[/media-credit] Dr. Eric Gallien, Superintendent of Racine Unified Schools. Gallien’s new position began July 1, 2018.
The Milwaukee Education Partnership (MEP) held a special reception to welcome the new Superintendents for Racine Unified School and Milwaukee Public School Districts.
Gerard Randall, Executive Director of the Milwaukee Education Partnership welcomed the two new superintendents and members of the MEP, Dr. Eric N. Gallien, Racine Unified School District, and Dr Keith P. Posley, Milwaukee Public Schools.
The reception was held at the Milwaukee Public Museum (MPM) that for years has been a creative environment that delivers curriculum and confidence using out-of-classroom spaces.
MPM President/CEO Dennis Kois, welcomed educators from neighboring Wisconsin school districts in attendance.
[/media-credit] Dr Keith Posley, interim Superintendent to Milwaukee Public Schools appointed May 21, 2018
“The museum’s primary purpose of collecting, preserving, protecting, exhibiting, researching and formulating objects in our collection is to educate and that purpose is through school visits that we host,” said Kois. “This museum brings in 100,000 children. It’s the largest museum in the state and one of the oldest in the U.S.”
The Racine Unified School Board voted 8-1 to make Deputy Superintendent Dr. Eric N. Gallien the next superintendent of the Racine Unified School District. Gallien’s new leadership position began this month.
“It’s really humbling for me today, I grew up not even a mile from here. I would ask my mom if we could go to the museum and she would say, you know we don’t have money for that,” said Gallien. “Now I’m being celebrated in the same museum that I couldn’t afford to go to years ago.”
[/media-credit] Gerard Randall Executive Director of Milwaukee Education Partnership
Gallien said his mother raised him, his brother and sister in a way that set high expectations for them and gave them enough rope to take risks.
“My leadership is strictly autobiographical. Unpacking the narrative of what can and cannot be done with children who come from humble beginnings. Some people call it poverty. Whatever you want to call it they have potential and when you see humanity in those children you can change the trajectory for all kids in this area,” said Gallien.
Dr. Keith P. Posley was appointed Interim Superintendent of Milwaukee Public Schools effective May 21, 2018, after Superintendent Darienne Driver departed MPS to become CEO of the United Way for Southeastern Michigan. Posley, a former teacher, principal and administrator has served for 29 years in a variety of positions for the Milwaukee Public School District.
[/media-credit] Dennis Kois, President/CEO, Milwaukee Public Museum
“I’m not going anywhere, I’m here to stay,” said Posley. “As we commit ourselves to the success of every child, I will be focusing on Five Priorities for Success:
1)Student achievement and accountability
2) Develop the staff
3) Fiscal responsibility and transparency
4) Building district and school culture, working together as one unit
5) Clear, concise communication”
Posley thanked his wife, mother, staff, teachers, administrators, superintendents and representatives from universities. He also stressed the importance of working together.
“It’s truly going to take a village to make sure our children are going in the right direction,” said Posley. “We’re going to make it work, we’re going to make sure we are moving in the right direction and we’re going to show results. We’re going to make it happen in Milwaukee Public Schools,” Posley said.
Mark Sain, MPS, District 1 President who worked with both Gallien and Posley, recognized the educators from Franklin, Brown Deer, Racine, Milwaukee and West Bend school districts attended the event.
“When we talk about education, we talk about that village,” Sain said. “We have two brothers that are going to need the village to help them to propel what we need to be doing for the young people in our communities and it’s not just a Milwaukee thing, it’s not just a Racine thing but it’s what’s happening in Franklin, it’s what’s happening in West Bend. When it comes to education we really need to put our arms around our young people.”
Randall said since 1999, the MEP is an organization that brings together senior educators from around the city, business leaders as well as those who were involved in the nonprofit workforce development world that came together to bring young people to grade level academically, especially in reading, writing and science to get them into a 2 year or 4 year college and to ensure good teachers were in those classrooms with those students.
