Committing to MMSD Being the Destination School District for our Destination City, Madison
For those of you who attended last week’s Partners for Progress Breakfast, we’re sure you could relate to Anne Marie Malecha when she said, “Madison will always be home,” whether you live within the city limits or across the country. And word is getting out. Madison is projected to welcome 115,000 new residents by 2050. In fact, our population has already grown by 12,099 residents, or 4.4% growth, between 2020 and 2023.
Madison has become a destination city and will remain one for the foreseeable future. The Madison Public Schools Foundation is committed to working with students, staff, and families to position MMSD as a destination school district. Why? Because thriving cities require thriving public school systems. One does not exist without the other.
Superintendent Gothard spoke about what this means to him: “understanding each student as an individual with goals, dreams, and aspirations.” For example, Aisha Jabang, a La Follette High senior is a STEM student at Madison College, spending two days per week at La Follette High School. Anne Marie Malecha was encouraged by her teachers and one administrator (Dr. Gothard), to channel her scrappy, enterprising nature to run the Lancer Zone school store. Today, Anne Marie is CEO of Dezenhall Resources in Washington, DC. Two students, two experiences separated by 20 years with one enduring outcome, discovering possibilities for their futures and unleashing potential. Dr. Gothard went on to say, “Understanding students and families – that’s our purpose. Learning will happen, and great learning will happen when we create culturally safe districts and environments.”
Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) is the second-largest district in Wisconsin, serving 25,000+ students and 6,000+ staff in 52 school buildings. As Madison and the world change, our schools must change and evolve to graduate young adults confident in their abilities to embrace the opportunities of today and the promise of what’s to come.
Almost 25 years ago, a group of enterprising, forward-thinking MMSD administrators and teachers formed what is now known as the Madison Public Schools Foundation. Their mission? To bring the community and district together to support the evolving needs of students, teachers, and schools. During our history, we’ve secured over $38 million in resources for our schools. In recent years we’ve also become a leading policy advocate to improve K12 funding and oversee referenda campaigns like Vote Yes 2 Invest and Strong Schools, Strong Community.
Aisha closed the morning with, “As a big sister to three other kids, the importance of the future for public schools is very high, be it renovations, mental health, or building connections throughout the school. I invite you to stand with MMSD students like me to help support my future and my sibling’s futures as well as their education system.”
Thank you to La Follette High for your hospitality and support, and to all the students who led tours of the newly renovated space, made possible by local voters in November 2020.
Today, more than ever, our community partners are essential for the in-the-moment and long-term advancement of MMSD and Madison. We invite you to join Dr. Gothard and his wife, Mary, as Schools Make Madison Champions.
To learn more and to explore additional ways to engage, contact Kelly Keenan, Resource Development Coordinator at [email protected]
