Barbara Dittrich

Representative Barbara Dittrich (R – Oconomowoc) issued the following statement regarding the MPS fiscal scandal and its impact on local school districts:

“Aside from the fact that the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) leadership have deceived the public and hurt some of Wisconsin’s most underprivileged students, there is an enormous ripple effect this scandal has on every one of the state’s students. 

“As a result of the MPS referendum, the school districts in the area I serve see reductions in annual state aid as follows:

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Matt Smith:

Wisconsin’s state superintendent — Sunday morning on UPFRONT

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AJ Bayatpour:

State Supt. Jill Underly says she first learned of MPS’ financial problems in late April.

She says the state wasn’t worried then since MPS was about that late with its reports last year. I asked why DPI was so lenient, knowing the state’s biggest district could affect everyone:

Much more on Jill Underly, here (and her efforts to abort our elementary teacher literacy test: the Foundations of Reading).

AJ Bayatpour

Superintendent Keith Posley has resigned.

Rory Linnane:

“We can’t keep things the way they are now, and that includes leadership,” Leonard said. “We need to make some significant changes. It’s time to clean things up.”

Board member Missy Zombor was absent but had attended the closed session meeting virtually before having trouble connecting to the virtual platform. She told the Journal Sentinel she supported the board’s decision to accept Posley’s resignation.

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More. And. Thread.

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Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers vetoed legislationthat would break up the taxpayer funded Milwaukee school district into four smaller districts. Mulligans are worth a look.

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Deeper dive: Henry Tyson’s recent Madison talk.

AJ Bayatpour:

Here’s a taste of tonight’s wild MPS board meeting.

Plus, this exchange with board VP Jilly Gokalgandhi…

Gokalgandhi: DPI sent the communication on Friday.

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“I asked @WisconsinDPI why they didn’t inform the public months ago about MPS’s failure to disclose financial data…..”

JR Ross Thread:

“Deputy State Superintendent John Johnson wrote MPS will likely see a “significant” reduction in state general aid payments for the 2024-25 school year due to errors the district reported for 2022-23 shared costs”

Two of the reports were due eight months ago, and the district is in danger of missing out on a $15.7 million special education aid payment next month, as well as a $200 million general aid payment.

Wispolitics:

Johnson wrote not only were many reports “incredibly late,” but the district had “demonstrated a pattern of submitting incomplete data” and requesting changes without the required documentation to support it. 

He added DPI staff had been meeting quarterly with MPS since April 2023, then monthly as of February, weekly starting in mid-March and now daily during May. 

Johnson added MPS’s failure to submit the financial data hinders DPI’s ability to complete its statutorily-required July 1 general school aids estimate. That impacts every district in the state.

Emilee Fannon:

I asked @WisconsinDPI why they didn’t inform the public months ago about MPS’s failure to disclose financial data when they began meeting in 2023 (months before a referendum asked residents for $252 million for the school district).

Duey Stroebel:

MPS can’t get their finances in order and more than 80% of their kids can’t read at grade level. There’s no accountability.

This is why we need to fund students, not systems. If a choice school fails to submit their financial reports, they’re kicked out of the program.

WTMJ:

The biggest question voters had when a $252 million MPS referendum passed in April, was “Where is this money going?”

This week we’re learning it’s apparently a question the state is also asking.

AJ Bayatpour:

Folks, we’ve got even more @MilwaukeeMPS issues. The Dept. of Public Instruction is now threatening to withhold money from the district because it’s fallen more than eight months behind on providing financial data to the state…

More from AJ:

Here’s a taste of tonight’s wild MPS board meeting.

Plus, this exchange with board VP Jilly Gokalgandhi…

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers vetoed legislation that would break up the taxpayer funded Milwaukee school district into four smaller districts. Mulligans are worth a look.

AJ Bayatpour

As MPS (Milwaukee Public Schools) asks taxpayers for $252 million in April, I asked Supt. Keith Posley about national testing data (NAEP) that show Milwaukee 4th graders have been scoring worse than the average big city district for more than a decade.

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and:

For reference, 10 points is about the equivalent for one year’s worth of learning. In 2022, Milwaukee was 20 points lower than the average big city district in 4th grade reading and math results. The gap has worsened over the last decade:

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Plus:

When the media reports that spending in MPS has “fallen far behind inflation,” they are cherry-picking one year of data to make the claim: pre-Great Recession. Real $ over time has largely kept up with inflation, and districts saved billions with Act 10.

More:

This is an interesting outtake from @CBS58’s Milwaukee Public Schools referendum story!

In contrast, here is Miami’s former superintendent in 2015, post-recession, in the midst of making Miami America’s best big district, closing gaps, spending $7,500 less per child than MPS.

Legislation and Reading: The Wisconsin Experience 2004-

Underly and our long term disastrous reading results….

WEAC: $1.57 million for Four Wisconsin Senators

Legislation and Reading: The Wisconsin Experience 2004-

“Well, it’s kind of too bad that we’ve got the smartest people at our universities, and yet we have to create a law to tell them how to teach.”

