Generosity and a brighter future for the children at Clarke Street School

Milwaukee's "I Have a Dream" program kicked off yesterday at Clarke Street School, 2816 W. Clarke St. with a promise that children who are first or second graders at Clarke Street today will have the financial ability to attend college when they graduate from high school.

The Milwaukee program already has found the funding to cover the first two years of budgeted expenses, plus guaranteed college tuition support for the entire first and second grade Clarke Street classes, thanks to contributions from Ted and Mary Kellner and the Brady Foundation.

Other important contributors include MPS, the City of Milwaukee, Manpower Inc., Legacy Bank, the Brinn Foundation, Weiss Family Foundation, and Herzfeld Foundation.

Here's a video from yesterday's kickoff. It opens with the kids chanting, "I can do it, I will do it."

GMC, part 4: A topic on a lot of folks' minds

The fourth installment of the GMC panel discussion about MPS. The guests discuss mayoral and gubernatorial takeovers of public school districts. Are they good things or bad things?

The video is here.

School move, Bay View proposals in October

The administration will bring forward for consideration by the School Board in October a proposal to move programs now housed in the MEC Campus, the Sarah Scott Complex, the 8th Street building and the Grand Avenue building.


MEC is at 227 W. Pleasant St.; Sarah Scott is at 1017 N. 12th St.; the 8th St. building is at 609 N. 8th St.; and Grand Ave. is at 2430 W. Wisconsin Ave.

Administrators and teachers in charge of the schools met Friday with Superintendent William Andrekopoulos to discuss the matter. The administration also will hold community meetings regarding the proposed relocations.

Also next month, the administration will bring forward the recommendations of the Bay View Area School Improvement Process. There will be resolutions regarding a collaboration of the Bay View and Fritsche communities for a grade 6-12 school, and a collaboration of the Dover and Tippecanoe communities resulting in a K5 school to be located at Dover.

In other School Board action...

The Teach for America contract was approved, as was the request for help dealing with Lehman Brothers interest rate deals, as was domestic partner benefits for non-represented employees. The Board also directed the administration to find a way to make it cost-neutral.

There never was a plan to dissolve

There never was a plan to dissolve. That was clear in the original resolution advanced by the Board's Strategic Planning and Budget Committee that led to the first reports that the district might dissolve.

Board members made it clear again during the Board meeting last night when members expressed frustration with the reporting of the issue (I'll post video as time allows).

So this morning's headline in the Journal Sentinel, "MPS board backs away from idea of dissolving the district," is a puzzler.

Here is the relevant portion of the resolution recommended last week by the Strategic Planning and Budget Committee, which includes all nine Board members:

Your Committee recommends that the Board direct the Administration to investigate state and federal guidelines regarding the dissolution of the District, a district of a city of the first class, what obligations would remain, and who would be financially responsible, should the District be dissolved, and report back to the Board within a time that the Administration feels isadequate.

Yup, there is a request for information, which is different that a plan to do something.

The formal resolution approved by the Board last night did not include any reference at all to dissolving, although there was an informal agreement that the information request still is valid.

Again, the relevant portion (the records from last night are still being pulled together so this is an unofficial recitation) had the Board directing the administration to project the fiscal status of and options for and impact to this district over the next three years given the present trends in state and local funding and based on current Board policies and obligations.

Director Bruce Thompson said he would still like the information earlier requested about what would happen if the district dissolved and Director Terrence Falk, the maker of the motion, was fine with that.

In the end, the Board did not back away from what it never said it planned to do.

Part 3 of the GMC panel discussion

The panelists discuss their impressions of the "Working Together, Achieving More" strategic plan.

Click here to watch it.

MPS seeks expertise on Lehman deals

The School Board tonight will be asked to allow the district administration to hire outside experts to help the district get the best deal regarding the $70.85 million in interest rate swap agreements it holds with Lehman Brothers Special Financing.

The swap agreement deal, when it was made in 2003, allowed MPS to lock in an interest rate of 5.61% on pension obligation bonds that had carried variable interest rates.

Now, of course, Lehman Brothers, the parent organization of Lehman Brothers Special Financing, has declared bankruptcy and the picture has changed.

Under the district's agreements, bankruptcy is cause to terminate the pacts. When that happens, one of the parties must pay the other a termination payment. Who pays whom depends completely on the market interest rate on the termination date versus the interest rate stated in the interest rate agreement.

In the case of the City/MPS’s agreements with Lehman, MPS would have to pay Lehman because market interest rates are currently less than the interest rate owed Lehman under the the agreements.

There are lots of other options, including remaining rather passive and letting the bankruptcy proceedings take their course. The district could also terminate the Lehman agreements and try to replace them deal with new ones with different firms, or ....

The requested advisors would help MPS make the best moves.

