School colors
Re: “Looking for familiar faces” (1/11/2018): Kudos to Isthmus for its fantastic cover story on the diversity crisis among Madison public school teachers, particularly as it relates to African American staff. Yet a more comprehensive exposition of the problem would have also highlighted the dire need for more Latina/o classroom teachers and administrators. At 21 percent, Latina/o students are now the largest minority group in MMSD, and, like their black peers, face a persistent achievement gap, particularly in reading. Having more classroom teachers and administrators who look like them, are native Spanish speakers, and share specific cultural knowledge around issues such as legal status, would greatly empower our young people to succeed. This is especially important at a time when the president has made a political career out of demonizing Latina/o immigrants and expanding the deportation dragnet.
— Oliver Ortega
There are no more color-blind subjects than the STEM subjects considered all-important today. Claiming students of color only can learn from teachers of color is as bogus as the excuse that consumers wouldn’t buy from retail clerks of color in the 1950s and business buyers wouldn’t procure anything from female sales reps in the 1970s.
— LuAnne Feik (via email)
This one you can’t blame on Walker
Re: “This IS your grandfather’s Wisconsin” (01/17/2018): To compete in public transit, Madison needs to have a decent bus/rail system for getting around town. It usually takes twice as long to get somewhere by bus than by car. I live on the west side of Madison, but work on the east. Public transit is out of the question. The great part about Chicago’s public transit is that it will take you anywhere — fast. Want to go to a Cubs game at Wrigley? Or go to the Art Institute? Or the Museum of Science and Industry? All while living in the suburbs? No problem. The only part of Madison’s public transit anybody brags about are the free bikes. We can’t blame Walker for this. It’s always been this way. Why hasn’t Madison followed every other progressive city and created a great city-wide transit system?
— Gabriel Curio (via web)
Corrections: In last week’s story, “Whose House?”, it was incorrectly reported that the ALRC approved the liquor license for Sweet Home Wisconsin; it was referred. Also last week, in “Stepping up,” it was incorrectly reported that Supv. John Hendrick supported the plan to expand the Dane County Jail; he was absent when the board voted on the budget, which included the jail project.