Spend $1 million to promote public schools,

Milwaukee educators e-mailed and made phone calls in late February to Tim Sheehy, President of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Chamber of Commerce (MMAC), requesting that the business community step up and conduct a $1 million campaign to promote Milwaukee’s great public schools.

The action was a response to the $1 million campaign spearheaded by the MMAC and School Choice Wisconsin to promote voucher schools in Milwaukee. The campaign is funded by the Bradley, Kern, and Walton Foundations.

“We understand that the expansion of the voucher program is a priority for the MMAC, and they want to promote it,” said Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association (MTEA) President Dennis Oulahan. “But the staff and students in Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) also have a story to tell. It seems only fair that we receive equal time and resources to share the great things taking place every day in our public school classrooms in Milwaukee. The public just hasn’t had the opportunity to hear our schools’ success stories.”

For example:

• Two MPS graduates were accepted into Harvard University a year ago. They were two of only four students statewide that were accepted into the prestigious university.
• A record number of 93 students from Rufus King High School completed a major research paper as part of their International Baccalaureate program, and participated in a ceremony to celebrate their achievement.

“Those are only two stories,” Oulahan said, “and there are hundreds more that most people don’t know about.

“Every school has positive stories to share,” Oulahan said, “but these are not the only reasons MPS is the best choice for Milwaukee’s families.” Advantages of Milwaukee’s public schools include:

• MPS accepts all children, regardless of their background or special needs. Voucher schools have the ability to turn children away if they feel they can’t adequately meet their needs. Voucher schools may also “counsel out” students who are not a good “fit.”
• Public schools are accountable to taxpayers and citizens. MPS is required by law to hold open meetings, publicly debate budgets, do background checks on employees, hire licensed teachers, and adhere to state education standards. MPS also provides information on attendance, graduation rates, student achievement, and individual information about every school in the system. All of the data is available on the MPS Portal. Voucher schools have very little accountability in spite of the fact that they use public funds. They only take resources away from our public schools.
• Public schools are an investment in the community. Public schools work with parents and communities to instill the character values that help children become lifelong learners, responsible citizens, and caring people. An investment in our public schools is an investment in our future and our region’s economic vitality. The voucher program is a barrier to real reform in our public schools. Vouchers add costs, and create more bureaucracy. They leave most children behind.

“Educators in MPS want to share the great stories they have to tell about their students and schools,” Oulahan said. “They deserve the same opportunity to promote their schools that the voucher schools receive.”

MTEA is a labor union that represents over 8,000 teachers and other education professionals working in Milwaukee Public Schools. The union’s mission is to improve the lives of our members and the students and families we serve.

Posted February 29, 2008