Another serving of educational food for thought:

1)      Nobody seems to know where the current tumult around low performing schools is heading, but wherever it is, it looks like people will get there quickly. There is as much as $45 million in federal aid on the table to do something about schools in Wisconsin that are getting the weakest results. The state Department of Public Instruction put five schools in the most severe bracket, another seven in a second-from-the-bottom tier, and more than two dozen in a third group. All are in the Milwaukee Public Schools system. The federal Department of Education requires that the schools in at least the two lowest groups make major changes – start all over or get rid of much of the staff or similar steps. Now, as part of the process, MPS administrators have issued a request for proposals for professional firms to provide “transformation reform frameworks” for eight large high school buildings. School Board President Michael Bonds said Thursday that the Board had not approved the idea of getting bids for overhauling the schools and he does not know what will result. The eight schools are Vincent, Custer, Madison, Bradley Tech, Pulaski, Washington, Bay View, and South Division. You have a plan for what to do with those schools? Get moving. You’ve got until 2 p.m. April 12 to submit it to the MPS purchasing office.

2)      I really should set the record straight: Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett spoke out on the need for changes in the health insurance choices for MPS employees before I did. 

Three slices of this week’s education pie being served around here:

Slice one: It’s one thing if Milwaukee School Board members want to go all night talking about the matters in front of them – it might not be a very good way to do business, but it only affects Board members, some MPS administrators, and a handful of others. It’s another thing when they have public hearings that go deep into the night. On Tuesday night, a Board committee considered fifteen requests to open new charter schools, renew contracts with existing charter schools, or close existing charter schools. The 6:30 p.m. meeting didn’t end until around 1 a.m. The committee was still taking up new requests after 11:30 p.m. There were people from out of town who waited for more than five hours while entirely different business was considered. Hundreds of people were present, including parents and students, and many endured lengthy waits before the item they cared about was brought up. This is a chronic problem. It’s rude. It discourages public participation. And it could be changed so easily – how about spreading discussions across several evenings? How about issuing a schedule with set times (7p.m. for this item, 7:30 for that item, etc.), and making an effort to stick to it?  If you’re not going to take up something for hours, it would be far more respectful of people to allow them to spend their time better.

Slice two: This hasn’t been the most satisfying time for people who are eager to change the status quo in education in Wisconsin.