Madison Preparatory Academy

We accomplished the mission, despite the delay. A dream deferred is no longer a dream denied. Different name. Different curriculum. Same purpose. Onward.

Ten Years Strong: The One City Schools Story Celebrating One City Schools 10th Anniversary in July 2025Ten years ago, a vision became reality. Through candid interviews with founder Kaleem Caire, co-fou...

RIP Walter Dean Myers, one of my favorite children's book writers. Sold a lot of his books when I had my book business back in the 90s. Bad Boy, Monster, Now is Your Time, Somewhere in the Darkness, Fallen Angels, It Aint All for Nothin and Scorpion are my all-time favorites. You can find all of Myer's books in his bibliography at his website: http://walterdeanmyers.net/. Scorpion was the first Myer's book I purchased while serving in the U.S. Navy. Pyramid Books of Washington, DC had opened a store in South San Diego. I attended their grand opening. Among the five books I purchased, I picked Scorpion because I was volunteering my time to work with young men at a middle school who were enthralled with California gangs.

Parents, if you want to purchase (or check out at the library)some great children's books by African American authors, try: Virginia Hamilton (http://www.virginiahamilton.com/), Nikki Grimes (http://www.nikkigrimes.com/), Bell Hooks, Angela Johnson (http://www.ajohnsonauthor.com/), Julius Lester (http://www.amazon.com/Julius-Lester/e/B000APHAR6), Ntozake Shange (http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/ntozake-shange), Mildred Taylor (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mildred_D._Taylor), Carol Boston Weatherford (http://cbweatherford.com/), Jacqueline Woodson (http://www.jacquelinewoodson.com/), Kelly Starling Lyons (http://www.kellystarlinglyons.com/), Andrea Davis Pinkney (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrea_Davis_Pinkney), Christopher Paul Curtis (http://www.nobodybutcurtis.com/) and my brother and former roommate Chike Akua (http://www.myteachertransformation.com/). If you don't have any of their books on your shelf, you and your children are missing out!

Walter Dean Myers, Children’s Author, Dies at 76 Mr. Myers was lauded for his work, which often centered on young black people struggling in tough environments.

Reminder: Something for your kids tonight. Bring your children and mentees, and join us at the Urban League of Greater Madison for our first monthly Community Night of 2014 - and they are always free of charge. Children will learn to create their own computers and be treated to a live demonstration by the award-winning BadgerBots program (http://www.badgerbots.org/). MLK weekend is a busy weekend, but it should be. it's all about service. :-)

We are hiring and seeking partners and volunteers for the Urban League Scholars Academy, which is targeting the achievement and opportunity gaps at their core. Please consider joining us in service to our children as we prepare them for their future.

The New Urban League Scholars Academy: Hiring and Seeking Volunteers November 22, 2013 - The Urban League Scholars Academy is an initiative of the Urban League of Greater Madison (ULGM) operated in partnership with the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) at Sennett and Toki Middle Schools with a site at Wright Middle School opening in January 2013. This new e...