Latest news with #MilwaukeePublicSchools
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
SL Rockfish
Credit - Courtesy Sarah Roecklein Why do words that end in -ough have so many pronunciations? What's the deal with the different ways to say the word read? And how, exactly, do you say Worcestershire? Anyone who speaks English knows a universal truth: the language is deeply confusing. Milwaukee educator turned TikTok teacher Sarah Roecklein—known online as SL Rockfish—is here to help. On her @englishmakesnosense account, she breaks down the oddities of grammar, idioms, and pronunciation with clarity and humor. A 20-plus-year veteran of Milwaukee Public Schools, Roecklein joined TikTok in 2020 and started sharing accessible educational videos that March, just as the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered classrooms and pushed students into remote learning. Her content met the moment, but she didn't stop when lockdown ended; instead, her focus sharpened and her audience grew. Today, the 61-year-old has 2.1 million followers across TikTok and Instagram, and in early 2025, TikTok included her on its global Discover List of creators to watch. Data and insights powered by #paid Contact us at letters@
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
MPS Superintendent Cassellius launches listening tour. Here's how to attend.
Braving extreme heat warnings June 23, about 30 people filed past industrial fans in the hallways of James Madison High School to gather with Brenda Cassellius, the new superintendent of Milwaukee Public Schools. It was the first of 10 events on Cassellius' "Listen and Learn Tour" that will be hosted at different schools throughout the summer. The events are open to anyone but most of the attendees June 23 were MPS staff, who spent about an hour sharing ideas for the district as Cassellius mostly listened. "We may not have a full huge standing crowd but I can tell you, the words that you're going to give and the information you're going to share with me today is incredibly valuable," Cassellius said. Attendees encouraged Cassellius to offer more opportunities for both staff and families to share their experiences. "I feel like we're overlooked a lot," said Ty-Asia Love, a safety assistant for MPS. "We're the frontline of the school but we're always the ones that get overlooked or thrown under the bus. Nobody comes to us and asks us what we feel like could be different. And we see a lot.' Tresha Patton, a library coach who trains MPS school librarians, asked Cassellius to consider budgeting for librarians at all MPS schools. Currently, schools that only serve students through fifth grade do not automatically get even a part-time librarian — and budget documents show most of those 40 schools haven't found room for librarians in their budgets. Patton was making a point that Cassellius herself and many others have also raised — that staffing is inconsistent across the district. In a recent review of the district's academic performance, MGT of America Consulting noted: "Multiple staff members described a 'haves and have-nots' system and indicated that the district does not do enough to balance resources." Some have called for an equity audit. James Madison — serving a relatively high population of Black students, students from lower-income families and students with disabilities — had more unfilled staff positions than most schools according to February data. The school was missing two core teachers, an art teacher, a paraprofessional aide and a secretary, according to MPS data shared with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Jacques Lake, a special education teacher at James Madison, said the school has been short-handed, leaving him responsible for supporting the special education needs of 30 students. Jessica Mendez, Community Schools Coordinator at South Division High School, called for "balanced investment" across the district "so each neighborhood school could be a student's first choice." She said students come to her school from over seven miles away. Cassellius said she wants to look more closely at what services and staffing can be guaranteed for every school, such as librarians like Patton mentioned, but she warned that without more state funding, adding something requires subtracting something else. "It's like, if we did do libraries, then what else would have to go?" Cassellius said. "Those are the trade-offs.' Cassellius said she expects to need to cut about $100 million in her next budget plan, for the 2026-27 school year, if there aren't significant changes in state funding. Cassellius avoided major cuts in most areas of her budget plan for the upcoming school year, though she controversially eliminated about 40 specialized teaching jobs. The budget was cushioned by a voter-approved referendum to raise taxes for MPS. It also relies, like previous years, on the expectation that hundreds of MPS staff positions will be unfilled. Another issue immediately confronting Cassellius is the state of the district's school buildings, which on average are over 80 years old and have over $250 million worth of maintenance needs that have been put off over the years. The issue was present at James Madison June 23, when temperatures in Milwaukee reached over 90 degrees. The school was built in 1966, reported nearly $8 million in deferred maintenance needs last year, and has only partial air conditioning. Only about one in five MPS buildings have full air conditioning. Emily Castle, who works for a state college-prep program at two MPS schools, said the heat is a regular issue. "I simply can't breathe, like I have to wear a shirt like I'm wearing right now and bring a stick of deodorant to my schools, because I cannot, as an adult, even, take the heat," Castle said, wearing a tank top. Sharonda Robinson, the coordinator for the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme at Stuart School, asked Cassellius to consider supporting more schools in updating their cement areas to more natural materials. She said students have been asking for green space and a calm outdoor area where they can read. Robinson said school staff have applied multiple