Goodbye to WECS teacher Mr. Madden
Willits Elementary Charter School third-grade teacher Mr. Joe Madden will be leaving at the end of the school year to be closer to family in Southern California. The 11-yearold public charter school has attracted teachers who have tended to stay. Of its 13 current teachers, eight (including Madden) have taught at WECS since 2013, the school’s second year of operation.
“We are really going to feel the loss of a teacher who brings so much to our students and our school community,” said Charlene Bredder, director since 2019. “We will be looking high and low for a teacher who has the same level of dedication to students, passion for teaching, and the willingness to collaborate with other teachers and staff to continue our tradition of excellence.”
Madden has a master’s degree in Environmental Education, plays and makes guitars, and is an avid bird-watcher, all interests about which he has taught his students. Each year, his students have enjoyed performing “The Mermaid Tears,” a poem from the book “The Search for Delicious” for which Madden composed original music.
Leaving is bittersweet for Madden, who said he is ready for life’s next chapter but will miss the classroom. “I’ve been so lucky to teach third grade. It’s an age where students are so creative and so excited about learning, and they really value and feel invested in the classroom community. It’s also an age where students make big strides in reading and in their ability to work independently. They often make really strong bonds with their teacher, and that’s what I’ll miss the most about this job.”
In third grade, students begin to take the CAASPP (California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress) exam in English and math. Madden has had the responsibility of teaching each third-grade cohort how to take the test, and each year his students have performed better than state and county averages for third-graders. He has supported students in many other ways. Madden has led after-school reading intervention for struggling readers every year. He also started a sports club with fellow teacher Ashkan Nahreini (Mr. N) to teach students basketball and soccer.
Ashley Sherf, the kindergarten teacher and literacy program lead at WECS, said, “We are going to need a very special person to replace Mr. Madden. We have a strong team of teachers, so we’ll be able to support whatever teacher we hire. But Joe is a friend and colleague to all of us, and we’ll miss him a lot.”
“I will miss hearing third-graders tell me that some challenging new math skill is ‘easy,’” said Madden, “and seeing their generosity and creativity when they make gifts or cards for each other on birthdays or holidays.”
WECS was started by parents in 2012 as an alternative to the traditional public schools in town, with a vision to bring art, music, gardening, and an inquirybased learning environment to K-5 students.
After receiving a state charter and being approved by the Willits Unified School Board, parents and volunteers transformed a dirt lot on the corner of Lenore and Commercial streets into a welcoming space for young children. Over time, teachers have developed much of their own curriculum, focusing on student social, emotional, and academic success. For more information about the teaching position, call 707459-1400.
“We are really going to feel the loss of a teacher who brings so much to our students and our school community.” —Charlene Bredder