| Vol. 5 No. 6 March 25, 2010 |
The Capital City Hues (608) 241-2000 gramling@capitalcityhues.com Subscription Information: The Capital City Hues PO Box 259712 Madison, WI 53725 ($45 a year) Contact Number: (608) 241-2000 Advertising: Claire G. Mendoza sales@capitalcityhues.com |
EDITORIAL STAFF Jonathan Gramling Publisher & Editor Heidi Manabat Managing Editor Clarita G. Mendoza Sales Manager Contributing Writers Rita Adair, Paul Barrows, Alfonso Zepeda Capistran, Fabu, Andrew Gramling, Lang Kenneth Haynes, Eileen Cecille Hocker, Heidi Pascual, Jessica Pharm, Laura Salinger, Jessica Strong, & Martinez White Webmaster: Heidi @ managing.editor@capitalcityhues.comv |
| By the time you read this, many of you will be experiencing the exhilaration and demands of spring break. It’s always a welcome sign that spring, indeed, is here and the kids and teachers will be able to take a breather before making that final push for the end of the school year and graduation. For some parents, it means either taking your own time off to look after your children, scrambling around to find alternative care, taking some time off yourself or worst case scenario, fretting everyday at work as your children spend part of their day unsupervised. For many Madison parents — especially low-income parents — the latter scenario could become a reality for most of the school year. The Madison Metropolitan School District is experiencing its biggest fiscal crisis in years due to decreases in state school aids for Madison as it begins its final deliberations for the 2010- 2011 school year. While initially considering $30 million in budget cuts — more than double what has been regularly considered since the state revenue caps were instituted in the early 1990s — it is now looking at $17-$18 million in cuts. Now comes the really hard part. In the initial recommendations, it appeared that an inordinate amount of the cuts would impact efforts to reduce the academic achievement gap and programming for low-income students and students of color. At the present time, it isn’t clear how much of that scenario still holds true because detailed information about what composes the $17-$18 million in items still remaining on the chopping block isn’t available. However, it does appear that there are many after school activities remaining on the chopping block including some Schools of Hope funds for the Urban League and Centro Hispano as well as the Urban League’s careers program. After school programming for the Lussier Community Education Center and Goodman Community Center and others are also at risk. Asset Builders of America’s financial literacy programming may be gone. What also may be gone is some of the programming provided by the Madison School Community Recreation (MSCR) program. It is important that the school district continue its efforts to reduce the academic achievement gap for the long-term economic and social health of Madison as well as for the personal academic and social growth of all of the district’s children. For that reason alone, we need to be taking a serious look at these cuts and their impact. However, a more fundamental question has to be asked. What will happen to the children after school? Back in the mid-1990s, I had the privilege to work on MMSD’s community learning center proposals that were funded by the federal government. One of the statistics that will always stay with me is that the vast majority of juvenile crime is committed between 3-6 p.m. when children leave school and may be unsupervised before their parents get home at night. The CLCs were designed to engage children in meaningful educational activities and keep them out of harm’s way. Well, if MMSD is forced to cut a lot of the after school programming, what will happen to the children? Who will be supervising them then? Will it be the streets or positive adult role models? Instead of paying youth counselors to work with the children, will higher paid members of the Madison Police Department be forced to fill the breach as some children begin to get in trouble? Will we be a penny wise and a pound foolish? I don’t know the answer to these questions. Have Dane County, the city of Madison, United Way, MMSD and others jointly considered that question before significant action is taken? On April 6, right after spring break ends, we will have a local election. Current school board members Beth Moss and Maya Cole will automatically be re-elected because they do not face an opponent. Tom Farley and James Howard are competing for Seat 4 of the MMSD board. We have printed our questionnaire that we issued for these candidates and the answers by the candidate who was able to send one back. It is important, as much as possible, for people to become informed about this budget crisis and these candidates’ stands on what — if anything — should be cut. An informed electorate and voters are what make our democracy strong. Please vote on Tuesday April 6 for the MMSD school board, Appeals Court Judge and other positions up for election. Exercise your civil rights and vote. You can’t complain later on if you didn’t take the time to vote on April 6. VOTE! Our children and future are depending on you. |
| Reflections/Jonathan Gramling Exercise your civil rights! |
| MARCH MADNESS UW's Howard Moore talks about the NCAA Tourney |