Part two of the GMC panel

Here is the second video installment of the Greater Milwaukee Committee panel discussion about MPS. The panelists included John Schnur, co-founder of New Leaders for New Schools; Matthew Kramer, president of Teach for America; and the Timothy Daly, president of the New Teacher Project.

Teach for America contract advances

The School Board's Finance and Personnel Committee recommended Tuesday night that the district agree to work with Teach for America to recruit top college graduates to teach in MPS.

The district will pay Teach for America $2,500 for each year a Teach for America teacher is employed by MPS for up to two years.

The first-year turnover rate for MPS teachers has averaged 13% to 15%, according to the administration's request for contract approval.

"It rises to 37% to 40% by their fifth year," the report said. "Our challenge lies not only in recruiting teachers for our classrooms, but also in preparing them for the challenges which they will face in our classrooms, as well as trying to retain them beyond the first year."

The Kern Family Foundation is donating $1 million to assist MPS with the Teach for America project.

In other action, the committee recommended, to the extent allowed by law, granting to domestic partners of MPS employees who are not covered by collectively bargained labor contracts the same benefits granted to the married partners of MPS employees same benefits granted to the married partners of MPS employees.

The recommedations will be considered by the full Board Thursday night.

Part 1 of the GMC panel discussion on MPS

The GMC sponsored a panel discussion about MPS, leadership and where we all go from here.

We are posting video of the panel. Part 1 is here, with more to follow.

More on Choice: Milwaukee voucher tax to soar

The property tax levy for Milwaukee Parental Choice Program is projected to soar 19% in two years, but the Department of Public Instruction is not proposing any relief for city of Milwaukee property taxpayers who ultimately bear the cost burden, according to the department's 2009-11 budget request.

MPS pays 45% of the costs of private school program. The district's share, paid through reductions in state aid, is expected to rise from $58 million in FY09 to $69 million in FY11, a jump of $11 million, or 19%, according to the DPI request.

"MPS can, and does, increase its property tax levy to replace these lost state aids under its revenue cap...The Department is not proposing any statutory language related to this request," DPI said.

Costs of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program
Source: DPI 2009-11 budget request

25,800,000 more reasons to fix the funding flaw

Even a partial fix to the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program funding flaw that slams city of Milwaukee property taxpayers in their wallets could greatly reduce the projected property tax levy, even if the Milwaukee School Board decided to go to the revenue limit.

That's right. More money for MPS would cost Milwaukee property taxpayers less if the governor and state legislature were willing to repair the unfair voucher tax.

Right now, MPS pays 45% of the costs of the Choice program -- the state takes the money right off the top from the district's state aid -- and the state pays the other 55%. (The state aid formula is based partly on the number of students enrolled in a district. Although MPS must pay for a good chunk of the Choice program, the district is not allowed to count any of the Choice students in its enrollment for state aid purposes. The technical term for that is "double whammy.")

Not to worry, the state says. While the district will lose about $58 million in state aids for FY09 because the money will be diverted to voucher schools, MPS can recover the money by raising property taxes on city residents by $58 million.

If the 45%/55% cost share were modified so that MPS paid 25% and the state paid 75%, the district would be able to keep an additional $25.8 million in state aids. That, in turn, means it would need to levy $25.8 million less in property taxes.

Right now, without the fix, the district would need to increase the property tax levy by 17.15% to use the full authority of the district's revenue limit and to maximize future state aid.

If the 25%/75% cost share were implemented, the district would be able to reach that revenue limit with a levy increase of 6.9% -- which happens to be the average levy increase in school district in southeastern Wisconsin.

Director Bonds' 14-point plan

Here is the 14-point financial plan for MPS from Board Director Milwaukee Bonds discussed in today's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

"I believe if these changes are made, MPS can direct millions of dollars back into the classroom and maintain a single-digit tax levy rate," Bonds said in a written statement.

1. Re-centralize MPS Budget from the schools.

2. Eliminate the practice of schools carrying over millions of dollars where funds have not been accrued and centralize those funds for district-wide use.

3. Impose a 6-month hiring freeze on all positions in the district with the exception of “critical needs”: those essential to MPS’ function, mandated, or resulting from unforeseen circumstances (retirement, death, termination, etc.) and grant-funded.

4. Maximize our existing facilities by consolidating small and charter school programs into traditional school as another “family” under the first things first model. We have too many schools, which contributes to additional oversight and overhead costs and causes our resources to be spread too thin.

5. Relocate MPS’ leased schools into existing MPS owned buildings.

6. Relocate existing programs from MPS’ high demand facilities and sell those facilities into other existing MPS facilities that are strategically located within MPS and where students are located.

7. Re-evaluate MPS’ salary structure for all non-teaching central service professional jobs.

8. Implement the end to massive busing as previously approved by the board.

9. Put a moratorium on new and small charter schools.

10. Impose a one-year freeze on professional contracts not needed to fulfill MPS’ mandated activities.

11. Centralize or narrow the curriculum where you can use the same textbooks across the district and obtain bulk savings on mass purchases.

