Use these talking points as a starting point in preparing your remarks for the January 5 hearing on MPS reforms.
You will have 2 minutes to speak.
Mayoral takeover doesn’t do anything to improve our schools.
We need real reforms that are student-focused and improve teaching and learning conditions in my classroom/school.
We should not be fighting about divisive proposals. Instead I urge the committee to find a way to focus on changes that will actually help my students:
Reduce class sizes
Improve the school funding system
Improve school safety
Provide for more preparation time for educators and professional development for all staff in the schools.
Use personal examples to expand on these sample reforms. Think about these questions as you develop your own personal examples.
Do you have large classes? How does that affect how you can teach? How does that affect how your students learn?
Do you have the support of educational assistants that your students need?
Has your school cut staff and/or programs due to budget cuts? Describe those cuts, and how they have impacted educational opportunities for your students. This problem is directly related to the school funding system.
Has safety and/or discipline been an issue of concern at your school? Describe specific incidents (without attribution), and how having more safety assistants and other adults in the building could help with this problem.
How much time do you have to prepare your lessons? How has the lack of time negatively impacted your students?
Educators have developed a plan – the Milwaukee Opportunity Plan - that addresses these and many other real issues that have a huge impact on our ability to provide the educational opportunities our students deserve.
I urge the committee to look carefully at this plan, and pass legislation to address these real issues that will make a difference for my students.
Thank you for your time.