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It’s fascinating to watch the reaction of local leaders to the news that the state Assembly has voted to end the governor’s special session on MPS days after the MPS board voted to hire Gregory Thornton as the next superintendent. This is pretty much the nail in the coffin. No debate, no bill, no takeover. Dunzo.
Bizarrely, Gov. Doyle is continuing to exist in a state of denial. He got some tea and sympathy from his fellow takeover supporters, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporters and editors, acting as usual as the unofficial press office of the MMAC.
The lame-duck governor told the board that he’s not done fighting and he thinks the Taylor/Colon bill still has a chance of being revived somehow.
Like I said, denial.
Of course that means that Doyle got the headline, while the folks living in the real world got the sub-hed. (They’re labeled “critics.”)
Unfortunately, now that the Assembly has closed off debate, an alternative bill introduced by state Rep. Tamara Grigsby and Sen. Spencer Coggs won’t be debated. This alternative bill would have given the Milwaukee mayor an increased, involved role in MPS. It would have provided some true checks and balances between the mayor and MPS. (Unlike the phony veto powers given to the board in the Taylor/Colon bill.) And it would have preserved a strong, elected MPS board that would have to include the mayor in major decisions. The Grigsby/Coggs bill should have been taken seriously by the pro-takeover folks as a good middle-ground measure. But they stuck to their guns way out at the extreme, and lost.
Here’s Grigsby’s statement on the Assembly’s move:
Pretty gracious. Sounds like she’s willing to work on reforming MPS so that the district’s performance improves.
In contrast, take a look at Mayor Tom Barrett’s statement. I realize that he’s on the losing side of this one, but he doesn’t sound like someone who gives a rip about his own constituentsmost of whom were against the takeoverand winning them back as he runs for governor. I wonder if the MMAC's PR folks are now writing Barrett's press releases:
Bizarrely, Gov. Doyle is continuing to exist in a state of denial. He got some tea and sympathy from his fellow takeover supporters, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporters and editors, acting as usual as the unofficial press office of the MMAC.
The lame-duck governor told the board that he’s not done fighting and he thinks the Taylor/Colon bill still has a chance of being revived somehow.
Like I said, denial.
Of course that means that Doyle got the headline, while the folks living in the real world got the sub-hed. (They’re labeled “critics.”)
Unfortunately, now that the Assembly has closed off debate, an alternative bill introduced by state Rep. Tamara Grigsby and Sen. Spencer Coggs won’t be debated. This alternative bill would have given the Milwaukee mayor an increased, involved role in MPS. It would have provided some true checks and balances between the mayor and MPS. (Unlike the phony veto powers given to the board in the Taylor/Colon bill.) And it would have preserved a strong, elected MPS board that would have to include the mayor in major decisions. The Grigsby/Coggs bill should have been taken seriously by the pro-takeover folks as a good middle-ground measure. But they stuck to their guns way out at the extreme, and lost.
Here’s Grigsby’s statement on the Assembly’s move:
“The divisive battle over control of MPS is over. As Mayor Barrett acknowledged earlier this week, now that a new MPS Superintendent has been selected the question of who appoints that person is moot. At this time, we should work together to find those initiatives which can effectively improve our children and schools.
“The fight against mayoral takeover is over, but the fight for school reform in Milwaukee will continue so long as our children face the obstacles and disadvantages they do today. We need to insist on real education reform. We need to insist on accountability. Neither of these necessitates a school takeover, but they do require us to continue rallying behind our public schools.
“While we know perils of mayoral takeover, it’s ironic that the debate surrounding it was an important part of reengaging the community in public education. I would like to thank Mayor Tom Barrett for encouraging us all to think about new ways to improve the future for our students. Like me, he fights for what he believes in and, although we disagree on mayoral takeover, Mayor Barrett has been a leader in the push for change. I look forward to his ongoing leadership on education and other matters as we move beyond this issue.”
Pretty gracious. Sounds like she’s willing to work on reforming MPS so that the district’s performance improves.
In contrast, take a look at Mayor Tom Barrett’s statement. I realize that he’s on the losing side of this one, but he doesn’t sound like someone who gives a rip about his own constituentsmost of whom were against the takeoverand winning them back as he runs for governor. I wonder if the MMAC's PR folks are now writing Barrett's press releases:
“It is unfortunate that the School Board raced to hire a Superintendent before the Legislature was able to act on either of the two proposals concerning MPS governance. The School Board decided to embrace the status quo at the expense of Milwaukee’s children. My concern for MPS remains improving the educational outcomes of students and fixing the district’s financial future. Today’s action by the Legislature is by no means the final chapter in the story of reforming and improving MPS.”