12. Work with other government units to purchase fringe benefits in bulk for lower rates.

13. Eliminate and relocate all the various layers of staff people supporting the schools, (coaches, mentors, etc.) in the district and assign them to vacant positions in the district.

14. Let MPS Board work out its problems in the short-term, while changes related to the state funding system is made at the state level.

The Donovan plan

Below is Ald. Robert Donovan's plan to improve education in Milwaukee. Donovan said in a letter to Mayor Tom Barrett that the plan "is first and foremost a starting point, a framework for getting the conversation started and the 'ball rolling.' "

Here's betting its not the only plan to be proposed for MPS in the next few months.

Donovan's proposal

1. GOVERNANCE

• Create a "Chancellor of Education" position within City government. This would be acabinet-level position appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the Common Council.
• The Chancellor would be responsible for promoting implementation of the various components of this proposal.
• The Chancellor would be charged with the duty of overall coordination of all components of education in Milwaukee, including the public school system, charter and choice schools, parochial schools and institutions of higher learning.
• Revise ch. 119 of the Wisconsin Statutes to change the composition of the "board of school directors" in a first-class city.
• All 9 members of the School Board would be appointed by the Chancellor (in consultation with the Mayor) and confirmed by the Common Council.
• 5 School Board members would be appointed on a geographic basis (to represent 3 contiguous aldermanic districts each); the other 4 would be appointed as "at-large"representatives.
• School Board members would have to meet minimum qualifications, including:
- At least 2 shall be parents of children enrolled in MPS at the time of theappointment.
- No member may hold any other public office at the time of appointment.
- At least 2 members shall have significant expertise in education, at least 2 members shall have significant expertise in public finance and at least 2 members shall have significant expertise in business management
• New York, Chicago, Boston and Cleveland have varying degrees of mayoral control of their public school systems.
• Mayoral control (or as proposed, Mayoral and Common Council control) has a number of advantages over an elected School Board. The Mayor and Council hold positions of natural authority that School Board members do not. The electorate generally knows who the Mayor and local Council member are and demands a certain degree of accountability from them. Conversely, the Mayor and Common Council members are generally more in tune with the needs and desires of their constituents (and have mechanisms for ascertaining those needs and desires) than are School Board members. The electorate has much less interest in and familiarity with the School Board (as demonstrated by the low turnout for School Board elections) than it does the Mayor andCouncil. The Mayor and Council are also more experienced at rallying the support of the business community, which often proves critical in making school-system reforms.

2. ADMINISTRATION

• Revise ch. 119 of the Wisconsin Statutes to change the method by which a"superintendent" is selected.
• Nominees for the position of Superintendent would be provided by an 11 -person "MPS Superintendent Nominating Panel" consisting of the following persons:
- 3 parents of current MPS students, appointed by majority vote of the school board.
- 2 persons appointed by the Mayor.
- 2 persons appointed by the Common Council President.
-1 person appointed by the collective bargaining unit representative ofMPS teachers.
-1 MPS principal elected by MPS principals.
-1 representative of the business community, appointed by the GreaterMilwaukee Committee.
-1 president of a public or private institution of higher learning, appointed by the state superintendent of public instruction.
• The Superintendent would be appointed by Chancellor, in consultation with the Mayor and using nominees provided by the Nominating Panel, and subject to confirmation by both the School Board and the Common Council. The Superintendent would be appointed for a 4-year term (similar to police and fire chief appointments). If theChancellor does not support a particular nominee, he or she would ask the Nominating Panel to make another nomination.
• Although appointed by the Chancellor and confirmed by the Common Council, the School Board and the Superintendent would retain their current respective duties - i.e., the Board sets policy, and the superintendent implements that policy, in the areas ofcurriculum, operations, budget, personnel, labor negotiations, facilities, purchasing, etc.
• The newly-reconstituted School Board and newly-appointed Superintendent shall be required to participate in on-going leadership training provided by the WisconsinAssociation of School Boards based on the findings and recommendations of the 2000 Iowa Lighthouse Study. This training shall emphasize the "seven conditions for school renewal" identified in the Iowa study, including shared leadership, continuous improvement and shared decision making, ability to create and sustain initiatives andcommunity involvement.

3. LOCAL SCHOOL COUNCILS

• To stimulate school-level participation in the school governance process, each MPS school would have a "local school council" consisting of the principal, parents, neighborhood residents, teachers and, at the high school level, student government members (the exact number of each type of representative shall be established by theSchool Board).
• Local school councils shall be given responsibility for selecting principals, writing performance contracts for principals, helping to create school budgets, formulating school improvement plans and spearheading teacher recognition activities. The council's role in some of these activities (e.g., hiring a principal or setting a school budget) may beadvisory, as the School Board sees fit.
• Chicago and New York have used local school councils to ensure continued parental influence in the education process, even as the school boards in these cities have gone from being elected to mayor-appointed.

