At a time when Milwaukee Public Schools is already being questioned about transparency and accountability, it’s board is considering restructuring the committees that allow the public to follow their work.
That should concern every Milwaukee family.
Milwaukee Public Schools Board of Directors is currently discussing restructuring its committee system. This conversation deserves public attention.
During the discussion, the Director of the Office of Accountability and Efficiency referenced the Elmbrook School District as a model because their committees operate with clear charges and intentional design around their work. Intentionality matters. But, we also need to be honest about our own history.
That same intentionality was never applied to the Family And Community Engagement/Parent And Community Engagement, the one committee that was supposed to center families and community voice.
Instead of strengthening the space designed for family and community engagement, the conversation now appears to be moving toward consolidating or restructuring committees in ways that could reduce transparency and limit deeper discussion before decisions reach the full board.
Committees are not just administrative structures. They are one of the few places where deeper conversations happen, where issues can be examined more closely, and where the public has clearer insight into how decisions move through the district.
Another point raised during the discussion was the many responsibilities board members carry outside of their board service. Those commitments are real. But it is also important to remember that serving on the Milwaukee Board of School Directors is the job THEY campaigned for and were elected to do.
Milwaukee is not Elmbrook. We are a large urban district serving diverse communities with complex needs. Our governance structure should reflect that reality and prioritize transparency, accountability, and meaningful community engagement.
A community call to action
The conversation will continue at the full board Meeting on March 26th.
If transparency and accountability matter to you, show up.
Public presence matters, and it also helps others see they won’t be standing alone.
Please share this post so more people in our community know what’s happening.
Community voice should never be an afterthought in how our district is governed.
Locate agenda items and upcoming board meetings here.
View a live stream of the March 26 meeting here.
Here’s how you can make your voice heard at MPS meetings.
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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