Take for example the creation of “literacy coach” positions. These positions don’t even allow for literacy coaches to work with kids! How are we supposed to increase reading test scores if literacy coaches are hired not to work with children? The majority of them become administrative spies! Or they work in the office putting labels on envelopes! This is where Milwaukee taxpayers’ money goes! Also, they pay people at the central office way too much! They now pay people to walk into a teacher’s classroom to perform an IPI visit (as part of their new strategic planning). This visit is a snapshot of what is happening in the classroom. So they stop in for 30 seconds and check off numbers one to six, with a six being “students actively engaged.” As classrooms get larger (41 in some middle schools), teachers spend more time managing classrooms because it comes down to survival. And MPS is paying people to do IPI visits instead of reducing class sizes. It is a joke how MPS spends its money. As a taxpayer and former MPS teacher, that is why I left to the suburbs! It makes sense: Reduce class sizes and you will improve performance. Don’t hire lit coaches and pay people to do IPI visits! Taxpayers need to be made aware of this.
Fix MPS Spending
Tami Jonson - Milwaukee