Author: Joe Brusky

Summertime activities gave way to classwork study for thousands of Milwaukee Public School students on August 12, as the district held its bell ringing ceremony for early start schools at Golda Meir – welcoming back students on their first day of the 2019-2020 school year. Forty three out of the 160 schools in MPS started early, including all high schools. Students walked a red carpet into school, welcomed by the Meir drumline. They were cheered on by parents, teachers, community leaders, MPS staff and Superintendent Dr. Keith Posley, in addition to elected officials like Mayor Tom Barrett and Sheriff...

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan announced on June 12 that he would schedule votes in the near future on two anti-immigrant bills that provided no guaranteed protections for DACA recipients, but reduced family reunification visas and provided funding to expand walls along the US-Mexico border. In 2016, Speaker Ryan memorably told a mother and DACA recipient named Angela Villalobos that she had no reason to fear being separated from her children despite Trump’s election. Ryan has since refused to allow a vote on the Dream Act, which would provide a path to citizenship for immigrant youth now in...

At the time of this writing MPS substitute teacher Alex Brower began the 12th day of his hunger strike. He has vowed to not eat until substitute teaches with Milwaukee Public Schools are granted full health insurance. On day 7 of his hunger strike Brower released the following statement to the local media: “Over the past year, the MPS Administration has ignored MPS substitute teachers’ demands for restoring healthcare benefits for all full-time substitute teachers. Substitute teachers are asked to gamble with our health and well-being every day by working without access to affordable, quality, healthcare benefits. When regular...

“We are demanding action. It is our time as youth in the community to make a difference. It is our time to stand up and speak out to our state and local politicians.” – MARVELL REED, Sophomore at Barack Obama School of Career and Technical Education Members from the Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association (MTEA) attended a press conference on February 28 organized by a group of students from around Southeastern Wisconsin, that included Marvell Reed explaining about a March 24 march entitled the “March for Our Lives – Milwaukee.” The students announced that they would be joining the nationwide...

Superintendent Darienne Driver, Summerfest CEO Don Smiley, and Milwaukee Alderman and Chair of the Milwaukee Arts Board Michael Murphy spoke at the Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) kickoff event at Red Arrow Park on September 21. Superintendent Driver acknowledged the painful past of Red Arrow Park, inviting and recognizing Dontre Hamilton’s brothers Nate Hamilton and Dameion Perkins, before she presented her vision for the MPS Year of the Arts. “We have big plans for this year, plans to bring our students to arts and arts to our students,” said Superintendent Driver. “In coming together to support and celebrate the Year...