The data clearly indicate that being able to read is not a requirement for graduation at (Madison) East, especially if you are black or Hispanic”

My Question to Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers on Teacher Mulligans and our Disastrous Reading Results

2017: West High Reading Interventionist Teacher’s Remarks to the School Board on Madison’s Disastrous Reading Results 

Madison’s taxpayer supported K-12 school district, despite spending far more than most, has long tolerated disastrous reading results.

“An emphasis on adult employment”

Wisconsin Public Policy Forum Madison School District Report[PDF]

WEAC: $1.57 million for Four Wisconsin Senators

Friday Afternoon Veto: Governor Evers Rejects AB446/SB454; an effort to address our long term, disastrous reading results

Booked, but can’t read (Madison): functional literacy, National citizenship and the new face of Dred Scott in the age of mass incarceration.

When A Stands for Average: Students at the UW-Madison School of Education Receive Sky-High Grades. How Smart is That?

Corrinne Hess:

One of the main drivers of the MPS School Board Recall Collaborative’s campaign is criticism over what recall members said is a lack of transparency by Milwaukee Public Schools. 

But since the group was launched last month to unseat four MPS board members, there have been questions about how the collaborative’s efforts are being funded. 

The group says they have anonymous donors, whose names they are not disclosing. That’s led the MPS teachers’ union to file an ethics complaint with the state. 

During a press conference last week, members of the media questioned the group about who is paying canvassers for positions they advertised. 

Recall organizers did not list expenses and the contributions to fund the canvassers on their July 15 campaign finance reports.

The group announced last week they’ve collected more than 37,000 signatures so far to recall school board president Marva Herndon, vice president Jilly Gokalgandhi, school board member at large Missy Zombor and board member Erika Siemsen.

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More. And.

By: A.J. Bayatpour:

In an interview Thursday with CBS 58, Gray said his review of what went wrong begins with the district’s use of financial reporting software that doesn’t fit with the system used by the state Department of Financial Instruction (DPI). 

While other districts have transitioned to newer software that allows those districts to feed financial data directly to the DPI, Gray said MPS’ software requires financial staffers to plug numbers into a spreadsheet, then re-enter them into the DPI’s system.

“When information goes on a spreadsheet, all it takes is one calculation to throw the whole thing off,” Gray said.

Gray said one of his final suggestions for MPS will be updating its internal software to a system that better aligns with what the state uses. Even then, Gray said that transition could take two years to complete, and it’ll be especially arduous for MPS because those updates will affect the more than 100 schools across Wisconsin’s biggest district.

Beyond the reporting system, Gray said staffing is the other major challenge. MPS’ corrective action plan noted the district hopes to have another 12 staffers in its finance office than it currently has.

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More:

Members of Milwaukee Communities

In light of recent revelations concerning MPS’ gross financial mismanagement, irresponsible and unresponsive leadership, and inadequate governance by the elected MPS School Board Directors, the members of Milwaukee communities are taking decisive action and will be holding a press conference tomorrow, Wednesday, June 12th, at 5:30 PM, at Milwaukee City Hall located at 200 East Wells Street, to announce their efforts to initiate recall efforts against select elected MPS School Board of Directors.“As representatives of communities throughout the City of Milwaukee, we feel deceived, bamboozled, misled, and most importantly, robbed of quality elected leaders who are committed to leading with truth, transparency, accountability, equity, and equality. This sentiment stems from the recent yet longstanding history of MPS’ gross mismanagement of taxpayers’ investments and the ongoing failures of our public school system. We’ve sent countless letters to the Office of Board Governance attempting to reach our elected Board Members. We’ve provided written and verbal testimonies to share our concerns and ask difficult questions. We’ve attended districtwide events and have even filed ethics and criminal complaints to local authorities, sharing evidence of unethical and criminal activities. Yet and still, we continue to be disregarded, ignored and dismissed, lied to and deceived, ostracized and silenced. We’ve followed policies and procedures time and time again, and every time, they’ve been met with no urgency, attention, or concern shown by the MPS School Board. Our children deserve better, and we, as taxpayers, parents, professionals, and voters, deserve better. With no return on our investment and the attack on our community, our fight has officially shifted, and we are now committed to replacing the current Board with a new one. One who will work with us, listen to us, lead with integrity, accountability and transparency, and do the necessary work to improve our public schools and communities.”

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Milwaukee pension scandal primer.

More.

Corrinne Hess:

Starting Tuesday, the federal government will suspend funding to Milwaukee Public Schools’ Head Start program — a health and nutrition program for low-income children — after the district failed to comply with the program.

The 30-day suspension is the result of three “deficiencies” the Administration of Children and Families, or ACF, found between June 2022 and May 2024, said MPS spokesperson Nicole Armendariz. 

Those deficiencies were related to following practices that “ensure children had appropriate supervision at all times; and ensuring all staff and volunteers abide by the program’s standards of conduct,” Armendariz said.

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More.

Debra Kuether:
💰 1.47B budget
💰 252M referendum passed (reoccurring for every year thereafter)
💰 503b MPS Foundation funnels millions/district pays for their staff
💰 superintendent’s base contract 302K (with~100K benefits)
🚫MPS has to 60M budget “crisis”.

