News and information for staff members and the Madison community
Vol. II No. 7 - May 3, 2007
After another anguishing budget with cuts and consolidations, it's easy to forget the many successes of Madison Schools. Highly trained, award-winning staff, stellar students who excel academically and support of the district by local business and community leaders, are just a few examples of the many positive attributes of MMSD. Take a moment to read what others say about our school district.
"(Madison Schools) have raised student achievement for all children, and at the same time raised achievement for their low-income children even more...which is so impressive."
Julie Underwood, dean of the UW-Madison School of Education, "Isthmus," March 23, 2007
"They're teaching Braille to Mandarin and everything in between. I think if most citizens of Madison could see what this school is doing, they'd be impressed with what they are getting from the money we spend on education."
Police Chief Noble Wray, "Principal for a Day" at Memorial High School, March 2006
"My conclusion is that the strategies the Madison school system has put in place to reduce the racial achievement gap have paid off very well and my hope is that the strategies will continue." Madison has "bucked the national trend."
Adam Gamoran, director of the Wisconsin Center for Educational Research, May 2006
"If someone is coming in from outside of Madison, and they are from the UW, or the hospital, or a large company, there are certain schools that people hear about again and again. I had a client for a large company that told me they did not have children, and had no plans to have children, but that they had to buy a house in the West High School attendance area because it has the highest SAT scores in the state!"
Liz Lauer, Restaino Bunbury real estate agent, June 2006
"We are very impressed with the local schools. We know the role they play with our young people is so critical to the future success of our community..."
Steve Goldberg, executive director of CUNA Mutual Group Foundation, May 2006
"Meeting and getting to know some of these students was a very rewarding experience. These kids ranged from local kids that were born and raised here to immigrant students that came here not knowing any English. I found these kids to be bright and intelligent and very ambitious. Too many times we only hear negative stories about today's youth. It was a rewarding experience for me to know there are wonderful kids, too."
Nancy Schrimpf, Heritage Credit Union, member services director, May 2006, a school volunteer
"What do work histories look like for individuals with significant disabilities?...What better place to answer this question than in Madison, Wisconsin where the school system in the 1970s assumed the responsibility for preparing students with significant disabilities for integrated work in contrast to sheltered/segregated work at school exit?...For these 50 workers, it has meant stable productive, enhancing, safe, and yes — rather ordinary, integrated work careers."
Alison Ford, UW-Milwaukee, in a preface to a series of articles about vocation opportunities for students with significant disabilities, Summer 2006 ("Research& Practice for persons with Severe Disabilities," 2006, Vol. 31, No.2)
"If MMSD school personnel did not provide authentic vocational assessment and instruction, it is extremely doubtful that many parents would have advocated for their children to be supported in integrated work settings after school exit."
Prof. Emeritus Lou Brown, et al, in an article about MMSD's vocational program for students with significant disabilities, Summer 2006 ("Research& Practice for persons with Severe Disabilities", 2006, Vol. 31, No.2)
"The Madison Metropolitan School District understands the importance of energy efficiency as a way to cut energy costs, reduce energy consumption and protect the environment for future generations. Its commitment to energy efficiency makes the MMSD a role-model for students and for other school districts in Wisconsin."
Wisconsin Public Service Commission Chairman Dan Ebert, upon giving the district the Governor's Award for Excellence in Energy Efficiency and providing a $45,000 "Focus on Energy" financial incentive grant for the school district's ongoing commitment to becoming more energy efficient, October 2006
"The Madison Metropolitan School District is and has historically been recognized as one of the best in the nation. This valid reputation is based on student achievement results, depth of instructional programs, and innovation approaches to serve a student population with diverse needs...During the past decade, astute fiscal management on the part of the District has allowed it to accommodate this commitment to exceptional, quality and comprehensive education for all students."
Virchow, Krause & Company, LLP, March 2002
"I like Madison. It has nice neighborhoods and is a small city with very good people. And it's a very good school system here. I have two children and I want them to stay in Madison schools."
Small business owner (India House), Sakthivel Prabakaran, November 2006
"Madison public schools in the last decade have made historic gains in closing the achievement gap in the critical areas of third grade reading and high school algebra."
WISC-TV editorial, December 2006
"We've had an unbelievable amount of comments left in the visitor books. People say they can't believe the work was done by middle school students. We've had very positive reactions to the show and to how trauma is taught in the Madison public schools."
Clare Vogel, coordinator of the Community Galleries at the Overture Center, commenting on Cherokee Middle School's student artwork showcased at the Overture, April 2007
"Congratulations. Your district has been rated as one of the top public schools in the United States in Expansion Management magazine's 16th annual Education Quotient."
Bill King, editor, Expansion Management, March 2007, on MMSD receiving the magazine's Gold Medal standard (analyzing 2,819 school districts with enrollment of at least 3,300 students)
Interested in more? Take a look at "Recently in the News" from the MMSD Web site. It features local news media reports about the school district.
Dr. Julie Underwood
Police Chief Noble Wray
Last Updated: Thu May 24 15:36:24 2007
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