Responses for The Daily Page

February 20, 2006

Arlene Silveira

Candidate for Madison School Board, Seat 1

arlenesilv@aol.com

516-8981

1. Can you justify building a new school at a time when the district’s enrollment is stable or declining somewhat?

Although the District’s total enrollment is not growing, we must focus on where the students are living rather than the general enrollment. 1) Where is the growth? 2) What is the long-term growth projection for that area? 3) Are there long-term options to accommodate the students that do not involve building? The far west and southwest attendance areas of Madison are experiencing tremendous growth. Enrollment projections, population modeling, and development plans show that growth will continue

in these areas for some time yet. The West/Memorial Demographics Task Force evaluated a multitude of options that would not involve building construction. It also investigated bussing children over the Isthmus to utilize space in the East attendance area. But in considering the values of the community with respect to length of bus rides, percentage of low income students, and the desire to maintain neighborhood schools, the Task Force could not come up with a long term solution that excluded building new facilities. As a member of that Task Force I voted the same as my colleagues in the unanimous recommendation to build a new elementary school on the far west side and an addition to Leopold Elementary School. Any long-term plan demands new construction for future growth. The need is immediate, and with the rapidly increasing cost of construction, it is economical to build now. Failure to build will create overcrowded schools, producing nothing but negative effects on learning. We need new schools and the addition to attract new families to the district. Failure to build will deter new families from moving to the MMSD and may encourage some families to leave the MMSD. To secure the future of the District, we have to build.

2. Role playing exercise: Convince a family moving to the Madison metro area that Madison schools will provide as good as or better educational opportunities than they would receive in a suburban school district.

Q: Why should I enroll my children in the Madison Schools?

A: Because you'll find a rich diversity of children who enhance and enrich the learning environment. Madison's schools reflect the real world.

Q: And the teachers?

A: Top-notch and they have regular staff development to keep up with best methods and practices of teaching.

Q: What about course offerings and extracurricular activities?

A: From middle school through high school, children have an enormous range of course selections. Because we're a large school district, we can provide more learning opportunities. Sports, music, arts, clubs, and tutoring of all kinds. Because MMSD believes that children become engaged in school for different reasons, MMSD provides a wide array of choices to address diverse needs.

Q: Are there ways for the schools to work with city resources?

A: Absolutely. MMSD encourages interactions between the schools and the community. For example, the middle schools this month have "School Makes a Difference" day where community adults visit and talk about careers and what they've learned about choosing a career. The District also works with the UW. In the High School Science Research Intern Partnership, the District partners with the UW to provide students a chance to work at the university in an authentic science research experience. One of our most successful programs is the Schools of Hope Literacy Project which works to eliminate the racial achievement gap in third grade reading test scores.

Q: How?

A: The Schools of Hope recruits, trains and places community volunteer reading tutors in Madison schools. The opportunities are almost endless. MMSD never stops searching for improvement. That's why I am proud of the schools my daughter attends. Both of us have been very happy with our experience.