cc >> ...the Alumni Research
Foundation, the UW Madison
and Isthmus Publishing, Chanceand members of the Bank
Wisconsin Academy. Also who make this possible are
the Wisconsin Academy Council,
Wisconsin Academy. There or board of directors for the
tonight, and I hope you'll raise your hands.
Millard Sussman, Pat Brady, John Ashley, and I think,
President Jim Armstrong is here. A-ha!
Wouldn't want to miss that one. (laughter)
Welcome and thank you all for making these presentations
possible here tonight and I know
members here tonight as well. If you've seen the yellow index
cards as you come in, I hope
to fill those out to help us that you've had an opportunity
these programs. And also, figurif you fill them outrket
with your email address, we'd be
drawing for a free membership glin the Wisconsin Academy.r a
So we'd really appreciate your
speaker topics for next year. heYour membership does supportd
these Wisconsin Academy evening presentations, our quarterly
magazine, I think I've got a
it. That's what your copy here, so that you can see
for you and the James Watrous Gallery on the third floor of
the Overture Center here in Madison.
So please join this wonderful community of the mind that is
here tonight. All Academy Evenings this season
are listed in our season
one of those, please feel free schedule and if you don't have
of course, they too have to take one on your way out and
back. So, we don't membership information in the
This evening's presentation is being streamed live on the
Internet, and I'd like to thank Julie Underwood and the School
of Education for making it
like to welcome the viewers that possible to do this and we'd
online, questions can be sent to are online, for those that are
at wisconsinacademy.org And ththere is one other person ins
the audience that I'd just
state Senator Luther Olsen, lwho's Chairman of the Senate
Education Committee.
for raising your hand. And Luther, thank you
(applause) The thank you for being here.
dedicated to creating spaces for Wisconsin Academy is
for 141 years now on Wisconsin's civil discourse and has been
And we really appreciate that you're all here to participate
in that civil discourse. I
welcome all of those that are maybe just joining us as part of
our live video stream. I am Margaret Lewis, Executive
Director of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and
Letters, and I'd like to welcome
entitled, "Getting to A+: yoWisconsin's Educationnel
Challenges." And it is
by introducing Dean Julie Underwood of the University of
Wisconsin-Madison School of Education who will introduce our
panelists and Julie is, as I
Education of the UW-Madison, has mentioned, Dean of the School of
and previously was employed for babout seven years with thes
National School Board's Association as General Council.
Thank you very much for joining us, Julie.
( applause )
Thank you, Margaret. Thank
you to all of us, to all you, Margaret and thank
I want to welcome you as of you for joining us.
presentation. This Margaret did to this evening's
It's one of a series of lectures about education and I
particularly want to thank the
of public education. This Ais a very important time ines
public education. Personally, I believe that this
is absolutely one of the most critical topics in our society
today, K-12 education, and more specifically, the future of K-12
education. And I don't
hyperbole or sound alarmist but I do believe that we're at a
watershed moment for
Certainly, the challenges in American public schools.
been debated over the decades but right now, in the state, in
the nation, and even in our own hometown, we have issues about
public schools, policies that are being debated, changes that
are going on, that I believe
schools if maybe not forever but will impact the path of public
And tonight of course we have with us some education leaders
in our state who will address those issues.
We have Dan Nerad, Joan Wade, and Mike Thompson.
They're going to be discussing
to take a bit of time themselves these issues, they're each going
roll up that screen.. a. ( laughter )going to
They're each going to make
Then we're going to have-- some comments themselves.
a couple questions. We I'm going to ask them
questions as well and we'll be encourage you all to ask
you who are viewing at a taking questions from those of
your questions. We'll distatake those as well.il in
We hope to have a good
ideas since that's the history conversation, a good exchange of
here in Wisconsin. So first and toff, I want to do ourcademy
introductions. I'm
to begin with, and then we'll take people in turn.
So, on the far right, my far
if you don't know him. right is Mike Thompson,
Oh wait, I want to Mike Thompson--
Actually, one boast. All make one disclaimer.
have degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison
School of Education.
Now, I could say that individually, so I could say
that lots of time, but I
So Mike Thompson is the Deputy State Superintendent
for the Wisconsin Department
He's been at DPI for over ten years in a number of positions
serving that institution well as
Superintendent Libby Burmaster. He's also been the department'se
federal policy adviser and the
He has also been a teacher, an director of student services.
state before he went to DPI. educator in various ways in our
Joan is currently the Secdirector of CESA 6.ade.
For those of you who don't know our CESA structure, CESA 6 is a
collective of about 42
And she has been director distof CESA 6 since 2001.area.
Before that time, she served in the Wisconsin State Legislature
as a representative for the 42nd district in the state of
Wisconsin. Joan Wade.
And finally we have Dan Nerad.
metropolitan school district's Dan Nerad became Madison's
administrator as we know them in superintendent or district
Previously he was a superintendent for the Green Bay
public schools, a position he held for about seven years and I
believe that that is more than the average tenure for a
superintendent in the United States.
He served in a number of
are pleased to have him join positions in Green Bay and we
Madison. So, I'm going us in our community here in
over to Mike who's going to first turn this
comments. >> Mike to Thompson: Thank you,ing
Julie. Good evening, everyone.
First of all, thanks to the Wisconsin Academy for inviting
us to be here. It is a
this panel and especially with great pleasure to be on
had deep respect for over the years and what they've done in
our Wisconsin schools, both at
level with Dan. And the rthanks to you, Julie. local
I know Julie as an instructor,
absolutely the best instructor as I told her at dinner, she was
Wisconsin-Madison bar none. She I'was excellent and that wasf
her first time around as they call it when I had her back
then. As Julie said,
Department of Instruction not ten years, but 20 years.
I used to have jet black hair and a wife and two kids.
( laughter ) I've still got the wife and two
kids but education is a tough business, as you know.
I'm just going to give you a
of a picture about a little coabout myself and about whatind
I kind of see education in Wisconsin.
See, I'm a proud consumer and product of our Wisconsin
education system. I went
our higher education system. through our K-12 system,
she went through the system. My kids went through the system.
I, or my two kids have
of UW-Stevens Point, UW-Oshkosh, attended the University
UW-Madison, MATC, and Winona. Now, I don't know how one,
of my kids crossed the
But all of those were excellent beducation systems in thisd.
particular state and I attribute
particular state all the way our ability to do that in this
when our Founding Fathers said, bawe're going guarantee every848
child in this state a free
We're going to guarantee that. public education from age 4-20.
prosperity in this They knew that was the way to
And it was so important that in 1879, we said it was going to be
compulsory. You have to go.
We've had some great reform achievements in this particular
state. 1859, we had the first
kindergarten in the nation in Whitewater.
1973, we passed the first state law that required schools to
serve children
IDA is modeled after with disabilities.
We have just the largest, and the first state to implement
the largest voucher program allowing private school students
to attend private school
We have in this particular students in Milwaukee.
from the federal government the largest charter school grant to
expand charter schools in this
charter schools running stathroughout this particular06
state. We were the
develop and implement a tiered first state to
educators, and I can tell you from talking to people from
other states when they call and say, I'm kind of curious about a
teacher in our-- oh,
from Wisconsin, we're not worried about them at all.
We have a really good system
And, you know, even though we had a lot of successes in our
state and I'm proud of them,
meetings to talk about where proud when I go to national
really haven't done enough to keep pace with the educational
needs of our
You know, right now, Tony Evers, particular students.
ran on of platform of oevery child to graduate.
Every child to graduate, we graduate 90% of our students in
this particular state. But
data, we know that some populations, some subgroups of
students aren't doing so well and that's not good enough.
