MG21 is hosting an open house in their Nichols facility on Thursday December 2nd from 6:30 to 8:00pm. This is a quality program that doesn't get enough attention, I urge you to attend and learn about it.
The staff of MG21 have prepared this response to the proposal to relocate the program to the Monona Senior Center:
Craig Gerlach, Superintendent, Monona Grove School District
Susan Fox, President, Monona Grove School Board
November 23, 2010
Craig and Susan:
We write to address issues concerning the future location of MG21, the Monona Grove Liberal Arts Charter School for the21st Century.
As you know, Monona Mayor Robb Kahl recently proposed moving MG21 out of our current location in Nichols School and into space now occupied by the Monona Senior Center in the bottom floor of the Monona Community Center. The Monona Grove School Board briefly addressed the issue at its November meeting.
We have deep reservations about this proposal. We do not think it would provide an adequate learning environment for our students, nor do we think it is in the best long-term interests of our charter school.
(Some background that might be helpful: There seems to be confusion about the identity of our school. The Monona Grove Alternative School ended its charter with the district and the State of Wisconsin on June 30, 2010. The Monona Grove Liberal Arts Charter School for the 21st Century is newly chartered and opened its doors on September 2, 2010 at Nichols School. MG21 currently serves 25 students in grades 10-12 who have not had success in the traditional high school. Students apply to attend this school. MG21 is not the same as the MGHS EXCEL program, which is also housed at Nichols in a separate location from MG21.)
Among our concerns are the following:
The space currently provided by the school district for MG21 in Nichols School is ideal for the needs of our students, and our long-term plans for MG21. We now operate as a Project-Based Learning (PBL) school, which requires more space than the previous alternative high school. In particular, we now offer students independent work stations, with individual computer terminals, to replicate the college and work environment our graduates will encounter when they leave MG21. We have two work station areas, totaling 28 computer areas and cubicles, in MG21 – one occupying the computer lab adjacent to the old library, and a larger area occupying roughly half of the former library space. We also have an area set aside in the library for large-group instruction and lectures, as well as the use of two classrooms directly across the hall. Current square footage of MG21 in Nichols School totals approximately 5,140 square feet. We also have access to the gymnasium at Nichols School for recreational and physical education use by our students, and potential use of the Nichols School multi-purpose room should our program grow in enrollment in future years.
In contrast, the space at the Senior Center is considerably smaller than what we have now (roughly 2,600 square feet), and not at all adequate for the current PBL-based approach of our school. The senior center space lacks adequate room for our individualized computer work stations, and there is inadequate instructional space for our academic classes. Our ability to carry out our PBL-based instructional program – the cornerstone of MG21’s educational approach, and one funded in part by a recent $175,000 grant from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction – would be severely compromised with a move to the Senior Center.
Moving to the Senior Center risks the potential for growth in MG21’s enrollment. Our school will always remain a school geared toward Monona Grove high school students not finding success within the traditional program offered at the Monona Grove High School. But we also envision MG21 becoming a school of choice both within the MG school district, and for students from neighboring districts, attracted to our PBL-based instructional program and our emphasis on developing 21st Century learning skills. Already MG21 is generating student revenue to the district through enrollment of students contracted by a neighboring district. The space at the Senior Center provides little if any room for growth in MG21. We are not even convinced we could adequately educate our current student population of 25 students in that space; we would have to examine closely our current instructional program, to see if we could maintain our current enrollment, if forced to move into the Senior Center.
The Community Center is in the heart of Monona, and thus is quite busy, with people using the building seven days a week, from early-morning hours into the evening. We are concerned this could be a counter-productive learning environment for our students. The programs offered at the Monona Community Center are considerably different than the needs of our charter school, and the many and varied uses of the community center do not strike us as compatible with the learning needs of our students.
We have significant concerns for our computers and work stations, along with classroom and curricular materials, should the city follow through on plans to rent MG21 school space by outside groups during the summer months. Our school program and space is not designed to be used as a rental facility during the summer months.
We also have concerns about access and egress to the community center is it relates to housing students in a school. As you well know, the school district has taken significant steps to upgrade safety measures at our schools. The Monona Community Center has several access points; issues of security and access to MG21, should it be forced to move to the current Senior Center, would have to be addressed, and could lead to diminished access to the community center.
The cost to relocate MG21 should also be considered. Because we are a project based learning school, we require extensive computer cabling, and wiring to support this.
Finally, we would need to work closely with the school board and city officials to address both the short- and long-term occupancy of the Senior Center space if forced to re-locate there. How long could MG21 count on remaining there? Will the terms of MG21’s occupancy of the space be subject to a contract between the city and school district? How would routine, day-to-day maintenance issues at the school be addressed?
