Another Chance on June 12

This from Bob Peterson, an MTEA executive board member and convener of the Educators Network for Social Justice (ENSJ) - an "independent group of educators working to promote social justice teaching and policy in Milwaukee-area schools."


Dear Friends,

The time is now to act to get more money for the students of MPS. If educators, parents, school councils, and concerned citizens speak out in the next ten days there is a chance that each school could get some significant budget relief for next year.

At the school board budget hearing this past June 2, it became public that the school board could generate $20.9 million more dollars if they decide to raise the school tax levy to what is allowable under the state revenue caps and turn that money over to the schools on a per pupil basis.

The administration stated that for each additional $1 million the per pupil "allocation" would be $12.95. That means if the school board is convinced to raise the additional $20.9 million AND live up to their rhetoric of school-based budgeting, each school would be allocated about $270 per pupil. You can do the math from there. A school with 400 students would get an additional $108,000 for next years budget, enough to hire back some paras or a teacher.

This will not happen without a LARGE outpouring of support from people throughout Milwaukee. What can you do:

1. Attend the next public hearing on the budget on Thursday, June 12 at 6:30 at the auditorium of the Central Services.
2. Get at least five staff and parents from your school to attend the hearing
3. Get your school council president or PTA president to attend the hearing and speak
4. Get all the above to call school board members
5. Get everyone in your school to email their school board member
6. Attend the June 19 MPS (6:30 PM) when they take their final vote on the budget (not public hearing that evening).

For information on how to email and call school board members go to the MPS website.

Please note any move to increase the levy will bring criticism (and mobilization) by those who oppose any increases in the property tax. MPS officials estimate that increasing the levy to the state limit would increase the property tax ON THE MPS PORTION of the bill by 9.4%. This is NOT an increase of 9.4% in the overall bill, something which certain people will fail to acknowledge.

The time to act is now. The children of Milwaukee deserve it.

Sincerely,
Bob Peterson

(P.S. Bob is also editor of a great magazine for educators and others interested in public education. It's called Rethinking Schools and it's worth checking out.)