Kanavas/Vukmir Introduce Bill to Dissolve MPS

Here is a copy of the press release I issued with State Representative Leah Vukmir today:

Kanavas/Vukmir Introduce Bill to Dissolve MPS

(Madison, WI)…Earlier today, State Senator Ted Kanavas (R-Brookfield) and State Representative Leah Vukmir (R-Wauwatosa) introduced a bill to dissolve Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) and permanently replace it with eight smaller, independent school districts.

“MPS will never change on its own because it’s controlled by people committed to the status quo. Right now the status quo is failure. I honestly don’t know how the folks in MPS leadership sleep at night knowing they have enabled failure and done nothing aggressive enough to change MPS,” said Kanavas.

Currently, MPS has one superintendent, 207 schools and over 87,000 students. The bill would permanently dissolve the district and replace it with 8 smaller more manageable and accountable school districts. Each of the new districts would be independent of one another allowing citizens to elect their own local school boards.

“This legislation will end the Vilet Street bureaucratic road block to education reform in Milwaukee. Smaller districts will enable parents and teachers to have more control over their schools,” Vukmir stated.

If passed, the bill would require new school board members of each district to be elected in the spring of 2013 with students beginning classes in new districts that September. Legislators have until April 10, 2009 to cosponsor the bill.

To learn more about Senator Kanavas or the 33rd Senate District, please visit www.senatorkanavas.com.


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