"It irks me when someone says our young black children either go to charter schools or they go to prison... I have 4 children that went to Madison public schools, and all succeeded."

Said one of many speakers at the 3-hour public hearing last about the proposed Madison Preparatory Academy, "semi-private charter school proposed by the Urban League of Greater Madison, designed to raise graduation rates for at-risk students."

Some accused the Urban League of blaming the district for students' shortcomings....

More than few saw Madison Prep as an instrument of conservative groups pushing for the privatization of public education. Others worried that board approval would mark the return of segregated schools in Madison.

"This will contribute to the destruction of our public schools," said one.

I did not attend the hearing, but Meade did. Here's my favorite of the pictures he took. It seems to capture the mood of earnest but tired officials performing the obligation of listening to the people: