Milwaukee Congresswoman Gwen Moore, who has consistently been a voice of reason in the MPS takeover debate, just sent off a stern letter to state Superintendent Tony Evers, who has threatened to cut off $175 million in federal funds for MPS’s neediest students. He’s trying to utilize his powers granted by Bush’s No Child Left Behind Acteven though Obama has just announced plans to change the more punitive aspects of that legislation.
Here’s the letter:
February 5, 2010
Mr. Tony Evers
Superintendent
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Madison, Wisconsin
Dear Superintendent Evers:
I read with much dismay in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that you are beginning a process to take away Federal funding from Milwaukee’s public schools. Your action is especially troubling given that Congress and the Obama Administration are working to change the one-size-fits-all approach of No Child Left Behind that was designed to punish schools, not students. I ask that you immediately stop the process to withhold $175 million in critical Federal funding from Milwaukee Public Schools.
We simply cannot lift our children up and build a workforce in Milwaukee and in Wisconsin for the 21st Century if we are poorhousing our kids’ education.
We both want every MPS student to succeed, and we also want a thriving school system in Milwaukee that guarantees equal opportunity for every child. Our kids deserve nothing less. But punishing our children is no solution. If our schools are not meeting expectations todaythey sure won’t be able to meet expectations tomorrow with even fewer resources.
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Community members have indicated they believe you are withholding this Federal funding as part of an attempt to take away local control of Milwaukee Public Schools in order to qualify for Race to the Top funding. If that is the case, I want to remind you that Education Secretary Arne Duncan has repeatedly told me and our communityhe even put it in writingthat mayoral control of public schools is not necessary for Wisconsin to receive Race to the Top funding.
You know that Milwaukee Public Schools just hired a new superintendent who will start in the summer. Your move only takes away local ability to bring about positive changes in our schools. It makes sense to immediately stop this process of withholding $175 million from Milwaukee Public Schools because we must give our new superintendent a chance to succeed.
It’s going to take all of us working together to solve these problems, and I stand ready to work with you.
Sincerely,
Gwen Moore
Member of Congress
