Molly Smiltneek, Oshkosh School Board Member

It may be the wrong season for the stocking cap, but it’s definitely the right season, and the right day, to vote! (And thanks to my amazing friend and neighbor, Susan, for this awesome visual reminder that I will now wear every Election Day, even if just for a photo op!)

Please vote today, Wisconsin.

One of the projects I was most proud of as a leader of the Emmeline Cook PTO was developing the Emmeline Cook Elementary School/Kalangu school partnership. Over the years E. Cook students and families literally made concrete change at Kalangu school, raising money through penny wars, all school walks, and other challenges and fundraisers, to build a classroom. Folks in Oshkosh also sponsored desks over the years. This kind of learning matters - to the kids in Oshkosh, and those in Zambia who will actually sit at the desks. Please consider making a contribution.

A desk is not just furniture.
A desk is a basic tool that every learner deserves.
A desk is something that many of us take for granted.
A desk is a shared space where students learn and problem-solve together.
A desk is a foundation for confidence, focus, and pride.
A desk is dignity in learning.

Still my favorite communication from Oshkosh North High School and the Oshkosh Area School District. I ❤️ magnetic calendars! And, if I get my act together, I’ll get all these important dates on our family calendar too! For now, the calendar is on a place of honor on the door into the garage!!

There isn’t yet a chill in the night air, but there are signs that the end (of summer break) is near… here’s one: the Oshkosh Area School District Central Office parking lot is filled to the brim! (The Tipler side, not so much just yet.) Staff trainings, orientations and planning meetings are in full swing to start the 2026-27 school year off right!

My heart goes out to those impacted by today’s storms.

And, I am reminded that sometimes we experience the best in people in difficult times. Because I have one of the Community Partner offices at the Hyde Family Community Center, I spent my early afternoon in the basement with the teen club members of the Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh and their staff as we safely waited out the storm. While there were some big and scary emotions at first, everyone quickly settled in and stayed calm. It was a really good reminder of why schools do the drills every month. When it came time to put the plan into action, everyone knew what to do. Staff acted with confidence, authority, compassion and care. The club members listened to staff and did as they were told. Kudos to everyone for coming together. This is what I mean when I thank educators and tell them “thank you for all you do and would do for our kids.”

Seriously, 40ish teens barely became squirrely for the 45 minutes we were down there! I’m still in awe!

Though justice and freedom may be delayed, they will not be denied. As important of a lesson today as it was on June 19, 1965.

Today we intentionally recognize our shared history and honor black excellence.

Happy Juneteenth!

Four keys to success and the intersection of literacy, equity and workforce development from Oshkosh Area School District’s own, Dr. Coleman:

*First, states must move beyond early literacy as the sole focus and invest in adolescent literacy with the same urgency and intentionality. Students who are not proficient readers by third grade do not simply disappear. They move through systems that continue to fail to meet their needs until they are pushed out by way of suspension, expulsion, or dropping out altogether.

*Second, accountability systems must measure access and not just outcomes. It is dishonest to report proficiency rates while ignoring or failing to examine who does and does not have access to rigorous instruction, advanced coursework, and high-quality CTE programs.

*Third, funding models must prioritize equity and opportunities. Policies that mandate action while failing to appropriate the resources needed to carry out such action are like cars with no gas (or electric charge). Revolutions require resources. Resources must be directed toward schools and communities that have been historically under-resourced, ensuring that all students have access to high-quality programming.

*Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we must shift our mindset about Black and Brown students’ capabilities now and in the future. This requires moving from a deficit-based view of students to one that recognizes and builds upon their strengths. This also requires rejecting policies that suggest holding students back or limiting their access is a viable recourse when students are failed by and within the systems they count on to help them. We must presume the competence and potential of the young people in our city’s schools because they will soon make up our city’s workforce, or the lack thereof. We must design systems that expand opportunity rather than restrict it. When we fail to do so, the consequences extend far beyond the classroom.

Literacy, Labor, and Liberation: Why Strategy and Policy on Literacy and Workforce Development Must Intersect | The Chicago Black Policy Review Literacy, Labor, and Liberation: Why Strategy and Policy on Literacy and Workforce Development Must Intersect by blackpolicyreview | Jun 16, 2026 | 2026, Volume 3 OPINION – Education Policy By: Samuel Coleman, Ph.D. Samuel Coleman, Ph.D. is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwa...

Reading makes better understanding: Together, we can create welcoming communities where families flourish and neighbors become friends.

Take a moment to stop by the Oshkosh Public Library or other local libraries and check out a book in recognition of Refugee Awareness Month and World Refugee Day (June 20), and please Read More Oshkosh.

If you or anyone you know are in need of food, please stop at our community pantry times this summer. Held the third Monday of the month from 4:30-6 at Oshkosh West High! 💙