Madison Superintendent Dan Nerad
Community-school organizer
Community-school organizer
Nerad noted that the private sector has a renewed interest in four-year-old kindergarten because it ends up being cost effective.
And it is the lack of early education, in Nerad’s view, that causes such a huge gap in the academic performance of students. “My view is poverty is the greatest
disequalizer for children,” Nerad said. “And in turn education and community working together with education is the greatest equalizer. And if we stop believing
that, we might as well close up shop and go home.
The equalization needs to happen with very concerted activity. And it has to happen with a commitment of public resources and partnership with private
resources. We have an obligation to our kids to make sure we do this work well and continue to do it well here.”
In order to address these issues, Nerad feels that there needs to be a compact between the schools and the community. For its part, the schools must have
greater transparency and accountability. “We have an obligation to assure this community that the kids are developing well,” Nerad said. “Now some of the
accountability measures are extremely problematic and fraught with technical problems and frankly, not just right. Having said that, it isn’t an issue for me. It isn’t
an issue of not supporting accountability; it’s supporting a fair system of accountability and multiple measures and not having to focus on punishing schools into
compliance. We need to be at a place where we are helping schools become better at their work. We can have a tremendous influence on this if we do that
work well and we make sure that we are trying to address that comfort level gap. That’s why Madison, I think, has been committed to a strategy of engagement
and relationship. There are things that we can do more of and differently. But I think it has all been part of a purposeful effort to think that way.”
And for their part, the community needs to make sure that the schools have the resources to reach its objectives. For the 2008-2009 school year, Madison’s
public schools were spared the annual round of budget cuts that they experienced over the past 15 years due to the state revenue caps. But the budget gaps
start anew for the 2009-2010 school year. There is an anticipated gap of $8 million for 2009-2010 and an addition $4 million apiece for the two years after that.
Nerad is looking to the community to meet the school district half way in closing the gap. “This has to be part of the conversation,” Nerad said. “Obviously I would
prefer to start with the teaching and learning part and how we are going to live our life around that. But the fact of the matter is that we cannot talk about
education today without talking about resources. My perspective is our technology — to misuse a term — is people. It’s adults. And I believe that everything good
and just for a child and groups of children happen through an adult. 85 percent of our budget is people, their salaries and their benefits. That’s our technology.
We’re a human resource intensive proposition. And I would just simply say that I have leadership experience in living under this revenue cap, so I know how to do
this work. At the same time, at a point in time, if you compromise quality for children, quality becomes compromised for community. I’m a strong believer that
what we do with kids is the answer to the question of how strong will Madison remain going out.”
Nerad knows, from his experience with the Green Bay district, that the problems Madison is facing aren’t unique. They are statewide. And if people don’t
start looking at the big picture, it could be detrimental to Wisconsin in the long run. “The funding formula needs major revision,” Nerad emphasized. “I know there
is an economic strain right now. All you have to do is drive by the gas stations to see what people are paying. I get that part of it. What needs to happen is a
public policy discussion about schools in this state from the point of view of what it takes to educate a child and what it costs when we fail to educate a child.
What are some of the things we are doing well and what are some of the things that we are not able to do that really should be done if this community is to
remain as strong as it has been? What I worry about is this polarity of politics environment that we are in where if you are for something, then you are against
something else. We have to elevate that discussion here. In the short-term, I understand the nervousness about resources. But that conversation needs to be
about more than the short-term. What’s at stake here is that unless we settle at a point of understanding of what it costs to education well today is what it costs in
the future when we don’t. I don’t see much of that type of discussion. I’m saying that type of discussion isn’t happening statewide.”
And unless the adults come to some broader understanding of what public education needs to be and what it resources, it will be the children — and the
community — who suffer. And Dan Nerad gets that.
And it is the lack of early education, in Nerad’s view, that causes such a huge gap in the academic performance of students. “My view is poverty is the greatest
disequalizer for children,” Nerad said. “And in turn education and community working together with education is the greatest equalizer. And if we stop believing
that, we might as well close up shop and go home.
The equalization needs to happen with very concerted activity. And it has to happen with a commitment of public resources and partnership with private
resources. We have an obligation to our kids to make sure we do this work well and continue to do it well here.”
