How Schools in Dane County Address Staffing Shortages

by Moises A. Hernandez, age 18

In August of 2022, just before the school year started, many schools in Dane County were still trying to fill job openings. At the time, there were about 650 open positions for teachers, support staff, and administrators across twelve Dane County school districts.

The Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD)—the second largest school district in Wisconsin, serving over 27,000 students in 52 schools—welcomed over 400 new educators after facing its largest staff shortage since 2017.

In early August, MMSD had 571 vacancies. That number went down to 135 by August 19 as the district had managed to recruit 436 educators. Data presented to the Madison School Board said, between May and July of this year, there were about 426 separations and 94 recruitments in MMSD. [Read More]

Student Proficiency in Math and Reading Falls below 40% in Wisconsin

by Sydney Steidl, age 16

During the 2020-21 school year, less than a third of Wisconsin youth were rated as proficient in both math and language arts on the Forward Exam. This was the first testing cycle since the exam was implemented in the 2015-2016 school year where student proficiency levels fell below 40 percent.

Much of this decline can be attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic, which moved students to an online learning environment. Adapting to remote learning proved difficult for many students. But these adjustments tended to have a greater impact on lower income students. Also, some students have less access to resources such as tutoring, reliable internet, and library-quality work environment. Even with $2.6 billion for federal Covid relief funding allocated to education, these disparities have proved persistent. [Read More]

Rising College Debt and the “Parent Plus” School Loan Program

by Sandy Flores-Ruiz, age 15

Baylor University, based in central Texas, is one of the many institutions that use a federal loan program called Parent Plus. Among private schools with a minimum of $1 billion endowment, Baylor also had the lowest repayment rate for this particular type of loan.

The Parent Plus program offers federal loans to parents and allows them to help pay for their children’s tuition. Before the introduction of this program, undergraduate students were the largest demographic taking out college loans requiring payment. Now, in the Parent Plus era, parents and graduate students take out the most loans.

The fast-growing Parent Plus program does not have income limits or a cap on the number of money parents can borrow, unlike other undergraduate loan programs. This makes Parent Plus appealing and accessible to parents, especially to those who want to send their children to the best-ranking schools. They often hastily agree to take out these loans without realizing the magnitude and future impact of their debt. [Read More]

New Reports Show Wider Achievement Gaps After Pandemic

by Sandy Flores-Ruiz, age 16

Reports showing achievement gaps widened after students moved from in-person instruction to online learning are no surprise. Virtual instruction caused learning loss in thousands of school districts across the nation.

The switch from in-person instruction to online learning produced negative results in student achievement. Several factors—including the disruption of school schedules, remote learning, social isolation, and health or family-related stress—have contributed to a reduction in math and reading test scores. Researchers report that low test scores are an unsettling prediction for the future.

Research released in January by The Brookings Institution shows the academic achievement gap widening. Brookings used math and reading test scores from the previous two years. They examined data from 5.4 million U.S. students in third through eighth grade. Among those 5.4 million students, math and reading scores were lower than in previous years. [Read More]