4. "MILWAUKEE GUARANTEE"

• In a nutshell, the "Milwaukee Guarantee" would guarantee each MPS high school graduate either full-time employment at a Milwaukee-area business or paid tuition at a state university or technical college. The success of this effort would hinge on the support and participation of local businesses and development of a large, self-sustaining tuition fund.
• Jobs Component Under this initiative, participating Milwaukee (or Milwaukee-area)businesses would agree to provide summer jobs to MPS high-school students and to provide full-time employment to MPS high-school graduates (for all high schools or as a pilot project at selected schools). However, the provision of employment opportunities would be conditioned upon the academic performance of the students/graduates: if certain standards are not met (e.g., low GPA, poor attendance), there would be no guarantee of employment. Also, once hired, an MPS graduate would be subject to the same personnel policies on promotion, discipline, termination, etc. as other employees.
• The consortium of businesses operating and participating in the Milwaukee Guarantee would monitor MPS performance (discipline rates, test scores, truancy, graduation rates, etc.), and could curtail or terminate the program if improvements are not made in these areas.
• College Tuition Component Modeled after the famous "Kalamazoo Promise," this component of the Milwaukee Guarantee would promise to pay full tuition for 4 years at any University of Wisconsin campus or 2 years at any technical college in the state for any MPS high school graduate who is admitted to that college and was an MPS student from kindergarten through 12th grade. (The percentage of tuition paid would be reduced on a sliding scale for students who entered MPS after kindergarten, falling to 65% for those who entered in 9th grade, with no financial assistance for those entering after 9th grade).
• The Kalamazoo Promise, created in 2005, has been credited with creating a number of benefits for its namesake community, including attracting hundreds of new families to the school district, increasing enrollment in the school system, raising graduation rates, stimulating home buying and home construction, and, in general, providing concrete evidence to local businesses and outsiders alike of the community's commitment todeveloping a well-educated workforce.
• Participants in the college-tuition component of the Milwaukee Guarantee would be required to maintain a grade point average of 2.0 to maintain eligibility for continued tuition payments.
• The success of the college-tuition component would hinge in large part on the ability of the community to create a large pool of funds - from major businesses, foundations and philanthropists - to establish the program and keep it going from year to year.

5. MPS PERSONNEL POLICIES

• Review, and revise if necessary, the policies of MPS regarding the assignment of veteran, less-experienced and novice teachers and principals to district schools. These policies should strike a balance that ensures that not all veteran teachers are assigned to high-performing schools and not all novice teachers are assigned to new or challenging schools.
• Analyze per-pupil teachers spending at all schools in the district and make necessary adjustments (i.e., budget and staffing) to reduce differences among these schools. Above-average spending on teachers typically indicates that teachers at a school are more experienced, have more credentials, have higher education levels and have had more professional development. To ensure that all MPS students benefit from qualified, experienced teachers, teacher-spending gaps between schools should be reduced.
• Analyze MPS' performance review procedure for new teachers. Ensure that reviews are not routine and that earning tenure is not automatic.
• Institute a bonus pay program for teachers and principals that ties bonuses to high academic performance and/or improvements in academic performance, as measured by state standardized tests. The highly successful St. Anthony Catholic School on Milwaukee's South Side has instituted a cash-payment incentive program for teachers whose students exceed academic improvement goals over the course of a school year.
• Provide principals with the opportunity to have greater autonomy in the areas of school budget, staffing and curriculum in exchange for agreeing to meet certain performance targets. Failure to meet targets could result in dismissal, demotion or return of the school to more centralized control.
• Contract with a public-policy think tank to conduct a study of MPS union contract provisions that might hamper school efforts to hire the best possible teachers whenp ositions become available. Seek foundation funds to pay for this study. The Annie E. Casey Foundation funded a study by the New Teacher Project that exposed specific elements of union contracts that stymie school hiring. As a result, union contracts were modified in 4 major urban school districts - Baltimore, Memphis, New York andWashington.

6. TEACH FOR AMERICA

• Fund, with assistance from local foundations and the City if necessary, the proposed placement of "Teach for America" teachers in MPS classrooms. Teach for America is a national organization that places highly-motivated recent college graduates from various disciplines in classrooms in some of the nation's most challenged school districts. Teach for America participants have been well-received in other school systems and, according to one study, have contributed to significant improvements in math test scores.
• The financial commitment to Teach for America should be on-going. This would mean less upheaval in the schools, improve chances for success and create opportunities to study the long-term effectiveness of the program.

