If I were selling my home, I surely would not use the ‘MPS Realty Company’ as my agent.
If you use their ‘sale’ of a $282 million referendum as an example of their marketing schematic, chances are I would end up paying the buyer to take my house off my hands.
The school referendum will appear on next Tuesday’s ballot. It has created more controversy than revelations of discriminatory suspension policies, an acknowledgment that the Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) hosts the lowest African American fourth and eighth-grade reading proficiency rates in the country and is reportedly under federal investigation for fraud and embezzlement.
(Yeah, you read that right).
To suggest that MPS (Milwaukee Public Schools) still needs to convince the public of the need for a massive increase in property taxes would be like hiring Donald Trump to keynote an address on the benefits of Critical Race Theory.
Despite the political rhetoric and nonsensical threats by the teachers’ union–headed by a bigoted director who thinks she’s a plantation massa or missy–MPS has thus far been unable to circumvent the opposition expressed by several Black organizations, parent groups and seniors who fear a permanent $400 property tax increase will force them to sell weed to offset inflation and the new financial burden.
MPS officials, including the superintendent, who has quietly been given a salary that rivals that of the United States president, have avoided interviews with competent journalists who would ask probing questions.
Questions like where the money would be spent (there is no plan), or if any of those unprecedentedly taxed dollars would go to close the country’s most significant academic achievement gap.
Would the money replace dozens of teacher’s aides forced to serve as teachers? This practice, which is restricted to Black schools, is illegal. Yes, it is prohibited according to state law!
But you don’t have to be a journalist to see through the rhetoric and lie that the district will fall apart or be forced to cancel art and gym—which is off the table in many ‘Black’ schools without successful basketball teams.
Taxpayers are reminding the board and administration of similar tales of doom and gloom that proceeded the last referendum–four years ago.
By the way, less than 50% of that money has been spent, and little if any, in the classrooms, much less gym, music, and art teachers.
MPS is right to note state funding has not kept up with inflation, but isn’t the $600 per child increase approved late last year—bringing the total allocation to over $17,000 per child—enough to offset district needs?
And if truth be told, the virgin cherry on the top is cut in half because the district student enrollment is almost 40% of what it was when Federal Judge John Reynolds ordered a desegregation settlement plan in 1976 to offset systemic racism.
By the way, the district remains as segregated today as it was when this newspaper published its first edition, declaring the ‘integration program’ was a farce.
Plus, the whorish, as in (‘ho’) cherry underneath the virgin one, represents funding cuts to schools in 53206–as it systemically increased it in white neighborhood schools.
MPS Board Director Aisha Carr, one of two Black directors who are not under the thumb of the teachers union (both of whom rejected the referendum), shocked NAACP audience members Saturday with data confirming patterns of educational apartheid, which shows it is business as usual throughout the plantation.
The more Carr revealed—with a slide presentation of MPS data—the more concern the audience vocalized.
Her presentation left some angry and others in awe.
Call to Action committee members responded similarly on Tuesday when Carr spoke to them.
Carr, who I’ve dubbed the new ‘Polly Williams,’ revealed how MPS has systematically steered tenured teachers to outlining schools rather than central city schools like North Division and Washington high schools.
By the way, both schools operate at less than 40% capacity. North and Washington have 400 students.
Further insulting is that Washington (where I worked for a year a decade ago) has five administrators for 400 children. Daily attendance is 178!
That type of misallocation of resources fuels unanswered questions about MPS and the academic achievement divide.
I’ve been reporting on MPS for over four decades. I’ve never felt as insulted as I am now. Not only have administrators refused to respond to a half dozen calls I placed, but it’s obvious why.
It was implied during Saturday’s session that the Black media has been blackballed.
Since my rejection has come from ‘black’ folks, I say I’ve been ‘whiteballed.’ It’s a matter of perspective.
Last year, former MPS Director Wendel Harris, who was unceremoniously attacked by the teachers’ union for putting the interests of children above that of adults (teachers’ union), talked of a lawsuit against the district, questioning the impact of educational apartheid.
Nicholas said the local branch may join in that possibility.
Now, that would make a referendum for which I would not need a realty company to sell.
Hotep.
Leave a Reply