REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY
GREAT THINGS ARE HAPPENING IN RACINE
In January, Jamie Vollmer visited Racine to communicate that schools cannot educate children alone. Children need community support to succeed. This year a number of great things have happened in Racine to support children and schools. The following are examples of those great things that are having a positive impact on the community – especially on our children.
- In the fall, Johnson Wax along with Cops ‘n Kids, the Racine Public Library and Racine schools worked together to challenge children in elementary schools across the community to read one million books by spring. Students and teachers responded to the challenge, and children read 1.8 million books. This initiative has resulted in giving children in the community the opportunity to strengthen and extend reading skills. Thanks to these organizations, children have been further challenged to continue reading to learn new ideas and explore new places through books.
- Two years ago, the Johnson Foundation brought personnel from the 21st Century Preparatory School, Next Generation Now, Racine Kenosha Community Action Agency Head Start, RUSD and United Way of Racine County as well as Department of Public Instruction consultants together to collaborate to strengthen early childhood education across the community. After two years of hard work, the group has agreed to use the Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards as a basis for planning classroom instruction. They also agreed to pilot the use of the ASQ, a questionnaire that is used with parents to obtain information about the developmental levels of children at ages three and four. The committee is also exploring methods to align four-year-old kindergarten with five-year-old kindergarten. The long-term goal is for all agencies to work together to help all children be successful in kindergarten.
- When Project CAPE partners with a school, the gifts of monetary and human resources are focused on thinking differently, fostering creativity and using innovations to improve teaching and learning. The key to this partnership’s success is a strong working relationship between Project CAPE and the school. This relationship with Wadewitz Elementary School began in September 2009 when the staff came to Project CAPE with a proposal to improve instructional practices to teach reading. The staff adopted a literacy initiative instead of using traditional methods to teach reading and language arts. Project CAPE took the role of critical friend, and teachers responded to tough questions by creating new strategies to improve reading. Wadewitz staff stated: Project CAPE plays a crucial role in our success by facilitating the conversation, encouraging us to critically assess the state of the school, justify reasons for change, develop goals that improve instruction and achievement and build and implement a comprehensive plan. Wadewitz students are making progress with the new approach to literacy based on periodic assessments.
- Project CAPE has also been in a supportive relationship with McKinley Middle School for a number of years. Their most recent involvement at McKinley has been to work in concert with the school to meet the goal of becoming an authorized International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IB MYP). To assist McKinley in achieving this goal, Project CAPE has provided financial support and ongoing consultation relative to McKinley’s strategic School Improvement Plan and their work to carry out the school’s mission. To that end, McKinley has received $291,351 in financial support and Project CAPE leadership has had a visible presence at McKinley and a professional relationship has been established.
- Early in the school year, United Way presented a proposal to pursue the use of a program called Schools of Hope. The program began in Dane County in 1995 and has been used in a number of school districts in various states. The focus of the program is to place volunteers in schools to tutor students in reading at the primary level. United Way is poised to begin a pilot program in two schools this fall.
- Local business leader John Wagner worked to obtain donations from businesses in Racine to buy telescopes and electronic microscopes for sixth and eighth-grade classrooms in our middle schools. A number of businesses contributed to the fund and students are now able to use the instruments in science classes. In addition to the equipment, professional development was provided to teachers as part of the overall plan developed by Wagner, RUSD Secondary Science Coordinator Ron Viola and teachers. Students and teachers are enthusiastic about using the new equipment to explore the environment.
- RUSD’s Career and Technical Education Program, in conjunction with the Racine Founders and Downtown Rotary Clubs and the middle schools, received the 2012 RAMAC Program of the Year Award for the Career Discovery Solutions Program. This partnership introduces students to local career opportunities. With support of volunteer Rotary Club members, students have opportunities to solve real-world business-related problems using math knowledge and skills they have learned through the seventh and eighth-grade curriculum. This program allows students to make connections between academic learning and their career interests.
- The Automotive Advisory Committee comprised of local business representatives has contributed knowledge, experience, time, skills and material resources to help students prepare for local, state and national competitions. Two students from the automotive program located at Park High School, under the direction of Dave Dixon, won the Greater New York Automotive Association National Technology Competition in New York in April. Former Park High School student Kieron Kohlmann of Ferris State University will represent the United States in the world-wide Auto Service Technology competition in Leipzig, Germany next summer. Two students also won the state Ford/AAA Automotive Skills Contest and will proceed to the national competition in Michigan this summer. This kind of extraordinary success would not be possible without the contributions of local business leaders.
- RUSD is fortunate to partner with Racine County in its effort to promote Challenge 1 of the Higher Expectations Initiative. Under the leadership of Michael Batten, CEO of Twin Disc, the intent of Challenge 1 is to set higher educational standards and improve the delivery system for those standards through the formal education system.
As the result of these kinds of programs and activities, children in Racine are given opportunities to grow, learn from new experiences and think critically about their world and their place in the community. We are grateful to all of the community members who have contributed human and financial resources to help Racine students succeed.
