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3/12/2010
Kansas City one more big red flag for MPS
You have to be nor breathing if you don’t look at Kansas City as a warning to MPS, to all of us in Wisconsin.
In the wake of the Kansas City school board’s decision to shutter 28 of its 61 schools, many people were left scratching their heads. While school closings as a result of demographic change and tight budgets are commonplace across the country, rarely does a system lose half of itself in one sweep.
The sudden move suggests a depth of dysfunction here that is rarely associated with Kansas City, a lively heartland town with a reputation for order. But a closer look at the school board’s recent history reveals a chaotic, almost nonfunctioning body that put off making tough choices and even routine improvements for generations. Experts said that in the board’s years of inaction is a cautionary tale for school districts everywhere.
From a MacIver News item yesterday:
“There are things that we have to do in this district controlling benefit cost,” [MPS Superintendent] Andrekopoulos said at a recent meeting of the MPS School Board, “We have to look to see if there are things that we can privatize or outsource. We can’t be afraid of that if other people can do this cheaper. We have to look at closing schools and we have to look at transportation. These are tough [decisions], and they’re tough to make, and the public has to understand this.”
Some good news? Alan Borsuk attended a luncheon Wednesday hosted by St. Marcus Lutheran School in Milwaukee, a 370-student voucher school. One solution offered by the school’s principal:
“Expand and replicate great schools.” Tyson focused on seven schools. He said they had a combined enrollment of 1,900 a decade ago. They now have 6,100. That’s good, but a lot more is needed in terms of expanding those schools and bringing other schools to the same level. One big issue is facilities. Tyson decried “the absurdity of it all” that MPS has numerous empty school buildings that it won’t allow to be used by schools that are not part of MPS. [Borsuk shares that those 7 schools are Milwaukee College Prep (charter), Reagan High School (MPS), Bruce Guadalupe School (charter), the Hope Schools (voucher), Messmer Schools (voucher), St. Anthony School (voucher), and St. Marcus Lutheran (voucher).]
Imagine the possibilities.
Jo Egelhoff, FoxPolitics.net
COMMENTS
Jo:
Senator Alberta Darling, who was quoted in the Maclver article, hit the nail on the head when she said we need to take a serious look at how we deliver education in this state and how it is funded.
Why do we have 426 school districts in the state with their associated bureacratic administration levels? Other states align the school districts with the county borders. In Wisconsin, that would mean 72 school districts, instead of 426 and of course way less levels of administration.
Of course this topic never really gets discussed with the administration and the shool boards since it would mean significant cuts in the "overhead costs" of schools.
We cannot continue to reduce teachers and programs and increase taxes to our already burdened taxpayer. In the private sector you look at cutting your high overhead costs before you cut the people actually delivering the product. We need to look at this seriously before the next budget cycle when the stimulus money is gone and we get where Kansas City is now. Let's investigate all potentials now instead of waiting until the disaster is here.
I agree it would have to be pushed from the state level, since school boards and local adminstrations won't tackle this issue. It would mean less school boards and less administration and to expect them to consider it would be unrealistic. But, we "should do it for the children" and not let that get in the way.
Mike
Mike Thomas (Fri Mar 12 09:42:35 2010)
Right on Mike. Tough to consolidate, but we absolutely must be doing it. And in the same breath, I'm intrigued with Walker's endorsement of breaking up MPS into smaller districts.
Jo (Fri Mar 12 12:48:46 2010)
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