Financial and operational mayhem at Milwaukee Public Schools resulted this week in the resignation
of the district superintendent and the firing of its comptroller in charge of finances.
Educational and political heavyweights like former Governor Tommy Thompson are calling to
dissolve MPS. Midweek the district responded to the dysfunction. I can tell you we're investigating
and we will provide updates as soon as we're able to do so. The district was still in need
of those resources to fill what we would be in which is dire financial straights.
Even in the midst of passing a $252 million referendum the district failed to submit mandatory
financial reports to the state. As a result DPI is withholding nearly $17 million in state aid
because the reports are now nine months past due. Plus federal officials cut the district's
head start funding for early learners after finding incidents of verbal and physical abuse
and lack of supervision. All of this came to a head at a school board hearing this week
during which the superintendent tendered his resignation. MPS teacher and parent and chair
of the black educators caucus Angela Harris joins us with her reaction and Angela thanks a lot for being here.
Thank you for inviting me. So how would you describe what happened this week?
If I had to choose one word to describe what happened this week it would definitely be
chaos. It was very it was a very chaotic week. There were new revelations every day about what
was going on in the district. Things that we as staff community members are not we're not aware of
right? We had no idea what was happening behind closed doors within our district.
And so what was your reaction to those revelations?
I was very disappointed. I was very disheartened to hear that this was what was happening particularly
on the heels of a $252 million referendum. So you had been calling for the removal of the
superintendent. Is that because you believe he was ultimately responsible for the financial mayhem
as we called it? I believe that the responsibility starts with him but I don't believe that the
responsibility stops with him. I think that as the head leader of our district he definitely
holds some culpability in what was going on in terms of our financial paperwork not being
submitted in a timely manner. Do I feel like he's the sole responsibility responsible person
for this happening? Absolutely not. Why were you calling even prior to this for his resignation?
We had had questions about superintendent posley's leadership
through the pandemic right? The district had received several hundred million dollars in federal
through Essar funding and we were questioning at the time the way that that funding was being
allocated. The way that community voice was not being listened to in terms of how that money
should be spent allocated. And so it was really during that time that we really began to question
the fiscal responsibility and the fiscal management of more public school.
So you spoke to this a moment ago but what was your reaction to the district successfully passing
again this $252 million referendum at the same time that their financial books apparently were
not square? It really makes it hard for the community, first staff to trust our district
knowing that they knew that these financial this financial paperwork had not been submitted on
time and that they could negatively impact our finances and they knew this while simultaneously
asking for the community to raise our property taxes to provide financial assistance to a district
that can't even make sure that their financial paperwork is submitted in a timely manner.
So how concerned are you then about the suspension of of state aid to Milwaukee?
I'm extremely concerned because although DPI says right this money is just being withheld
and if the paperwork is submitted and everything is correct they will release the funds. My worry
is what if the paperwork is not correct and what if they have to withhold money that they will not
return. These are money that we cannot afford to lose. NPS cannot afford to lose not single dollar.
So also as we discussed there's the loss of federal funding because NPS Head Start programs
were found to have maltreatment of children. What is your response to to that as as a second
grade teacher who no doubt sees some of these youngsters who are in Head Start and then come into
your school? I am really saddened by that loss especially. We know that when students have access
to quality K3 and K4 education that definitely makes my job easier as a second grade teacher right
because they are experiencing not only the academic side of learning they're also getting that social
and emotional learning that happens in those spaces as well that they wouldn't otherwise get
if they were at home. And to know that a program that is supposed to be accessible to some of our
most marginalized families right Head Start is a program that is for families that are specifically
low income. To know that they will then suffer a loss because of our financial mismanagement
our mismanagement of this program. It just really makes me sad for our students and our
families here in Milwaukee. And what about the idea of these little children
reportedly suffering this maltreatment? That is very very concerning to hear. I mean as an educator
a lifelong educator right I have to pass a back a background check if I were to ever hurt a child
I would lose my license and lose my job in being unable to work with children any further. So to
know that not only are these children now losing an opportunity to help levy some of the academic
disparities that they face but they were also being harmed and will potentially have some trauma
that is related to that care as well is just really devastating to hear. As a teacher and
apparent of students I understand attending MPS do you feel like all of this dysfunction
trickles down into the classroom? Oh 100% I always say you know it is very difficult
to bear right fruit from a rotten tree and so when we have issues that are happening in the
very highest levels of our district it's only natural that that is going to boil down to the
classroom to the school to the teachers to the students and I mean ultimately in our community as
well. What is morale like among staff? I think at this point there's a lot of uncertainty that
exists among staff people are often asking like is my job will my job be safe if we lose this
funding what does that mean for my job? There's so many questions that still remain due to the lack
of transparency from the district. When you hear people like Tommy Thompson and others calling to
dissolve MPS do you think that's a good idea? I absolutely do not believe that dissolving
in Milwaukee Public Schools is the answer. Milwaukee Public Schools is the largest public school
system here in our state. We serve the largest number of students. Public school is a right.
Everyone is entitled to a free and appropriate public education and as we begin to have conversations
about dismantling Milwaukee Public Schools that means that we're dismantling that ability for
students to have that free access to public education that serves all students and not just
I think that Milwaukee Public Schools definitely needs structural change but being
dismantled is not in the best interest of our city or our community. We leave it there.
Angela Harris, thank you very much. Thank you. For more on this and other issues facing
Wisconsin visit our website at pbswisconsin.org and then click on the news tab. To see all of our
election coverage visit wisconsinvote.org. That's our program for tonight. I'm Frederica Freiberg.
Have a good weekend.
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