times to get grants but haven't received them. As Cassellius looks to improve conditions in school buildings while needing to cut costs, she has said MPS will likely need to merge and close some schools where student populations have waned. An outside firm, Perkins Eastman, is under contract through January to help district leaders make those decisions under their long-range facilities master plan. At the moment, Cassellius is focused on another facilities problem: the deterioration of hazardous lead-based paint throughout the district, which is made worse in high heat. She plans to invest about $19 million on lead stabilization over the next school year. MPS students, guardians, staff and community members can register to attend Cassellius' listening tour at Registrants can request child care and interpretation services. The sessions begin at 6 p.m. on the following dates: Monday, July 28: Congress School, 5225 W. Lincoln Creek Drive Tuesday, July 29: South Division High School, 1515 W. Lapham Blvd. Wednesday, July 30: Frederick J. Gaenslen School, 1250 E. Burleigh St. Monday, Aug. 4: Milwaukee German Immersion School, 3778 N. 82nd St. Wednesday, Aug. 6: Jeremiah Curtin Leadership Academy, 3450 S. 32nd St. Monday, Aug. 11: Clement Avenue School, 3666 S. Clement Ave. Wednesday, Aug. 13: Milwaukee Academy of Chinese Language, 2430 W. Wisconsin Ave. Monday, Aug. 18: Ralph H. Metcalfe School, 3400 W. North Ave. Those who want to share feedback can also email comm@ Contact Rory Linnane at Follow her on X at @RoryLinnane. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: MPS Superintendent Cassellius launches summer listening tour
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Audit of Milwaukee Public Schools; Gov. Evers proposes instructional changes
The Brief The second of two independent audits of Milwaukee Public Schools was released on Friday, June 13. A February audit offered 29 recommendations, such as restructuring the MPS central office and preventing retaliation. This latest audit proposes "recommendations for systemic instructional changes at MPS." MADISON, Wis. - Gov. Tony Evers released on Friday, June 13, the second of two independent audits of Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS). The first was released in February. With this latest audit, the governor is proposing "nearly 40 actionable recommendations for systemic instructional changes at MPS to accelerate student outcomes and well-being," a news release says. What we know The governor announced in 2024 that he would be providing the necessary resources to conduct two outside, independent audits of MPS. Evers directed $5.5 million to support both efforts. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android The first audit was released in mid-February. It identified three goals for the district to achieve in the short and long term. It also offered 29 recommendations, such as restructuring the MPS central office and preventing retaliation. The latest audit report was released publicly on Friday. It relates to the instructional policies and methodologies at MPS, including classroom learning environments, efforts to support educators and their work in the classroom, professional development and coaching policies to provide more opportunities for educator and staff growth, and addressing external factors affecting classroom learning, among other areas. Dig deeper The second audit identifies 38 actionable recommendations for MPS: Establish a focused vision for teaching and learning for MPS; Create clear expectations, measurable goals, and an action plan aligned with the district's vision; discontinue any initiatives that do not align; Restructure central office roles to explicitly support the newly established vision and create robust structures for collaboration aligned to goals and action items; Clarify how specialized school structures fit into the district vision and align systems and supports to maximize their impact; Consolidate the number of grade configurations to allow for increased focus and collaboration across schools; Set clear expectations for instructional leadership and hold principals accountable consistently across the district; Restructure the principal supervision to ensure that support is focused on improving teaching and learning and cultivating an exceptional student experience; Re-envision professional development for principals to prioritize instructional leadership and alignment with the district's vision; Implement a strategic staffing process to ensure that high-need and specialized schools have principals whose skill sets match school needs; Consider procedures and incentives that ensure the highest-need schools are staffed and supported appropriately by highly qualified teachers; Utilize data on student performance, implementation of evidence-based practices, and stakeholders' experience to make staffing decisions; Create a professional development plan that is clearly and narrowly focused on the implementation of the district's vision and goals; Prioritize job-embedded support over districtwide professional learning sessions where possible to allow for customization and ensure that professional development time is meaningful and directly applicable to teacher practice; Create and protect space in teachers' schedules for authentic, structured collaboration at least weekly and provide robust training and coaching on the Professional Learning Communities (PLC) process; Generate buy-in from teachers by emphasizing the rationale and research behind key district-adopted materials; Create concrete guidance for how to implement district-adopted resources, including curriculum maps, pacing guides, and clarity on the appropriate use of supplemental programs; Create a realistic plan for the implementation of new curricula, including all training and support, even if that means slowing down adoption and implementation processes; Implement a lesson internalization process embedded within PLCs; Require all teachers, school leaders, and district leaders to complete comprehensive training in Structured Literacy; Create clear guidance for schools and teachers to implement Structured Literacy, including