News | Literacy Services of Wisconsin

Keeping tabs on education policy...

2012-02-10T11:54:00.002-06:00

Message from the Wisconsin Reading Coalition

The Governor’s office has just announced the introduction of the education reform bill stemming from task force work during 2011. The important provisions covering reading include universal screening for reading readiness in kindergarten and a new exam in reading development and instruction that is required for initial K-5 and special education teaching licenses.

The Assembly and Senate Education Committees will be hearing invited and public testimony on Wednesday, February 15, beginning at 11:00 AM. Written comments are also welcome prior to the 15^th, and should be sent to Rep. Steve Kestell and Sen. Luther Olsen. Constructive comments on improving the language of the bill will be accepted. Now is your chance to be heard!

Although we feel that this bill could be made stronger by leaving fewer of the specifics to the discretion of the implementers, we also recognize that this is a huge first step for Wisconsin, where similar reading legislation was dead-on-arrival just two years ago. We will continue to work through the hearing process to make the bill as strong as possible for the benefit of our students and teachers.

Education Reform Bill Introduced

Governor Walker Thanks Education Leaders for Work on Reform Bill

MADISON- Governor Walker today thanked Senator Luther Olsen, Representative Steve Kestell, State Superintendent Tony Evers, and all of the members of the Read to Lead, Educator Effectiveness, and School Accountability groups for their hard work. LRB- 11-4017/2, a bill based on the recommendations of the 2011 education task forces, was circulated today by education chairs Representative Kestell and Senator Olsen.

“This bill is a result of bipartisan workgroups that spent the better part of last year finding ways to improve education for the students of our state,” said Governor Walker. “Through this bill, and the upcoming No Child Left Behind Waiver, Wisconsin will be able to find what is working in education in our state and replicate it while specifically focusing on fundamental skills like reading. Thank you to everyone who was involved in this process and a special thank you to Senator Olsen, Representative Kestell, and State Superintendent Evers for their leadership. We will also continue to work collaboratively with Tony Evers and his staff as they finalize their waiver.”

The education reform package includes legislation to implement Read to Lead recommendations and improve teacher effectiveness. School accountability will be improved through the upcoming No Child Left Behind Waiver.

Elements of the bill:

The Read to Lead Development Council – A public-private partnership to support and expand reading programs that are working throughout Wisconsin

The Read to Lead Development Council is aimed at finding what works and, along with private partners, funding broader replication throughout the state. The Superintendent and Governor will jointly decide the size of grants based on recommendations from board members. Non-state employee members will also assist in growing the fund’s reach. Programs funded might support afterschool, parent outreach, or teacher professional development efforts. The bill will allocate $400,000 in existing funds from the 2011-13 budget to help the fund get started.

Identifying Struggling Readers and Ensuring Teachers Are Prepared – A universal kindergarten reading screener and a new, more rigorous test for new elementary and reading teachers

Rather than wait until third grade to know if students are struggling, the legislation requires screening of all students as soon as they enter kindergarten to find possible areas in need of intervention. The screener will be funded with $800,000 in existing funds from the 2011-13 budget.

Massachusetts ranks better in reading than every other state by a statistically significant margin. Wisconsin will model the reading portion of its licensure test on Massachusetts’ to ensure teachers are equipped with the latest research on reading. The new test will replace the Praxis for all new K-5 and special education teachers. For practicing educators, the test will be voluntary.

A Fair Evaluation System for Teachers and Principals

The evaluation system was developed with teachers and administrators to fairly evaluate all educators. Rather than using raw test scores, the evaluation system puts teachers on a level playing field, regardless of the students assigned to them, through the use of value-added growth. The system uses multiple measures of educator practice (50%) and student outcomes (50%). Teachers will work collaboratively with their administrators to set student learning goals and will receive constructive, regular, and specific feedback to continually improve. The bill also establishes a new collaborative process with the higher education community to further improve our teacher preparatory programs by reviewing the performance of recent graduates.

