CESA #1 Public Education Call to Action

“Rebuilding is one of the charisms of creation. The obstacles to rebuilding, to renewing, to revitalizing a dysfunctional system start with ourselves because we are products of the last system. This leads us to approach the task with a somewhat muddled mind. And, even if we can bring ourselves to propose a new system we can almost never imagine what the world would look like without the features of the old one. We stew in the juices of the past and want change, but what we really want is “planned” change; we want revolution as long as it is “nice" revolution. Yet there comes a time when criticism of the condition is simply not enough. There comes a moment when we must dedicate ourselves to creating the future. And that is hard, hard work. Rebuilders are those who take what other people only talk about and make it the next generation’s reality.”

There is a Time, Joan Chittister

 

BOARD OF CONTROL RESOLUTION

Whereas it is the fundamental mission of CESA #1 to equalize educational opportunity by providing quality and equitable opportunities to meet diverse school district needs; enhance quality education; provide technical services; promote cost effectiveness by providing linkages to state, regional, and national resources; and provide a network to make maximum use of regional diversity.

Whereas CESA #1 already provides regional infrastructure to facilitate collaborative efforts to meet the regional “collective self interest”.

Whereas regional cooperation and action are the keys to both educational transformation and economic development.

Whereas our regions economic well being and quality of life require us to actively partner with business and community leaders to establish a seamless connectivity that can build on our successes and create a self sustaining synergy that will transition public school system educational services and promote the economic development initiatives.

Whereas the economic well being of the communities that the CESA #1 area schools serve is having a direct impact on their school systems ability to provide quality educational services.

Whereas communities within CESA #1 are rediscovering that their continued success is inextricably tied to the success of the region as a whole.

Whereas our member school districts over the past several years have seen diminished resources resulting in a severely reduced capacity to provide educational services using the current delivery model.

Whereas the reduction in resources provided by the state for the next biennium is even more severely restricted thereby making the current educational delivery system financially unsustainable.

Whereas recent state legislation has significantly altered the processes and requirements for collective bargaining resulting in a significant impact on district resources.

Whereas our member districts are experiencing significantly increased pupil performance benchmarks as the result of state standards, NCLB, and IDEA requirements necessitating changes in educational programming strategies and resource priorities.

Whereas, the achievement gap based on race is the widest and most persistent in the Southeastern Wisconsin region;

Whereas, more than 74% of the 128,256 Wisconsin children living in high poverty neighborhoods reside in the Southeastern region;

Whereas, the achievement gap among CESA #1 school districts is significant by 10th grade, represented by advanced and proficient WKCE scores ranging from 38% to 93% in reading, 29% to 92% in math, and 20% to 90% in science.

Whereas all of these conditions have resulted in a crisis requiring systemic change in our districts’ financial condition, operational systems, overall public policy, as well as educational and instructional strategies.

Whereas the public education system in Southeastern Wisconsin therefore finds itself in a forced transformational culture requiring that the educational delivery system options become more financially viable.

Whereas the leadership of our member districts is being severely stretched and challenged thereby requiring additional support and training.

Whereas CESA #1 has successfully undertaken the implementation of a 21st century learning initiative applying advanced technology to support school improvement efforts.

Whereas advanced technology holds a key to education’s success both in terms of instructional intervention and district operations.

Whereas CESA #1 has established the Center for Education Innovation and Regional Economic Development to support and sustain educational transformation as determined by our member districts.

Whereas in response to these conditions the CESA #1 Superintendents’ Professional Advisory Committee is requesting the CESA #1 Board of Control to undertake (on behalf of its members) a comprehensive regional education transformation initiative.

Now therefore the C.E.S.A. # 1 Board of Control does hereby resolve to issue, in collaboration with its forty-five member districts, a Call to Action for a Regional Public Education Transformation Initiative and that such Initiative:

Shall be facilitated by the Center for Education Innovation and Regional Economic Development.

Shall engage and expand the regional, state, and national partnerships of government, business, and community organizations that CESA #1 has mobilized.

Shall provide educational leadership support services that include:

  • The use of an Advanced Solutions Laboratory that will facilitate leadership learning communities, provide strategies of civic forums, and implement strategic exploration and strategic doing tools.
  • A series of tactical workshops for implementing operational and instructional systems transformation.
  • Leveraging multiple networks to accomplish specified outcomes.

Shall focus on developing specific policies and implementation strategies that address our member districts’:

  • Efforts to develop and implement comprehensive policy recommendations and strategies which will prepare students to be competitive in the 21st century and close the region’s pupil performance achievement gap.
  • Financial system and resource issues.
  • Transformation of their overall operational systems including human resources, staff development, and collective bargaining.
  • Need for data-based decision making focused on results.
  • Requirements to change local, state, and national regulations that impede student learning opportunities and overall instructional program transformation.
  • Educational and instructional systems to better implement advanced technology.

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Gabe Kolesari, President
C.E.S.A. #1 Board of Control