MPS educators laid off; board
moves on “A Penny for Kids”
It isn’t a new story, and that is what makes it all
the more heartbreaking. It has played out across Wisconsin
for years: teachers are laid off, class sizes increase, programs
and services are cut, costly and divisive referenda are held,
and children and communities receive a lesser quality education.
This time around, the headline grabber was in Milwaukee
Public Schools (MPS) where hundreds of lay-off notices were
issued - the first time teachers have been laid off in
the districts since 1982. Although some of the educators might
return once more is known about next year’s budget,
it is a given that the impact on schools will be deep and
wide.
The scenario playing out in Milwaukee is much like the scenario
in districts around the state: the blame is being passed around
from the teachers’ union to the school board the administration
and back again. Like others around the state, though, a lot
of folks in MPS know the real culprit is Wisconsin’s
school-funding system and the best way to change it is to
work through legislators.
June 17, 2010, the MPS Legislation, Rules, and Policy Committee
approved a resolution endorsing WAES’s proposal to increase
the state sales tax one-cent to meet the crisis. You can find
the resolution in support of “A
Penny for Kids” as Item
3 on the school board’s website. You can also listen
to the meeting. The resolution now goes to the full board
for consideration on June 24.
The city got the message and dozens of teachers, students,
parents, and property taxpayers showed up at a rally, June
21, at the Federal Building. Seven
hundred pairs of shoes were lined up on the steps to symbolize
the number of educators laid off. WAES co-sponsored the rally
and “A
Penny for Kids” was included in the call for action.
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