Madison Media Digest: Education, Homelessness, Public Spaces and Community

Here’s what we were reading while trying to pin down a groundhog substitute for Sun Prairie.

Education

As it turns 20, Madison’s Schools of Hope program can point to significant successes, even as more challenges have arisen. The Boys & Girls Club of Dane County received $3.3M in grants from foundations to support academic programs. Two Madison schools will be selected for the the new Community Schools Initiative to become hubs for family services in an effort to improve educational outcomes. Madison's schools appear to be making progress on “excellence with equity.” MultiCo, a West High School theater group, tours Madison schools to teach lessons about respect and acceptance. Doug Keillor is taking over as executive director of Madison Teachers Inc.

Homelessness

The Dane County board rejected a proposal from a group to operate the Homeless Day Center after the plan came in significantly over budget. This has put the long-planned project on hold again, with county officials offering differing ideas on how to move forward. The City is on track to start a storage locker program for homeless people. Madison Magazine profiles a woman who experienced homeless but used community resources to find a measure of stability.

Public Spaces

Two design teams submitted new design proposals for renovations for Judge Doyle Square just off the Capitol Square, and the County Board voted to move ahead with a plan to renovate the Alliant Energy Center. City government will be housed in two separate downtown locations during a $30M renovation of the Madison Municipal building. The City Council supported three proposed housing developments. The Urban Design Commission approved plans for a retail development on the Far East side. The Planning Commission greenlighted a not-quite fully formed proposal for affordable housing to help the developer take advantage of expiring tax credits available. The Marquette Neighborhood Association is looking at proposals to limit the effects of the Jenifer Street reconstruction starting this summer.

Community

The family of Tony Robinson, a Madison teenager killed by police in a shooting last March, called for action on racial justice after the state’s Martin Luther King Day ceremony. More than $150K in federal funds aimed at crime reduction in Southwest Madison will arrive soon. Is crime up or down in Madison? The Backyard Mosaic program serves women on work-release from the Dane County jail with an emphasis on art and healing. Dane County is exploring ways to help people released from prison find their way when they get back home. 

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dane County is turning 50. A Madison funeral home focuses on multiculturalism to provide services to a range of families. Madison365 introduces the 48 most powerful Latinos in Wisconsin. Mayra Medrano, new president of the Latino Chamber of Commerce in Dane County, hopes to expand economic empowerment. Madison’s temporary workers face unacknowledged challenges. Gov. Scott Walker will sign sweeping changes to civil service rules that will affect government employees in Madison. Madison’s East Side has been feeling the ground move when the ice melts. The Dalai Lama is coming to Madison on March 9.