Transparency

The MMSD District must become transparent. It is unacceptable to not include our community in important decisions because we did not notify the community about those actions. We ask our taxpayers to fund our schools, yet we are not providing them with information in a timely matter. This must change.

One way to increase transparency is to provide frequent updates on topics to the community for input. Other ways to increase transparency include requiring public comment periods at all board workshops and special meetings. And require videotaping of all Board retreats as they are public meetings.  The best way to make MMSD more transparent is filling open records requests.  The districts refusal to follow the open records requirements as set out in State Statute is baffling. The law requires these records to be filled in as a timely matter. A six month or more wait for records is certainly stretching the meaning of reasonable time beyond recognition.    

School Lunches

Our children deserve healthy lunches that not only meet the federal nutrition requirements but also taste good. Fresh garden bars are a start but even better would be to have student and parental input for meal planning and a return to scratch cooking is a must. School Lunch menus need to be consistently available at least 2 weeks ahead of time online for parents. Changes to the menu need to be announced no less than a week ahead so parents and students can plan. Furthermore, MMSD must be equipped to handle children’s unique dietary needs, even those that are religiously based.

Equitable bus fares half of MMSD middle schools (primarily located on the West side) have switched to yellow buses while the East side middle schools still use the Metro (for pay) buses. If half the district’s middle schools have free bus passes, they all should have access to free bus passes. This is an equity issue not just an issue of convenience.

School Vouchers

I strongly oppose the expansion of voucher programs. Vouchers weaken public education by siphoning funds away from public schools to fund poorly regulated private schools. Furthermore, access to voucher programs often excludes students with disabilities. As someone who believes in a strong public education system with equal access for all students, I will strongly oppose any voucher program.

Charter Schools

I strongly oppose the expansion of non-instrumentality (non-school board run) charter schools, both public and private. The expansion of charter programs runs the risk of creating a two-tiered education system with limited accountability. Charter programs also often are not equipped to educate students with disabilities. Given these concerns, I believe that investment in our current public schools is preferable to the addition of more charter schools.

I believe that reducing the Achievement Gap should be the Madison Metropolitan School District’s top priority, and a compressive set of policies should be established. The first step in reducing the achievement gap must be a reduction in the number of suspensions and expulsions. I know that the more time students spend in class rather than detention, the more opportunities they will have to excel academically. Peer mentoring can also serve as an effective strategy, allowing younger students to learn from the experiences of successful older students. I will also actively work with community leaders to increase the number of internship opportunities available to students in our high schools. An internship can be a crucial vehicle to a student’s first job, and right now the opportunities available to Madison East and La Follette students lag those available to students at West and Memorial. Right now, our achievement gap is one of the worst in the nation, as a member of the Madison Metropolitan School Board I will actively work with parents and students to break the current cycle.

The Achievement Gap

Suspensions and expulsions need to be reduced across the Madison Metropolitan School District’s. To begin reducing suspensions and expulsions we need to amend the Behavior Education Plan to include clear goals. There is also enormous potential in expanding the restorative justice program, which is an effective alternative to more severe punishments. Ultimately, programs like these will decrease the cycle of punishment by engaging students in an open approach to problem solving.

Suspensions & Expulsions

The current behavior education plan isn’t effective. I believe the first step to fixing the Behavior Education Plan must be the addition of clear goals for students in a simple rubric form. The area in which the student needs to improve should be provided, with a clear explanation of the steps the individual student can take to improve. After a period of observation, students should be told if they have fulfilled expectations, or what areas of behavior require further improvement. This system would encourage an open exchange of how students can improve. Clarifying benchmarks and increasing objectivity would be enormously beneficial within the program.

Behavior Education Plan

Open Enrollment

Currently, MMSD loses 1,000 students per year to open enrollment. I believe the school board needs to reach out to parents and community members to actively investigate why students decide to leave. As a member of the Madison Metropolitan School Board, I plan on holding several listening sessions within the community to hear the concerns of those within the school district and those who chose not to send their students to our schools. This is a critical first step in addressing the concerns of parents, allowing us the opportunity to stem the tide of students leaving our district.