Although we recognize the school district is facing budgetary and facility challenges, we have significant concerns about MG21 being used to help alleviate them by moving our program to the Monona Senior Center. We believe that such a move is not in the beneficial to our students, and is not in the best long-term interests of our school or this school district. We look forward to working with you on a solution that will best serve the needs of all interested parties.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Rebecca Fox-Blair, MG21 Executive Director
William McDonald, MG21 Faculty
19 comments:
Thanks Bill and Rebecca for your clarification. I have heard of your school but did not realize all that went on at your school. I think your points are very valid. I hope that the board listens to your concerns. Thanks for doing such a great job!
Thanks you so much for providing needed background. I really hope people begin to understand that while an idea is well intentioned, we should not pass judgement until we have enough information.
Addendum to the above post...
It seems Monona Grove has a successful charter school with potential for signifcant growth. I hope the board give great weight to their needs and potential for growth. One of the reason touted for moving MG 21 out of a district building was to leave room for a charter school Winnequah. While we don't want to pit one group against another, it makes sense to plan for the school that already exisits, not one that is a very long way from realization. Maybe we could do both? But if not, we must accomodate the existing program.
The MG21 folks must be heard as they have some very valid points and they have an extremely well functioning charter school in our district. One that we should all be very proud of. Anyone, including the mayor, who thinks that they might need more information about that school should plan to attend their open house next Tuesday evening and really see what it is all about.
Peter – you say yourself that MG21 won’t remain at Nichols long-term (which I agree is not fiscally prudent) and they don’t seem excited about the Community Center (or frankly any joint-use facility off of Monona Drive) so what is the plan for them next year and beyond?
The open house at MG21 is next Thursday, not Tuesday!
MG21 has to get beyond staying at Nichols.
"MG21 has to get beyond staying at Nichols."
It's been there for all of three months. And it was put there by the MG school board, which had the option of putting them somewhere else (like Winnequah), but opted for Nichols instead.
sooo....all this fuss over nothing? Maybe someone should have asked them before making this proposal?
If I recall....our mayor has run unopposed. Maybe some of the "armchair" mayors could run. Hmmm....
let's put the focus where it is obvious: Nichols is a money sucker that needs to be shut down completely and sold. Maywood is full now. Winnequah is not because the board has systematically gutted Winnequah to fill GD. The board has created this vacuum. It is unacceptable that Nichols remains half utilized and has since it closed. That is where the focus of all discussion about facilities discussion should be; close Nichols and relocate all tenants, and stop using a fully utilized, successful school building (Maywood) as a scapegoat.
"If I recall....our mayor has run unopposed. Maybe some of the "armchair" mayors could run. Hmmm...."
Yes, yes we should all blindly follow and believe.
"Maywood is full now. Winnequah is not because the board has systematically gutted Winnequah to fill GD."
I agree. Board members who are angling to keep Maywood open should have thought about the implications of moving 6th grade after one year before doing so. The Maywood argument was lost upon the removal of 6th grade from Monona.
"Winnequah is not because the board has systematically gutted Winnequah to fill GD."
Actually, the board made a good decision to build GD. Winnequah was quite crowded, and would have had a lot of trouble getting an addition added, and the technology upgraded to meet the needs of a 21st century middle school. A new middel school needed to be built.
It would have been great to build it in Monona, but there is no land to do so. Plus, 2/3rds of the district's kids come from Cottage Grove, and gas isn't going to get any cheeper. So Cottage Grove becomes the logical place for a new middle school.
The last option then was what to do with the MG middle schoolers. We could have kept them in Monona, and have them loose the benefits of a new, modern middle school. They would have a elementary style middle school, with a 1 or 2 teachers instead of the 6-8 which is the norm from 6th grade on. They would also first meet their peers their freshman year instead of 6th grade. Or have them ride a bus for 3 years. It is a little hard to get up 45 minutes to an hour earlier, but it's a small price for the other benefits.
"so what is the plan for them next year and beyond?"
IMHO MG21 should remain in their current place until there is a compelling reason to move them. Most likely that would occur when we need to vacate Nichols because the property has been sold, or if there is a situation where significant savings could be had.
At that time we should evaluate the space needs of the program (they may change) and find an appropriate space. Given what I know, the back portion of Maywood might be appropriate.
Does the board not have a plan to make a plan for disposing of either Maywood or Nichols? Is that even on the long term docket? The mayor has asserted parties are interested in Nichols. All of this leaves people very uneasy, not knowing what to believe, etc. A referendum to stop deep cuts is forseeable and it seems like there are a lot of ducks that are not being lined up...
The district has an appraisal for the Nichols property. The next step is to get approval of the electorate for the sale. (Sales of property by the district need to be approved at a meeting of the electorate, either at the annual or a special meeting called for that purpose.) Then we can entertain any offers received. Mayor Kahl has indicated that there are interested parties, but I haven't seen any proposals.
There aren't any plans to dispose of the Maywood property.
Looking forward to hearing all the great ideas at the school board meeting tonight, so the district population can be properly informed about the costs and implications of all the varied scenarios the board is looking into. Just have an open mind on all ideas, and think in terms of a long-range plan both fiscal and facilities.
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