The cuts in state aid to school districts across Wisconsin have disproportionately impacted Madison’s diverse student body, their parents, and our public school teachers and staff. Despite these cuts, our school district has worked to make sure its students and families are taken care of.
The community school program, at elementary schools like Hawthorne and Kennedy, serve to support scholars and parents through acting as a hub for healthcare, food access, and tutoring resources. The all-day 4K program has grown to 27 schools and allows for robust early learning opportunities for our youngest students. Madison public schools have led the charge in new literacy curriculum, a science-based approach that teaches phonemic awareness and vocabulary building as opposed to route memorization of words. And we have welcomed Dr. Gothard back home to Madison to helm the district that he had served with for over a decade as an educator, principal, and dean.
These accomplishments better prepare Madison students to be community-ready upon graduation. But what we have now isn’t enough for our fast-growing city. The job isn’t finished. And we cannot go backward.
We need to continue to recruit and retain the best educators for our students. Most of our buildings are over 60 years old and present critical safety risks. And the leaders of the next generation are facing a mental health crisis and need their schools to be fully equipped to give them the right support to succeed.
The operations and facilities referenda on the November 5 ballot are the best way we can answer these needs. Before the vote, I thought about the community listening sessions where neighbors, educators, staff and students from around Madison told us that they needed more from our schools. I accounted for the times we’re living in and our community facing a crossroads. And I remembered the days when I was a student at MMSD and recalled the teachers and staff that showed me care.
We understand that this moment is difficult. Where we are is that Madison is the fastest growing city in the state and where we’re going requires that our public schools are keeping pace with where we’re headed. The operations and facilities referenda present a vision for the future where the needs of all students, families, teachers and staff are met. The opportunity to cement this progress and continue growing together is by voting yes. I urge you to join me in doing just that.
