We’re not going to argue that Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) is doing astellar job of educating our kids, just like we won’t argue that Milwaukee as awhole is some sort of urban idyll.
Both the city and the school district are plagued by a tremendous numberof families in need, high-crime neighborhoods, too-few jobs and a crumblinginfrastructure. Yet the city and school district also have inspired studentsand families who are determined to overcome obstacles and make this diverse,vibrant city into a greater one.
Which is why the high-profile quest to change the governance of MPS is asimplistic solution that will do nothing to improve student achievement. Amayoral takeover will result in wealthy, conservative, suburban businesspeoplebuying the mayoral election and essentially gaining indirect control of theschool board. Students, families and voters will be left out of every importantdecision concerning MPS, while the powerful elites in charge will ignore theresidents’ real needs and focus on their own self-interests.
The MPS takeover has been championed by Gov. Jim Doyle, Milwaukee MayorTom Barrett, the conservative business and philanthropic community, the MilwaukeeJournal Sentinel and, now, a handful of Democratic legislators fromMilwaukee, ledby Sen. Lena Taylor. Tayloralongwith Sen. Jeff Plale, Sen. Tim Carpenter, Rep. Pedro Colon and Rep. JasonFieldsis drafting the Milwaukee TEACH Act, which would allow the mayor to hireand fire the superintendent, who would be responsible for MPS’s budget,collective bargaining and contracts, and closing schools and facilities.
The power of the elected boardwhich would still be electedwould begreatly diminished. It could comment on the budget, but would have no authorityto change any budget item. It would be the link to the community, but have nopower whatsoever. Therefore, Milwaukeeresidents would have no power whatsoever.
We think that silencing the voices of MPS families and Milwaukee voters is precisely the wrong wayto turn around a struggling school district, which, as everyone agrees, needs“all hands on deck.” If MPS students and their families are going to be engagedin education, then they need to feel they are valued citizens with some controlover their destiny. That comes from safe, clean schools and neighborhoods, jobopportunities before and after graduation, and a sense of pride in their city.The mayor, state legislators and governor could help with the city’s safety andjobs issues, but instead they insist on meddling with MPS’s education policies.Yes, we agree that MPS, like any major institution, needs to empower itsmanagersin this case, school principalsto make the difficult and sometimesunpopular decisions. But the business community needs to understand thatschools are not businesses, children are not adult employees, and businessleaders are not educators.
We’ve also got to wonder about the legislators who support thistakeover: Would they appreciate the governor taking over the state Legislature?Would they want to be part of an elected body that had no power whatsoever,that could comment on the actions of the governor but not actually influencematters concerning this state? Would their constituents fare better if theirvotes meant nothing? That’s precisely what these legislators are proposing forMPS. Why do these legislators, who trust their constituents to make the rightdecision when it comes to their legislative elections, think these same votersare too stupid to make the right decision when it comes to school boardelections?
Hero of theWeek
Mary AnneMcNulty
Mary Anne McNulty was a true Milwaukee hero. She died last week, less thana month after being diagnosed with cancer. McNulty possessed an unyieldingsense of social justice given to her by the strong Catholic, Irish,working-class culture in which she grew up. McNulty moved to Milwaukee 40 years ago and spent those yearsas a tireless organizer and advocate on behalf of those less fortunate. Afterbeing frustrated with what she felt was City Hall’s lack of concern forworking-class neighborhoods and the poor, she decided to run for a seat on theCommon Council. After two losses, she won a special election in 1983 and servedthrough 1992. As an organizer and a politician, she embodied the Obamaphilosophy of being able to strongly disagree with someone on the other side ofan issue while still being their friend. She was one of those rare people whocould be very active and passionate about an issue, yet not hold any personalanimosity toward her opponents. She was extremely forgiving. One of her closefriends said, “She had the Obama line and lived it while Obama was still inelementary school.” Milwaukeelost a real herohopefully her life will inspire more such heroes.
Jerk of theWeek
Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker
Like its counterparts throughout the state, theMilwaukee County Board on Monday approved a carefully considered budget thatpreserves jobs and services, and which would raise the tax levy by about 4%, inline with economic realities and in step with the budgets of other areacounties. Unfortunately, the budget now goes to Republican gubernatorialcandidate Scott Walker, who also moonlights as the Milwaukee Countyexecutive. Reading from the same cue cards heuses every year, Walkerhas threatened to veto any budget item that will raise taxes, however modestly.If this seems familiar, it ought to. As in past years, the county board willoverride Walker’s delusional vetoes, preserving needed services to thetaxpayers, and Walker will get to preen on-air, at the invite of fawningtalk-radio hostsincluding Charlie Sykes, whose wife is employed by Walker’scampaign chairand claim that he has “held the line on taxes.” We can onlyimagine the damage of a line-item veto pen being wielded at the state level by Walker.
