 system and city government are seeking substantial 607M+ tax and spending increases via referendum this fall. Madison taxpayers of long supported far above average K – 12 spending. The data clearly indicate that being able to read is not a requirement for graduation at (Madison) East, especially if you […]
Deanna Pan and Emma Platoff On one side are Congressional Democrats, including Senator Elizabeth Warren, who is up for reelection this November and supports Question 2, the teachers union-backed measure to repeal the state mandate requiring students to pass their 10th grade MCAS exams. Democratic Governor Maura Healey sits squarely in opposition — along with Lieutenant Governor […]
Abbey Machtig: Schaefer said launching the pilot program is part of a yearslong effort to have all Madison schools use a consistent grading system. Elementary and middle schools have been using standards-based grading for several years. Madison’s well funded k-12 system and city government are seeking substantial 607M+ tax and spending increases via referendum this fall. […]
Abbey Machtig: This school year, the district will get about $61.3 million from the state, according to DPI’s final calculations. Last school year, Madison schools received about $37.9 million. Any increase in state aid typically lessens the burden on local property taxpayers. In Wisconsin’s complex school finance system, the two factors are directly related: When […]
Notes and links on the Foundation for Madison Public Schools. Madison’s well funded k-12 system and city government are seeking substantial 607M+ tax and spending increases via referendum this fall. Madison taxpayers of long supported far above average K – 12 spending. The data clearly indicate that being able to read is not a requirement for graduation at (Madison) East, […]
Will Flanders: A typical Wisconsin school district now gets more than $17,900 per student. In a class of 20 kids, that’s $358,000 of taxpayer money. If a district can’t “keep the lights on” for that, it’s more than just MPS who’s cooking the books. More. Scott Manley: We spend more per kid than the tuition […]
Kayla Huynh Less is clear with the district’s plans for the $100 million referendum, which would fund day-to-day operating costs, such as salaries and programs. Approving this referendum alone would hike property taxes on the average home by over $300 in the first year, the district estimates. By 2028, the operations referendum would permanently raise the […]
Dave Cieslewicz And the racial achievement gap in Madison was far worse than the rest of the state. Statewide the gaps were 43% for English and 50% for math. About 60% of white students were proficient in English compared to 17% of Black students. About 64% of white students were proficient or better in math […]
David Wakelyn: A lot of California policymakers journeyed to Finland to see what was in their special sauce when they scored well on PISA a few years ago. Mississippi’s growth has been more durable. We have a lot to learn if we bring an open mind. Madison’s well funded k-12 system and city government are […]
r/teachers: What’s mind-boggling is that students DON’T EVEN TRY. At this, I also don’t care– I don’t get paid that great– but it still saddens me. Students used to be determined and the standard of learning used to be much higher. I’m sorry if you were punished for keeping your standards high. None of this […]
Matthew Wielicki: The first step in fixing our public schools… is getting rid of the administrative class. “so the point is it was an existence proof, that there’s this entire universe of alternative cost structures that is out there” Madison’s well funded k-12 system and city government are seeking substantial 607M+ tax and spending increases […]
Nadia Scharf: The Unified School District of De Pere is under investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction after board member Melissa Niffenegger accused the district’s reading curriculum and its director of curriculum and instruction, Kathy Van Pay, of violating Wisconsin law. “That is retaliation. You are retaliating against the board for disagreeing with […]
John Johnson: It is galling to hear a politician justify deliberately making test scores incomparable to previous years as a way to reduce “confusion.” More: Questions we will asking: Why changes were made? Why move to lower standards ? (Even @GovEvers disagrees with this) Why make it impossible to track data from previous years? And […]
David Blaska: The canary in the coal mine has already died when a city’s schools are in decay. So we must double down on school choice, aided by vouchers that allow the state’s school district contribution to follow the student to the school of his/her family’s choice. Madison’s well funded k-12 system and city government […]
Will Flanders: Perhaps most egregious are the changes in districts where everyone knows that schools are failing kids. Milwaukee’s proficiency still looks low at 23.4% in ELA. But now they can tout that it’s gone up 8% in one year. Madison’s well funded k-12 system and city government are seeking substantial 607M+ tax and spending […]
Kayla Huynh: The raises require the school district to dip into its day-to-day operating budget, even though Solder warned the board “we do not have clearly sufficient ongoing revenues” to pay for the recurring expense. Madison’s well funded k-12 system and city government are seeking substantial 607M+ tax and spending increases via referendum this fall. Madison […]