Kaleem Caire is running for School Board Seat 3
What is the biggest challenge facing Madison schools?
“Madison’s 53-year achievement/opportunity gap is its greatest challenge right now, but retaining teachers and principals, engaging families more deeply in our schools and the education of their children, and holding all of our students to high expectations are tied for second place.”
Why are you qualified to help fix this problem?
“As the founder and leader of a public charter school in Madison, and the only person who would serve on the Madison School Board that has more than 25 years working in education from preschool through college, I have direct experience and success addressing these issues. We are closing the gaps at One City Schools, have more than 80 percent engagement from our parents and families, and are building a strong culture of excellence among our children and staff at our school.”
When it comes to fixing this problem, what’s more important to your vision: finding consensus (making everybody happy), reaching compromise (everybody gives up something), or sticking to principals?
“None of the above. What’s most important to me is doing what is best for our children. Instead of focusing on compromise “before” we determine what we are confronting, where a shared vision of [the district] can take us, and what resources and personnel we have to realize this vision, my hope is we will educate ourselves about the best ways to move forward, and be communicative with the public and our school and district admin teams. It’s important that we strike an appropriate balance between what’s reasonable and courageous, as we make decisions to benefit the children, employees and citizens of our school district as well, now and into the future.”
