This Just In...

THIS WEEK, I AM WRITING A FIVE-PART SERIES ON THE TOP ISSUES FRANKLIN FACES. TODAY, ISSUE #3.


STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT IN FRANKLIN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

During the debate over the failed $78-million Franklin referenda, I heard from many Franklin parents with children in the Franklin school system, angry that the district could demand millions of dollars from taxpayers for new buildings when far too many students were underperforming.

Not long after the referenda went down in flames, Milwaukee Magazine affirmed what so many parents had already known and feared.

The May 2007 issue had an article entitled, “Best Schools,” by Matthew Hrodey that contained bad news for Franklin.

SchoolMatters, a division of Standard & Poor’s, compiled data for a study done for Milwaukee Magazine. Taking into account family income, the magazine ranked 57 school districts in the five-county area and attempted to answer the following question:

Without spending more than an average district, which district does best with the students it serves?

The magazine excluded Milwaukee Public Schools and Racine because the large percentage of poor children in those districts made it tough to compare them to other districts.

In the category, K-12 Underperformers, these districts were named:

1) Waukesha
2) Menomonee Falls
3) Franklin Public
4) Oconomowoc

Milwaukee Magazine wrote: “These school districts had median to above-average spending per pupil with lower achievement test scores than expected given income level of students."

The Franklin findings defy the general conclusion of the study, that the more affluent the school district, the better the student performance. Not so in Franklin.

For the record, the K-12 Overperformers were Greendale, Shorewood, Greenfield, Pewaukee, Cedarburg and West Allis.

Following the release of that report in Milwaukee magazine, I wrote the following:

The direction the Franklin School District must take is clear. A greater emphasis needs to be placed on student achievement. Success in the classroom must be the #1 goal.

Instead of spending millions and millions of dollars on gymnasiums, swimming pools, and auditoriums, efforts must be focused on student performance in the classroom.

My view hasn’t changed.

Apparently the Franklin School Board, some members who are just itching to get that August 27th meeting underway so they can approve a huge tax increase, subscribe to the philosophy that more money automatically translates into improved schooling and positive results. If only that were true the money pit that is MPS would be churning out more graduates with “A” and “B” grade point averages.

From where I stand, here are what appear to be the priorities for the Franklin Pubic Schools, in no particular order:


• Raise more money through higher taxes and referenda.
• Preserve the status quo (current number of teachers and all the expenses that come with them, and programs) at all cost
• Build new buildings, even if they’re not needed.
• Refuse to even consider any cuts or savings

I believe these priorities are misplaced. The more important goals should be:

• Improving student test scores
• Improving GPA’s
• Improving attendance
• Improving preparedness for college
• Sending more graduates to college
• Greater preparedness for the workforce for graduates not attending college

Call me strange but I consider what happens inside and the quality of the product that comes out of the classroom needs greater attention and focus then what the outside of the building looks like or how new it is.

Franklin is like many other school districts. Rather than aggressively fix a problem, more time and energy is placed on excuses and pointing fingers: We don’t have enough money. It’s the state’s fault. If only the referenda had passed.

Raise expectations inside the classroom.

Demand excellence.

Find a way to vastly improve student achievement.

Then do it.

Perhaps then when you go to the people you work for, the taxpayers, and ask them AGAIN to dig even deeper into their pockets, they’ll be more willing.


FRANKLIN’S TOP 5 ISSUES

1) ?
2) ?
3) STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
4) SEX OFFENDERS
5) FRANKLIN’S IDENTITY CRISIS


DON’T WANT A BIG INCREASE IN YOUR SCHOOL TAXES? CONTACT FRANKLIN SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS NOW.