Wednesday, December 16, 2020 - 2:38 pm 

Superintendent Dana Mongoue provided some updates related to pandemic planning in the  District along with happenings around Dane County at the Board of Education regular meeting on Monday, Dec. 14.

Board president Annette Ashley presided over the meeting at the District Services Center, while other Board members participated remotely. The School Board has been meeting virtually since mid-March.

Monogue noted she had already had conversations with colleagues late this afternoon after Public Health Madison Dane County released its new guidance and recommendations. She said most districts indicated they will shift plans they had already developed related to in-person instruction.   

Monogue has held listening sessions with staff from every school over the past two-plus weeks. They are the third round of listening sessions she has held with staff this school year.  Staff consistently praised one another. Elementary educators noted they are extremely busy making enhancements to the Universal model while students are learning virtually but also planning for in-person instruction. She told members staff will get Wednesdays in January to work on what they need to be ready for students returning to buildings. Staff also reported good attendance in virtual learning and that families expressed satisfaction with the current efforts during virtual parent-teacher conferences.

Monogue noted 152 students at the secondary level had requested a model change. She showed members a breakdown by each school and noted the split was pretty even across grades and schools so it shouldn't have a significant impact on staffing.

Todd Smith noted the Board's listening session with middle school staff on Monday night was well-attended and included lots of positivity and references to teamwork. Ashley noted it was nice to hear from staff how valuable Wednesdays have been for planning and positively impacting student performance.