Curriculum committee recommends survey for proposed Portugal trip; highlights multilingual learner supports

The Madison Public Schools Curriculum and Student Development Committee agreed by acclamation to allow organizers to survey students and families about a proposed April 2026 trip to Portugal and to hold a parent presentation, pending later board approval.

Committee members heard a detailed itinerary presented by Mary Merkel Scotland and were asked to approve outreach to determine whether there is sufficient student interest. "If they don't have sufficient interest in numbers, then the trip doesn't advance," a committee member said; the committee granted permission to proceed with surveying and a parent presentation pending future board action.

Separately, the committee received a report on the district's multilingual learner program (TESOL). Committee members said the district currently provides services for roughly 31 students and praised staff efforts to translate curriculum at different levels, tailor supports to individual language proficiency, and organize family outreach events that build community. The committee discussed a recent meeting that drew families despite local announcements about ICE deportations, describing the turnout as supportive and the staff response as going beyond legal requirements to create inclusion.

Committee members also heard an update on teacher-created curricular materials and the district's online reach; staff described tracking tools that showed queries from other districts nationally and internationally on the district's curriculum materials. The committee adjourned with no public comment at 6:25 p.m.