7. SINGLE-GENDER SCHOOLS

• Establish single-gender schools at the middle and high-school levels (or as 6-12 schools).These schools could offer rigorous academic programs and a full complement of extracurricular activities.
• These schools could be modeled in part after highly successful single-sex Catholic schools in Milwaukee (Nativity Jesuit (boys) and Notre Dame (girls) middle schools and Marquette University (boys) and Divine Savior Holy Angels (girls) high schools).

8. COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

• Develop one or more "community schools" in which MPS would partner with universities, major non-profit organizations, community centers and area businesses to provide a comprehensive set of activities for students, their families and residents of the surrounding neighborhood. These schools often provide health and dental care, homework clubs, social services, adult education, early childhood education and after-school activities.
• The George Washington Community School in Indianapolis (formerly Washington High School) could serve as a model for community schools in Milwaukee. This school,which formerly had a 30% graduation rate, now has the highest graduation rate inIndianapolis Public Schools. Partnerships with more than 50 organizations, along with financial support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, provide the diverse array of services and activities for students, their families and area residents. White Center, Washington, a low-income Seattle suburb, has also introduced the community school concept at a number of its elementary schools.

9. BOARDING SCHOOLS

• Every day, MPS faces both societal challenges (teen pregnancy, single-parent householdsand the overall breakdown of the family) and environmental challenges (poverty,joblessness and crime) to its efforts to educate Milwaukee children.
• To counteract these challenges, MPS should establish several single-gender boarding schools for high-school-age students. A boarding school can provide the stable, structured and academics-focused home environment that is not currently available to many Milwaukee children.
• Boarding schools could be developed at existing MPS sites, particularly where unused or underutilized facilities exist and could provide space needed for the room-and-board component of the program. Alternatively, boarding schools could be developed in former, now-vacant parochial schools. The Anchor boarding school program in NewYork City - which uses renovated convent space next to 2 existing Catholic high schools to provide boarding accommodations for students of those schools - could serve as a model for a similar initiative in Milwaukee. The Anchor students are outperforming their peers, both in their schools and in their neighborhoods, and seats in the Anchor programare now highly sought-after by parents.

10. RE-EMPHASIZE VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION

• Re-establish a true trade and technical high school that operates along the lines of the old Boys Technical High School. This school - most likely but not necessarily a co-ed institution - would emphasize strict discipline, a rigorous curriculum and training for specific trades (e.g., carpentry, welding, metalworking, mechanics). Entrance examinations for incoming students would also be required.
• (Re)introduce a trade and technical curriculum at a number of MPS middle and high schools that do not have it. Increase course offerings at schools that still have trade and technical instruction. Curriculum should be coordinated with courses offered by MATC and other vocational/technical institutions to create smooth career paths for MPS students.
• Milwaukee-area employers and business leaders continue to report an inadequate supply of skilled-trade workers. In some cases, this lack of workers is stifling business growth and local economic development.
• Increased emphasis on trade and technical education represents a realistic recognition that not all high-school students are college-bound, or should even be considered college-bound, and that trade and technical occupations represent appropriate, decent-paying career choices for many MPS students.

11. BACK-TO-BASICS CURRICULUM AND TEACHING METHODS

• Emphasize curriculum basics -- math, reading, writing, phonics, science and social studies, including history, geography and civics.
• Teaching should be "instructivist" (teacher-led and focused on specific skills and knowledge, often imparted to students using drills and exercises), rather than"constructivist" (teacher leads children to develop their own abilities, do their own learning and draw their own conclusions). Schools should use classic teaching methods,such as memorization drills, reading out loud to the class and requiring students to maintain proper posture.
• Resist temptation to follow the latest trends and fads in curriculum and teaching techniques. Also, de-emphasize feel-good multicultural ism and re-emphasize instruction in English.
• St. Anthony Catholic School on Milwaukee's South Side, which uses a back-to-basics curriculum, is now the largest elementary school in Milwaukee — public or private. St.Anthony also uses an instructivist teaching style and provides all of its instruction inEnglish, even though many of its students come from Spanish-speaking homes. St.Anthony's classrooms are orderly, with a high degree of student involvement and a seriousness about education among both students and faculty.

12. TRUANCY-ABATEMENT MEASURES

• Create a "truancy hotline" that City workers out in the field, as well as all Milwaukee residents and businesses, can use to report truants. The hotline would be answered by theMilwaukee Police Department. An enhanced Truancy Abatement and Burglary Suppression police detail would respond to the calls in a timely manner.
• Work with the owners, managers and employees of businesses throughout the city - but especially convenience stores and fast-food restaurants - to discourage them from serving truants during school hours. At the same time, encourage business owners, managers and employees to use the truancy hotline whenever possible.

