GOGA MISSION STATEMENT

MISSION 

The mission of GOGA (Get Out, Get Ahead!) is two-fold:

First, we propose to expose minority students to educational resources available within the district, greater Wisconsin and surrounding community areas. Establishing college attendance and professional ambitions is a particular focus. Sponsorship of activities to enhance self-esteem, goal setting skills, and leadership skills is essential to accomplishing this mission goal.

Secondly, GOGA will provide parents of minority students with a forum to discuss issues related to minority student achievement and inclusion in school activities. We recognize that formation of a partnership among parents of minority students and the district is essential to meeting the academic and social needs of all students, including minority students.

GOALS AND ACTIVITIES

• Sponsor visits to college campuses and other educational and culturally enriching venues and events.
  
• Disseminate information about college scholarships and culture
  
• Sponsor and facilitate conferences designed to improve self-esteem, cultural awareness and sensitivity, and develop leadership potential
  
• Conduct monthly meetings for parents of minority students in both English and Spanish.
  
• Ensure advocacy of minority students in the MGSD
  
• Build strong school-home communication and collaboration
  
• Provide input regarding race and culture within the MGSD
  
• Serve on local school and district governance committees regarding curriculum adoption, search committees and other bodies affecting minority achievement
  
• Review test and discipline data relative to minority achievement on an annual basis and provide feedback and recommendations 
  

Get out, get ahead and succeed!

December 18, 2007 Parent Meeting Notes

GOGA Parent Discussion Group Meeting
Tuesday, December 18, 2007 – Nichols School Library

Follow-up Action 
Next GOGA meeting 

Person

All 

Date/Time

Jan. 8, 2007  5:30-6:30 (Spanish-only) 6:30-8:30 (English-only)

Location
Cottage Grove School, DLC (Learning Lab)

Other Follow Up Action/Person

• Contact missing nominees for the GOGA Advisory Board to determine their acceptance or not/Carol Cain Before next meeting
  
• Contact Madison School administrator to set up meeting to discuss how MMSD is working to improve minority students relations as well as recruitment and retention of minority staff/ Beth Johnson for Carol Cain After Holidays
  
• Recruit GOGA representative and interpreter for our Hmong population/Carol Cain Before next meeting
  
• Reserve mini bus for transportation of families to GOGA meeting on Jan. 8, and school board meeting on Jan. 9. / Julia Torrez Before next meeting

Present
Carol Cain (Chair)
Beth Johnson 

Charlie Ellis
Bobbie Amelse 

Julia Torrez
Linda Elsberry  

Agenda

• Review and approval of GOGA’s Mission Statement
  
• Votes on members of GOGA’s Advisory Board
  
• Update on grant application status
  
• Update on upcoming activities and meetings.
  

Discussion, decisions, assignments
Low attendance today due to preparation of many families for the upcoming holidays next week.

Ms. Cain shared a information from her meeting with Superintendent Gary Schumacher on December 7th, 2007. She shared with them his idea of having a program set in the district that would recruit former minority MGSD students, who pursued teaching careers, to come back to the district to teach. In exchange the district would pay their student loans. In general the idea of recruiting minority staff is one that is liked by all, however, the idea that the district would ever have the funds for something like this was highly doubted. Nevertheless, Ms. Cain expressed an interest in connecting with representatives of other school district to see how they are managing to recruit and retain their minority staff. Ms. Johnson has connections with such an individual and will work on setting this up for her.

No one for the Spanish-only GOGA meeting showed up.  Ms. Torrez and Ms. Amelse mentioned the difficulty for some parents to participate due to childcare and transportation. Both offered to take on the responsibility of childcare for parents during the meetings and Ms. Torrez offered to reserve the shuttle bus and pick up and drop off parents who needed the ride.  Ms. Cain will send out a letter to all our parents offering this option during the next scheduled meeting.

It was decided that the GOGA Parent Discussion Group will meet every second Tuesday of the month.  If this falls on a half-day, holiday or no school day, then it will be the third Tuesday of the month. Ms. Torrez introduced the web address for the GOGA blog. Further discussion on this will be done at next meeting when more parents are present.

The present group reviewed the first draft of the mission statement, edited, and did first round of approval.  Will present mission statement on web page and at next GOGA meeting for second review.

