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Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) is the heart of our city. It beats in rhythm with the thousands of students, educators, and families who depend on it every day. It pumps opportunity into our neighborhoods, nourishes the workforce, and sustains the dreams of our city’s youth.
But right now, that heart is unhealthy. It struggles under the weight of systemic issues—some new, some chronic—that threaten its ability to function. Without intentional, transformative change, we risk cardiac arrest.
The heart’s ailments: A system in crisis
The challenges facing MPS are as interconnected as the chambers of a heart. Each issue compounds the others, creating a circulatory system of inequity, dysfunction, and neglect.
Toxic lead in our lifeblood
The ongoing lead crisis is a direct attack on the most vulnerable students in our district. Exposure to lead can cause irreversible cognitive and behavioral impairments, making academic success even harder for children already facing systemic barriers. We cannot claim to value education while allowing lead to flow through our pipes and into our students’ bodies. Addressing this issue is not optional—it is urgent and essential. We must prioritize MPS facilities and protect our most vulnerable students.
New leadership, Same challenges?
With the appointment of a new superintendent, MPS stands at a crossroads. Will this leader be a visionary committed to systemic change, or just another figurehead managing crisis after crisis? A true leader will recognize that healing this heart requires more than a Band-Aid; it demands a complete overhaul of how we support students and staff.
An organizational audit: A check-up or a diagnosis?
Gov. Tony Evers released the results of the organizational audit of MPS. But audits don’t fix problems; they diagnose them. What we need is the strength of character to act on what we already know—our schools are underfunded, understaffed, and often underprepared to meet the needs of our students. Will the audit lead to genuine transformation, or will it be yet another report that gathers dust while our students fall further behind and our schools continue to decline?
Bringing cops back into schools: A step forward or backward?
The return of School Resource Officers (SROs) has reignited debates about discipline, school safety, and the criminalization of Black and Brown youth. Data has consistently shown that SROs do not make schools safer, but they do contribute to disproportionate discipline practices. Instead of investing in policing, we need to invest in counselors, mental health professionals, and trauma-informed care.
The mental health crisis: A heart that needs healing
Our students are struggling. Anxiety, depression, and trauma are on the rise, yet MPS lacks the necessary support systems to address these needs. A student’s ability to learn is deeply connected to their mental health, and right now, too many students are suffering in silence. Schools should be places of healing and support, not just test scores and discipline reports.
A workforce on life support
The staffing shortages in MPS—teachers, paraprofessionals, and building service helpers—mirror the broader labor crisis. But unlike private businesses, MPS cannot afford to lose workers. Every unfilled position represents a classroom without a stable educator, a school without adequate support staff, a student without the resources they need. We cannot ignore the toll this takes on learning outcomes and morale.
Academic deficits: A heart struggling to pump knowledge
The latest NAEP scores reveal troubling academic deficits among MPS students. Decades of underfunding, curriculum shifts, and pandemic-related disruptions have exacerbated the problem. Without radical investments in literacy, numeracy, and culturally responsive pedagogy, our students will continue to fall behind
Disciplined disproportionality: Unequal access to a safe learning environment
Black and Brown students in MPS continue to be disciplined at higher rates than their white peers, contributing to the school-to-prison pipeline. If our goal is equity, then we must address the root causes of these disparities—implicit bias, zero-tolerance policies, and the lack of restorative justice practices in many schools.
The long-range facilities plan: Empty halls, missed opportunities
MPS is grappling with under-enrolled schools and declining birth rates. If we do not reimagine how we use our school buildings, we will continue to waste resources. Instead of closing schools or consolidating them without community input, we should transform them into multiuse hubs that serve families beyond just school hours—offering child care, job training, and community spaces.
A call for systemic, transformative, and intentional change
MPS represents one of the largest employers in Milwaukee. Its health directly affects the city’s economy, workforce, and future. When the heart of a city is weak, the entire body suffers. But we don’t need temporary fixes or surface-level reforms; we need systemic, transformative, and intentional change.
- We need a superintendent who prioritizes equity, mental health, and academics.
- We need an end to lead exposure in schools.
- We need funding for more counselors, social workers, and trauma-informed training.
- We need living wages for educators and staff to attract and retain talent.
- We need discipline policies that are just, fair, and restorative.
- We need a long-term vision that considers demographic shifts, facilities usage, and community partnerships.
This is not a time for half-measures. Milwaukee’s children deserve a thriving, healthy educational system—one where every heartbeat echoes opportunity, justice, and excellence. If we are serious about the future of MPS, we must act with urgency. The heart of our city depends on it.
Angela N. Harris is a lifelong Milwaukee resident, an MPS educator with 20+ years’ experience and a parent of two MPS scholars. She’s the chair of Black Educators Caucus and has spent the last 10 years advocating for educational equity for all students.
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