A recent
March 11’th JS guest editorial/Community column by an MPS teacher ends with
”The parents of children in Waukesha are already likely to put up a fight when it comes to the education of their children. The focus should be on Milwaukee, where children have few advocates.” To quote a popular TV commercial – “BRILLIANT!!”
The article is filled with hyperbole including his perspective that he would rate Waukesha at
“about #148,203 on the list of districts in financial crisis.” The writer goes on about the dismal state of MPS facilities; the missing trophies in MPS schools from many “already-gone” sports; filthy bathrooms; and more. And he writes this because
” it is imperative that we fund public education to meet a basic minimum standard. But to start this fight among a population that is already very fortunate (Waukesha) is wrong.”Again – “BRILLIANT!!”
(As an aside, I share some philosophical agreement with the writer that many of today’s students need advocates. I also agree that MPS is in deep trouble on many fronts.)
Ultimately, the writer, an MPS educator, states that MPS’s needs should come ahead of Waukesha’s. Obviously frustrated by MPS’s issues, he would have us believe cuts are “OK” out here because Waukesha has “well-lit halls and beautiful athletic facilities.” Wow…we should let Waukesha continue its’ losing battle against the QEO/Revenue Cap because the plight in Milwaukee is worse, much worse...
What a flawed perspective!
Waukesha is desperately fighting an apparently losing battle yearly for funding to
maintain the status quo. There are many, many Waukesha constituents who chose this area for its’ high standards of public education. And we should now not complain and diligently fight to preserve this Waukesha tradition because Milwaukee is in worse shape? How sad, and how desperate…
The blueprint for basic education needs overhauling – immediately – at the State and Federal level. Our local Waukesha representatives have proven, time and again, their unwillingness to engage or even offer a mild solution for this incredibly pressing local issue. They have proven they are not, unlike years past, “statesmen and stateswomen”. They are solely concerned with the ever-electable “cutting taxes” issue (or Senior Bingo at Southridge…). Please remember, I don’t propose raising the tax rate; rather, it is strongly suggested the present funding formula and education model is truly broken and needs fixing. And if this crop of elected officials is not going to engage for the future of their own Community, it will be time for a change. In the “real” business world, when the boss (the constituents) demands an action plan, you, the employee (or elected official), attack the problem and provide an action plan! …Or you simply move on…
MPS teacher and editorialist – Work on positive solutions within
your Community. You telling us “how good we have it out here” doesn’t sit real well right now as 62 more Waukesha educational positions were cut last week
Something has to change…