In order to address these issues, Nerad feels that there needs to be a compact between the schools and the community. For its part, the schools must have
greater transparency and accountability. “We have an obligation to assure this community that the kids are developing well,” Nerad said. “Now some of the
accountability measures are extremely problematic and fraught with technical problems and frankly, not just right. Having said that, it isn’t an issue for me. It isn’t
an issue of not supporting accountability; it’s supporting a fair system of accountability and multiple measures and not having to focus on punishing schools into
compliance. We need to be at a place where we are helping schools become better at their work. We can have a tremendous influence on this if we do that
work well and we make sure that we are trying to address that comfort level gap. That’s why Madison, I think, has been committed to a strategy of engagement
and relationship. There are things that we can do more of and differently. But I think it has all been part of a purposeful effort to think that way.”
And for their part, the community needs to make sure that the schools have the resources to reach its objectives. For the 2008-2009 school year, Madison’s
public schools were spared the annual round of budget cuts that they experienced over the past 15 years due to the state revenue caps. But the budget gaps
start anew for the 2009-2010 school year. There is an anticipated gap of $8 million for 2009-2010 and an addition $4 million apiece for the two years after that.
Nerad is looking to the community to meet the school district half way in closing the gap. “This has to be part of the conversation,” Nerad said. “Obviously I would
prefer to start with the teaching and learning part and how we are going to live our life around that. But the fact of the matter is that we cannot talk about
education today without talking about resources. My perspective is our technology — to misuse a term — is people. It’s adults. And I believe that everything good
and just for a child and groups of children happen through an adult. 85 percent of our budget is people, their salaries and their benefits. That’s our technology.
We’re a human resource intensive proposition. And I would just simply say that I have leadership experience in living under this revenue cap, so I know how to do
this work. At the same time, at a point in time, if you compromise quality for children, quality becomes compromised for community. I’m a strong believer that
what we do with kids is the answer to the question of how strong will Madison remain going out.”
Nerad knows, from his experience with the Green Bay district, that the problems Madison is facing aren’t unique. They are statewide. And if people don’t
start looking at the big picture, it could be detrimental to Wisconsin in the long run. “The funding formula needs major revision,” Nerad emphasized. “I know there
is an economic strain right now. All you have to do is drive by the gas stations to see what people are paying. I get that part of it. What needs to happen is a
public policy discussion about schools in this state from the point of view of what it takes to educate a child and what it costs when we fail to educate a child.
What are some of the things we are doing well and what are some of the things that we are not able to do that really should be done if this community is to
remain as strong as it has been? What I worry about is this polarity of politics environment that we are in where if you are for something, then you are against
something else. We have to elevate that discussion here. In the short-term, I understand the nervousness about resources. But that conversation needs to be
about more than the short-term. What’s at stake here is that unless we settle at a point of understanding of what it costs to education well today is what it costs in
the future when we don’t. I don’t see much of that type of discussion. I’m saying that type of discussion isn’t happening statewide.”
And unless the adults come to some broader understanding of what public education needs to be and what it resources, it will be the children — and the
community — who suffer. And Dan Nerad gets that.
New MMSD Superintendent Dan Nerad with a teacher and
students of Nuestro Mundo at Nuestro Mundo’s school
celebration last June.
students of Nuestro Mundo at Nuestro Mundo’s school
celebration last June.
By Jonathan Gramling
Part 2 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.
Nerad began his career in education as a social worker and it appears that the holistic
approach to social work instructs his guiding philosophy on public education. The focus of Nerad’
s efforts is the children. “I think I can ensure people that we will be focused on all kids,” Nerad
said during an interview with The Capital City Hues. “But I am particularly worried that those who
have not been afforded what I’ll simply call — I know sometimes the metaphor doesn’t work —
the level playing field. And then we spend 10-13 more years trying to narrow or eliminate gaps.
And we kind of have that backwards. The more we can focus on that birth to school age period,
the less we have to spend catching up later on. That’s why I want us to recommit to a new
discussion on four-year old kindergarten. It would give us one more year.”
Part 2 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.
Nerad began his career in education as a social worker and it appears that the holistic
approach to social work instructs his guiding philosophy on public education. The focus of Nerad’
s efforts is the children. “I think I can ensure people that we will be focused on all kids,” Nerad
said during an interview with The Capital City Hues. “But I am particularly worried that those who
have not been afforded what I’ll simply call — I know sometimes the metaphor doesn’t work —
the level playing field. And then we spend 10-13 more years trying to narrow or eliminate gaps.
And we kind of have that backwards. The more we can focus on that birth to school age period,
the less we have to spend catching up later on. That’s why I want us to recommit to a new
discussion on four-year old kindergarten. It would give us one more year.”