Parent advocates in the Milwaukee Public Schools will meet March 30 to talk about what they can do collectively to help save local educational programs and opportunities for students in the city and its surrounding areas. Parents, students and other community members are all invited to attend and participate in the event, which includes translation services and literature for Spanish-speaking community members. Food and childcare for children 3 and older will be provided for free.
WHAT: The event is aimed at the devastating impact Gov. Scott Walker’s 2011-2013 state biennial budget will have on the young people of the Milwaukee area and beyond.
WHEN: Wednesday, March 30 at 6:00 p.m.
WHERE: MPS Central Office, Auditorium 5225 W. Vliet Street, Milwaukee, WI 53208
WHO: Featured speakers will briefly discuss the impact of state budget cuts, including:
- Anthony Hill, UW-Milwaukee basketball player, education major and MPS alum
- Natalie Finkley, MPS parent whose daughter relies on services of her school nurse
- Jill Gaskel, PTA member from Pecatonica, Wis.
- Lisa Hanel, Kindergarten teacher and parent
- Lennise Vickers, parent of an MPS student enrolled in special education
- Beth LaBell, PTA member from Paris, Wis.
- Jasmine Alinder and Elizabeth Drame, I Love My Public School
- Jennifer Morales, Wisconsin Alliance for Excellent Schools
The event has been organized by the parent advocacy group I Love My Public School, Families for School Funding and the Wisconsin Alliance for Excellent Schools. MPS School Board member Larry Miller will be present, and the meeting is a boardsupported event.
WHY: In his 2011-2013 proposed state budget, Gov. Walker has proposed cutting $834 million from K-12 education across the state, which will reduce the number of teachers, increase class sizes and cut programs, including gifted and talented, advanced placement, fine arts, physical education, school nurses and more.
At the same time, the Walker administration is pushing forward legislation to spend millions of dollars of state public education funds on private and religious schools, non-MPS charter schools and online schools—effectively drawing a substantial amount of money away from MPS students, and from other districts in Wisconsin.
