Author Archives: edhughesschoolblog

 “I need your help,” Walker told a crowd of about 350 people, the majority of them children, on April 25. “We need you to help us spread that message to other lawmakers in our state Capitol, because they need to … Continue reading →

This year’s results on the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam (WKCE), the state’s standardized test, became public this week. The reading and math results reflect the newer and more rigorous cut scores that were adopted by the Department of Public … Continue reading →

Recently I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about the Madison school district’s achievement gap problems and other challenges we face. I’ve also been responding to the outlandish notion that Madison is a failing school district whose students deserve … Continue reading →

Trolling around on the Internet the other day, I came across a March 17 press release from the Wisconsin Federation for Children, one of the leading groups lobbying for the private school voucher imposition proposal included in Governor Walker’s budget … Continue reading →

From where I sit, the contrast between the remaining School Board candidates is stark. I have known and respected Wayne Strong since we served together four years ago on the School District’s Strategic Planning Committee. I am impressed with Wayne’s … Continue reading →

Leadership comes in different shapes and sizes.  After spending time with 41-year-old Jen Cheatham and attending the community forum on Thursday, I kept thinking back to the winter day 23 years ago when 43-year-old Barry Alvarez was introduced to the … Continue reading →

January is named for Janus, the two-faced Roman god who looked simultaneously to the past and to the future.  While I claim no resemblance to any Roman god, I share the common inclination to look backward and forward as the … Continue reading →

Last week, after three days of negotiations, the Madison School Board unanimously approved new one-year collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) with our teachers and other represented employees that will cover the 2013-14 school year. Why is Madison the only one of … Continue reading →

Things have been hopping lately on the employee handbook/collective bargaining front.  The following questions and answers, organized into three chapters, are my attempt to summarize recent developments in a roughly chronological manner, add a few digressions on the applicable legal … Continue reading →

School’s back in session, and, after a quiet summer, it’s time to start firing up the ol’ blogging machine once more. It promises to be a challenging school year for the Madison School Board.  In addition to our normal duties, … Continue reading →