And:

One thing that isn’t entirely clear is how the district would end up spending more on salary/benefits despite cutting 288 jobs.

AJ and Quinton

MTEA President Ingrid Walker-Henry says consolidating schools is a non-starter.

“We are talking about impacting Black children and Black families, and closing their schools.”

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More.

A.J. Bayatpour:

As MPS asks taxpayers for $252 million in April, I asked (taxpayer funded Milwaukee K-12) Superintendent Keith Posley about national testing data (NAEP) that show Milwaukee 4th graders have been scoring worse than the average big city district for more than a decade (deeper dive).

(His response):

“We have made things happen for children.”

John Gedmark:

This particular program — a satellite system in GEO — is classified, but we know from an earnings call that Northrop Grumman did a $2 billion reduction “related to the termination”

That’s right, more than $2 billion for a single satellite.

David Blaska:

The school district is planning to hit up taxpayers for $1 billion — one Billion with a capital B dollars — in referenda over the next 20 years to go carbon neutral.

MMSD can’t teach or keep young Javon safe but it’s going to replace that Swedish girl’s perpetual scowl with a Mona Lisa smile.

US Debt Clock 24 February 2024:

Debt per citizen: $101,978. Debt per taxpayer: $265,178

Over the last 4 years alone, total US debt is officially up $11 trillion and counting. At the current rate, we will see $40 trillion in US debt by 2026 and that assumes a “soft landing.”

The Madison Literary Club hopes to host a substantive fall event featuring Wisconsin 2024 US Senate candidates discussing the current debt situation, how we arrived here and what should be done about it.

debt is money owed (learn more).

Debt has many uses, from very useful to wasteful. Infrastructure such as roads, sewers, water systems and our current home ownership system is built on hopefully the wise use of debt – often secured, that is collateralized by an asset such as a home (mortgage). It can also be a way to quickly waste funds and generate fee income for the financial food chain.

Finally, I’ve heard a number of complaints over the years from the farming community about bailout policies and agriculture crises over the years. Of course, farm subsidies, particularly toward large organizations and interests, are part of the mix as well.

Emma H. Haidar and Cam E. Kettles:

Harvard President Claudine Gay will resign Tuesday afternoon, bringing an end to the shortest presidency in the University’s history, according to a person with knowledge of the decision.

University Provost Alan M. Garber ’76 will serve as Harvard’s interim president during a search for Gay’s permanent successor, the Harvard Corporation — the University’s highest governing body — announced in an email on Tuesday.

Harvard spokesperson Jonathan L. Swain declined to comment on Gay’s decision to step down.

Gay’s resignation — just six months and two days into the presidency — comes amid growing allegations of plagiarism and lasting doubts over her ability to respond to antisemitism on campus after her disastrous congressional testimony Dec. 5.

Gay weathered scandal after scandal over her brief tenure, facing national backlash for her administration’s response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack and allegations of plagiarism in her scholarly work.

Gay is expected to announced her decision to step down to Harvard affiliates in an email later today. The Corporation is also expected to make a statement about the decision.

Good riddance. https://t.co/3F88NeAKvW

— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) January 2, 2024

Notes and links on Claudine Gay and Harvard.

More.

New Year, Same Discrimination. State of Wisconsin has 262 new job openings for "diversity internships."
Run by Gov. Tony Ever's "Bureau of Equity and Inclusion." pic.twitter.com/9T87btrsHE

— Dan Lennington (@DanLennington) January 2, 2024

I asked MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred why taxpayers should fund ballpark repairs instead of public safety and schools.

“The choices that are made [as to how] public funds can be spent are choices that legislators have to make. What I can say is that this ballpark is an asset.” pic.twitter.com/tEXFeD3ezJ

— A.J. Bayatpour (@AJBayatpour) May 25, 2023

Curiously, our political class has exempt major baseball from antitrust laws…

We also discussed state report cards with @DrJillUnderly. More kids performed at ‘below basic’ levels than pre-pandemic.

In MKE and Beloit, about 2/3 students are ‘below basic.’ Dr. Underly says the solution is more funding.

“Revenue, honestly, is what creates opportunities.” pic.twitter.com/JaRX6bXPGQ

— A.J. Bayatpour (@AJBayatpour) November 27, 2022

Complete Interview.

The data clearly indicate that being able to read is not a requirement for graduation at (Madison) East, especially if you are black or Hispanic”

My Question to Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers on Teacher Mulligans and our Disastrous Reading Results

2017: West High Reading Interventionist Teacher’s Remarks to the School Board on Madison’s Disastrous Reading Results 

Madison’s taxpayer supported K-12 school district, despite spending far more than most, has long tolerated disastrous reading results.

“An emphasis on adult employment”

Wisconsin Public Policy Forum Madison School District Report[PDF]

WEAC: $1.57 million for Four Wisconsin Senators

Friday Afternoon Veto: Governor Evers Rejects AB446/SB454; an effort to address our long term, disastrous reading results

Booked, but can’t read (Madison): functional literacy, National citizenship and the new face of Dred Scott in the age of mass incarceration.

No When A Stands for Average: Students at the UW-Madison School of Education Receive Sky-High Grades. How Smart is That?