Monthly Archives: June 2010

Last week, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers unveiled a package of proposals for overhauling the state’s system for funding schools.  Good for him.  Any effort to jumpstart a serious discussion about school funding reform is a positive step. … Continue reading →

Like most large organizations, the Madison school district seems subject to the iron law that everything always takes longer than you expect.  This certainly holds true for the ongoing reorganization of the district administration. While Dan Nerad has been superintendent … Continue reading →

As the parent of a high school senior, I occasionally take a look at the New York Times blog The Choice about the college admission process.  Currently the blog features some posts from college-bound seniors reflecting with emotion on their … Continue reading →

Thanks to Susan Troller for the kind shout-out.    I’m glad the article also mentioned others blogging on school topics.  Jim Zellmer has long provided a wonderful resource for the community with his School Information System (SIS) blog.  Several years ago, it … Continue reading →

One topic that I expect to address fairly often is the state funding formula for schools.  Let’s start the discussion with a memo that may have been the most stunning school-related document I read this past year. It’s a three-page  … Continue reading →

I was thinking some more about the extent to which the Board is culpable for doing a less-than-stellar job in following through on maintenance projects, like the tuck-pointing at East.  But it occurred to me that I’m an East parent … Continue reading →

I plan to write in more detail about why I dislike the tradition of explaining property tax levy changes in terms of the impact on the owner of a house assessed at a value of $250,000.   The editorial in this … Continue reading →

So, let’s recap the maintenance brouhaha.  Some of the projects identified before the 2005 maintenance referendum have not been done.  Others were.  Communications on this issue were bad, to the point of nearly non-existent, as the administration did not explain … Continue reading →

What could be more fun than an extended exegesis of a single sentence?  Let’s choose this one, from the Cap Times article: “With just $2.67 million in the 2010-2011 budget for maintenance projects, the district may see few prospects outside … Continue reading →

As a budget-reducing measure for the 2009-2010 school year, the Board voted not to spend about $3 million of the $5 million in spending authority that was approved in the 2005 maintenance referendum.  That money is not coming back.  The … Continue reading →