And it's not just good enough to
ready. Like to say graduate, you have to graduate
that is born to say, you're going to get a free education
and when you get done with it,
You're going to be ready to go you're going to be ready.
and not have to take remedial coursework or you're going to be
ready to go into the world of work and be able to function in
that world of work and advance
respectable living. That's in a career and earn a
opportunity for and I don't think to the point that our
education system has kept pace
We have to create learning with that particular promise.
are meeting the needs of systems in our state that really
Let me tell you just about four points I think what part of that
learning system needs to include
some of the specifics as what Joan and Dan are doing in their
particular districts. But that learning system we have
to have for all kids is one that
expectations for achievement. Now, were the first state to
sign on to the national standard, the common course
standard being language,
The first state, 47 other states followed suit..
We have high academic standards that we're going to implement in
this particular state,
standards. We have to intfollow that up with arked
really solid and good curriculum
standards. And we are to dworking with CESA'sular
and others in this state to develop a really good curriculum
around implementing those particular standards of high
expectations for all kids at all grade levels.
That's where it starts. We
piece, we have to have have to have the second
environments where kids can achieve and be engaged in this
school system. And
that take kids at inswhere they're atns
and move them forward.
all different types of Personalized systems that allows
in our school districts, learning, 24/7 learning
into the classroom, providing brkids an opportunity ing
the high school to earn college credit, dual credit enrollments,
early and middle-level colleges.
opportunities for kids because We have to provide these
environment than they live in a different
And they're going to compete they have before.
We have to really good account in a different environment.
in our particular state. ability and assessment systems
accurate accountability systems that are based on data and we're
moving rapidly in this state
system, student information system, so we'll have that data.
And we're revising our state
better testing system that's testing system to develop a
people immediate results. Those oare the types of things we
need in our state to move forward.
And we have to move forward with a sense of urgency.
And finally, we have to be able to support and recognize the
teachers, they're the most vital
particular state. We have resoto be able to do thatthis
and at the state level, we have to create some flexibility in
licensing. We have a
system that assures that we have really good licensing
particular state. We have higto make sure that thatour
license system is flexible to the changing nature of how kids
take coursework in our schools. And we're working in that
particular piece. And we
effectively and fairly evaluate teachers in our particular
state. Teachers and principals and
we're working to
So we can not only look at where that end as well.
of teaching but recognize the we tremendous strengths ourrea
teaching core in this particular state have.
This state has a lot of things to build on, a lot
of successes in our state particularly to build on.
The big shift that I see in education, apart from, I think
I agree with Julie, a watershed moment, is when I see districts
come together to talk about education.
A time ago, they used to come together to learn about what
other people were doing and when
the national level, we'd all states would come together at
doing. The shift listen to what other states were
coming together to move together.
And states are coming together to move together.
And that's what's happening,
at local levels about how we're bomoving education forward.and
We're going to have common
common curriculum, we're going standards, we're going to have
systems and we're going to have common data systems that we all
can draw from and I think those are all positive movements in
education as we go forward. So, I appreciate the opportunity
to be here and thanks to all of you for coming out on a rainy
night. Appreciate that.
I'm glad it's not Thursday, because that would be a rainy
night plus the Badgers
( laughter ) >> wThanks, Mike.o.
Joan. >> Joan Wade: Well, good evening
everyone and I would like to
Julie, for facilitating and tbeing a part of this panel ise.
pretty awesome experience for me
I have been a CESA administrator and I'm really happy to be here.
going into the legislature for about ten years and prior to
teacher. I worked beforas an elementary as a
teacher, I've worked as a library media specialist, I've
worked with technology
We do in Wisconsin have a very in school districts.
have a very proud history of proud history of education, we
proud to say I'm at CESA, and part of that proud history that
we have makes it
We see ourselves right now in our state where we're really in
a state of a crisis. But I
every crisis, there firmlis opportunity.within
I can't think of a better time
now. This is a to be in education than right
educational system and I think critical time in our
to come through this financial that public education is going
stronger and better than crisis and they're going to be
In our region of the state, our superintendents had been talking
about this crisis for about at
Knowing that, there's a few lthings going on that we can't,
we couldn't quite get our arms around.
So we spent considerable enough time really studying some of the
issues that we're facing
And we created a mess map, we called it, and on our mess map,
we had all kinds of things that were interrelated and really we
called them wicked problems because they didn't really have
an answer and they rated five top wicked problems that we
really needed to deal with in our region.
And those five problems, the
students. We're finding firstthat in schoolsion of
every day and it's hard, a
educators, myself included, to lot of times, it's hard for
students. But whether admitthey are studentsnating
that are failing or students
that they're bored, that that are A students, we find
challenged like they'they'd like to be.being
And are we really meeting their needs?
Not all students but we certainly aren't meeting the
needs of some of the students.
region really looked at how are we alienating those kids.r
The second thing we looked at is
have choices. And so if we're alienating kids, they
competition that we're facing in let's look at the
competition to public education. education and there's a lot of
that as public schools? The Hothird thing they looked ath
is all these technology challenges that are being thrown
at us. There's a lot
technology, kids will be in school and sometimes they will
have their cell phone in their
somebody on their cell phone but pocket and they'll be texting
to do things in class and so we need to get a different view on
technology and how we're able to
and letting them use technology starto drive their learning.kids
So that was another wicked
deal with. The fourth problwicked problem wasng to
really the status quo. How
is really comfortable do you where it's at?m that
Because, as we said, we have a
Our public schools are proud history in Wisconsin.
We do good on test scores, we do really good and they are.
you're doing good, how good across the nation, so if
And how do you beat dthat status quo??
And then the fifth one which
ever is an unsustainable we're more aware of today than
Our superintendents talked a financial model.
funding cliff that was year and a half ago about the
What are we going to do when the right in front of us.
where many of our school federal stimulus money is gone,
enrollment which means we are difacing declining revenue.ing
And how are we going to continue
students rather with that financial crisis down the path.
We wrestled with those issues.
plan for our future, And we decided that if we didn't
And we probably wouldn't like the future that somebody else
was going to plan for us. So, we took upon ourselves to
redesign what we wanted to call public education for the future.
We developed the next generation
The foresight of these school districts and some of the work
that they did together is paying
they've been thinking as school communities, school boards,
superintendents, teachers, and
dialogue about how do we change our education system to better
meet the needs of our kids
How do we use technology better? for 21st global society.
learning for the students? How How do we really customize the
how do we partner with DPI, in do we change a system and
cases, so that we can allow kids some cases, in higher ed in some
if they are participating in a to get credit for, let's say,
they get credit for communitband for that?hy can't
If they're doing outside work,
if they can meet competencies, they should be able to,
for some of those experiences.
So, we're taking a look at that.
districts in a regional setting? How do we share programs across
living in poverty or homeless, How do we with students that are
advocate to those students so that they're ready to come to
school to learn? How do we make sure that all
students have a breakfast in the
so they're not thinking morabout how hungry they are?ol
And so as we talked about those structures that we need to put
into place, we've designed a
six to eight schools could regional learning center that
Different learning experiences partner with to develop.
programs for teachers so for kids, different teaching
coaches, learning coaches rather they become actual teaching
front of the classroom. thanWe're in the process ofr in
developing a teacher and leader effectiveness center so that as
seniority, if it goes away, we
in school districts so you can have something to take its place
if teachers are being effective and how that works
with student learning. We also have to put together a
new business model and so we're looking at business models
across the nation. How are
differently so that they can schools doing business
provide a world class loweducation for students?till
So, I think we'll probably be talking about that a little bit
more as we go through the night but I want to be able to pass it
off to Dan so I'm really, really
honor to be on this panel. excited to be here and it is an
Dan Nerad: Thank you very much and I would too express
it's a great honor to be here this evening and join my
colleagues. I have
work that they're doing both at the DPI and CESA.
