Introduction

A strong educational structure is essential to the success of the city of Milwaukee, its residents, surrounding communities, and the state. But for many complicated reasons, for a large number of students the Milwaukee Public School system does not provide acceptable outcomes.  

The people working on the frontlines of Milwaukee’s public schools, our union of educators, believe that meaningful change can only be accomplished when key stakeholders work together, including the state, Milwaukee Public Schools leadership, our union of educators, district and school administrators, professional associations, families, city and county leaders, and community and business leaders. There’s no one person or one idea that will bring about lasting improvements.

Our goal is to lead change by introducing bold ideas, grounded in research, to improve student achievement. Within this plan, our union embraces new approaches to teacher compensation and school/community partnerships.

The ideas outlined in this plan are grounded in a basic value that we uphold as the cornerstone of public education: opportunity. We believe public education should provide all students with opportunities to succeed. Our plan ensures that students in Milwaukee have the same opportunities for education that are commonplace in other Wisconsin schools.

If we strengthen Milwaukee’s public schools, we will make our community and the city’s economy stronger. And, as Wisconsin’s largest city, Milwaukee’s success impacts the rest of our state.

Our union of educators is optimistic about the opportunities that exist, and we are mindful of the challenges our students and community face. Milwaukee’s students live in a city where the racial and economic disparities are severe and widespread. In light of these circumstances, we believe there is no better investment in Milwaukee’s future than providing educational opportunities for children.

We believe it is time to focus on a solution. With the Milwaukee Opportunity Plan, we’re signaling our commitment to work together to bring about meaningful change that leads to better outcomes in Milwaukee’s public schools.

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