‘Sittin’ With the Supe’: MCS eases military families’ burden

MADISON – Madison City Schools’ strategy to accommodate military families was the topic for latest episode of “Sittin’ with the Supe.”

MCS Superintendent Dr. Ed Nichols founded this podcast to explore programs and people’s work in the district.

Podcast guests were Col. (ret.) David Mulack and Liberty Middle School eighth-grader Kate Martin who’s in a military family. Mulack retired from the U.S. Army in November 2024. He and his wife are parents of two sons.

Kate’s parents are both retired U.S. Army Colonels, Aaron Martin and Liz Martin. Kate’s sibling is a sophomore at James Clemens High School.

Mulack’s family moved to Madison in July 2021. After 31 years in the Army, Mulack retired in November 2024.

Mulack’s family ‘followed’ his career. His older son is now enrolled at the University of Alabama; his younger son is a James Clemens junior. The Mulacks moved seven times in 19 years to live in three countries and four states.

“I’ve been all over the country and abroad to countries like Korea,” Kate said.

“What did MCS do to help with transition?” Nichols said.

“At Liberty, we first had orientation. Then, a S2S student (Student 2 Student organization) took us to tour the school,” Kate said. “Lots of teachers were supportive and asked if I was OK. I had lots of shoulders to lean on.”

S2S focuses on enabling miliary and civilian students who have moved into the school district to have a successful transition to the Madison area and its schools.

“Were questions answered when you got here?” Nichols said.

“Number One – Whenever we got orders for PCS (Permanent Change of Station), one planning factor was the school district. We always moved in summer so the children could start at the beginning of the school year. We identified the best schools,” Mulack said “Number 2 – What are the life support systems for the students to make sure they’re integrated into the school?” Mulack said. Support programs for his wife were important because “she’s the one who deals with family situations and holds down the household while I’m in the field or deployed.”

“After moving to Madison, what was the one thing that (confirmed) you had landed in the right place?” Nichols said.

The Mulack family arrived in Madison during COVID-19 constraints. “Such a fantastic support network welcomed us. The S2S ambassador took both our boys and integrated them into school,” Mulack said.

During Kate’s first week at Liberty, she entered the bus and didn’t know a single face. However, in her first class, she found a girl who lives on her street. “Now, my best friend. I felt like I had one friend and then made friendships from her group of friends,” Kate said.

Participating in theatre and Liberty Dance Team helped Kate to transition. Extracurricular activities “brought comfort. If I had a bad day at school or a fight with my brother, I could go to dance or theatre class, and it would all be OK,” Kate said.

“When we came down here, there was such a focus from the school district on military kids, and that was great,” Mulack said. “An educated faculty understands a military kid may have some of these challenges.”

“As a district, we are committed not only to our military families but any family that moves into Madison. Madison is a unique tapestry with each thread in a different color,” and it all blends together, Nichols said.