I also want to extend my thanks to the academy for gathering
people together tonight for an
education. In my very impostrong bias, there'sbout
no more important conversation
this entire country and in that needs to take place across
about how we educate children and what's at stake if we fail
to do so. Well, and I also want to thank
Dean Underwood for her
together for these kinds of cconversations and for others
types of partnership work that
University of Wisconsin the dSchool of Education.h the
You know, as with other times in
challenges as an our history, today we are facing
And I would suggest that we are facing unprecedented challenges.
These include the public's
educating our children, the fact that we have children that
aren't meeting curricular standards, and we aren't able to
really offer plausible
achievement gaps continue, that we have competing educational
outcomes that create mixed
value of public education, and signals about the quality and
unwillingness to commit to the I also believe there's an
resources are related to discussion about how important
Questions like, how much does it public education today.
in our community and in our state and second, how much does
it cost when we fail to do so well?
Those are important public
believe must occur all across the state of Wisconsin if we are
to advance a more productive
I believe there is much at stake agenda around our children.
public education and about the in this conversation about
organizations that we represent. individual school districts or
few minutes to focus on the key Ichallenges that we face as a
larger urban school district. And in fact, we are proud as a
public institution about our
service of our young people. But history of accomplishment in
are an institution today that can no longer claim the kind of
success that has been more
past. Who we are as univea public districtin the
in fact is inseparable from the issues of who we serve as a
public school district. I want to begin by stating that
we continue to have many, many
incredible patterns of students in our district with
Our students continue, for academic achievement.
peers in the percentage scoring exain the highest performancete
category. We have more
national merit scholars semi-finalists than a district
our size would have on average. Who are these students?
They are not only learned but are amazing in terms of their
work around issues of social
to community. And having responsibility and giving back
and interact with many of them, I've been so impressed not only
about their academic
they care about community and how much they're willing toh
engage in issues that have
And most often, these students dearly affect community.
significant support in their are also characterized by having
relates to creating additional personal lives, especially as it
which we can provide opportunities to learn, beyond
But I'll tell you in my opening remarks this evening that
these students, however, do not tell the whole tale of the
Madison Metropolitan
In many ways we are a tale School District.
And so let me share the rest today of two school districts.
important statistics. of tOur district is a verysome
language-rich school district.
representing 70 different language groups and I'll be the
first to tell you that they're
but some of them are very notlarge groups of students.ents
Our English language learner
of our 25,000 students and this compares to a 6% rate across the
entire state of Wisconsin. So we have very language-rich
environments and we have
that many of our kids, English challenges that go with the fact
53% of our kids today are students today are students of
color and now we have to be very
the term minority as we convey careful about we literally use
population. From a information about our student
view, our students of color in statistical point of
longer a minority. And I the aggregate are in fact no
that the greatest disequalizer would urge us to recognize
income status. Now, in for our kids is their family
School District, 51% of our student population qualify for
free or reduced lunch, the
which is a lower majority qualify for free lunch
And today, 18 of our 32 elementary schools have 50% or
more low income children, resulting literally in poverty
density issues within our schools in particular at the
elementary level. And this
whole story because these groups still doesn't tell the
fact our groups of kids who are furthest away from meeting the
academic standards that Mike
opening remarks. And Thompson referenced in his
personal resources in their personal lives that would allow
them to have better educational outcomes.
They come to school behind, not meeting standards and literally
our commitment over the years has to be to narrow those
achievement gaps that they're experiencing and those gap
reduction strategies are
They are as a group of students experiencing what we literally
call today achievement
So what I'd like to do is just gap issues.
look across our school district and as what I hear as I listen
to people within our community
now facing as a school district. about key challenges that we're
focus on the improvement I believe that we must ensure a
This cannot be a zero sum game. And I mentioned that because
oftentimes I hear zero sum
if we're helping this group of language in our community that
group of kids. And I kids, we're not helping this
conversation at times exists understand why that
decisions that have been made babout real programs in ourl
school district that people feel disaffected by.
But we have to get to a better
the needs of all groups of kids. conversation around how we meet
standards again that Mike Thompson referred to, the end of
learning isn't there. We
our highest achievement kids as well within our school district.
And as an institution, people are expecting us to meet the
needs of those kids. We did a survey a couple years
ago and one of the things that we learned from parents
that are exercising choices other than ours, they
continue to live in our school
things is a belief that we're not focusing enough on the needs
of advanced learners in our school district.
So how is it that we can
meeting the needs of all continue to commit, we must, to
needs or not, to advance learners, whether you're meeting
level of learning? And at tthe same time, our secondxt
challenge must be to eliminate
grotesque achievement gaps that thare very hard to explain toert
people why they need to exist.
tell, everything that we know tells us there should not be a
relationship between race and achievement, between family
income and achievement, between language and achievement
but the reality is that relationship does exist today.
And we see lower performance
in fact, there are certain from certain groups of kids and
rapidly increasing populations groups of kids that are most
That poverty measure that I told of kids in our school district.
phenomenon in the Madison yoMetropolitan School Districtnt
where we have more and more kids
levels that cause them to have that live with family income
learning. And then challenges often tied with their
would be remiss if I did not finally, I personally
and it has been mentioned throughout the evening tonight
and I did mention it earlier and
we have adequate resources that is the need to ensure that
In education, I would assert to educate our children.
that we're in a very, we are a that resources do matter and
proposition. You know, very human resource intensive
with technology but using that we do need to engage
I would assert that our tetechnology's adults--ly,
And that everything that good and just that happens to
children in a school district happens by what adults do in
terms of their quality
And those adults as well today, I think the time we're in, will
tell us that they need
So in education, resources nurturing as well.
we have a moral obligation do matter and I believe
within this community about tothe fact that resourceson
do matter in education. Teachers matter, materials
matter, professional development
opportunities matter and I'm matter, early learning
going to be able to implement a four year old kindergarten and
now be one of the 85% of the
have that portal available for districts in this state that
four. Curriculum our youngest kids at the age
of curriculum that was discussed matters, the quality
terms of this issue about earlresources, we do facey, in
unprecedented challenges. A year ago we had a 15% cut in
state aid. This year
and the governor's budget proposal is a 5.5% reduction
in the revenue cap formula
but for ours, it creates a $15 for all school districts
along with an additional million shortfall for next year
fixed cost areas totaling a shshortfall of $20 million.the
I know that we are in a tough time economically and we are
sensitive to try to balance the needs of our kids with the needs
of our taxpayers. But I would assert this
continued financial challenge we face is unacceptable.
And we do have to have a
notion about what does it conproperly cost to educatele
children and again, what does it
so well. My view is cost wthat education is anto do
investment and so we need to
discussion knowing that laws elevate the public policy
funding formulas don't don't change overnight and
And we can't wait for a better economy to begin this
conversation, it has to begin now because I'm describing to
you an unprecedented challenge
district near three years ago, I but having come into the school
school district has been facing athese kind of reductions under
the current funding formula for 15 years.
And real decisions have had to
reducing commitments to kids, beand just as Wisconsin needss,
to be open for business, and I
this, Wisconsin needs to don't mean to be trite about
And there's a relationship be open for education.
outcomes and the better educational outcomes that we
need to have for our kids and the state and this community
remaining a strong community. If
do better by our kids, this wecommunity will not remain't
as strong as it has been.
So I would urge us to elevate this conversation about the
resources that are needed to
And thank you very educate our children well.
Underwood: So, thank you much. (applause)
And now I don't know about the Mike, Joan, and Dan.
questions that I'd like rest ofto ask. (laughter)out 50
And I won't ask them all, I won't dominate this time but
they've laid lots of issues on
the juxtaposition of a proud the table, proud history and
issues of technology, privatization, social issues,
social issues as they affect our
learning, four year old kindergarten, early childhood
opportunities, English language learning, and of course,
we ended with a question about finance.
So, I'm going to start there. Joan talked about a new business
model and about creating some sustainable financial model for
public education in the state.
since Mike led off. Mike, Lthere's been lots ofe
conversation about funding of schools and trying to figure
out, Dan asked us to look at how
educate a child well and what is the important cost of not
educating a child well into the future.
Can you think about that and
Wisconsin perspective? >> Sure, that's a good one.
(laughter) We all know
limited but I guess I will say that resources are
know if you'll agree this to start out and I don't
But Congress had it right during with this or not.
with what they said when they theput forth stabilization,on
whether you agreed with this
rhetoric, I think was federain the right place.ot, the
With stabilization money going
have to stabilize our education intsystems during our tough we
economic times. We cannot afford to let this
institution deteriorate during tough economic times.
We're going to stabilize it.
wasn't to grow it, it It wwas to stabilize it. it
During the toughest economic
economic times is through tsupporting your educationh
system. That's what will get us out of
these times, supporting. That's what our Founding Fathers
in the state saw, to say
prosperity, that's true now. how we're going to advance
Constitution, all kids, regardless of condition, when we
passed that law in 1973,
condition. Prior regardless of handicap and
reimbursed school districts for providing special education
because it was not required.
We simply know that kids more, At 70%, now it's down to 26%.
can learn. Some kids some kids, but agree all kids
Some kids need more intensity, need more time.
environment to do it. And if and some kids need a different
believe that's what we have to you believe it, and if we
that. That was our provide kids, we have to do
And now, in this area of commitment to them.
the state superintendent back in funding, we have to look at and
that the time to look at how we fund education in the state is
now, when we have limited resources.
It's a discussion to have now when there aren't new resources
and he put forward a proposal about a fair funding proposal.
How do you distribute the limited resources we have in the
state to provide to education?
and equitable and sustainable How do way to the state? a fair
It's a discussion I still think we need to have in this state.
The resources are limited,
And he proposed a model called how do we move forward?
something that's fair? And fair funding, how do you create
funding behind every he's proposed that we put
There is not state funding child in this state.
this state now. Got to behind every child in
child and a fair system we ought have funding behind every
wealth but we ought to account to account not only for property
We have a lot of districts in this state that are property
wealth and people poor and there
provide an equitable ought to be a mechanism to
resources around that distrparticular piece.imited
To keep the funding system fair,
system that's sustainable. we need to have a funding
believe, can fund learning School districts, I don't
We're okay this year, we're not sure about next year, we're not.
even thinking about the third year.
We have to be able to fund
They have to know what resources things that are sustainable.
And that's not only true and in my opinion at the state level,
it's true at the federal level. The most consistent foundational
funding at the federal level and
this, education is a state just so you know my feeling on
supported by the function, locally directed and
Now, the federal government had two hallmark programs in the
early 70's, IDA, special
funding. It was the educafunding source thatitle I
districts could count on over the years based on their poverty
rate. And our poverty rate in this
particular state
We had the fifth highest continues to climb.
census adjustment this year incin poverty in this state. the
So that's school districts, kids eligible for free lunch,
it's going up in every single district in this particular
state, not just isolated ones.
consistent, sustainable amount But we have to have this
long-term. And we have of funding so people can plan
and funding, that's the other piece that Tony has in his
particular plan, and make sure
school aids is actually we'regoing into schools.money
And he suggested that the property that our levy credit.
Thank you, Dan, which is $900 million a year that shows up in
our property tax bills and
school aid, it doesn't relief, it's counted as a
It ought to go into schools. go into schools.
supporting our education but we have to do it in a fair way, we
have to do it in a sustainable
that's transparent so way people understand it.a way
Thank you. >> Can I?
Yes. >> Okay, I just
agree with everything Mike said about the fair funding proposal.
I think it's a really good proposal.
I wish that in the state of Wisconsin we had enough funding
to fund it. And I'm not going to take a side
on whether we really are broke
a state because I'm sure people have various opinions about that
but what I'd really like us to
at this fiscal crisis to really do think about what could wehis,
do differently to become more efficient.
For instance, could we look at
ready? Why do we have kids stay
together as third graders,
when if you've taught those grades, you know that some kids
are ready to move on sooner and some kids need more help.
It's the same in the
If kids can meet the standards high school years.
why do we keep them when thein high school?ears old,
Why don't we let them move on and go on to their next level of
learning whether that's a technical college or a four year
college or into the workforce if
We just seem to pigeon hole into the same system structure
because we don't think about
and I really hope that as we doing business differently
crisis, we'll take a look at go through this financial
teaching and learning. Again, some I think technology cans of
really help us through
Could we get some of some of this as well.
Can school districts, some of the school districts up by us
are pretty close
Could they share together geographically?
And they're looking at that right now for how they're going
to get through this. I don't
have a business office in the 42 school districtso
in my region. Is there a
can share some of that way that some of them
structure? Do we need oto have 42 differentf
hot lunch menus? Could
instead of having somebody we share some of them
So those are some of the things that I think if we cooperate and
share and, again, as being in a CESA, that's what we do.
We cooperate and share. Could we lower our cost and
change that financial model a little bit?
I think we could make quite a big bit of a difference.
Thank you. So let me
before we kick it asout to everybody.on
Or at least raise one topic.
actually, we had mention of data Dan, you were talking about,
various places, but you were about our achievement gaps from
within Madison and of course talking about achievement gaps
You were also talking about English language learners, Mike
just mentioned the new data that
of low-income students have come out about the number
Can, we also have issues of charter schools; can you think
about out loud with us, what
best address those needs particular programs do you think
Well I think that that's a to close achievement gaps?
minds. >> That's question that's on all of our
isn't it? (laughter)
Well, none of them are easy.
I used to be 6'5" Just astoo. (laughter)r hair,
But, you know, that's what we're
about these big challenges. You heknow, first and foremost, Ins
would say that we must as a country face these achievement
gaps if we're going to remain strong.
I know I'm being redundant with that but there's a tie between
educational outcomes and
development and workforce development outcomes.c
So there's a lot at stake here, meaning that this is not an
academic issue only. I
that has to happen around mthe real lives of kids.ue
I've come to the view that
the achievement gaps issues. there's no silver bullets with
have the courage to look at a lot of things that need to be in
place if we're really going to
time and in fact have a sustained focus over
I would also assert that first eliminate these gaps.
about ensuring the highest and foremost, that we have to be
our classrooms, the highest quality curricular experience
for young people and
learning. So what I'm contsaying is that partsess
of the solution, relative to the
based on best practice. And achiso what we do to supportt is
teachers in their ongoing professional development needs
to ensure that we are implementing instructional
practices that are consistent with what we know works better
than other things in instruction.
That's not to say that there
teachers can choose from but aren't a lot of things that
about, you know, some tinstruction makes more of aow
difference than other instruction.
And so part of my belief is that it needs to be about best
practices, more intensely provided.
I also believe that we have to
place that support kids who need have good quality programs in
standards but I also am of the intervention that aren't meeting
non-traditional ways view that we have to think in
And here's what I mean there and about that as well.
way, I'm generalizing now, to address the needs of kids who
aren't meeting standards is to give kids less slower.
It's based on a traditional remedial framework.
And it's oftentimes based on
experiencing learning deficits a view that these kids are
than what other kids might need. and they need something less
that thinking I belreally on its head.o turn
Literally upside down. And
of achievement gap issues within what has to happen in terms
is we do have to accelerate instruction; we have to provide
systems of intervention that
cases would actually advance target kids early and in some
traditional remedial their learning outside of what
And so here's what I really mean models would allow for.
the standards. I believe by that: we should never lower
kids need more time. So we Mike referred to some
some people that some kids need to create systems for
Quality after school programming that provide more time.
orientation, quality summer school programming that doesn't,
again, doesn't lower the
time. I also believe standard but it gives kids more
would create double learning in systems that
Again, it's not lowering the opportunities for kids.
high school level and I know standards but let's say at the
associated with this but we have there's some controversy
giving some young people double doses of the same language arts
course. It may not
two periods, it would vary by period, but it's giving them
a double experience in language arts
and mathematics. Again, not lowering the
standards but advancing,
Because the goal needs to be to get all kids to the standards.