Elements of No Child Left Behind Waiver

By the end of this month, the Department of Public Instruction will submit a waiver to the U.S. Department of Education, asking for state flexibilities from the No Child Left Behind law. The waiver will do more than identify which schools are performing, it will set new accountability standards and give the state the ability to intervene in the very lowest performing schools, while replicating best practices. A school and district report card will provide much needed information on reading and math scores along with details such as school environment, achievement gaps, course offerings, post-secondary attainment, and more. It will fairly evaluate all schools: choice, charter, and traditional public. Wisconsin will reallocate resources and find new ones where possible to support schools in need. The Governor’s Office and others continue to work with DPI to ensure a strong final product. Once negotiations over the waiver with the U.S. Department of Education have concluded, additional legislation may be necessary.

You can view the entire bill here

We're Hiring!

2012-02-09T12:26:00.000-06:00

Intake/Assessment Specialist

Primary Responsibilities:

Daily student intakes:

Enrollment interviews
Administer standardized testing
New student orientation and scheduling

Testing/assessments:

Administer scheduled testing in all programs
Data entry of student scores and other measurements in database

Classroom back up support:

Cover classes in the absence of program staff
Other support duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in education or related field
Previous experience with student/client intake processes
Working knowledge or background in administering/proctoring academic testing
Prior experience in adult basic education preferred
Computer proficiency in Microsoft products and database operations
Previous experience working with disadvantaged populations.

To apply, send resume, cover letter and references to India McCanse at india@literacyservices.org
No phone calls, please.

Holiday Giving Tree

2011-12-19T15:02:00.002-06:00

Pictured are: From left – Peter Casper, Anita Kiesling, India McCanse (Executive
Director of Literacy Services), Zachary Holder, Angela Johnson – from JPMorgan Chase

LSW students were treated to presents by employees of Northwestern Mutual and JPMorgan Chase through the Nonprofit Center’s Holiday Giving Tree program. The two companies were incredibly generous in providing holiday presents for 150 LSW students. For many of our adult students, this will be the only Christmas gift they receive.

Thank You Chase and Northwestern!

Harley Takes the Twentieth!

2011-11-09T12:37:00.000-06:00

H-D V-I-C-T-O-R-Y!

It was a stellar night for the Screamin’ Eagles of Harley-Davidson who edged out the Johnson Controls’ team “BEE Dazzled” for the championship of LSW’s 20th Annual Milwaukee Spelling Bee by spelling the word – iridesce. Sixteen teams competed for the coveted prize and more than $25,000 was raised for LSW. Thank you to ALL of our teams and to We Energies as always, for the donation of their beautiful auditorium. More photos of the event here.

2011 Joe Flanner Memorial Golf Outing

2011-08-12T14:36:00.000-05:00

More than $5,000 was raised at the Joe Flanner Memorial Golfing benefiting Literacy Services of Wisconsin! One team dominated the green, but LSW was the real winner. Thanks to Helen and all the Flanners and participants. Be sure to to take a look at more of the photos of the event on our flickr page here.

Now on to the Sept 15-18^th Book Sale!

2011 Luncheon: Thank You!

2011-06-09T09:14:00.000-05:00

THANK YOU to everyone who attended and contributed to the success of the 2011 Luncheon of Literacy Services of Wisconsin! Because of your participation, this year's Luncheon raised more than $85,000 to serve the literacy needs of the Greater Milwaukee community—and help build the bridge from poverty to hope.

Read more »

Functional Literacy: Our Newest Venture

2011-05-04T09:26:00.003-05:00

Volunteers from Manpower help hone students' job interviewing skills.

Adult learners with a GED, or those who have low-level reading or English skills, often lack other practical abilities like utilizing a computer or managing finances. In order to help students advance beyond the classroom, LSW has launched a new program known as Functional Literacy. The program has three core areas: computer literacy, financial literacy, and workforce readiness.
Read more »

Every Four Seconds

2011-04-13T13:36:00.003-05:00

The Red Book Has Landed!

