By Eelisa Jones
Wendell Harris Sr.
Public education is today’s civil rights movement, national best-selling author and education activist Diane Ravitch told a crowd of over 200 in MATC’s Cooley Theater last week Wednesday.
Standing outside of the auditorium, yellow information cards in hand, stood Wendell Harris – Milwaukee youth advocate, community leader, and 2015 MPS school board candidate for District 2.
District 2 is home to 18 public schools in Milwaukee’s Northwest neighborhood.
Among these schools are Engleburg, Emerson, Morse Marshall, and Ninety- Fifth. Harris’ presence at Wednesday’s event was in step with the content of Ravitch’s presentation.
Like Ravitch, Harris is aware of the rapid deterioration of Milwaukee’s public school system. This is his second campaign for the same seat against the same opponent, Jess Spence, within the past decade.
Harris has worked with challenged youth in the MPS system for over 30 years.
He argues that the school system’s problem originates in the systemic failure to provide adequate educational opportunities rather than in the character of its students.
Many of Milwaukee’s public schools struggle to engage students and generate the faith and trust of Milwaukee parents and politicians.
Increasing numbers of MPS students fall short within the state testing structure.
Certain Wisconsin state officials have noted Milwaukee’s failure to produce satisfactory test results and offered proposals to re-assign oversight of MPS to Madison.
Milwaukeeans who already feel disconnected from their public schools system could soon find that feeling amplified if the ultimate authority over their children’s education relocates to about 80 miles west of their district.
Harris said that he has the ability and initiative to re-invigorate community involvement in District 2 to halt the current trend of educational decline and push to shift educational authority.
“What’s going on in the classrooms are not conducive to performance,” Harris said.
“It’s not so much that schools are failing; it’s what is allowed to take place in those buildings where people can learn.”
Among his concerns about the current state of public education, Harris cited the decline of arts and music as a cause of students disengaging from their learning experiences.
Harris feels that if Milwaukee parents, teachers, and – ultimately – the students wish to rebuild the autonomy and success of their public school systems, residents will need to start establishing their own authority as voting citizens.
If elected, Harris wants to generate stable community involvement and support for District 2 schools.
“I am the person to carry this fight to the next level based on the fact that I have been in the trenches for many years to protect the opportunity for children to get access to education,” Harris said