And so, you know, unless
improvement that allows that we're advancing an agenda of
kids meeting standards and other happen, we're going to have some
still aren't meeting standards. kAnd then finally, I do believey
that we're advantage by the earlier the better.
And that is that this whole notion of early learning and
early intervention with kids
had early opportunity to learn, they come into kindergarten with
a much lower vocabulary level than kids that have been read to
and taken to museums and taken
know, to have that type to of learning exposure.you
So four year old kindergarten is not a nice thing,
it's a necessary thing. And it's also necessary that
communities have birth to four
community's commitment to yadvanced development from zeroe
to age four so it's not just
community piece as well. So in total I guess what I'm
saying is we have to be about a lot of things and we also have
to think and behave counter intuitively.
It can't be for a lot of these
an accelerated pace of learning in order to get these kids toe
the standards. >> More and faster.
Right. >> Oh, more, earlier, and
faster. Joan or Mike, you want to add
anything to that or? >> I'll just add that I can't
agree more with what Dan said,
thing, I'd say three things. if you asked me to pick one
Get kids early. >> I Early, early, early.
If you think of early, and if you think of a first grader and
you provide them with the core instruction and you
differentiate because they don't
then you go, we still need quite get it in the core and
You do an intervention and you to do more so we intervene.
and if it doesn't work, you havedo something different. work
And if that doesn't work you
It's where districts go, we don't have anything else to do,
we can't do, we don't have any
Then the child stays there until more resources to do something.
might fourth and fifth grade, thI guess they're a child thatey
should be identified
And this intervention early, for a disability.
it's getting resources to those kids, and as Dan said, moving
them along faster. And it can be done but it takes
resources. I just want to, you should,
there's a lot of what CESA 6
that's worth looking at on their is doing at the regional level
some of those innovations, website and as Joan talks about,
I look at them as the right things to do for kids and they
could save us money. But
money, you don't start with tlet's save some money,e
what can we do? You start doing the right things
and they can, those things can save money.
And that's why I believe it's very difficult and districts
don't have a sustainable fund source, they can't think out,
they got to think about, oh what
with less now? And so are wthey can't think aboute do
some of these innovations because they're always thinking
about what can we do with,
And so that's a problem, in my what can we do less with.
can't count on, you can't plan opinion, about funding that you
know where, what over a years time when you don't
Mike, I don't know if you would agree or disagree, so
I'm going to kind of ask you as long as I'm here, was some of
these ideas like moving kids on when they're ready so they're
not necessarily with their same age group, letting them get out
of high school when they're ready to get out of high school
because they've met the standards, letting them get
credit for out of school
the standard in the school, exthose things are againstt
the status quo. They're against the norm of what
we're used to doing in schools
really being taken very serious anduntil you have a financialgs
crisis like we're seeing now. And now our schools are really,
okay how can we do this, how
ground? And that's I fast can we get this off the
really focused on individual think where we're
that to make sure that students studget the highest qualityizing
education we can possibly give
trying to meet their needs. I totally agree with what Dan
said about these kids that are
help these families so that they living in poverty, how do we
How do we make sure that when cthey get to school they have?
breakfast so that again, they can focus and concentrate?
So it's a very dynamic, very
this problem. And is complicated how you fix
Absolutely is funding an issue. Do we have a problem right now?
We do, we need to put our very
problems and we got them. smartWe've got them here inthese
Wisconsin. We've got
we've got them in our school them in our schools,
communities that are working on them to problem solve together
so I think our future's going to
outside the box. We be gcan't stay traditionallook
or it's not going to work.
I think that I've heard a couple things that resonate.
One certainly is thinking about the status quo as a problem and
how we can think about doing
still tackle the past of having previous success and a proud
history of education because
complacent. I also, itwhat's the saying, youe
don't want a good crisis to go to waste?
(laughter) So we may
well. I know people be ihave questionsn as
so Ronny has a mic, and I'm going to ask people to
ask questions but we
Since we are taping, we need have some ground rules.
question into the mic and then to have you actually ask your
us questions from our Jasdistance audience as well.ng
Hi. >> Hi my name's Nancy Young and
I have a very short question
And you've proposed many things, but it's a very deep one.
how do we do this, many questions you're asking,
And I think it's time to how do we do that.
solutions and the audience's move toward your ideas about
ideas abocould now.ns if we
Joan, you want to give your 30 second kind of framework
for your next generation? >> I would give a plug.
We'll give you a minute,
Okay, so I can get my plug in.
If you Google Next Generation of
website where we do have Schools, you would get to our
Typically, I give an hour presentation to community groups
and school boards on what next
like. So it's really generation of learning looks
these solutions in a minute or hard to describe
of them. For the 30 seconds but I'll try on some
really think that it's important student experience, we
they even get to school, to have that students from birth, before
they're ready to learn the resources they need so that
How many years have we heard when they get to school.
decide who's a parent and who isn't because some kids just
aren't ready to learn when they get to us and so then what do we
do with them? So that's where we are looking
at family advocates being assigned to families when
children are born. Now
going to need a lot of time with some of those families are
them aren't going their fto need anything.some of
So once they get to school then,
learning coaches and make sure those family advocates become
having breakfast, they're ready to learn, they move on when,
they're ready, so some kids as
will get through it faster, they they are going through school
until they're 13, they might get might not get to middle school
It just depends on how quickly to middle school when they're 9.
learning cycle. Once they thget into that middlehe
school section, we really see these learning coaches being
able to use data to really
What kind of learning styles take a look at how kids learn.
they're interested in learning they have, what is it that
directing their own learning and and having the students start
the way. The structure the teachers coaching them along
would change because some of for the teacher
teachers, some of them might be online teachers so that they're
able to teach to more kids, some
coaches working of thdirectly with kids.arning
The school year structure would change, do we have to just go
180 days, I don't think so, maybe we don't need to take 12
weeks off in the summer or
We could compress that so the hschool year is different..
The school day might be different for some kids.
Maybe some kids learn better in the morning, maybe some kids
learn better in the afternoon.
best meet the kids So we'd really structure it to
I've already talked about getting credit for things that
they learn outside
I've already talked about kids of the classroom.
school and into the next level being able to get out of high
So those are some of the-- of learning when they're ready.
administrative structures. >> Yeah, and we've talked about
collaborative, that's absolutely right.
Structures within a school that could be shared. their business
practices, their business structures, their hot lunch
programs that they can share
school districts. Maybe in regionally between six to eight
school districts, one school's a region of four to six
international baccalaureate, one going to really focus on an
more on career technical ed, one school district's going to focus
focus and so kids might go to a different school that's not
necessarily in their community. And every time we present that,
the first thing that people ask us is, well what about sports?
Because of course, people get really concerned, you know,
people don't ask the question about what if we have a failing
student in our school?
But boy if you have a failing football season or a failing
baseball season or a basketball season, that can sometimes
rile up communities.
restructured or thought differently about our community
sports program and rather than
team be the high school football having the high school football
community? And so no team, what if it belongs to the
school, whether you're matter where you go to
schooled or charter school or public school, you're still
being able to participate on that local sports team.
