Time to revive a mayoral takeover at MPS or face a perpetually failing system | Opinion

Milwaukee Public Schools Superintendent Keith Posley should be terminated over the district's failure to submit financial reports to the state, but the repercussions should not end there. MPS needs more than a new superintendent, it urgently needs a mayoral takeover.

For far too long, the school system has been a breeding ground for failure, with countless students falling through the cracks. It has some of the widest reading gaps between black and white students. Historically, it has suspended more students of color, on average, compared to some of the country's largest and most challenging school districts.

Furthermore, it appears that the district is having difficulty managing its finances.

Twice in the last four years, it has turned to taxpayers asking for help. Both times, taxpayers have stepped up because we know that if the state’s largest school system fails, we all fail. Despite both referendums passing, we learned that Posley and his team failed to provide critical financial reports to the state, some of which were due over eight months ago. And when paperwork has been turned in, it is often incomplete.

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Is this all Posley’s fault? No, the school board shares responsibility. They should have provided checks and balances. But as the district's superintendent, the heat will fall squarely on Posley, who has declined interviews, suggesting an unwillingness to take responsibility for the current situation. At the very least, he owes taxpayers, parents, and students an explanation.

The decision to discipline or fire Posley could come as soon as Monday night at a special school board meeting.

A mayoral takeover of MPS was attempted in 2009

In 2009, then Gov. Jim Doyle and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett criticized MPS’ performance as “unacceptable” and proposed a mayoral takeover. However, opposition from Milwaukee lawmakers and the public stymied the proposal.

At the time, I was a Journal Sentinel Editorial Board member pushing for the take over. Common Council President Willie Hines and then State Superintendent of Public Instruction (and current Gov.) Tony Evers supported the proposal. If Barrett had been given the authority to take over MPS, he could have chosen his own superintendent and school board members. The superintendent would have reported to Barrett.

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Despite the criticisms Barrett faced as mayor for not being a bold leader, I remember his argument that keeping the status quo was the path of least resistance, but it was also the path that was failing our students.

When Barrett presented his idea to the public, Milwaukee Democrats opposed it, stating that it would not allow voters to choose the school board members. They also argued that it would not improve Wisconsin's chances of receiving more federal school stimulus money.

However, we never found out because the takeover never happened, especially after Doyle announced that he was not seeking reelection. We see how well things have gone since then.

Johnson is young, energetic and prepared to help MPS succeed

In 2024, a takeover could look a lot different. We have a young, energetic mayor who graduated from MPS. In April, Mayor Cavalier Johnson pledged to take a more active role in ensuring the success of Milwaukee students after being sworn in for a second term.

"The elements for success for our city are in place. The work we're doing together will yield huge dividends in the future. It's Milwaukee's time to shine," Johnson said.

He expressed his desire to collaborate with public and private schools to enhance student achievement in Milwaukee. This will involve a closer focus on policy, priorities, and resource allocation and participating in strategic discussions.

Johnson would be up to the challenge, and I’m sure he would have the support of Evers, the state's top education official from 2009 to 2019. So far, Evers is taking a wait-and-see approach following the devastating news of the repeatedly delayed financial reports and mass layoffs planned, despite an infusion of cash from taxpayers.

Despite passage of $252.2 million referendum, cuts still taking place

I'm not sure if Evers and Johnson would want to attempt a takeover like Barrett and Doyle did 15 years ago, but if they did, I would support their efforts. Something must change because MPS is currently delinquent in required documents to the state Department of Public Instruction.

Jilly Gokalgandhi, the vice president of the Milwaukee School Board, stated that the board is working with "subject matter experts" to plan the way forward, which may involve adding staff, filling finance department vacancies, or seeking outside help to produce required reports for state officials.

To avoid funding suspension, MPS must submit a corrective action plan to complete missing reports and meet future deadlines, per DPI's letter to Posley. DPI strongly recommended bringing in an external financial consultant to finalize the plan. In a letter, DPI Deputy State Superintendent John Johnson expressed concerns about delayed reports and incomplete data submissions.

MPS's failure to submit the correct documents may cause a delay in millions of dollars in state aid. This situation is even more distressing when you consider that MPS requested and received $252.2 million from taxpayers in April to "preserve vital programs" and prevent significant layoffs.

However, it has been proven to be untrue as MPS plans to lay off nearly 300 positions, including 149 teachers, 13 nurses, three psychologists, nine counselors, and other vital positions. A vote on the budget was delayed last week when news of the missed reports to the state broke. I voted against the referendum because I didn’t have confidence in MPS using the money wisely. I think we have an answer there.

How can anyone have confidence in Posley moving forward? Milwaukee needs more than a new superintendent, though. Something fundamental must change or we'll be right back here again.

Reach James E. Causey at [email protected]; follow him on X@jecausey.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: MPS budget crisis shows Posley needs to be fired. Let mayor take over