January
2010
MPS Reform is Uncomfortable as Fear and Cynicism Run Rampant
The restructuring of MPS is running into hurdles and roadblocks.
Critics of MPS correctly point out that the school system has been poorly managed and many business and community leaders look to the Mayor of the City of Milwaukee for a fix. Unfortuately the current system gives the Mayor no voice and no control over the running of MPS. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett would like the authority to appoint the Superintendent of MPS. Since the Mayor ends up taking on much of the blame for the failing schools, it makes sense that he would have control over it.
Not surprisingly, the MPS school board members aren’t in favor of this. They’ve rallied to maintain control and anti-reform advocates have found allies in an unlikely coalition in the State Assembly. Since any change of this magnitude for MPS would require a change in state law, a coalition of democratic legislators from the central city and the entire republican caucus has vowed to oppose the reform.
Why?
The answer isn’t obvious but it’s borne from fear and cynicism.
The central city democrats oppose it out of fear that the Mayor, whoever will be in that position, would be difficult to control and his or her could make sweeping changes that they perceive would be harmful. Urban anti-reform advocates say that this would reduce their ability to have a say in the political process since elected school board members who no longer have a say in the appointment of the new Superintendent of Schools. They miss one key element here — the Mayor is an elected position who they will continue to be able to vote for or against even if this proposal passes.
Republicans oppose the bill because it would give a win to Mayor Barrett who happens to be running for Governor. Desperate to grab onto power, they don’t feel they can allow Barrett to win on any issues — especially anything that has to do with reform. If Barrett were to succeed to cobbling together a majority of legislators to support his plan, he would emerge as a leader who has fought for reform and that would make him a formidable candidate in the election for Governor this fall.
Right now the only thing bottling up a vote on MPS reform is the State Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker, a Democrat. Decker doesn’t want to schedule a vote on the bill and if it is a Democrat who kills the reform, then Barrett loses. If it turns out that it is the Republicans who have united to oppose the reform, and the bill goes down, then Barrett gets a major win because he will be able to travel the state saying that his reform efforts would have passed, but the Republicans opposed them. And who would the public like to see in office, those who oppose reform, or the champion of reform?
Jim McGuigan
Jim McGuigan
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Giving the Mayor control over the schools is not a reform. It is just a change in the leadership structure. So the mayor appoints a new super. Wow. Who cares. The problem with MPS is its size. More meaningful than mayoral control would be breaking the district down into much smaller–one high school districts. Another meaningful reform would be to allow true expulsion where school districts are not forced to pay for one school or another to “tolerate” severe discipline problems, most schools have already wasted thousands of hours and efforts on students who are discipline problems. Let expelled students put on orange jackets and pick up trash, shovel in the winter or whatever.
As for Barrett, don’t be so sure he would benefit if this legislation were defeated. How many charter schools has he proposed for MPS with his authority to do so–none. Where has his voice been on the MPS catastrophe for the last four years–nowhere. Sounds like Jonny-come-lately looking for an issue. I imagine he has no clue about what he would do given the chance.
Having the Mayor appoint the Superintendent is just one part of the solution puzzle.
I’ve got to say, I’m a little shocked that we actually agree on the expulsion issue. I’ve written about it in the past. As for size, I would like it broken up into regional districts — none any larger than a part of town. For instance, maybe we could have the Northwest Milwaukee School District, Northside school district and Southwest School district.
You’ve been tough on expulsion before. I’ve always agreed.
Breaking down the school district into much smaller units lowere the policital threshold. Perhaps it would allow schools to try things which they would not in a one size fits all model like MPS.