While many have reservations about the proposed state budget revenue-sharing provisions, several educational inclusions could conceivably park a bulldozer in front of the wall of educational apartheid.
In fact, two budget items may be the most significant educational empowerment initiatives since the late Polly Williams warded off opposition from fellow Democrats, the teachers union, and the NAACP to shepherd the parental school choice initiative to Governor Tommy Thompson for his signature.
Thompson was rewarded with the largest Black vote for a Republican in state history. The African American community was rewarded with access to educational options, which has resulted in thousands of academic successes.
Zoom ahead three decades:
In part, as a result of intense lobbying by a coalition of groups, including one formed by educational options czar Howard Fuller, charter and private schools participating in Williams’ vaunted Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP) moved closer to financial security and equity with their government schools counterparts (competitors).
Well, actually, not closer, as the deal brokered with a diffident Governor, Tony Evers (an ardent opponent of school choice) and Republicans, who control the legislature, increased school funding significantly.
The MPCP will see a funding increase between $1,000 and $2,000 per student.
Howard formed the Black Coalition for Equitable School Funding, of which I was honored to be a part, months ago to provide a Black voice to the budget debates and advocate for our students.
While the MPCP schools and charters have outperformed ‘government’ schools, they did it with far less than their competition. But that paradigm is not sustainable.
Despite propaganda to the contrary, African American students attending charters and MPCP schools (which would make MPCP the second largest ‘district’ in the state) have higher graduation rates, test scores in reading and math, and college acceptance. A couple of schools had 100% college acceptance!
Milwaukee College Prep’s (MCP) two schools are the only Milwaukee K-8 schools listed on the state’s top ten.
My grandson graduated from MCP last Saturday, alongside the offspring of Black entrepreneurs, educators (including some MPS teachers), and community leaders, all of whom had the resources to attend top-tier White academies or MPS specialties. Instead, they chose MCP for a myriad of reasons.
Despite those accomplishments, the status quo has treated charters and private schools in the MPCP like pedophiles at a children’s summer camp. The status quo includes the Democratic Party and the ‘Negrocracy,’ both of whom are under the thumb of the teacher’s union.
The Black Coalition for Equitable Education Funding sought, as Howard noted during one of our early meetings, “to have Black students treated equally.”
He noted state funding disparities that limit outcomes and threaten many schools’ survival.
MPCP and charter schools are vastly underfunded in comparison to Milwaukee Public Schools. As such, those schools unable to secure outside funding are severely disadvantaged.
While most MPCPs and charters have proven to provide passports to many of our children, many do so on budgets that leave little room for extras, much less expansion.
And operating costs continue to escalate. Inflation takes a bigger bite than Biden’s economic policies, and the pandemic forced many schools to close, while MPS teachers were allowed ‘time off,’ could ‘teach’ from home, and had a guaranteed income despite the outcome.
Having served on the boards of Harambee and Messmer, I can attest to the actual educational costs are nearly double the state allocation.
How vast is the funding gap?
This year an elementary school participating in the MPCP receives $8,986 in state and federal funding. A high school received $9,632, and a charter $10,673.
Conversely, the Milwaukee Public (government) Schools received $17,717, even though the district is ranked among the worst districts in the country!
Nearly half of MPS’s funding comes from federal coffers and grants.
Some advocate Nicolet school district (located in the suburb of Glendale), which sustain itself on a mere $22,901, reflect the actual amount needed to provide a ‘quality’ education.
The second historic budget educational initiative is a $50 million investment in a landmark reading overhaul.
Reading, or more accurately, the inability to read, is at the core of Black dysfunction and many social ills.
Black students who fail to read at accepted proficiency levels are more prone to drop out of school, join the Culture of Poverty, commit crimes, and be locked into low-paying jobs.
Those unable to read within two years of grade level are trapped on the ‘plantation’ from which few escape (rappers, drug dealers, and athletes being the exception.)
And, for those who can’t figure out the correlation between our social ills and education, consider that Milwaukee has the lowest reading proficiency rates for Black fourth and eighth graders in the United States of America and the highest Black male incarceration rate.
MKE also hosts the highest poverty, male unemployment, maternal death, and homicide rates.
The reading initiative put in the budget by Republicans (yes, them) is modeled after the Mississippi (of ALL states) reading program that pulled its poor Black students from the bottom of the pile to a spot near the top.
