Dane County New Teacher Project thanks Waunakee district as fiscal agent, announces move to CESA 2
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Summary
Representatives of the Dane County New Teacher Project marked the end of Waunakee Community School District’s long service as fiscal agent and announced CESA 2 will become fiscal agent in July; speakers reviewed program history and regional impact.
Representatives of the Dane County New Teacher Project (DCNTP) on Monday thanked the Waunakee Community School District for serving as the consortium’s fiscal agent for the project’s 23-year history and announced the DCNTP will move fiscal administration to CESA 2 starting in July.
Heather Lott, who has chaired and directed DCNTP since 2017, told the board the project began in 2003 with a grant written in partnership with Monona Grove and has grown to include up to 22 school districts in the region over time. “Since our beginning, Waunakee Community School District has served as our fiscal agent,” Lott said. “We’re here today to pay tribute to this school district and offer our deepest, deepest gratitude for all the years of service and support.”
Speakers described DCNTP’s role in mentoring new teachers, supporting instructional coaches and school leaders, and recruiting and retaining teachers of color to better reflect the regional student population. Lott estimated the consortium currently supports about 600 beginning teachers a year across participating districts and said a conservative long-term estimate is that DCNTP has served roughly 8,000 new educators and impacted a “quarter-million” students over its history.
Former project leaders and district staff — including Sharon Nelson and Tom Howe — recounted the project’s origins, early partnerships with the New Teacher Center (California), and local district support that helped keep the consortium viable. Nelson referenced state-level supports that aided the initiative’s early development.
The board and DCNTP representatives said the change in fiscal agent reflects DCNTP’s growth and a new phase for the project; DCNTP will continue operations under a full-time director and expand administrative capacity, the speakers said. No formal board action on the fiscal-agent change was recorded on the transcript; the presentation was a ceremonial recognition and informational update.
