Madison Superintendent Dan Nerad
Community-school organizer
Community-school organizer
While Madison’s schools have had a break from the annual slashing of the district’s budget to get under the state-imposed revenue caps, due to the windfall
in tax revenues it received from the closing of a tax incremental financing district, it will face another round of debilitating cuts in 2009 unless the district gets
an authorization passed by the voters in a referendum to exceed the revenue caps or the state changes its school funding legislation — a highly unlikely event.
And the last referendum failed.
And so perhaps Nerad’s community-focused approach with Madison school board members in tow is just what the school district needs at this crucial point
in its history. While Nerad comes to Madison from the Green Bay school district where he was its superintendent, he began his career in public education as a
school social worker. And it is his experience as a social worker that may help him lead the district through the difficult times ahead. “In some ways, you could
probably argue that I have never left the social work profession,” Nerad said. “I may have a different title. Having that background in understanding how systems
work and the importance of relationship building and understanding communication, conflict resolution and listening skills, that was part of how I grew up. I
spent 14 years in that type of work.”
Social work is a natural community organizing profession, whether it is organizing services around the needs of a child or family or assisting an entire
community to deal with community problems. “Community organizing speaks to who I am,” Nerad said. “I want to find a way to break down some of that
traditional barrier between our institution and especially people who don’t feel a natural ease in coming into the school. That’s one reason why I attend these
kinds of events. I want to put a personal face on the superintendency, which for many people can be intimidating.”
A part of that organizing is forging relationships with other partners or people with resources to combat individual or community problems. “My perspective on
collaboration is we need to come to a table,” Nerad said. “And we have to commit to staying at the table. There are no silver bullets. There are some things that
work better than others. We know about some things that are important in kids’ lives from birth to school age that are critically important. And we know what works
in schools today. And it isn’t all that complicated, but sometimes it can become very complicating. But it is adults who are willing to not think only about what
their institution is and come to a table and talk about how we can create new synergies if we can work together. Sometimes that means each of us has to give a
little bit in order to make things happen. I really like those conversations. And I think it is important that we commit to having them and to be a partner ourselves.
And we have to admit when we don’t have all of the answers or when we need help. I see a lot of good examples of that here, which really excites me. But I also
know that more can be created. I want to be a part of that conversation now.”
And as a social worker, Nerad has seen how positive outcomes can take place when the schools and community join together for the welfare of the child. “I
think the other thing that social work afforded me was the opportunity to really see first hand — for a long time I did that work — what is at stake when kids don’t
feel connected to school,” Nerad said. “My first two decades professionally were really focused on the most disconnected kids in the schooling process and what
it took to help them get that sense of connectedness and how things in their lives — not through their own personal fault — affected their ability to focus on
learning. I’ve come to a real understanding over the years about how the outside of school factors can influence kids and how inside of school factors that are
under our control can help change that and help make life better. I am a believer in both the community has to help us address the outside of school factors and
we have a responsibility there too. But our work is really the inside of school factors. And I see a lot great strength here where there is a dual focus, schools
working hard to do what’s right for kids and the community doing what is right for kids. There are more things that we need to do here.”
And in collaborations with the district, one of the most likely places where the partnerships take place is in the schools. And if they are a welcoming place or an
intimidating place can mean all the difference between successful and failed collaboration.
“I’ll never forget during my first job in administration as a supervisor of children at risk programs in the Green Bay schools,” Nerad recalled. “It really made a
nice transition from what I was doing with individuals and groups of kids and their families into this world of administration. We were creating an adopt a
classroom program. So we were out just in the same way we are here meeting with service clubs and different business who we though would want to partner with
us and come into schools and just volunteer their time to be with kids. And I’ll never forget the very large service organization that had a good reputation in
Green Bay. We brought them into one of our highest poverty schools in Green Bay. And at the end of the discussion concerning them coming into the schools
and working directly with kids, they said to me ‘Hey, before we start with kids, can we come and spend a half day here at the school?’ I said ‘Yeah, tell me why
you want to come?’ And I’ll never forget this. They told me they hadn’t been in school for a long time. It was kind of an intimidating place for them. Here are
people who have been successful in their lives, who are professionals and are known as givers in the community and they had a discomfort about being in the
school. So they came in and if it helped them, I’m glad they asked the question so we could work that out. The point I’m trying to make is if that is true for people
who are successful in their lives, what must it be like for people who haven’t had good experiences in schools?”
Next Issue: The revenue gap and a wish list for the future.
in tax revenues it received from the closing of a tax incremental financing district, it will face another round of debilitating cuts in 2009 unless the district gets
an authorization passed by the voters in a referendum to exceed the revenue caps or the state changes its school funding legislation — a highly unlikely event.
And the last referendum failed.
And so perhaps Nerad’s community-focused approach with Madison school board members in tow is just what the school district needs at this crucial point
in its history. While Nerad comes to Madison from the Green Bay school district where he was its superintendent, he began his career in public education as a
school social worker. And it is his experience as a social worker that may help him lead the district through the difficult times ahead. “In some ways, you could
probably argue that I have never left the social work profession,” Nerad said. “I may have a different title. Having that background in understanding how systems
work and the importance of relationship building and understanding communication, conflict resolution and listening skills, that was part of how I grew up. I
spent 14 years in that type of work.”
