✏️ How Madison schools improved teacher retention

🛢️ The Latest on Enbridge’s Line 5 Pipeline

• Canadian energy company Enbridge is proposing a reroute of the Line 5 crude oil pipeline just south of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa reservation, but tribe members say it still poses a risk to nearby waterways.
• The pipeline is facing opposition elsewhere — the Michigan Supreme Court announced last week that it would hear a challenge from Great Lakes tribes for the Straits of Mackinac portion.
• We check in with Cap Times reporter Erin McGroarty to find out how we got here and what’s next for the proposed pipeline. [Cap Times, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel,🎧 City Cast Madison]

☎️ County Board Hangs Up on Jail Phone Deal

• The Dane County Board voted overwhelmingly to reject the Sheriff’s proposed contract with a new for-profit communications company that would have reportedly saved jail residents more than $100 per month for phone calls.
• The current provider has a higher fee structure, but some opponents of the rejected deal want to extend that contract for a year while they work on how to provide county-funded communication services at no cost to inmates. [WMTV, Cap Times]

🧑‍🏫 Madison Teacher Vacancies Greatly Improved

• Madison school districts slashed the number of vacant teaching positions from nearly 100 in 2023 to just 27 vacancies this fall — a 72% decrease.
• Teacher turnover across Wisconsin had reached a 20-year high during the 2022-2023 school year, particularly in districts with more low-income students and students of color.
• District officials say higher pay, a streamlined hiring process, and professional development opportunities all helped improve teacher recruitment and retention. [Cap Times]