13. DISTRICT-WIDE DRESS CODES

• To reduce distractions in the classroom and even violence in hallways and on school grounds, the following dress codes shall be in effect at all MPS schools:
- All students in grades pre-kindergarten through grade 8 shall wear school uniforms. The School Board shall establish the specifics of the uniform policy.
- Students in grades 9 through 12 shall not be required to wear uniforms, but shall not be permitted to wear hooded clothing, baggy or sagging pants, jeans, long T-shirts, shirts with slogans, headgear and any other items the School Board determines create distractions or discipline problems in schools or classrooms.The dress code should also require that pants be pulled up over hips and that shirts be tucked in.

14. SCHOOL FUNDING INITIATIVES

• The Mayor, as the City's chief elected official, shall lead a delegation of Milwaukee leaders to Madison to seek the changes to the state's school-funding formula necessary to restore Milwaukee Public Schools. This delegation should include the Chancellor ofEducation, Milwaukee representatives in the State Legislature, and leaders of the local education, faith-based, philanthropic and business communities.
• Take the steps necessary to assure both Milwaukee taxpayers and state legislators thatMPS is the best steward of school tax dollars in this community. This would includeevaluating the duties and workload of every MPS administrator and staff person whoseresponsibilities lie outside the classroom, streamlining MPS operations accordingly andeliminating positions where appropriate.
• Make an effort to re-open MPS union contracts with the goal of seeking cost-savingconcessions from employees, particularly in the area of fringe benefits. A change in the residency requirement for MPS employees could be one incentive used to obtain theseconcessions.
• To reign in spending, consolidate MPS and City of Milwaukee functions and serviceswhere duplication or overlap exists. Areas of possible consolidation are purchasing,human resources and facilities maintenance.
• Explore all potential sources of funding for public education in Milwaukee. Emphasizethe use of public-private partnerships, as well as national and local foundations that havea track record of support for public education initiatives.
• The Chancellor shall coordinate outreach to the philanthropic and business communities.• At the national level, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Ford Foundation and theAnnie E. Casey Foundation have been major contributors to efforts to improve publiceducation. Locally, the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, the Reiman Foundation and thePettit Foundation offer grants for public education initiatives.
• If not already in effect, immediately establish a hiring freeze applicable to all MPSpositions that work primarily outside the classroom (i.e., all positions other than teachersand educational assistants).
• Evaluate the current and potential future use of all buildings, facilities and land owned bythe Board of School Directors to determine which properties are surplus to the needs ofMPS. To generate revenue and reduce maintenance costs, sell all properties which aresurplus to MPS needs.
• Explore the feasibility of consolidating the functions, programs and activities of theMilwaukee Public Schools Recreation Division with the Milwaukee County ParksDepartment and other public and private entities that provide recreational services (e.g.,Milwaukee Public Library, YMCA, the Boys and Girls Club). The purpose of thisinvestigation is to identify duplication of services and opportunities for cost savings.

Detroit has problems, too

MPS is not the only urban school district with financial woes. The Detroit Free Press reports that the Detroit district is projecting a two-year, $400 million deficit.

State Schools Superintendent Mike Flanagan said the district has serious financial problems, a step that could eventually lead, according to the paper, to a state-appointed financial manager running the district's budget.

The latest back-and-forth between the district and the state comes less than three years after the end of a six-year state takeover of the School Board. The takeover ended with a $200 million deficit.

The rest of the Free Press story is here.

The ugly outlook

The ugly fiscal outlook for MPS was made quite clear in a report the School Board's Strategic Planning and Budget Committee got last night.

Here it is in a nutshell.

If the School Board, in adopting a final FY09 budget next month, doesn't make any cuts to the budget it gave preliminary approval to in the spring, the required tax levy would be 14.9% higher than the levy for the FY08 budget.

If it adopts the budget total proposed by the administration, before the Board amended it, the levy would increase 11.3%; holding spending at FY08 levels would require a 9.1% levy increase.

It's amazing what an $18 million state aid cut will do, isn't it?

A property tax freeze would force the School Board to cut $37.5 million from the spring-approved budget, while holding the district's levy increase to the southeastern Wisconsin average of 6.9% would require a $20.2 million cut.

You can see the chart the committee received here.

What's a district to do? Any suggestions?

Journal Sentinel wrong, Board President Blewett says

School Board President Peter Blewett issued a press release this afternoon stating that the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel erred when it reported that the School Board voted to look into dissolving MPS. Here is the text of Blewett's release:

The Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel erroneously reported that the MPS Board was exploring dissolving the District. What, in fact, occurred last evening was that a committee of the Board, the Committee on Strategic Planning and Budget, took public testimony about, and forwarded a recommendation to the full Board regarding the District’s FY09 budget.

The committee heard public testimony from taxpayers indicating that in these stressful financial times, any increase in the tax levy would put undue stress on taxpayers. Committee members also heard testimony from individuals advocating for increasing funds to the district and to the schools so that Milwaukee’s children would have equity with students in other districts both in Milwaukee County and throughout the State, even if this meant increasing the tax levy.

