MPS: The Untold Story
To Alan Borsuk: Milwaukee Journal Education Columnist
I am a fond reader of your articles. We almost completely agree on most issues of education. Yet, we probably also, unknowingly, agree that we can write forever and nothing will ever happen at MPS, as hundreds of thousands of kids go down the drain unnecessarily.
Former MPS Superintendent and charter school operator Howard Fuller and others admit so. That is why kids cannot read or do math.
MPS WILL NEVER WORK!!! We must BUST IT UP!
The state formed Chap 220, Open enrollment, Choice, expanded Charters to give the kids a chance. All of these programs were fought by the left in Milwaukee County.
In 1974 I put together a plan for Bill Dyke, then running for Governor, to bust MPS into 18 parts. To the day he died, Bill regretted that he did not move the plan forward, but some of the staff felt he would be labeled as racist if he did that. So the disaster goes on.
Why is it the UNTOLD STORY???
Because it is the third rail of Wisconsin politics. Few Republicans want to take it on and the Dems know that if they do, the Establishment will bury him in primary, so they all say: “To hell with the kids”. Only Tommy Thompson had the guts to take it on and try to solve it.
Now Tommy has even taken on a bigger job: UW President!
Too bad Barrett does not care about kids, just himself and trolleys.
But first, we must teach these kids to read and do math, STEM, etc. We cannot lose all these kids, waste them due to egos and self-interests. We are very disappointed with the GOP, after Tommy. They held complete control for 8 years and accomplished almost nothing. I would hate to be in the state government and go home every night knowing that I only cared about getting elected, instead of saving kids. In a meeting with legislators long ago, I remember John Shabaz saying: “We are not just elected or re-elected, but to do something.”
To me this is the primary goal, in Wisconsin, to shape up the schools before we dump more money on them. Since 1970 spending on schools is up tenfold and scores are down?? Why? Watch the documentary, “Waiting for Superman.”
We must find government leaders that put parents and kids first.
Bob and Jean Dohnal, Publishers Wisconsin Conservative Digest
