By Karen Stokes On Tuesday, April 2, 2024, voters expressed their support for the children at Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) by approving the referendum question on the Spring Election ballot. By a slim margin of less than 2,000 votes, Milwaukee Public Schools’ $252 million referendum received approval from voters, with 51% in favor and 49% […]
After Decades of Little Progress, Milwaukee Begins New Approach to Improve Lives of Black Men and Boys
The city’s past efforts to confront barriers for Black males fizzled due to a lack of coordination, metrics and resources, officials say. A new nonprofit with a trusted leader is stepping in. By Jonmaesha Beltran Wisconsin Watch News414 is a service journalism collaboration between Wisconsin Watch and Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service that addresses the specific […]
Milwaukee Public Schools Promised Transportation Stipends Due to Unreliable Busing Few Parents Received Them
The district did not distribute $500,000 it allocated to reimburse parents for gas, bus passes and mileage. Parents say buses still run late. By Jonmaesha Beltran Wisconsin Watch News414 is a service journalism collaboration between Wisconsin Watch and Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service that addresses the specific issues, interests, perspectives and information needs identified by residents […]
Wisconsin Needs to Close the Disposable E-Cigarette Loophole
By Jenna Sterr Para-professional with Milwaukee Public Schools As a Milwaukee Public Schools para-professional working with at-risk high school teenagers, the use of smokeless alternatives to traditional cigarettes, specifically from enticing fruit-flavored disposable e-cigarettes by teens, is of great concern. In Wisconsin alone, 11% of middle schoolers and 32% of high school students have tried […]
Students Embrace Diverse Cultures at MPS World Fair
By Karen Stokes The UW Panther Arena on Tuesday was filled with excitement. Students, exhibits, costumes, music and representation of countries from around the world were all in place for the Milwaukee Public School (MPS) World Fair. Approximately 2,500 energized students from grades 4-8 from 16 of the most diverse schools in the MPS system […]
An Open Letter to the Milwaukee Public Schools Community
By LaKeshia N. Myers Dear Board of Directors, Administrators, Employees, Parents, Students, & Community: As a member of the Wisconsin state legislature, I write to you with grave concern and consternation regarding a bill passed by the legislature this session regarding the dissolution of Milwaukee Public Schools. AB 966 would dissolve Milwaukee Public Schools’ charter, […]
Education Reform Requires Local Voices
Legislatively Speaking By Senator Lena C. Taylor State Republicans Want to Dissolve Milwaukee School District In 2010, I stood on the floor of the Wisconsin State Senate and talked about the governance structure of Milwaukee Public Schools. At that time, MPS was a school district that had been categorized as a District Identified for Improvement […]
MPS Disproportionately Suspending Black Students at Similar Rates to 10 years ago, New MPS Data Reveals
By Sam Woods Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service This story was originally published by Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, where you can find other stories reporting on fifteen city neighborhoods in Milwaukee. Visit milwaukeenns.org. Despite making up 50% of the MPS student body, Black students have received 81% of suspensions this school year, according to data MPS […]
‘Educators Answered the Call’: First Lady Dr. Jill Biden Visits Milwaukee
By Ana Martinez-Ortiz Earlier this week, Milwaukee received a special visitor when First Lady Dr. Jill Biden visited Milwaukee before continuing onto Des Moines. Biden made an appearance at Marvin Pratt Elementary School, 5131 N. Green Bay Ave., where she made some remarks and spoke with parents and teachers during a roundtable discussion. “The school […]
MPS Foundation Launches Ruth Bader Ginsburg Scholarship
By Ana Martinez-Ortiz When she was in middle school, Kayla Denyce Jimenez, 18, decided she wanted to be a lawyer, specifically a civil rights attorney. Recently, she applied for the “Ruth Bader Ginsburg Scholarship,” which will help her achieve her dream of becoming an attorney. “As an attorney, you have the power to fight for […]