In an attempt to bring attention to MPS’s significant financial stress due to the State of Wisconsin’s broken school finance formula, a question was raised regarding the state’s obligations to Milwaukee’s students, including a discussion of what obligations would remain and who would be financially responsible should the district be dissolved. The committee voted 6-3 to forward a recommendation to the full Board authorizing “the administration to investigate state and federal guidelines regarding the dissolution of the district, a district of a city of the first class, what obligations would remain, and who would be financially responsible should the district be dissolved, and report back to the Board at a time the administration feels is adequate.”

The committee recommended identifying at least $15 million in state and federal mandates that do not directly benefit students. The overwhelming concerns were that the state’s school funding system was broken, that various state and federal mandates direct that funds be used in ways that do not directly benefit students, and that both the state and federal governments continue to reduce funding to school districts.

Subsequent information has been brought to the attention of the Office of Board Governance that state laws governing a “city of the first class” do not include provisions or options for dissolving a school district. Only legislative action could effect this change. Contrary to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s story, the Milwaukee Board of School Directors took no action on Thursday, September 18, 2008. However, the Strategic Planning and Budget Committee’s recommendations will be forwarded to the Board for action on September 25, 2008.

The Strategic Planning and Budget Committee includes all nine members of the School Board.

Ald. Donovan says he has an MPS plan

Ald. Bob Donovan said today that he has a "more than 14 point" plan for a Milwaukee school district.

Donovan said in a press release that he will outline his proposal Monday in a letter to Mayor Tom Barrett. Donovan issued the press release after the School Board's Strategic Planning and Budget Committee voted Thursday night to study the impacts of dissolving the district.

Donovan's press release said his plan includes elements of successful models used in other urban communities across the nation facing the same struggles as Milwaukee.

“It is important that we take action now because the longer this crisis festers, the less confidence the public will have in the system overall,” said Ald. Donovan, who has frequently asked the mayor to take over MPS.

Superintendent responds to vote to study dissolution

In a message to MPS staffers sent today, Superintendent William Andrekopoulos responded to a vote by the School Board's Strategic Planning and Budget Committee to study the impacts of dissolving the district.

The contents of that message:

Last night a committee of the Milwaukee Board of School Directors decided to explore the question of dissolving the school district. This means Board Directors asked the Administration to do research on what would happen if the district is dissolved.

The committee took the action after a discussion last night about the significant financial stress the district is under because of the State of Wisconsin’s broken school financing system. If the full Board passes the measure, the administration will begin the research on what dissolution would mean.

Board Directors continue to weigh difficult budget decisions. A tax levy must be determined by the end of October.

Meantime, please help us assure families that the district is still intact. Schools are operating.
Thank you for your hard work. I visited hundreds of classrooms in 27 schools in the past two weeks and I saw your dedication first-hand. I saw enthusiasm and genuine caring from teachers, administrators, building engineers and school nutrition staff. We appreciate what you are doing.

William G. Andrekopoulos, Superintendent

Taking a short break

Blogging MPS is taking a short break. It will return next week.

Kern Family Foundation supports education in MPS

From the Journal Sentinel:

The Kern Family Foundation will provide $1 million to help bring college graduates involved with Teach for America into Milwaukee Public Schools classrooms by next fall, the foundation announced today. Teach for America has recruited thousands of graduates, mostly from top-tier colleges and universities, to spend at least two years teaching in urban schools where academic achievement has been low. Started in 1990, it currently is working in 29 communities.

Teach for America also will be discussed at tomorrow night's meeting of the Innovation/School Reform Committee. An administration report to the committee gives some sobering background.

"On average," it says, "Milwaukee Public Schools’ turnover rate for teachers has averaged13% to 15% during their first year, and it rises to 37% to 40% by their fifth year. Ourchallenge lies not only in recruiting teachers for our classrooms but also inpreparing them for the challenges which they will face in our classrooms, as well astrying to retain them beyond the first year."

Teach for America is looked at as one way to attract and retain employees, the report said.

"Preliminary conversations have been had with Teach for America staff regarding the establishment of MPS as a new site," the report said. "We have also been encouraged by the interest in the program from higher-education institutions in the area. If ultimately approved, this would represent an unprecedented collaboration between thed istrict and its higher-education partners."

The Board's Finance and Personnel will be asked at its Sept. 23 meeting to to approve a contract with Teach for America.

Halloween is coming up -- make Hawthorne Glen plans

Milwaukee Recreation’s “natural alternative” to the usual haunted houses is returning for another year. Family Fun at Halloween Glen encourages youth to learn about nature through a fun and interactive program in the outdoor setting of Hawthorn Glen, Milwaukee Recreation’s 23-acre nature center at 1130 N. 60th St. The program, now in its 15th year, will run every half hour beginning at 6 p.m. 6:30 p.m., 7 p.m., 7:30 p.m., and 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 17 and Saturday, Oct. 18 (rain or shine).

