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alinea on the road


Since the overwhelming response to my session at the WI Education Convention just five weeks ago, I've already visited three amazing school districts.  I just have to share all the amazing things that are happening in education around Wisconsin.

alinea will be starting work with the Montello School District in March.  Just 40 minutes east of Wisconsin Dells, this small community has launched The Montello Idea, an initiative to involve the entire community in building an innovative and world-class education program.  In addition, to amazing collaborations with stakeholders, the district recently launched a charter school focused on the community's natural resources, and they are reaching out to homeschoolers.  Instead of seeing parents who homeschool as a threat to the public school system, they are welcoming these families into the schools to offer students who are being home schooled the opportunity to benefit by group activities and providing support that parents need.

The Wisconsin Dells School District is so unique in how it attracts young people from all over the world to work during the tourism season, as well as the work experience that local students receive.  Those huge water parks and other businesses are owned by people who have history in the area, and they are discussing very innovative ways to partner with the school district to inspire and empower students to become the next generation of business owners and entrepreneurs.

The Altoona School District is not only passionate about welcoming older adults into the schools to share their experiences and perspectives with younger people, but they also offer programs that allow older adults to continue learning and growing.  In addition, I have never come across a school district that is collaborating with other school districts - the Chippewa Valley in this case - for the benefit of all of the students.  This area of the state is talking about empowering schools in the three separate school districts to specialize and allowing families to choose the school - no matter what school district - that is the best match for their child.  This is amazing!  It takes a lot of courage to focus on student needs in a system that allocates resources based on enrollment for individual schools.

Oh, and I almost forgot about Brown Deer School District right outside of Milwaukee.  About five years ago, Deb Kerr, the new superintendent descended on the community like a huge breath of fresh air.  During the last five years, the community and staff members have launched so many initiatives during a time of decreasing budgets.  They have not sacrificed anything that benefits the students.  Instead, they have figured out ways to use their money more widely.  In addition, the community recently passed a $22 million referendum.  The district has relationships with local churches to offer mentoring to students, attracts volunteers with mental health expertise to provide support to their students, and has the most amazing diversity.  Other schools should be envious of the district's diversity - 40% of the students quality for free and reduced lunch, and there are about 26 different languages spoken among the student population.  And the art program . . .

How you can help

I think we all seem to hear more about the schools that are struggling than those that are "doing it for the kids."  It seems to feel like a big black hole for most people with no way out.  But believe me, there are amazing thins going on in our own state, and with alinea's help, some of our own small communities are going to put themselves on the map as innovative and world-class schools.  Instead of feeling threatened by another school's effectiveness, it would be great if other schools got out of their four walls and went to visit successful schools to see how it's done.

If you are looking for an opportunity to invest in or support a cutting edge school, please let me know.  You may have ties to some of these communities.

Stay tuned.  I'll continue to share with you how these schools are innovating.  I believe Milwaukee and some of the other bigger cities in Wisconsin have a lot to learn from smaller communities in our state.