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| Madison Metropolitan School District Madison, Wisconsin Art Rainwater, Superintendent | ||
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| BOARD OF EDUCATION Minutes for Special Meeting - Open Session April 25, 2007 |
Wright Middle School 1717 Fish Hatchery Road, LMC Madison, Wisconsin |
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Special Meeting of the Board of Education began at 6:37 p.m. There was no quorum.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Carol Carstensen (left 7 p.m.), Beth Moss, Arlene Silveira, Johnny Winston, Jr. (arrived 7:30 p.m.)
STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE
PRESENT: Joe Carlsmith (left approximately 7 p.m.)
MEMBERS ABSENT: Maya Cole, Lawrie Kobza, Lucy Mathiak
STAFF PRESENT: Joe Quick, Art Rainwater, Ann Wilson-Recording Secretary
1. Update of Legislative Activities
(Written materials available at the meeting: 2007-09 Legislative Agenda, 2007-09 Biennial Budget Issues "Talking Points," both attached to the original of these minutes.)
Joe Quick gave an update of activities since the last meeting on March 29. Small groups from schools (e.g., Lowell) have talked with Senator Fred Risser and Joe has received some feedback from Senator Risser about these meetings. Mr. Quick's message is that legislative advocacy cannot be a "one-shot" deal - need to keep coming back, showing up every week. This will get the attention of the legislator. Advocates must be relentless and keep up a sustained effort to relay their message. The Madison legislative delegation is sympathetic to the need for school funding changes; advocates need to start pushing for concrete items.
Reports/Updates:
· Groups of parents and children visited Joe Parisi and Mark Miller today. Schools represented included Franklin, Lapham, Leopold, Lake View, Lindbergh.
· Another group visited Senator Fred Risser.
· Former Board Members visited with Mark Pocan. He shared the names of legislators critical to contact who are both Republicans and Democrats; said it is critical to lobby people who live in these districts.
· Joe Quick will send out names of those legislators.
· Should identify ways to connect with parents from those districts. Call school district offices; connect with PTO groups or parents who worked on referenda.
· Examples of districts where there would be good contacts - Waukesha, Wisconsin Heights, New Glarus, Florence County, Southshore, Cassville. Art Rainwater and Joe Quick offered to ask superintendents for names.
· DPI website - search "referenda" to get a list of school districts and contacts.
· The Student Senate went to the Capitol last Thursday. Alternate Board student representative Jacinth Sohi made a speech. A press conference was held later that evening with student speakers. Received a follow up e-mail from Tom Beebe, Wisconsin Alliance for Excellent Schools. Student Senate is interested in working with parents to lobby for school funding change.
· Legislative breakfast meeting sponsored by Wisconsin Council on Developmental Disabilities. Heard about plan that Jon Erpenbach will propose for school finance change. Talked with Brett Davis.
· Group of students met with Barbara Lawton's Chief of Staff before the Sondy Pope Roberts event. Original plan was to talk about the Day of Silence. Spent time talking about budget cuts. Democrats perceive they are the "good guys" and "doing their best."
· Group of parents met with Therese Berceau. She urged parents to support finance reform, provided some helpful ideas, targeted areas where Republicans are in trouble.
· Letter writing workshop for students at Wright led by teacher, April 26.
2. Planning for Long Term Legislative Advocacy
COMMENTS/IDEAS:
· Ideas are centering in Madison. Local control is also an issue.
· Rallying and lobbying day this summer - try for large numbers, bring children.
· (Joe Quick) Need large numbers and to have organizations involved; can broach the idea with lobbyist colleagues.
· Wait until after budget, in the early fall, concentrate on Pope-Roberts plan.
· Joe Quick will share idea with WEAC, ask them about strategy suggestions.
· Idea for waiting until fall is good but need to organize and make contacts and plan now so that it is perceived as coming from the general public, not just teachers and school districts. Foreshadow, build up to it, get non-parents involved. Need to share with other districts, especially smaller ones, so we all use the same resources.
· Parents can be very effective but are difficult to organize.
· League of Women voters has a state-wide infrastructure (but will not lobby).
Carol Carstensen and Joe Carlsmith left at this point.
There was small group work to further discuss the comments and ideas that were presented followed by sharing with the large group.
Johnny Winston, Jr. arrived at this point.
COMMENTS/IDEAS:
· Love the rally idea. Still this year, set a date to work toward. Begin with our own PTOs, talk with them and then partner with the PTO groups from other districts (with the bigger idea of the rally in mind). Collect names/contacts, possibly partner with Wausau (piggyback on their ABC project). Slogan - moratorium on schools without funding.
· The subject that you present to the PTO is important. What is on the current agenda of legislators? Need to focus on the message and information, so first need to know what is going on. Problem is universal in the state; need to connect with everyone you know in the state. Elderly are a powerful group.
· Target audiences - real estate agents, PTO presidents, retired senior population - establish listserves. Know the calendar of events. Message must be articulate and timely. Build alliances (Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce) with message that good schools are at the heart of good business.
· Connect with local business people and let them speak from their perspective (e.g., not in agreement with WMC).
· Possible listserves - Wisconsin social workers, psychologists, nurses associations; newspaper columns, editorials - all building to crescendo of rally in the fall. Develop a speakers bureau - people with skills who can speak to target audiences.
· Hear more good stories from teachers and about the problems that result from cuts.
· Hear more of what is going well that we are afraid of losing - what to maintain and build on. Balanced message. Small class size is an example of a good story. Use Public Information Office video clips.
· Balance - enough concern to get people motivated, but not too much.
· Describe what the district will look like, without a referendum, after next year's budget cuts.
· Is there a political leader willing to make this a cause? Example - Mayor's recommendation to combine EOC and Civil Rights offices. Everyone in Madison was aware; much publicity.
· Dane County United may be an organization to tap into. Erpenbach plan to increase sales tax base could be part of the discussion.
3. Identification of Leadership for Legislative Advocacy
4. Next Steps and Future Plans
Arlene Silveira led a discussion about leadership and who might be willing to make the commitment to move this agenda item forward. She noted meetings would be community (rather than Board of Education) meetings in the future.
Recommendations were to invite political leaders/legislators to speak at the meetings and to structure the purpose to be both short-term (referendum) and long-term (school finance).
Joe Quick noted there was wide coalition of groups, formed to oppose TABOR, who wanted to stay together and support other causes. They could be tapped to begin discussions across the state on the whole issue of services, taxes and spending.
The next (community) meeting was set for May 16, 6:30-8 p.m., at Wright Middle School. T.J. Mertz volunteered to get a building permit to reserve the meeting space. Deb Gurke volunteered to lead the initial meeting(s) and the initial work - develop a list of action items, begin collecting names, begin a list of speakers, schedule presentations with PTAs.
5. Other Business
There was no other business.
6. Adjournment
The meeting ended at 8 p.m.
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