Progressive groups to rally against corporate ‘takeover’ of Milwaukee schools

A rally to “oppose the takeover of MPS by private companies” will take place today (Sept. 17) at about 4:15 p.m. CST.

The rally is being organized by the Coalition to Oppose the MPS Takeover, a group of local organizations including the Milwaukee Teachers Education Association, Voces de la Frontera, Milwaukee NAACP and others.

The event will take place at the Milwaukee Metropolitan Association of Commerce office, 756 N. Milwaukee Ave., Milwaukee. 

A news release announcing the rally said, “The MMAC is an organization of businessmen that wants private companies to take over a large segment of the Milwaukee Public School system. The MMAC wants to pass a state law that would remove dozens of schools from MPS and put them in the hands of private companies. The plan would remove the lowest performing schools in the Milwaukee Public School system from the authority of the democratically elected MPS school board and place them under the control of an appointed individual or board.”

The coalition maintains in the announcement that:

• Twenty years of experience and data prove that giving our public schools to private companies will not produce better outcomes for children. 

• The business people at the MMAC have never asked parents whether they want their schools handed over to privately run companies. They have also not explained to parents at the remaining MPS schools how this plan will financially cripple the district and threaten the existence of all MPS schools, including high-performing MPS schools.

• When public schools are handed over to privately run companies, they do not serve all students. They don’t offer bilingual education, and often “counsel out” students with special needs and/or behavior problems. The mission and purpose of public schools, on the other hand, is to serve and welcome all children.

• Privately run schools are not accountable to parent governance councils or our democratically elected school board. Voter rights and educational accountability are eroded when parents and elected officials have no say over our schools.