Badger InstituteBadger Institute
  • Home
  • Issues
    • Taxes
    • Education
    • Crime & Justice
    • Spending & Accountability
    • Economy & Infrastructure
    • Licensing
    • Healthcare
    • Civil Society
  • Mandate for Madison
  • Research
  • Magazines
    • Diggings
    • Wisconsin Interest
  • Events
  • Media
    • Podcast
    • Fact Sheets
    • Viewpoints
    • Press Releases
    • Badger in the News
    • Video
    • Audio
    • Testimony
  • About
    • Our Mission
    • Board of Directors
    • Team
    • Visiting Fellows
    • America’s Future
    • Careers
  • Newsletter
  • Donate
  • Contact Us

Subscribe for Updates

Get the latest news and updates from Badger Institute.

What's New

Wisconsin lawmakers in the dark on broadband

March 16, 2023

The underfunded part of Wisconsin public schooling

March 16, 2023

If we don’t pay for roads, we don’t get mobility

March 9, 2023
Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn Instagram
TRENDING:
  • Wisconsin lawmakers in the dark on broadband
  • The underfunded part of Wisconsin public schooling
  • If we don’t pay for roads, we don’t get mobility
  • Assembly Speaker calls for tolling to fund Wisconsin infrastructure
  • Foreseeing the Future of Wisconsin’s Flat Tax
  • Amid illiteracy, where was the urgency?
  • Calls to Police from MPS High Schools Up Dramatically Again
  • Wisconsin voters will be asked about welfare work requirements
  • Donate
  • Newsletter
  • Contact
Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn Instagram
Badger InstituteBadger Institute
SUPPORT OUR MISSION
  • Issues
    • Taxes
    • Education
    • Crime & Justice
    • Spending & Accountability
    • Economy & Infrastructure
    • Licensing
    • Healthcare
    • Civil Society
  • Mandate for Madison
  • Research
  • Magazines
    • Diggings
    • Wisconsin Interest
  • Events
  • Media
    • Podcast
    • Fact Sheets
    • Viewpoints
    • Press Releases
    • Badger in the News
    • Video
    • Audio
    • Testimony
  • About
    • Our Mission
    • Board of Directors
    • Team
    • Visiting Fellows
    • America’s Future
    • Careers
Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn
DONATE
Badger InstituteBadger Institute
Home » Education » OPINION: Last Call to Save Milwaukee Public Schools
Education

OPINION: Last Call to Save Milwaukee Public Schools

By Badger InstituteAugust 31, 2021
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest

With $800 million at stake, it’s time to finally dismantle the School Board and give control to a reform-minded leader

OPINION

By JAY MILLER | August 31, 2021

Memo to state legislators: We are at the start of another school year, and Milwaukee Public Schools continues to founder. It is of the utmost urgency that you do two things. 1) Dismantle the Milwaukee School Board, which continues to be in thrall to the Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association and is receiving $800 million in additional federal dollars. And 2) Put the district in the hands of a proven educational leader free to implement real reform.

“Where’s the outrage?” Alan Borsuk, longtime Milwaukee Journal Sentinel education reporter and columnist, asked more than three years ago in response to the abysmal educational outcomes for Blacks in Wisconsin and Milwaukee in particular. John Schlifske, CEO and president of Northwestern Mutual, recently echoed the sentiment. (Disclaimer: I worked at Northwestern Mutual for 20 years and retired from there.)

Not much has changed in three years. Not much has changed in 40 years. Therein lies the problem.

Black children bear the brunt of educational disparity in our state, as well as in others. Yet, despite facing the same or similar challenges, Black students in many charter and voucher schools do far better than those in MPS, as Schlifske has pointed out.

The reason is simple. Charter and voucher schools track the outcomes of their students and make changes where needed in the system to improve those outcomes. MPS doesn’t even pay lip service to outcomes.

There’s no reason to because nothing changes with MPS — except getting more money. And, courtesy of the American Rescue Plan Fund, MPS is expecting an additional $800 million, to be spent over the next three years, on top of MPS’ current $1.3 billion budget proposal. And this, despite a precipitous decline in enrollment at traditional MPS schools over the past 30 years.

Who will make the critical decisions about how to direct such vast sums of money? Why, the nine-member Milwaukee School Board, of course, a body elected by a relatively small number of voters in low-turnout spring elections.

Those who vote almost certainly don’t represent a cross-section of parents and other members of the community. More likely, they disproportionately represent those who are active in MTEA and their families.

The result is evident. Most School Board members either worked for and/or were endorsed by the MTEA.

