Letter to Senator Russ Feingold

March 29, 2006

U.S. Senator Russ Feingold
506 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington D.C. 20510

Dear Senator Feingold:

Thank you for your recent letter detailing some of the K-12 education issues before Congress. I share your concern about Congress mandating an array of student assessments, but then failing to provide school districts with the resources necessary to ensure student success.

The Madison school district has always embraced assessment as one measure to ascertain student progress. However, on the heels of the assessment, programs and opportunities must be made available to students who need to improve. An example of the federal resource shortcomings is an attempt via the President's budget to curtail funding for Community Learning Centers (CLCs). Combining local, state and federal resources, Madison's CLCs provide critical after-school academic and recreational opportunities for children, oftentimes for those students with the greatest need for academic improvement.

The tremendous recent influx of Southeast Asian refugees and immigrants from Mexico to Wisconsin, has stressed school districts across the state. Providing services to these new students presents a formidable challenge. The entire Title III federal allocation to MMSD for bilingual education is $446,730 — a little less than 4 percent of the district's entire $11.6 million English Language Learner budget.

To further illustrate the district's predicament consider: During the 93-94 school year in MMSD there were 562 students in ESL, with 34.8 teachers, and 20.6 Bilingual Resource Specialists/Educational Assistants. The total MMSD ELL budget was $1,878,620. The state reimbursed districts for 33.1% of their costs associated with ELL.

By 2005-06 in MMSD there were 3,254 students in ESL, 125.77 teachers, and 70.5 BRSs/EAs. The total ELL budget is now $11,607,655. Twelve years later, as ELL enrollments across the state increases, the state now reimburses school districts for 12% of costs. If ELL students are expected to master NCLB standardized tests, then school personnel must have the resources to provide intensive instruction.

An emerging issue of concern deals with cable TV franchises and public access channels. Our district benefits greatly from communication with the public via community access cable channels. I am concerned about legislation being advanced by Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) that attempts to nationalize cable TV franchising, and believe it is a threat to the district's ability to operate and maintain such channels for the public.

Currently, the district provides an array of community service programming, including the International News Channel's transmission of foreign language newscasts in the language of origin, Classic Arts programming, Board of Education meetings, and information about services and programs for students in the community's schools. Please keep a watchful eye on the developments related to the nationalization of cable TV franchising and ensure that the legislation won't jeopardize community service programming.

Thank you for your ongoing work of representing the interests of students and educators in the U.S. Senate. I appreciate your efforts.

Sincerely,

Art Rainwater
Superintendent