The group discussed coordinating a mid-year GOGA student recognition and celebration beginning of February.  Ms. Johnson mentioned her husband as a DJ for the dinner/dance/recognition ceremony. More information to come.  Ms. Cain informed the group that the students will be traveling to Marquette University on Feb. 15, 2008.  The trip will be funded with the grant money received from the Monona Grove Education Foundation ($1,000).

Next month, January 9th at 7PM. Ms. Cain has been invited to present the GOGA Program to the School Board.  Ms. Cain requested that parents attend to show their support and has left a message to Mr. Norton to request that he co-present with her.  We are still waiting on his response.  The group shared their nomination for GOGA Advisory Board as follows:

Nominees for GOGA’s Advisory Board are:
Carol Cain (Chair)
Zong Her (Waiting for response)
Lionel Norton (Waiting for response)
Elaine Moore (Waiting for response)
Bobbie Amelse (Accepted)
Charlie Ellis (Accepted)
Linda Elsberry (Accepted)
Nayith Pedroza (Accepted)
Sarah Hughes (Accepted)
Jodie Pope (Accepted)

GOGA Program Support:
Carol Cain 

Program Coordinator and Media Contact/Latino Community Liaison and Interpreter
Zong Her

Hmong Community Liaison and Interpreter

Julia Torrez

Manager, Blog/Webpage

Linda Elsberry

Grant writing Assistant 

Elaine Moore, Beth Johnson, and Bernadette Norton

Administrative Assistants (Waiting for Confirmation)

Charlie Ellis & Jodie Pope, 

BSU Liaison

Tentative agenda for the next meeting
• Review and approval of GOGA’s Mission Statement (Second Draft)
• Review of votes on members of GOGA’s Advisory Board (more nominations?)
• Update on upcoming activities and meetings.
• Discuss on GOGA Student Mid-Year Recognition Event

Call or email Carol Cain 608-209-5530 carol_cain@mononagrove.org with additions or corrections to these notes.

November 13, 2007 Parent Meeting Notes

GOGA Parent Discussion Group Meeting
Tuesday, November 13, 2007 – Nichols School Library

Follow-up Action
Next GOGA meeting
Person
All
Date/Time
Dec. 11, 2007 6:30-8:30
Location
Nichols School Library

Present
Carol Cain (Chair)
Nayith Pedroza
Beth Johnson
Deanna Kinney-Smith
Elaine Moore
Sarah Hughes
Jodie Pope
Charlie Ellis
Bobbie Amelse
Julia Torrez
Linda Elsberry
Lionel Norton

Agenda

• Feedback on UW-Madison trip.
  
• Next steps for GOGA
  

Discussion, Decisions, Assignments
We started the meeting by introducing ourselves to the two new parents present today. We heard their experiences and that of their children’s with the school district. Dissatisfaction was again expressed from parents at the middle school and high school level. One parent shared the experience of one of the students being told by a teacher that he’ll never be more than a “hamburger flipper”. In this meeting the same names and same buildings are mentioned negatively.
Ms. Cain shared with the parents the experience she shared with approximately 60 students present on the trip to UW-Madison.  Ms. Amelse and Mr. Norton, who chaperoned during the trip along with Mrs. Norton and other parents, also shared their opinions and student reaction to the exposure. Overall the feedback is incredibly positive. Mr. Ellis and Ms. Pope who are the new BSU advisors also commented on the positive feedback received by the BSU students who participated on the trip. Ms. Cain shared video clips of press coverage from channels 27 and 3.

Ms. Cain discussed the need to form an Advisory Board as well as the invitation to present The GOGA Program to the school board in the near future. Parents expressed their desire to have GOGA formally recognized by the school district. Ms. Cain mentioned several funding opportunities that she will be seeking for the program as well as various outings for the students, such as visits to MATC, Edgewood and UW-Whitewater. Ms. Kinney-Smith, who is a consultant with UW-Health Labor Relations spoke about a potential opportunity for the students to either tour UW-Health as potential employees or have professionals come and speak to the children. Ms. Pedroza who works at MATC in the Adult Continuing Education division talked about getting information regarding touring MATC.

Ms. Cain also talked about having a group of students from UW’s International Reach come and speak to the students, potentially the school, about different cultures and cultural sensitivity.

