Kayla Huynh, The Cap Times Journalist Profile

Articles

What Trump’s Department of Education plans mean for Madison schools

1 day ago | captimes.com | Kayla Huynh |Becky Jacobs

If President Donald Trump achieves his goal of dismantling the U.S. Department of Education, students and educators in Madison are likely to feel the effects. Families filling out financial aid forms could find it harder to get help. The dozens of schools scattered across Madison could lose millions in federal funding, leading to larger classroom sizes and fewer supports for students in need.
East High School parents revive booster club 5 years after pandemic

6 days ago | captimes.com | Kayla Huynh

When Becca Schwei volunteered to help organize a volleyball tournament for East High School last fall, she was surprised to learn the school lacked a booster club. The club had disbanded after the COVID-19 pandemic put organized sports on pause, leaving East High as the only Madison high school without an active booster. Without the support, East High gym teacher Erin Walker and her family even began running concessions at games, a responsibility typically delegated to booster club members.
UW-Madison, Edgewood need better teacher prep in math, council says

1 week ago | captimes.com | Kayla Huynh

Most of Wisconsin’s teacher preparation programs fail to spend enough time training prospective educators how to teach elementary school math, according to a recent report. The assessment contains findings similar to an earlier report that showed teachers who graduate from Wisconsin colleges are ill-prepared to teach reading.
Trump budget cuts have Madison libraries, culture groups on edge

1 week ago | captimes.com | Kayla Huynh

Casem AbuLughod says he regularly visits Madison libraries and the downtown children’s museum with his 3-year-old son, Mack, because these places are among the city’s few affordable activities for families. But recent efforts by the Trump administration to cut funding for libraries and the museum have AbuLughod worried.
Martha Siravo wins contested Madison School Board election

3 weeks ago | captimes.com | Kayla Huynh

Editor's note: This article was updated after all precincts were reporting election results. Martha Siravo will join the Madison School Board following an election against opponent Bret Wagner. Siravo, a disability rights advocate, received about 55% of votes with 100% of precincts reporting unofficial results. Wagner, an engineer, received about 45% of votes in the School Board race.
Jill Underly declares victory in bid to remain state superintendent

3 weeks ago | captimes.com | Kayla Huynh

Incumbent Jill Underly declared victory in a heated race for state superintendent of public instruction Tuesday night, saying she's committed to defending public schools in her second term. Underly had garnered about 53% of the votes when 82% of precincts were reporting unofficial results two hours after polls closed. Education consultant Brittany Kinser had received 47%.
Madison Public Market opening delayed to late fall

3 weeks ago | captimes.com | Kayla Huynh

The long-awaited Madison Public Market is now slated to open in late fall, months later than originally planned. Officials from the Madison Public Market Foundation had intended for the market to open this July, but construction delays have pushed back the opening date, according to CEO Keisha Harrison.
Madison School Board candidates agree on much but differ on priorities

4 weeks ago | captimes.com | Kayla Huynh

With one contested Madison School Board race on the April 1 ballot, the candidates running for Seat 3 have begun to outline separate visions for the future of the Madison Metropolitan School District. Disability rights advocate Martha Siravo and engineer Bret Wagner are both vying to be part of the district’s seven-member board. School Board members pass policies affecting over 25,000 students across 52 schools and approve the district’s annual budget.
New leader of Madison nonprofit helps kids pitch their business ideas

1 month ago | captimes.com | Kayla Huynh

As a child, DeAndre Martin would wake up early every morning so his grandmother could drive him to school in a suburb south of his Oklahoma City neighborhood. Martin would later learn as an adult that his grandmother sent him to a different school because she wanted him to receive a better education. “I knew then that community development would be my life's work,” Martin said.
Madison School Board incumbent Nichelle Nichols wants to bring continuity

1 month ago | captimes.com | Kayla Huynh

Nichelle Nichols is seeking reelection unchallenged for Seat 5 of the Madison School Board on the April 1 ballot. Nichols, who currently serves as School Board president, has been a member of the seven-member group since 2022. School Board members serve in staggered three-year terms. Board members pass policies affecting over 25,000 students across 52 schools and approve the Madison Metropolitan School District’s annual budget.