“Families who attend Halloween Glen should expect a fun outdoor experience with an educational twist,” Assistant Recreation Supervisor Kevin Reed said. “We’ve hired actors to dress up as wild creatures, but they won’t be scaring anyone. Instead, this talented group will present interactive skits at eight elaborately decorated stations along the luminary-lighted trails of Hawthorn Glen at night. This year’s theme is ‘Being Green,’ and our skits will reflect that. For example, our raccoons will talk trash while suggesting different ways to recycle.”

Following the program, families can watch Halloween cartoons and enjoy refreshments like pretzel bones, halloweenies, and witches’ brew.

Families with children between the ages of 4 and 12 will enjoy the program most, but everyone is welcome to attend for $5.00 per person (children 3 and under may attend for free). Participants must register in advance by completing the registration form in Milwaukee Recreation’s Fall 2008 Activity Guide or registering online at www.MilwaukeeRecreation.net. Because parking is limited at Hawthorn Glen, all participants must park at MPS Central Services, 5225 W. Vliet St., and use the free shuttle service to and from the event. Please call (414) 647-6050 with questions.

Lunch apps can win prizes for students

Filling out and sending in completed meal benefit applications by Sept. 19 can make students and families eligible for cool prizes, including a grand prize of $1,000, a video iPod classic and a Milwaukee Brewers four-ticket prize package.

Other prizes include things like tickets to Brewers, Bucks and Wave games and Marcus Theatres; skate boards; and digital video and digital still cameras.

There will be winners at every school, but only one grand prize winner.

Completed meal benefit applications must be submitted by Sept. 19. Just one completed application per family. All MPS students who are directly certified or who turn in forms will be included in the drawing.

The contest is sponsored by American TV Appliance & Furniture, Burton & Mayer Inc., Friends of Boerner Botanical Gardens, Doral, Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Hunger Task Force, Impact 211, M&I Bank, Marcus Theatres, Milwaukee Brewers, Milwaukee Bucks, Milwaukee County Parks, MilwaukeeMoms.com, Milwaukee Wave and Time Warner Cable.

The grand finale

Part 3 of the superintendent's remarks to principals is here. This time, he talks about staying positive.

Part 2 of the superintendent's speech to principals

There will be one more part after this one. Stay tuned.

New expulsion procedures for FY09

Gone will be the three-member hearing panels that were previously assigned to hear expulsion cases for the school district.

Instead, under new procedures approved last week by the School Board, there will be additional scrutiny given to expulsion cases before they get to the hearing stage, where single hearing officers will hear the cases.

The hearing officer, who will not be a district employee, also will consider early reinstatement conditions for students expelled for offenses related to ownership, possession or use of illegal drugs. Some students who commit lower-level offenses that could get them expelled may be offered alternatives instead.

The Council of Great City Schools, in a report issued last spring, said the MPS expulsion process was labor-intensive compared to that of other districts. According to the report:

The district has expanded the pool of potential participants in Independent Hearing Panels to include more than 350 directors, coordinators, manager, supervisors, specialists, assistant coordinators, program administrations, other Central Services staff members, assistant principals, and retired MPS administrators and teachers.

There were 390 students expelled during the 2007-08 school year, compared to 367 students expelled in 2006-07 and 395 a year earlier. To view a summary of 2007-08 expulsions and offenses involved, click here.

MPS schools named New Wisconsin Promise Schools of Recognition

Six Milwaukee Public Schools were named New Wisconsin Promise Schools of Recognition Tuesday by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Elizabeth Burmaster.

The six are Cooper Elementary, Fairview Elementary, Garland Elementary, IDEAL, Spanish Immersion and Morse Middle schools. This is the fourth consecutive year Cooper, Garland and Spanish Immersion received the honor; it is the second consecutive year for Fairview and IDEAL.

To be recognized, schools must be eligible to receive federal Title I funding and be among the highest poverty schools in the state based on free and reduced-price school lunch data, according to DPI.

Additionally, student achievement on statewide reading and mathematics assessments must outperform the state average for schools with similar poverty rates and grade configurations. Finally, the school must have adequate yearly progress for the past two years as defined under the federal No Child LeftBehind Act. Schools meeting all four criteria will receive award plaques at an Oct. 13 ceremony at the StateCapitol and $1,500 for use by the school.

The superintendent's speech, part 1

For the first day of school, the first part of the speech the superintendent gave at the administrators' Aug. 21 meeting. Two more parts to follow.

Part 1 video is here.

Happy school days

Happy first day of the school year for most folks.

Have a stimulating, safe, high-achieving year.