And what does the union want the School Board to do with all this largesse? Pay teachers more and enrich their retirement fund. While good teachers deserve to be paid more, bad teachers should be replaced. But that is never part of the bargain.

The School Board is holding “listening sessions” to hear from the public about how to spend the windfall, but it’s pretty clear to whom the board is listening.

The board continues to see charter and voucher schools, especially the successful ones, as the enemy because their teachers are not unionized. Witness the shabby treatment of Milwaukee Excellence and Milwaukee College Prep charter schools. As the principal of Milwaukee Excellence said, “It is getting harder to love a district that doesn’t love you back.”

So far, none of the federal windfall has been dedicated to where it should be spent — improving reading, writing, math, science and other core academic skills. Although MPS may say some nice things to assuage parents and the public, the worry is that there’s no there there.

State legislators representing Milwaukee ought to be among the most vocal advocates for inner city children. Except for one or two, however, they seem to care only for campaign contributions from the MTEA.

The Journal Sentinel, which prides itself on advocacy journalism and devotes pages to topics that kindle its wrath, raises hardly a peep about arguably the single biggest issue plaguing Milwaukee.

It’s not alone. Other than Schlifske, business leaders have been reticent on the subject, which is particularly ironic because the fewer educated and equipped graduates coming out of MPS, the less viable the city’s workforce. Any clarion call from the Milwaukee Business Journal? I haven’t seen it.

The idea that poor children of color can’t learn is infuriating and condescending. It might not be possible to entirely bridge the learning gap between the children from affluent communities and those stuck in poor neighborhoods riddled with crime. Certainly, however, outcomes can be dramatically improved. Successful public, charter and voucher schools prove what is possible.

With $800 million at stake, it is imperative that control of MPS be wrested from the School Board and MTEA, and placed in the hands of transformative leadership. Borsuk once called for the creation of an education czar. Similarly, former Gov. Jim Doyle and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett pleaded with the Legislature to put the mayor in charge.

Something should have happened a long time ago. But it didn’t, and now there is all of this extra money to consider. Misspending it would be a tragedy.

The Legislature has a duty to all of this state’s children, especially those in places like the inner city of Milwaukee, to make sure every penny is spent with a singular motivation: high-quality education.

Jay Miller of Whitefish Bay is a tax attorney and a visiting fellow at the Badger Institute. This column represents his personal opinion.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Telegram Email
Badger Institute

Related Posts

Wisconsin lawmakers in the dark on broadband

March 16, 2023

The underfunded part of Wisconsin public schooling

March 16, 2023

Amid illiteracy, where was the urgency?

February 23, 2023
Categories
Top Posts

Local pols filling old budget holes with massive COVID aid

December 8, 20221,447

This is not four years ago

November 10, 20221,283

A state without convictions

January 12, 2023643

Billions in federal spending in Wisconsin unaudited; results never measured

November 9, 2022484
Archives

Sign Up for Top Picks

Our weekly e-Newsletter with the latest items and updates

Connect with Badger Institute
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
About Us
About Us

The Badger Institute is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit institute established in 1987 working to engage and energize Wisconsinites and others in discussions and timely action on key public policy issues critical to the state’s future, growth and prosperity.

Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn

Sign Up for Top Picks

Our weekly e-Newsletter with the latest items and updates

What’s New

Wisconsin lawmakers in the dark on broadband

March 16, 2023

The underfunded part of Wisconsin public schooling

March 16, 2023

If we don’t pay for roads, we don’t get mobility

March 9, 2023

Assembly Speaker calls for tolling to fund Wisconsin infrastructure

March 2, 2023
© 2023 Badger Institute | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Sitemap

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

This site uses functional cookies and external scripts to improve your experience.

Privacy settings

Privacy Settings

This site uses functional cookies and external scripts to improve your experience. Which cookies and scripts are used and how they impact your visit is specified on the left. You may change your settings at any time. Your choices will not impact your visit.

NOTE: These settings will only apply to the browser and device you are currently using.

CRM Software

Customer Relationship Management Software

Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a web analytics service offered by Google that tracks and reports website traffic. Google uses the data collected to track and monitor the use of our Service. This data is shared with other Google services. Google may use the collected data to contextualize and personalize the ads of its own advertising network.

You can opt-out of having made your activity on the Service available to Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on. The add-on prevents the Google Analytics JavaScript (ga.js, analytics.js, and dc.js) from sharing information with Google Analytics about visits activity.

For more information on the privacy practices of Google, please visit the Google Privacy & Terms web page: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en

Powered by Cookie Information