For those who believe Chris Abele is basically a Republican who claims to really be a Democrat, Republican state Sen. Alberta Darling has just added to your argument. Apparently the real Chris Abele will come out after the spring election—if he’s re-elected Milwaukee County executive, that is.
In a recent appearance caught on video, Darling (R-River Hills), who has worked with Abele on the Milwaukee public school takeover and privatization legislation, says that Abele will work on “our initiative” after the election.
“I think that Abele’s having a primary with Chris Larson, it’s putting a little bit of pressure on him right now,” Darling says on the video, likely shot at a fundraiser in December. “So after April we’ll see more effort, much more on our initiative.”
By “our initiative” Darling means the Opportunity Schools and Partnership Program (OSPP), otherwise known as the Milwaukee Public Schools takeover and privatization, which Darling co-authored with state Rep. Dale Kooyenga (R-Brookfield). Darling’s OSPP bill allows Abele to appoint a commissioner to take over struggling MPS schools and offer them up to private operators, including conservative national charter networks. Darling’s “initiative” doesn’t allow Abele to take over low-performing charter or voucher schools, of course, but just targets Milwaukee public schools for privatization and if this takeover district follows the national pattern, it will primarily impact Milwaukee’s African American and Latino students. Abele is the only county executive in the state of Wisconsin to have his own school district. What’s more, the OSPP only reports to Abele—it doesn’t have a democratically elected school board. Those familiar with this legislation are angry that the son of a Boston billionaire who failed to graduate from college can have total control over the education of poor Milwaukee children.
Darling’s Senate office didn’t respond to the Shepherd’s request to clarify her comments.
What’s fascinating about this is that Darling and Abele’s MPS takeover must be so wildly unpopular that they have to hide it from public view. First, Darling slipped it into the state budget without having it go through the regular legislative committee process. There were no meetings in Milwaukee, no public hearings at the state level at which the public could testify, no referendum question on the ballot so voters could have a say in this new school district.
Abele himself has been downplaying his new ability to seize and privatize public schools. He hired Mequon-Thiensville School Superintendent Demond Means to helm the new district and Abele has said that he won’t take over MPS schools. Of course, that reassurance was seen as a way to tamp down controversy while he’s facing a tough re-election battle.
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If the MPS takeover was so popular, Abele would be making it the centerpiece of his re-election campaign and not waiting to act until after the election, as Darling promises. But like his terrible deal to gift the Bucks owners with $80 million of Milwaukee County taxpayer funds, Chris Abele is apparently keeping his new school district out of the headlines for as long as possible.