Social work is a natural community organizing profession, whether it is organizing services around the needs of a child or family or assisting an entire
community to deal with community problems. “Community organizing speaks to who I am,” Nerad said. “I want to find a way to break down some of that
traditional barrier between our institution and especially people who don’t feel a natural ease in coming into the school. That’s one reason why I attend these
kinds of events. I want to put a personal face on the superintendency, which for many people can be intimidating.”
A part of that organizing is forging relationships with other partners or people with resources to combat individual or community problems. “My perspective on
collaboration is we need to come to a table,” Nerad said. “And we have to commit to staying at the table. There are no silver bullets. There are some things that
work better than others. We know about some things that are important in kids’ lives from birth to school age that are critically important. And we know what works
in schools today. And it isn’t all that complicated, but sometimes it can become very complicating. But it is adults who are willing to not think only about what
their institution is and come to a table and talk about how we can create new synergies if we can work together. Sometimes that means each of us has to give a
little bit in order to make things happen. I really like those conversations. And I think it is important that we commit to having them and to be a partner ourselves.
And we have to admit when we don’t have all of the answers or when we need help. I see a lot of good examples of that here, which really excites me. But I also
know that more can be created. I want to be a part of that conversation now.”
And as a social worker, Nerad has seen how positive outcomes can take place when the schools and community join together for the welfare of the child. “I
think the other thing that social work afforded me was the opportunity to really see first hand — for a long time I did that work — what is at stake when kids don’t
feel connected to school,” Nerad said. “My first two decades professionally were really focused on the most disconnected kids in the schooling process and what
it took to help them get that sense of connectedness and how things in their lives — not through their own personal fault — affected their ability to focus on
learning. I’ve come to a real understanding over the years about how the outside of school factors can influence kids and how inside of school factors that are
under our control can help change that and help make life better. I am a believer in both the community has to help us address the outside of school factors and
we have a responsibility there too. But our work is really the inside of school factors. And I see a lot great strength here where there is a dual focus, schools
working hard to do what’s right for kids and the community doing what is right for kids. There are more things that we need to do here.”
And in collaborations with the district, one of the most likely places where the partnerships take place is in the schools. And if they are a welcoming place or an
intimidating place can mean all the difference between successful and failed collaboration.
“I’ll never forget during my first job in administration as a supervisor of children at risk programs in the Green Bay schools,” Nerad recalled. “It really made a
nice transition from what I was doing with individuals and groups of kids and their families into this world of administration. We were creating an adopt a
classroom program. So we were out just in the same way we are here meeting with service clubs and different business who we though would want to partner with
us and come into schools and just volunteer their time to be with kids. And I’ll never forget the very large service organization that had a good reputation in
Green Bay. We brought them into one of our highest poverty schools in Green Bay. And at the end of the discussion concerning them coming into the schools
and working directly with kids, they said to me ‘Hey, before we start with kids, can we come and spend a half day here at the school?’ I said ‘Yeah, tell me why
you want to come?’ And I’ll never forget this. They told me they hadn’t been in school for a long time. It was kind of an intimidating place for them. Here are
people who have been successful in their lives, who are professionals and are known as givers in the community and they had a discomfort about being in the
school. So they came in and if it helped them, I’m glad they asked the question so we could work that out. The point I’m trying to make is if that is true for people
who are successful in their lives, what must it be like for people who haven’t had good experiences in schools?”
Next Issue: The revenue gap and a wish list for the future.
By Jonathan Gramling
Part 1 of 2
Chances are that if you went to one of Madison’s community festivals, Nuestro Mundo’s end of the
year celebration or to 100 Black Men’s Back to School Picnic, you would have bumped into Dan Nerad,
the new superintendent for Madison’s public schools. Yeah, he was the one in the t-shirt and blue jeans
walking around talking to people and getting a good look at what is going on in Madison. Chances are
you might not have even recognized him.
For better or worse, Nerad has a different style than Art Rainwater, his predecessor. “I think you will
see this continue because it’s part of my leadership philosophy,” Nerad said in an interview with The
Capital City Hues during the Bayview Triangle Ethnic Fest. “And I think people in Green Bay will tell you
that I did farmer’s market there on an on-going basis and I did grocery store visits and hanging out in the
frozen food aisle with our table. People sometimes look at you funny sometimes and say ‘You’re here?’
Probably the good news is Dan’s not Art and Art’s not Dan. We’re different people. He and I talked about
that. That’s the way it is and you can’t change that.”
Part 1 of 2
Chances are that if you went to one of Madison’s community festivals, Nuestro Mundo’s end of the
year celebration or to 100 Black Men’s Back to School Picnic, you would have bumped into Dan Nerad,
the new superintendent for Madison’s public schools. Yeah, he was the one in the t-shirt and blue jeans
walking around talking to people and getting a good look at what is going on in Madison. Chances are
you might not have even recognized him.
For better or worse, Nerad has a different style than Art Rainwater, his predecessor. “I think you will
see this continue because it’s part of my leadership philosophy,” Nerad said in an interview with The
Capital City Hues during the Bayview Triangle Ethnic Fest. “And I think people in Green Bay will tell you
that I did farmer’s market there on an on-going basis and I did grocery store visits and hanging out in the
frozen food aisle with our table. People sometimes look at you funny sometimes and say ‘You’re here?’
Probably the good news is Dan’s not Art and Art’s not Dan. We’re different people. He and I talked about
that. That’s the way it is and you can’t change that.”
MMSD Superintendent Dan Nerad at Bayview’s
Triangle Ethnicfest
Triangle Ethnicfest