The Milwaukee Public School system may not have the best reputation, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t producing quality students. Last week, MPS announced that 108 MPS schools were awarded platinum, gold, silver or bronze for academic excellence and positive behavior by Wisconsin Rtl Center.
A student at Academy of Accelerated Learning spending his classroom time reading.
Wisconsin Rtl Center is an organization that helps schools put in place a research-based multi-tiered system of support, according to a press release.
According to Wisconsin Rtl Center’s website, “a fully-implemented system is equitable, and provides increasing levels of student supports for all content areas.” There are three categories to place in: mathematics, reading and behavior.
To place bronze in one of the categories, the school has to fully-implement the Rtl system in that area at a universal level for at least one year, and at least two years for silver. To place gold, the school must meet the requirements for bronze for at least two years in two of the categories. And, to place platinum, the school must meet the requirements for gold in all three categories for at least three years.
Out of the 108 schools, only one placed platinum: Academy of Accelerated Learning.
“We’re very system driven,” said principal of Academy of Accelerated Learning, Eric Rian.
Rian said their success didn’t happen overnight. Their system of learning was implemented around seven years ago.
According to Rian, the school provides its teachers with professional teaching development training.
Plus, the staff understand their students in a way that helps the teachers teach better which in turn helps the students learn more.
Rian was the first one to learn about the great news, and before announcing it to the school, he met with his staff the night before to tell them to their face. The next day, during school he announced to the students that they won platinum.
“It’s work over time,” said K5 teacher April Gagliano. “Every year you have to add another levelto become successful.”
Third-grader Samiya and second-grader David were ecstatic about the news because of their love for the school, and their teachers.
Samiya, David and their classmates were given an assignment to learn more about themselves, which meant talking to their relatives. Through this experience, both Samiya and David found out interesting facts about their family, and themselves.
“My experience is really great here,” said Samiya. “It [the school] gives you a lot of opportunities [to learn].
“There’s so much [many] ways to learn,” said David.
Rian said he’s not big on celebrating but he did get a great feeling inside when he got the news.
“We know what we do, but it’s nice to know someone else knows,” said Rian.
For a complete list of the winning schools visit mpsmke.com/news
[/media-credit] Students and faculty gathered after the walkout to share how they want to see gun laws reformed.
“Life is not a partisan issue.” This statement was repeated many times by numerous students while standing hand in hand outside of Rufus King International High School last Wednesday in a march of remembrance for the seventeen students who were killed in a high school shooting in Florida last month.
More than 1,200 students and staff marched in silence around the school’s football field while the names of the students who were killed in the Feb. 14 Parkland, FL shooting were read aloud. The walkout and march were part of the National School Walkout that was intended to encourage lawmakers to take action on gun laws.
“They say that we are not activists,” said Rufus King student government members Ruth Fetaw and Morgan Coleman. “They say that we cannot be voices and agents for change, but on behalf of the 17 lives lost on a day that was supposed to be full of love…we say enough is enough.”
There were multiple protests planned at Milwaukee Public Schools including North and South Division, among others, according to the #Enough National School Walkout website. The number of students who decided not to participate in the march was not released.
[/media-credit] MPS Superintendent Dr. Darienne Driver released a letter to MPS families in support of the walkout.
MPS Superintendent Dr. Darienne Driver said in a letter released to parents before the march that she supports students in expressing their constitutional rights to assembly and peaceful protests. She also said that students are not required to participate. Dr. Driver was also present at the march and spoke to media following the event.
“As a superintendent, when people ask me what keeps me up at night, it’s keeping my children safe,” said Driver. “This was a student led initiative, and they said it best when they said life should not be a partisan issue.”
Olivia Schmitz also took part in the march. She said that she hopes that lasting change occurs because of the large numbers of students taking initiative.