Those are some of the things
looking at doing that our communities are really
Mike, can you think about some differently. >> Thank you.
you know of in this state? of the innovative practices that
that sports thing, >> Well I don't know about
I like the other ideas. J>> Well, we all know
Joan's a radical. >>
districts across the state What I see from school
about schools that some kids is I think and I talked
intensity, and environments. I need more of this time,
put in programs or strategies to meet those particular needs.
As I mentioned, we have 206 charter schools in this
particular state, you can go
schools and look at some of the innovations that they're
implementing in their districts.
engaged in personalized Atlearning, many of them arely
engaged in project-based
connections to what they're doing in their classrooms.
We have started a state-wide
little bit about the structure initiative and Dan talked a
to intervention. How do of iyou create a system inonse
your school to meet the needs of
and having data to make sure kids by being able to intervene
having other interventions that the intervention works and
It's a major shift in how schools operate around serving
kids. Change is difficult, change is
hard for people, you know the little story of a family woke
up, the only thing they could recognize is the schools.
You know, things that it's hard to change but you have to create
a culture of change and I believe in Joan's CESA, they
created a culture of change.
for a couple of years. This Thedidn't happen because ofit
the budget situation, they've been talking about it for years,
they have a culture of change.
I don't see a lot of that's currently in state in federal
law that prevents those districts from doing those types
of things to move forward and do
that. I mean, that's them on a regional level like
of looking at where these innovations happen, moving
forward with these innovations
And you can bet, I mean, I find there's one thing I know for
sure, it's the only thing I know
fodifferent. Nothing works.are
There's no magic bullet that's
So you've got to provide a going to work for everybody.
create systems that do it. And variety of opportunities and
at those systems, I think people I think people are looking
at those systems. I know are aggressive at looking
regionally is, and I know school CESA 6 is, I know CESA 1
looking at ways to do things districts individually are
dikids. And that's a positive.of
I mean that and I think we'll see a lot of those innovations.
I think we have a state where school districts have the
ability to innovate,
Some people are reluctant to because it makes people
uncomfortable. And it's hard to change, so they
go, oh no we can't because we have all these regulations or
whatever and they're like,
Well, you know, there's a lot of what are the regulations?
people have to have this will theand you have to create theit,
culture and I think that's what you've done in CESA 6 and to
your credit and I think more
to follow suit. >> Dan, peopdo you want to give in?d try
Yeah, this whole notion of
it's a very difficult thing to innovation, it strikes me,
given the work that I do that bawe have to make our schoolssed
as strong as they can be. In
we build better capacity to provide the best education in
all of our schools and have strong schools and we have
school improvement plans
And we're monitoring progress and we're adjusting those goals
and we're providing support to ensure that good outcomes,
better outcomes come for kids.
that we're in a time where But having said that, I know
ideas around you know, the people are looking for different
And it's been a difficult conversation because in this
resource constrained time, you
your own schools making them know, do you really focus on
very innovative models and you stronger or do you look at these
we need to find a balance know,in that conversation. that
Recognizing that the data,
I'm aware of which say that refthere are quality charterthat
schools, there are quality
charter schools, there are public schools, there are poor
And so to look at that as the magic bullet I think is wrong.
So where we've kind of come down on this issue around these
charters and innovative programs
mind and an open eye to them and is that we need to have an open
to just look at charters, there thare three charters in theant
Madison Metropolitan School District, one is new, opening
this fall, Badger Rock
additional one is under study right now, you know the program
that the Urban League has asked us to work with them and to
consider as a program for male students.
So that conversation is happening but one of the things
that we decided to do as a
that we have now formed a rcommittee to study innovatives
and alternative models. Because what we're finding
ourselves and I don't think it'll ever end because people
from outside have some ideas
but we're in a reactive mode that they want us to consider
is to move more toward only so what we're trying to do
So how many innovative and a proactive mode.
looking at? What should they be?
Should there be more charters,
there be schools within schools that, you know, that offer more
specialized learning? And that's going to take about a
year to do that study. And
do that study well and we have a we want to take the time to
and community people very large committee of school
So I think through that, I working with us on this.
for ourselves, how should thwe innovate in the Madisonr
Metropolitan School District, as
reactive mode and I know that there are some perceptions that
we haven't been as open as we should be to these other ideas
and what we're trying to do is
think will advance learning for tokids in our school district.e
I have a question over
is Kristin Laclair. I teach K-1.
And Superintendent Nerad
I'm just not feeling mentioned nurturing teachers,
(laughter) (applause)
Thanks. Hi.
Saw them on the square. I think one of the issues that
I'd really like you to address
there's a bill tomorrow, ten is this charter school and
be there. And I know, o'clock,Senator Olson, Iple will
know you're here and listening
interesting dialogue, anto get very specific.ery
You talk about charter schools, really where are we on charter
schools? And I know there's people that
know a lot more than I do. I
got my master's degree. I calooked at a lot of charterI
schools and I looked how it pulled away, for example,
at the Bridgeport community,
of their tax money yet left their schools high and dry
with a higher percentage, 80% poverty and maybe 200 kids
benefited. So you know, I don't see the
plus, honestly. And I don't see the plus in
having a student being taught by somebody without a BA and
without any kind of education. (applause)
Where are you guys on that? >> Well, I mean, I've tried
to respond in terms of we're
decide where should we innovate, taking the time to really
acceptable to the district and what types of programs are
acceptable to the district. whAnd I believe that they'ret
staying the same, if you have charters, the same standards
should apply, including teacher licensers.
So that's where I'm at with that issue.
You know, and I also believe
to be very careful that it that in terms of this, we have
resources to our schools. That's a tough dynamic and I
think that that's what caused me
called instrumentality charters. to be more supportive of what's
they should be instrumentalities If we're going to have them,
of the district so that we can of the school district, parcel
we balancing the right things? have that conversation about are
schools and creating a charter Are we taking away from our own
problematic in doing that. And because I think that's
intend, if time permits it the other thing, and I do
concerned, to testify tomorrow. I'm very concerned about this
notion of an independent
Because I believe that we have to place the trust
in local school boards, that's why they're elected to
make these kinds of decisions. (applause)
And I think that particular nuance of the bill is
problematic. And so those are some of my
responses to that. >> Thank you.
But at the same time, I don't think we can afford to not be
part of a conversation. We
land with that conversation, but have to figure out where we
innovative and alternative it can't be a closed mind on
But you are looking at programs for young people.
looking at that bill and you're saying, oh my heavens, look at
this? >> That's correct.
You know, who's going to
maknine member? >> Right.hat
The Governor's going
The head of the Senate's going to pick three?
representative's to pick three and the head of
There's your nine right there. going to pick three.
any school board I'm a part Is tof? Sorry, I just asked.e or
We have another question. >> That was not a question,
sorry. >> It's okay.
We have another question back here.
I also want to mind people who
stream to send their are watching this as an Internet
questions@wisconsinacademy.org questions as an email to
I wanted to tie together these >> So my name is John Wright and
that you brought up earlier of ideas of innovation and the idea
everyone. And as I keeping challenges there for
to me the best approach is to increase the amount of what Fred
Newmann called authentic
ask, how is that actually going to happen, how are those kinds
of innovations going
Seems to be that that comes from to take place?
themselves. So it seems the glike there needs toachers
be a way of empowering the
able to exert more innovations teachers to exert more, to be
address the needs of the in the ways that they try to
classes. Because individual people in the
there is a fetter on them that right now, it seems
try to address particular standards for the other things
that are required by them. So I'd like you to comment on
those ideas. >> To just comment, so you're
asking for comments on the
innovations? >> That's right.
And you know, starting at the grassroots rather than top down.
Let's see. Joan, do you want to take that
first? >> I would.
