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Familiar firm in line for first phase
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MONROE - The Monroe Main Street Board of Directors chose to recommend Fehr-Graham & Associates for the first phase of the downtown Square streetscape development Monday night.

"This is something to move on," Chairman Dr. David Riese said. "The city is waiting for Main Street to do something."

Fehr-Graham's proposal ranked highest among board members from the five quotes submitted to the city.

Fehr-Graham "teamed up" with Mahan Rykiel Associates to put together the proposal. Mahan Rykiel Associates was involved with Arnett Muldrow & Associates, which did a survey of downtown and created a plan to revitalize it.

Fehr-Graham's link with Mahan Rykiel Associates was one of selling points for the board. Members also liked the fact Fehr-Graham is a local firm, with headquarters in Freeport, Ill., and an office in Monroe.

City Administrator Mark Vahlsing said the firm has "done a lot of work for the city already," and he always found the firm to be a "straightforward company" to work with.

Although the companies submitted quotes for all three phases of the downtown work, Vahlsing said each phase would be treated separately, allowing the city more flexibility in hiring. Phase I quotes produced the least variation among companies, he said.

Vahlsing and Director of Public Works Kelly Finkenbinder will be contacts for the firm and Monroe Main Street. Vahlsing said the proposals will need to go to the City Council and through "a couple of public hearings" before being approved. Fehr-Graham's quote and proposal must be sent to council by the Board of Public Works.

Funding for the work will come from a Tax Increment District, which needs approval from the Finance and Taxation Committee.

In other business, the board unanimously:

• Approved to recommend to council brown and gold way-finding signs for downtown. Signs on the outskirts will be taller than the ones downtown.

• Approved to recommend to the city a bike path lane on selected areas of 16th Avenue and 10th Street.

• Approved a request for financial support for the Monroe Chamber of Commerce and Industry Balloon Rally, with two stipulations. The board wants recognition of its sponsorship and a follow-up report of the event's budget.

• Recommended to the MMS Promotion Committee to review guidelines for the downtown events sign. Members felt the sign had become too crowded and difficult to read, and had lost its effectiveness.

• Approved MMS Director Barb Nelson to submit an application to Blackhawk Technical College for work-study site approval. The work-study program allows students to gain real-life work experience while being paid by school funding.

• Approved Vahlsing to visit a culinary center in New York next month. A report from Valhsing on his past visits to other culinary centers was postponed.
DPI awarded $10.5M grant to bolster special educator and leadership retention
Nearly 50% of new special education teachers leave state or profession by 6th year
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MADISON — As schools continue navigating staffing challenges, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction announced recently it has been awarded a $10.5 million federal grant to support the recruitment and retention of special education teachers and leaders across the state.

The U.S. Department of Education awarded the five-year grant as part of its State Personnel Development Grant Program. The funding will improve professional development systems for educators and help districts implement innovative strategies to address critical staffing shortages in special education. According to DPI data, 49.4% of Wisconsin’s new special education teachers either leave the state or the profession altogether by their sixth year.

“This funding is a big step forward in helping address the urgent need of recruiting and retaining qualified special education teachers,” State Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly said. “My budget proposal prioritizes special education funding, and it’s time to take our special education reimbursement rate to 90%.

“Supporting the development of new educators and working to retain them is critical to resolving staffing challenges. This federal funding will help districts increase professional growth opportunities, implement innovative retention strategies, and ensure that every Wisconsin student has access to the high-quality, dedicated educators they deserve.”

The DPI’s use of these federal funds will focus on universal, targeted, and intensive supports, including:

●  Development of a professional learning toolkit and social media materials to support educators statewide.

●  Implementation of a statewide induction program offering specialized training and coaching for new special education teachers and leaders.

●  Creation of a teacher residency program in partnership with educator preparation programs.

The DPI’s initiative represents a collaborative effort, with key partnerships including the Cooperative Educational Service Agencies (CESAs), the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, the Wisconsin Council of Administrators of Special Services (WCASS), Wisconsin Family Assistance Center for Education, Training, and Support (FACETS), the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, and the Department of Workforce Development — Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.

In addition to her major proposal for the state to increase special education funding, Dr. Underly in October announced a $60 million proposal to strengthen the state’s education workforce. The workforce proposal, part of her 2025-27 Biennial Budget request, provides stipends to eligible student teachers to help cover expenses and reduce debt, grows the educator workforce through a new state-funded grow-your-own grant program, and expands a support program for new educators.