“It was incredible to see everyone show up and taking this seriously,” said Schmitz. “Our school has had a week of action involving sessions of education relating to this issue. We will be holding letter writing campaigns and be contacting representatives as well.”
Pulaski High School issued a “code red” earlier in the day on Wednesday, after there were false reports of a gun on campus. Although there was no gun found, the lockdown was still a reminder that a shooting could occur at a moment’s notice.
Last week, the Trump administration proposed providing firearms training for some school personnel. Superintendent Driver offered her opinion on this new proposal.
“That argument is void of reason and rational thought,” said Driver. “Schools are a safe haven, and the idea of putting a weapon in a school is absolutely ludicrous.”
As the march came to an end and students met in the middle of the football field to speak to the school and media who had gathered there, a young student spoke through tears to share a story about her cousin whom she had recently lost to gun violence in Milwaukee.
“I just want to tell my cousin that I love him. All I have to say is that I just want it to stop, and I miss him.”
Time is running out! This Sunday, March 4, 2018 is the deadline for Milwaukee families to choose the Milwaukee Public Schools kindergarten or Head Start program that starts their 3-, 4- or 5-year old on the path to success. Enrolling by this deadline gives families the best chance of their child being placed in the school of their choice. Enrollment applications can be completed online at mpsmke.com/enroll, any MPS school or Welcome Center, or the MPS Enrollment Center, 5225 W. Vliet St., Milwaukee.
With 160 school options in MPS that serve more than 76,000 students, the district offers many different programs. The website tool mpsmke.com/findaschool, can help families select which of the many great district opportunities that are best for their child.
K3
Kindergarten for three-year-olds helps children get excited about school and learn classroom routines. Caring teachers guide learning through movement, art, music, play, and group activities.
K4
In four-year-old kindergarten, dedicated teachers help children have fun with skills such as counting and recognizing letters. Classroom routines build good habits and children learn to recognize the feelings of others around them.
K5
Five-year-old kindergarten prepares children for first grade and beyond. Through positive work, play, and learning, caring teachers help students take on new challenges and respect others.
Important: Wisconsin law requires that all children attend five-year-old kindergarten before entering first grade.
Milwaukee Public Schools has begun to pave a way to a better future for young men and boys of color. The Department of Black and Latino Male Achievement (BLMA) was established to address the disparities in academic and life outcomes for young men and boys of color, and to implement programs that improve their lives, according to a press release.
MPS has high hopes that this new department, that officially launched this school year, will be a success.
BLMA is ran by five men who are dedicated to changing the lives of young men and boys. Juan Baez and Lanelle Ramey are directors of BLMA, Paul Moga is the coordinator, David Castillo is the planning assistant and the newest member is Sergio Muniz who will be working closely with the children— each of these men will report directly to Superintendent Darienne Driver.
The department brought out 50 male students of color to Casimir Pulaski High School on Oct. 2 to let the students know this department is an advocate for them, said Ramey.
Ramey along with other members of the department are products of MPS, and he’s happy to be helping young men who were just like him have a better chance at life.
“We do this from our heart,” said Ramey. “I am a product from it (MPS) all the way.”
Ramey began his days with MPS in grade school, and now many years later he’s still in the system, but now with more power to help change things.
Men and boys of color is the focus of this department because the data shows they’ve fallen behind everyone else. Now the department has made it their duty to help these students reach their full potential.
“Change is coming for our boys of color,” said Ramey. “They’re important to us.”
BLMA is in the process of their 100-day plan, which is trying to define what exact activities and curriculum the department will provide not only for the boys of color, but MPS as a whole.
The National Campaign for Black Male Achievement (CBMA) has partnered with BLMA and will be supporting the department through its endeavors.
Ramey and Baez hope to change the media’s image of these young boys and men, and to also show these students how to embrace themselves.
Baez knows by helping these young men and boys it will positively affect the rest of MPS, and other students.
“We’re going to need to need the community’s support with this,” said Baez. “It’s really going to take a family.”