2011-04-01T10:00:00.001-05:00

The book is revealed!

On March 17th, under cover of darkness at 4:00 a.m. and then a veil, downtown's newest icon was lifted and installed onto the front of our building at the corner of Michigan and Plankinton. The next morning, more than 100 people gathered while the media recorded the unveiling of Literacy Services of Wisconsin's eight foot tall red book over the front door of our new home.

Mayor Tom Barrett

The structure not only identifies the location of our new center, but also serves as a marker for those who cannot read and/or speak English. Mayor Tom Barrett and LSW Executive Director India McCanse hosted the surprise event, making our new site the "building with the big red book on it."

To view more photos of the unveiling ceremony, visit our Flickr photo stream.

Rose and Ernice

2011-03-30T10:26:00.001-05:00

Reading program student Rose and her tutor Ernice share their story of working together at Literacy Services of Wisconsin.

Mayor Barrett and LSW invite you...

2011-03-09T15:52:00.001-06:00

Mayor Tom Barrett and Literacy Services of Wisconsin (LSW) invite you to a special unveiling of Milwaukee's newest icon!

WHEN? Friday, March 18, 2011
WHERE? 555 N. Plankinton Avenue
9 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. Gathering & coffee break
9:30 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. Unveiling ceremony

The new structure not only identifies LSW's new location, but also serves as a symbol and marker for those in the Greater Milwaukee area who cannot read.

Questions? Call (414) 344-5878 or email leith@literacyservices.org

Summertime

2011-01-25T15:55:00.003-06:00

E.S.L. student Wilson Laku makes his writing/directorial/acting debut - with assistance from James Schmidt - with the video adaptation of his original short story, "Summertime." We hope you enjoy it!

2010 Milwaukee Spelling Bee: Thank You!

2010-10-26T14:56:00.001-05:00

Dear logophiles, busy bees, and friends:

This is just a short note to share a huge THANK YOU for the dedication and support you’ve shown to LSW. Because of your participation, the 2010 Milwaukee Spelling Bee was the biggest and best to date – raising more than $30,000 to help provide literacy education to motivated adults in Greater Milwaukee.

Read more »

LSW hosts Read-In for International Literacy Day

2010-08-30T14:41:00.004-05:00

In honor of International Literacy Day on September 8th, LSW will hold a "Read-In" from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. for our students to employ their newly earned skills. We hope you can join us!

International Literacy Day Background: September 8 was proclaimed International Literacy Day by the United Nations’ Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1965. Its aim is to highlight the importance of literacy to individuals, communities and societies. On International Literacy Day each year, UNESCO reminds the international community of the status of literacy and adult learning globally. Celebrations take place around the world. Some 776 million adults worldwide lack minimum literacy skills; one in five adults is still not literate and two-thirds of them are women.

2010 Milwaukee Spelling Bee: Please Join Us!

2010-08-19T15:49:00.002-05:00

Join us Thursday, October 21, 2010 at We Energies auditorium for LSW's 19th annual Milwaukee Spelling Bee. For more information or to have your company participate, please contact us at info@literacyservices.org.

WUWM Lake Effect: Expanding Literacy Services

2010-07-22T16:16:00.000-05:00

Stephanie Lecci of WUWM Lake Effect speaks with India McCanse about expanding literacy services in the community.

> LISTEN NOW

India McCanse: Women of Influence 2010

2010-06-18T14:14:00.000-05:00

India McCanse, the executive director of Literacy Services of Wisconsin, has been named one of the Women of Influence by the Business Journal of Milwaukee.

> READ MORE

> WATCH VIDEO SEGMENT

Outpost Exchange Magazine: In an Ideal World

2010-06-01T14:25:00.008-05:00

"In an ideal world," we would eradicate illiteracy. From Outpost Exchange Magazine.

> READ NOW

Dorothy and Donnie: Reading Between the Lines

2010-03-25T13:08:00.004-05:00

Susan Bence of WUWM News shares the story of Dorothy and Donnie.

> LISTEN NOW