MPS 2.0: Innovations to Save Wisconsin's Worst School District

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MPS is a failing school district. Only 14.4 percent of students in the city's public schools rated out as "Proficient" or better when it came to fourth grade reading in the 2012-2013 school year. Just 16.4 percent of MPS's eighth graders earned the same label in math. According to Department of Public Instruction data, only 61.8 percent of these students graduated in four years.

Earlier this month, we were reminded of this again when MPS was the only school district in the state to receive an "F" on the School Report Cards.

Milwaukee's literacy rate at MPS is so poor that it falls in line with some of the worst districts in the nation, like Detroit, Cleveland, and Washington D.C. In 2011, the city not only lagged behind the US large urban district average, but actually regressed in reading scores when compared to 2009. Eighth-grade reading dropped from a score of 241 to 238 on national testing while the large-city average across the country increased from 252 to 255.

If MPS does not begin to turn around today, another generation of children will be lost in a failing system that does not prepare them for college or a career. Adults that don't finish high school in Wisconsin are more likely to have lower paying jobs, less likely to have health insurance, and considerably more likely to be incarcerated at some point in their lives. In fact, a MacIver study showed that dropouts cost the state of Wisconsin $3.7 billion. Starting with a strong education is the best way to give these Wisconsinites a strong first step on the path to a promising adulthood.

In short, MPS must do better.

That's not what Milwaukee Public Schools are offering right now. The district has a unique set of challenges that come with being the only first class city in the state. No other district deals with as many students that come from low-income backgrounds, and that presents a major challenge for teachers in any classroom. However, this should not be used as an excuse for the district's deplorable academic performance.

Fortunately, there's evidence that shows that schools can reach these children and improve education in Milwaukee and beyond. It won't be easy, and it won't come without significant reform. Nonetheless, Act 10 offers an opportunity to make these bold changes without the usual interference from the teachers union and resistance from bureaucrats.

In our efforts to help turn around Wisconsin's most embattled district, here's how the MacIver Institute believes that Milwaukee can go from the state's worst district to a national model for reform and academic success.

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