Madison schools reject another charter!
Our public school board here in Madison WI is poised to reject yet another application for a charter school. This one is a charter that would emphasize training in high-paid occupations like construction. Board member Ali Muldrow * yet again found a way to play the race card.
There is a predatory dynamic of coming into a district like ours and saying that you are going to resolve something as deep-rooted as racialized inequity through a school that pairs young people with professional opportunities.
The Horror! Never mind that black leader Michael Johnson, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs, is one of the principles of the proposed Forward Career and College Academy. The rejection will be formalized next Monday 02-24-25. Then again, the Madison school district never approves a charter. Just ask Kaleem Caire.
* Running for her first term, Ms. Muldrow (Defund the Police) was endorsed by retired Dane County sheriff Dave Mahoney, who currently endorses WI Supreme Court liberal Susan Crawford.
MMSD covers its guilty tracks by studying the living bejeezus out of every reform until it is good and dead. We quote the cyber-hacked Wisconsin State Journal: The proposed charter …
… failed to meet expectations in 12 of the 14 areas evaluated by the district, such as facility and safety planning, budgeting, transportation, staffing, and student enrollment plans.
Don’t over-think this!
The tart of tongue observe that the Madison Metropolitan School District would itself fail to meet expectations if Jill Underly’s Department of Public Instruction wasn’t cooking the books. The school board election on April 1 offers little hope. Two incumbents are unopposed, including Ms. Muldrow. Running for the third seat is a father of two. Bret Wagner tweaked our interest with a single plank in his platform:
“Give teachers the freedom to teach and classroom autonomy by reducing administrative burdens.”
Races the blood like Reagan’s “Tear Down This Wall.” An engineer in his day job, Mr. Wagner succumbs to the delusion that he can analyze his way out of sliding test scores, chaotic classrooms, and a stubborn racial achievement gap. On social media, Mr. Wagner writes:
As an engineer, I believe in: data-driven decisions: Using analytics to identify which programs deliver the strongest outcomes for students. I’ll push for comprehensive program evaluation to ensure we’re investing in what works.
Analysis paralysis!
Like the comprehensive program evaluation that doomed Forward Career Center. If The Head Groundskeeper has learned one thing in his earthly misadventure, it is that the analysis you choose looks, sounds, and feels like the one who analyzes. The racial achievement gap? (!!!) Like that hasn’t been studied to death! Be assured that between several thousand school districts, several hundred university schools of education, scores of professional associations and Washington think tanks — every pebble in the school yard has been studied, examined, and foot noted. Most from the left, a smaller amount from the right. Pick your poison.
Bret, the role of a board member is to provide direction. To establish base values. Set the tone.
If you’re “evidence-based,” Mr. Wagner, the evidence is that Madison’s public schools are failing. Parents are voting with their feet! What does it tell you that Madison parents filed 1,212 applications through the state’s Open Enrollment program to get OUT of Madison public schools while only 337 wanted to get in last school year?
Forward Career will get its wings from a work-around Scott Walker presciently provided. Like Kaleem Caire’s One City Schools, it won’t be subject in any way to MMSD. So, it’s for the better.
Here’s a real platform:
1) Quit dumbing down academics in the name of racial “equity.”
2) End race-based discriminatory grading and discipline.
3) Get troublemakers out of the classroom and out of the hallways.
4) Reduce spending regardless of the referenda.
5) Shut down under-utilized school buildings.
6) Reduce head count at Doyle administration building.
7) Return school resource police officers.
8) Welcome charters!
9) And yes, put teachers back in control of their classrooms.
Blaska’s Bottom Line: Voters deserve straight talk. They’re looking for authenticity. Mr. Wagner does promise more teacher pay and free breakfast for every student. Apparently, without needing analytics in 14 different areas.
10 responses to “Analyze THIS!”
Ah nostalgia… Remember when Madison public schools had achievements that were the envy of the nation? High school national scholars, high ACT scores. Maybe these achievements are there but the school district does not talk about it.
I’d like to see a chart of the National Honor Society students over the last 20 years.
Superintendent Jennifer Cheatham (2013-2019) was one of the biggest destroyers of MMSD and I don’t think they will ever recover. Between charter schools, home schooling and people opting out of MMSD we are seeing the slow decline before our eyes.
your 10 points make too much sense..there are too many “elephants in the room”, but the board and administration refuse to take off their “blindfolds.”
And in the end, the kids suffer. I homeschooled, so was spared dealing with this destructive trend. I voted, but it always felt so futile once Scott Walker was out. I saw what happened to Kaleem. It was awful to watch. He provided so much hope and inspiration for his community. Hard to understand why they are so hell-bent on destroying what was a fairly good school district as other commenters have pointed out. It makes me so sad this evil has permeated the system so thoroughly. I pray for Mr. Wagner!
“[Forward Career] won’t be subject in any way to MMSD.” Right there is the reason it won’t be allowed. It’s all about power and nobody is more addicted to power-trips than Madison liberals. It puzzles me why you bother following local elections. Predicting the results of elections in Iran or Russia would provide more thrills.
No one wanted the public market and we never needed it. Yet, we got it. A charter like this is probably a good investment for several reasons. The community and individual people can actually use the end result. That’s just too much, can’t have that. MMPTSD (madison municipal post traumatic stress disorder) is such a sham. Not good for them, so no go. This city needs to get some balls and toss these useless husks.
“Have you seen the price of eggs?”
I don’t feel sorry for Trump voters. If they can’t afford eggs, let them eat crow. 😀
There there, only ~203 more weeks of (say it with me) President Donald J. Trump.
Glass half full?
To be immediately followed by 416 weeks of President J.D. Vance.
One more thing:
*Popular Vote + Electoral College = WH
*WH + Senate + House + SCOTUS appointments = M_A_N_D_A_T_E!
The Gotch
Ahhh, the death of Progressivism tastes better than I thought. Yum!