I think that that is
The teachers in the classrooms absolutely spot on.
students the best, they have are the ones that know the
if we listen to them, we would access to the data, I think that
things that they would like fto put into practice acrossve
classrooms all across Wisconsin.
them the flexibility, however, I think that we have to give
innovating within their soclassroom and within theirhe
schools. And I fear sometimes that their
hands are tied, maybe that's
if we don't loosen up some of jthe work rules that they findat
themselves tied to, that it makes it difficult to be
innovative even within
So, I think that absolutely, the their own schools.
that know the kids the best and they know their data the bests
and they know how to read that
at their hands, some of that data and if they have the tools
able to customize techlearning for their kids. be
Thank you. There's
here. >> My name another question back
and am I biased to be up front is Melanie Schmidt
a necessary partnership that about it because I think there's
between the community in order occurs between the schools and
And I'm curious for each of you since you represent different
perspectives on the issue, what do you see as the call to action
for the business leaders, the parents, the community leaders
leaders who are here who clearly
that there's a necessary need for some action, what's your
call to action for all of us? >> Call to action.
Mike. >> Why am I always first?
There you are, you're called on.
There's your call to action.
This is what I would say and it goes back to my belief that when
a child enters into our system, a first grader, a
kindergartner, we're saying to
you're going to learn to do math, and we are going to help
you as the teacher, our system, the principal, our community,
your mom and dad, it's everybody.
And we always look at whose to
Well I would turn it around and say, who to we attribute when?
kids do succeed? We attribute that to the
parents, to the community, to the environment that they're in
and to the school and so that's who has to take ownership in
this particular piece.
There are kids that come into school that never have been read
to. Now they're in
are some kids that come to school and there
every single day. It starts schowhen a child is bornd to
and it starts in the care of the
about what's in the best physician talking to the parent
educationally all the way up. And if our kids in a community
succeed, in a community that
you can bet there's a lot of does succeed with all kids, then
And when kids don't succeed, people to thank for that.
at blame. You get into there's a lot of people that are
go well, I can't do anything this, people will
came to my classroom. They're becin your classroom, youhey
can do something with them. Every kid can move along and
should move along in your classroom, but its everybody's
job. I always would like too line up
kids across a football field and
down from this end of the football field to the other end
and your all going to make it and we're all going to help you
do it. We're all going
down that line. It's going to help you move
then the street then it's going to be the business person.
We're all going to help you get to that line because you're all
going to graduate. That's kind of an ownership of
education that we have to have
It's an ownership and I beverybody plays a role.es.
Getting kids to school, keeping them in school, rewarding them,
getting them involved in
this belief that everybody plays business partnerships, but it is
celebrate in the success when kids achieve, everybody should.
In turn, they should all take a little bit of the blame when we
have kids that fail.
Just quickly, I think that there >> Thank you.
that ought to be happening are some real partnerships
business sector, the school board, and the teachers and the
educational leaders in
It ought to be around those authentic learning experiences
for students that we were talking about earlier.
We'd like to see students,
level be offered experiences especially at that high school
That's just one small example of in some of those businesses.
and should happen. So a partthat kids have thoseappen
experiences while they're still in high school.
There's a whole lot of other
industry could really invest places where businesses and
venture capital so some of this innovation that these classroom
teachers would like to do if
There's all those kind of thpartnerships, the list wouldt.
just go on and on. I think
important. >> Thank You.
I know Ronny's got lots of
you've got lots of people who-- more people who want to be
up here. >> My name is Karen and I'll
give you the call to action that you're asking for.
If you don't pay to educate your
The state of Wisconsin spends gover $40,000 per year, per.
inmate to keep
Dr. Nerad do you get people behind bars.
No, we don't. >> Dan, $4can you just do that a?
little louder? >> No we don't.
Clearly we don't. (laughter)
I just wanted to make sure everyone heard that.
Don't you see the problem here?
I don't want to be
I mean where do we want to invest is your point.
The point that I would urge us
in kids and we need to have these conversations about what
is the appropriate
What's the penalty we pay when we don't do it well.
The common core standards were
Now the mathematics standards have parts of them that are
significantly different than
Similar to what's being done what has gone on before.
mathematics will be easier to learn if the standards are
taught well. The problem
teachers don't know the material is that many of the
So there's massive professional development that's going to be
needed. Content professional
development, what's being planned for that?
Dan do you want to
I certainly agree with that, give some examples?
professional development. in We are working with theound
university on a project.
What's that? Maybe you >> That was my plug.
No, no, no. >> It's a wonderful effort that
obviously we need to stay at for
provide that content knowledge a good number of years that
That's where we're starting in terms of ensuring a better.
understanding of
As well as a kind of those standards.
able to teach to professional development to be
That's a good example of what I meant earlier around building
greater capacity within our system to teach as well as we
can possibly teach. >> Thank you.
I have a question. Most of
addressing the needs. >> what I've heard here is
My name is Adrianne. What CI have heard here is muche?
attention being paid to children
and the assumption is how tcan we help those children?lp
What happens if you take
third graders who childrcould barely read. some
You've got some third graders that only get their books out of
the young adults or higher
What would happen if you're going to give two extra sessions
to the very bottom, what would
top? What is happening if all of
education is one of trying to meet the needs of those at the
bottom what your doing
the top or encouraging, by not essentially is putting a lid on
students or their parents to doing something else, your
if they can afford it. >> plaCan we take this answer inls
two parts? Dan you'd
the issues in the Madison metropolitan school district was
the need of high
Then maybe Mike can give us a perspective of some of the
things that are happening state wide.
This is not an either or issue.
It's a both and issue.
district to revitalize our That's why we committed as a
school district. We have talented and gifted plan in the
that frankly, I'll be the first to admit that to be able to
implement that plan is going to take time and take additional
resources. First and
to take commitment from people foremost, it's going
meeting the commitments like meof that plan.at we're
I really want to underscore this is not an either or thing.
We want to at times frame it up that way, it has to be about
advancing kids who are
It also has to be about eliminating achievement gaps.
I will also tell you that in the
choices about where we place our time we're in we are making real
limited today. My assurance resouris that we're goinge very
to keep our eyes focused on the needs of all of our kids and
obviously the community will
doing that. Frankly, judge over time how well we are
that's another we do need some help
We do need help around how we can come together more as a
community to ensure that we are focusing on all kids.
Kids that are meeting standards,
meeting standards. It's anot either or it's both.t
I'd agree with Dan, what you say, and both.
When I talked about a response intervention system.
Response intervention system
From the kids that come into 1st runs for the continuum of kids.
their 1st grade level, grade, who are not reading at
them. To the child interventions are necessary for
the 5th grade level you don't say to that person, Anna you
better slow down a little bit so everybody else catches up.
Right? You've got to be able to move
her down the road as well.
intervention is. To intervene when a child is
behind and to intervene when a
It's systematic. It's not childjust we'll give them aead.
little extra homework, it's a systematic approach to serving
those needs. That's what the response
intervention system is. That's
model that takes a lot of work why it's a systems change
district, but it's both toends of the continuum.ol
There's a question over here. >> My name's Carol.
I taught for a lot of years.
that you might be overlooking Besome of your most readilyion
available and cheapest resources
Those smart students can tutor in those smart students.
students are sitting there other students when those smart
finished with the waassignment or whatever.'re
They could be helping this kid
learning to read or learning over here who is having trouble
understand it better. In to do the math or whatever, to
way back when so that's not an innovative idea actually.
Thank you. >> I certainly support this
whole notion of cross age tutoring.
On the other hand,asking
have that be their education advanced learners to do that and
It's using cross age tutoring where it makes sense, but that
shouldn't be a replacement for
need in the classroom that what these advanced learners
Thanks. I think Jason will adhas a questionarning.
from our online audience. >>
who is an elementary ed Thisstudent at UW Madison.ily
Rachel writes, can you
specific changes you propose in making the testing we currently
use to evaluate successful
How do you evaluate success vis-a-vis testing, I think is
the question. >> How do you evaluate success
vis-a-vis testing.
assume we may be talking about Standardized testing and I
students or are we talking about testing as it relates to
teachers? So I'll let asseyou all take a hands to
at that. ( laughter )
You can do either one,
I'll just start. With our next generation of
learning we do see the
testing for students so that you importance of standardized
meeting those standards cthat are set by our state.
