An interesting report on Moving The Milwaukee Economy Forward was released in early June by the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute (WPRI).I always consider the source of policy reports like this prior to digesting the recommendations. Given WPRI's self-professed status as a "free market" (read: anti-government) think tank and its heavy reliance on Bradley Foundation and Roe Foundation monies, I generally approach its offerings very cautiously. Despite the potential for bias, I honestly find this report to be a balanced and worthy contribution to the public policy discussion in the state of Wisconsin and in the Milwaukee metropolitan area. In addition, I really like the breadth with which it investigates what's needed to strengthen and retool the Milwaukee area economy. (I guess you could call this a backhanded compliment?)
With respect to the report's education-related recommendations, I offer some cheers and jeers:
Cheers: The report includes some excellent (although not always particularly detailed) recommendations on early childhood education, project-based learning, high school graduation and restructuring the senior year of high school.
Jeers: The report falls short in ignoring some critical structural issues that Wisconsin must address in order to improve and reform its education system. These include school finance, including revenue limits, an over-reliance on local property taxes, and the qualified economic offer. In addition, it doesn't sufficiently address the need to raise educator quality in Wisconsin and in Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS), in particular. That would include a focus on new teacher induction and mentoring, the MPS teacher residency requirement, additional and differentiated compensation and high-quality professional development.
If you're concerned about the economy and/or education in Milwaukee, this report certainly deserves your attention.
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