The group also discussed where we were and where we wanted to go with GOGA. Our goal as a parent group is to increase the visibility and involvement of our parents in important areas throughout the district. We aim to be part of hiring committees, curriculum committees, and any other decision-making group where we currently don’t have a voice but should. We aim to be a group that will facilitate the district with a list of minority candidates for any given open positions. We aim to be a group that will supply the district with information and educational resources that can be provided to our children in the classroom. We aim to be a group that the district will need to consult before making changes or decisions that affect our children and us…and we aim to have representation on the school board.

The group officially named Ms. Cain as Program Coordinator. Ms. Cain requested that the group think of people to nominate as members of the GOGA Advisory Board. Several names of interest that came up were Mr. Lionel Norton, Ms. Zong Her and Ms. Elaine Moore, in addition to members of the originating group, Mr. Charlie Ellis and Ms. Linda Elsberry.

Tentative Agenda For The Next Meeting

• Review and approval of GOGA’s Mission Statement
  
• Votes on members of GOGA’s Advisory Board
  
• Update on grant application status
  
• Update on upcoming activities and meetings.
  

Call or email Carol Cain 608-209-5530 carol_cain@mononagrove.org with additions or corrections to these minutes.

October 23, 2007 Parent Meeting Notes

GOGA Parent Discussion Group Meeting
Tuesday, October 23, 2007 – Nichols School Teacher’s Lounge

Follow-up Action
Next GOGA meeting
Person
All
Date/Time
Nov. 13, 2007 6:30-8:30
Location
Nichols School Library

Present
Carol Cain (Program Founder)
Lupe Cachiguango
Charlie Ellis
Elaine Moore
Sarah Hughes
Jodie Pope
Elizabeth Hartung
Bobbie Ameles
Julia Torrez
Zong Her
Linda Elsberry
Rhoda McKinney
Beth Johnson
Holly Elsberry

Agenda

• Introductions
• Presented GOGA, it’s purpose and goals.

Discussion, Decisions, Assignments

Get Out, Get Ahead! (GOGA) was introduced to the group.  Ms. Cain shared with the group how the program came to be and what the hopes for the program were.

Possible trips to visit several universities throughout the community, as well as visits to other culturally enriching trips were discussed. Also discussed was the upcoming trip to the UW-Madison on November 9, 2007. Ms. Hughes shared data information showing the achievement gap between African American and Latino students when compared to the White students. She also discussed the disproportionality issues the district is currently working to improve.

Parents, alumni, and others, shared their stories and experiences within the district. Problems related to cultural and racial insensitivities, lack of cultural competence and other discriminatory experiences were shared. There was a sense of anger, frustration and sadness expressed. Throughout the discussion, mentions of problems in the area of race and cultural relations were most prominent for parents and alumni at the middle school and high school levels. (This is also supported through various phone conversations with parents of students ranging in grades 5th through 12th, many of whom were not present tonight).

Parents expressed their excitement and renewed hope for the new program.   Ms. Her shared her knowledge and experience in data collection and suggested that the group form a charter. Ms. Moore and Ms. Johnson offered their assistance with mailing s and phone calls.

Tentative Agenda For The Next Meeting

• Feedback on UW-Madison trip.
• Next steps for GOGA

Call or email Carol Cain 608-209-5530 carol_cain@mononagrove.org with additions or corrections to these minutes.

University of Wisconsin-Madison Visit

On Friday, November 9 MG GOGA Students, Parents, and Staff toured UW-Madison campus. The GOGA group met UW tour guides at the Red Gym where they began the tour walking through campus looking at buildings and landmarks. The group got a feel for what it was like to take a class in a small and large lecture hall. Here the guides answered questions from the group. The group also experienced what a dorm room looked like and ended the tour eating lunch at the Memorial Union. The day closed with a presentation from a panel of UW minority students and Mr. Carlos Reyes; Director of Admissions. The group was enlightened as Mr. Reyes and the UW minority students shared personal challenges and stories from their lives. Although many of them lacked financial resources, support systems, and did not have top grade point averages in high school, it did not stop them from achieveing their dreams and passion of higher education. Excitement, wonder and awe were words used by students, staff and parents to describe the day. Please enjoy the pictures below from the trip:

The Bus Ride









MG GOGA Group Shot






GOGA Buddies

Walking Tour of UW-Madison

Question and Answers in
the Lecture Hall






Lunch in the Commons

Mr. Rollings, Mr. Carlos Reyes, and Mrs. Cain