The initiative replaces ‘whole reading’ with phonics-based instruction, among other models.
Millions will also be allocated to train teachers, establish an office of literacy, and create teams of literacy coaches.
Those coaches will be engaged with students starting in kindergarten.
Whether we want to admit it or not, most (yes, most) of our children begin school handicapped by poverty, poor parenting (yeah, I said it), and dysfunctional families.
Poverty, or more specifically the ‘Culture of Poverty,’ adversely impacts our children. Many (if not most) of whom start school unprepared—handicapped. They recognize one-tenth of the word of their middle-class counterparts, and many don’t know the alphabet, colors, nor have the ability to count beyond the number 10, according to several social workers.
Far too many parent(s) do not recognize their role in the educational process–that unwritten contract where they MUST play a supportive role.
It’s the responsibility of the parent to make sure their child(red) know the basics. If a child doesn’t know the basics, they will face significant challenges in school, no matter the type.
But 72% of Black households are headed by an overwhelmed Black woman. Many of these sister’s are working long hours, often holding two jobs to keep a roof over her children’s heads and food on the table. Unless she has a good support system (extended family members) where can she find the time to teach her kids ‘the basics.’
Y’all can put pride before facts. You can blame racism or the water, but the reality is we contribute mightily to this tragedy.
That’s why progress will be reported starting at kindergarten, and measured throughout elementary school, along with district compliance under the education initiative.
Those measures not only bring to the fore the complexity of the problem but also the necessity of bold actions to turn this abysmal situation around.
Most educational experts I talked to over the last few days agree those provisions are essential to pulling down the walls of educational apartheid.
They agree with provisions to publicize student progress— third-grade reading scores—on state report cards and ending social promotions.
That last provision, eliminating ‘social promotions’ would create amuch-needed–albeit painful– policy in which students who cannot readby third grade will not be promoted.
Currently, students are promoted for their conduct rather than academicachievement.
Thus, students reach high school without the ability to read introductorytextbooks. Many become disoriented, while others become disruptive. Itforces most Black males to drop out.
Obviously, many naïve and culturally dysfunctional parents will objectto provision. And, I can guarantee, the teachers union, Democratic Party,and the Negrocracy will cry ‘racism.’
They will fight that provision myopically declaring it will disproportionally impact Black children.
To that asinine objection, I echo what several ‘true’ Black leaders, including Call to Action leader Saleem El Amin, said Tuesday: ‘So what?’
We will be disproportionately impacted, but that’s because a disproportionate percentage of Black children can’t read!
And, as El Amin explained during a Call to Action meeting, our community has been destroyed—some believe intentionally—because the system has allowed this calamity to continue. Moreover, opponents who havebegun pressuring Evers to veto the provisions have not offered an alternative.
I’ve been waiting for three decades for Democrats, the teachers union,the Negrocracy (including the NAACP that sued to stop the MPCP), toacknowledge this tragedy, much less offer a solution.
That might change, however. NAACP state President Wendell Harris,a former MPS director, has advocated for Milwaukee to adopt the Mississippi model.
When you hear the complaints, ask yourself what is the alternative?Continued failure? Maintaining current policies, including social promotions that guarantee failure and enhanced membership among the ‘UrbanTerrorists’?
To me, that paradigm is racist. And if the teachers union, and state superintendent, who has already decried the proposal because she is underthe union’s thumb, object, they are complicit in this racist paradigm.
Final points:
We must question the rationale—hidden motives– for the opposition.Why has the union and state superintendent of Public Instruction foughtreform packages that could potentially reverse failure? Is it because theyare offered by Republicans?
Or is it because they want to maintain control, job security, and benefits,even if that comes at the expense of our children.
Secondly, we need to ask why the Republicans continue to propose initiatives while Democrats hide their heads in the sand or, worse still, support the failing status quo.
I don’t expect a unified community to stand up against the status quo.Our history shows we have never taken advantage of our collective power,much less Nyame (God’s) investment in our tribe. Sadly, I don’t foresee arenaissance in the future.
It has always been a small group standing at the vanguard, often facingopposition that looks like us. I do hope and pray that the naïve and gullibleremain muted this time, so those who care about our children and community can be heard. Hotep.
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