We'd also like students to have electronic portfolios because we
really believe that there's more
mastered their learning other ways than just test scores.have
Quite frankly, we're missing a
students school career if we whole lot of the picture of a
that. We're building electronic
portfolios for kids so when they go onto the next level of
learning they can show some of
participated in schools. With thteachers, we are puttinge
together and rolling out
I just lost it. What was in April a teacher--
teacher competencies? Kind I going to say about
UW Madison has been pushing ofis one proponent of it.at
Teacher competencies so that you
teachers so that it's not just know when teachers are expert
they get through the Praxis ttest to make sure that they'ren
qualified. You're able to move teachers
into the next level from an initial educator to a master
educator to a professional. We're trying to set up those
structures so that you can
well. >> We have evaluate and mentor teachers as
a viewer. I appreciate another question from
letting students learn at their own pace instead of mandating
all students sticking together
Over the last 30 years we have through each grade level.
education to the front end of our students educational career.
First kindergarten now 4K and some have early childhood
preschool etc. Are there
who are considering graduating any studies or states
education process is 12 years stlong instead of 14 or 15?he
That's definitely an issue
not sure who wants to that'start that one off.d I'm
Or who wants to answer that one and maybe we can take one more
after that question. >> From my perspective I
understand the need around focus
kids are ready to move on. We onshould have our systems beme
more responsive. As a general response I'm
concerned that we don't have
this country and we don't enough time in our school year.n
To what extent do we want to
overall what young kids are going to be able to know and be
able to do through their
I can get to that point around experience with us.
learners, but I have a problem the needs of individual
view as total system design. looking at it from a point of
enough time right now. Because I don't think we have
proposals, isn't there some transition into community
colleges and higher education as well?
Right. I was just trying to think of
the states that we looked at
there are five states that when we pulled that together and
you could move on when you were ready and the kids could get out
of high school at age 16 and 17 and go onto another level of
learning. ( inaudible )
Well I have another question here.
Wait a second, 'cause Mike
this issue. >> In this wants to say something about
child, a student is ready. issue, if a kid, if a
they're ready to go onto the They're ready to go on college,
options for kids to worldbe able to test out. have
Or we ought to have options for kids to be able to take college
courses in their high school. They ought to be dual enrollment
credits, transcripted credits so those kids can continue to
advance and not just be sitting around in a high school when
they're ready to move on. We
and Joan talked about ought tsome of those.ptions
We have our last question.
those precocious readers who was >> I'm Connie, I was one of
probably in 3rd grade so that my told to slow down when I was
I'm also a former employee of the Madison Metropolitan school
district, a teacher. I would
I'll just say that having been a like to ask you, well
always felt that teacher for quite some time I
Particularly in a school innovation was lagging.
hard to keep up with new trends and yet teachers are really the
feet on the ground in terms of
In the context of what's what's going on for teachers.
state in the last month, six happened in our city, in our
people who are considering weeks, what would you say to
How can you encourage maybe me, to return to the classroom?
How can you encourage people who
but they're really struggling with why, oh why, oh why would I
do that? >> I think that's a wonderful
question. If we could take each one of our
panelists as kind of
Why would you encourage somebody our closing comments.
to teaching or to go into, stay in, or return
Dan do you want to start? >> education as a field?
been personally Even worried about that. I've
Trying to think about the minds of 19-year-olds, you could pick
an 18-year-old or a 20-year-old.
at teaching as a profession What woof first choice?to look
You know I'm very much worried
public service in total need to abe fields of first choice, not
fields of second choice. We need people that really have
this interest and that it's in
to be public servants theirand to be teachers. belly
What I'm worried about in the now and the time that we're in,
we have even more messages about
go into? I hope in are these fields that I want to
this down at some point fairly fact we can settle
lot at stake around teachers soon because there's not only a
feeling the love as was stilmentioned earlier. not
There's also a lot at stake in
people say, that's what I want terms of ensuring that young
do this work. I'm very to do, I can serve and I want to
creating messages of worried that we are
intending to do that. That undervaluing even if we're not
and I think we have to have our eye on that issue very, very
carefully. I'm hoping and I know this is a
contentious time, but I'm hoping
things down in a way that wecan return our schools.le
Our schools are filled
Whether this should have with tension now as well.
happened I can't get into that happened or that should have
because I have to deal with the fact that there's tension there
that now exists. We have
nurture our staff, to have the a responsibility to
allow them to feel valued and rthat we move on in support ofat
our people. I don't have all the ideas
around that, but I do believe that that's what has to happen.
Thank you Dan. Joan?
I always encourage high school students going into
college and second career people
into education. When they that say to me, why would Iting
want to go into education now?
difficult being in the The kids are so hard and it's so
It's a noble profession. It's a place where you really
make a difference of the lives
It's a profession where it's of kids every single day.
Technology can be used changing and it needs to change.
taught in many different, dthere's so many differentbe
resources available to you. Content resources on the web,
things that you can bring into
could before. You have the classroom that you never
you've got to look for different to be creative and
I think it's more exciting time to be in education than it ever
has been in the past. I really
when our kids are teachers look forward to the day
this technology. They' because they're the natives with
differently than we kdo. We don't get it.
Sorry, I use it everyday and I
it. When they can don't gteach other kidsds get
how to use technology on how to find things using technology
it's amazing. >> Thank you Joan.
Mike? >> When I graduated from college
and went into teaching and I was
community. I said, wow looking for an apartment in this
able to find an apartment? I wonder if I'll be
an apartment, you're a teacher. SomeYou're a pillar of this find
community. That's what
I was like I am? Made me feel pretty good.
Here a fact, countries that we're always compared too that
are doing well, that do well, we always compare to those
countries. Here's a commonality of those
countries. They hold
esteem and those teachers are supported within their systems.
We have to get back to that.
profession that is deserves to be and this didn't happen
because of a budget debate. This is a drum beat that's been
going on for time, it builds. We all can't let that happen
because you all know teachers,
you need to do as I always say many of you are teachers, all
handcuffs hook yourself to a to people, take a pair of
then tell me what good teyou think of them.ys and
They'll tell you, they're wonderful.
Right? That's all you need to do.
( applause )
Thank you panelists.
questions. I'm going Thank you all for your
to Margaret. >> For just to turn this back over
for you thanking our panel and a second, thank all
on task and on time. We ereally appreciate that beliefs
in the Wisconsin idea that we know Dean Underwood has and
expresses by being here tonight and reaching out to the
community across this state.
panelists. If I could Thank yjust remind the of our
audience of two upcoming
thank again Dean Underwood and events really quickly and to
making the possibility of this the School of Education who are
because we really do appreciate being able to reach a statewide
audience. There are two events coming up:
next Tuesday, March 29 at 7:00 right here is the final
of the three-part Education is Fundamental series.
This is a talk by Adam Gamoran, Professor of Sociology and
Education Policy studies at UW-Madison and director of the
Wisconsin's Center on Education Research.
I hope you'll join us then. Mark
you're invited to this your calendars for April 12
When two leading researchers season's last Academy Evening.
UW Milwaukee and her research oon Great Lakes water and UWom
LaCrosse's, Mark Sandheinrich's is talking about river quality.
This program is called Water
the Health of Wisconsin's CourLakes and Rivers.n on
We hope can join us for the next two presentations that are
coming up. Thank you
coming and we hope you'll all become members of the Wisconsin
Academy. ( applause )