Gov. Jim Doyle is calling for a special session of the Wisconsin State Legislature to take place Wednesday, Dec. 16, to address the future of Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS).
Doyle is calling on state lawmakers to pass Senate Bill 405, which changes the governance structure of MPS by making the superintendent a mayoral appointee, and Assembly Bill 534, which grants the state superintendent the ability to intervene and support to help a failing school district.
"The status quo in the governance of Milwaukee Public Schools is failing our students, as was made clear again today by the U.S. Department of Education," Doyle said. "I am calling a special session of the Legislature because we must act now to drive real change that improves students' performance, month after month and year after year. The children at Milwaukee Public Schools are counting on the adults around them to prepare them for success."
MPS was among 18 large, urban school districts that participated in the 2009 Mathematics Trial Urban District Assessment, part of the National Assessment of Educational Progress conducted by the U.S. Department of Education. The results showed that fourth- and eighth-grade students in MPS scored significantly below the national average and near the bottom for urban school districts. The full report is available on the National Center for Education Statistics website at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard.
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, who has called for mayoral control of MPS, issued the following statement: "Today's release of the national TUDA results [attached] underscores the need for urgent action to reform a school system that is failing too many children in Milwaukee. We cannot afford to tweak around the edges or compromise on our children's future. I call upon the Legislature to support and take action on the TEACH bill that has been introduced by a prominent and diverse group of legislators."
Doyle calls for special session for MPS
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