timing, pacing, use of resources, and guidance for tier I, tier II, and tier III instruction; Align systems to support the implementation of Structured Literacy, including modeling and coaching, walkthrough protocols, PLCs using Aimsweb data, and intervention structures; Create systems at the district level to hold all schools accountable to high expectations that are clearly aligned to the district vision; Create systems for communication, including clear norms for how and when information is shared, from senior leadership to school-based staff, that empower staff and promote collaboration; Systematically identify, celebrate, and analyze successes so that best practices can be shared across the district; Revisit enrollment procedures for schools that offer specialized opportunities (e.g., Montessori, Bilingual Dual Language, IB, STEM, Fine Arts, etc.) to ensure equitable access for all students; Reprioritize funding and/or partner with community organizations to supplement extracurricular opportunities in schools that do not currently have robust options for their students; Create a districtwide vision for positive student culture and evidence-based disciplinary practices; Support all staff in collectively implementing foundational routines and strategies for proactive classroom and school management; Collaborate with school staff about the process for addressing serious behavior incidents and clearly communicate the rationale for consequences that are aligned with the district vision; Consider structural and policy changes at the district level to address disparities in suspensions, including grade configuration and resource allocation; Create a vision and set measurable goals for family partnership and advocacy in MPS that are aligned with evidence-based best practices; Clarify the Parent Coordinator role and set clear expectations for their work; Provide training for staff aligned to the district's vision and focused on evidence-based strategies for family engagement; Build systems to seek authentic feedback from families on focused topics and clearly communicate how feedback is implemented; Fully leverage Parent Engagement Organizations and the District Advisory Council in strategic planning; Provide training and guidance for teachers focused on building relationships with families and fostering two-way communication; Set clear, measurable goals for family engagement at the school and district level and collect data to monitor progress and identify successes; and Create a PLC structure for Parent Coordinators to monitor school goals, brainstorm solutions to tough challenges, and amplify strategies that are proven to be effective. SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News What we know MGT Impact Solutions LLC conducted the independent audit of MPS. The Source The information in this post was provided in a news release from the office of Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
LaFollette Elementary becomes 7th school cleared of lead dangers, according to MPS
LaFollette Elementary School has been cleared of dangers caused by lead paint, Milwaukee Public Schools announced June 11. It's the seventh school to have passed recent inspections for lead hazards by the City of Milwaukee Health Department. LaFollette school was constructed in 1897, making it among the oldest in MPS. An inspection in March found the building had dangerous levels of chipping paint and dust where young children could potentially ingest it, creating a poisoning hazard. More than 1,000 children in Milwaukee each year are poisoned by lead, mostly due to paint in older houses, according to the city. But a widespread lack of lead paint maintenance in MPS schools came to light in early 2025 after city health officials announced a child had been poisoned by lead paint at Golda Meir Lower Campus. LaFollette was among the early batch of six schools that closed temporarily this spring so lead hazards could be remediated. Closures affected about 1,800 MPS students. In closing March 17, LaFollette's 216 students in kindergarten through eighth grade transitioned to the Wisconsin Conservatory of Lifelong Learning. They will remain there until the end of the school year on Friday, June 13 — about 13 weeks since the initial closure. MPS said that this summer, it will remediate lead paint in all schools built before 1950 that also educate elementary-age kids. It will do the same in schools built between 1950 and 1978 by the end of the calendar year. 'I'm grateful to the LaFollette School community for their continued partnership and patience as we undertook this important work,' Superintendent Brenda Cassellius said in a statement. 'A disruption like this one is never easy, but this school community navigated it with the best interests of students at the forefront. I'm glad we are making good progress on our lead stabilization efforts in our school buildings, guided by our Lead Action Plan. Our students and families deserve school buildings that are safe and welcoming.' According to an inspection report, 50% or more of painted surfaces at LaFollette were found to be deteriorating. "Heavy" levels of paint dust were found throughout the building, the report said. Chipping and peeling paint was found in classrooms with kindergarten-age children and children with disabilities, and in cafeteria areas, the report said. The inspection report also noted signs of disturbed asbestos, which pose "notable health (risks) to both adults & children)." MPS spokesperson Stephen Davis said that, during the March inspection at LaFollette, two potential asbestos-related issues were found: deteriorating plaster in a few areas and the end of the asbestos-containing pipe insulation was exposed and uncovered. The Environmental Protection Agency and Milwaukee Health Department were told the deteriorating plaster was not asbestos-containing, according to historical sample results. In addressing the issue with the pipe insulation, MPS' Environmental Health Services put in an emergency work order to seal the small section of pipe; that work was completed March 17. The pipe's wrapping was repaired to maintain the covering. No asbestos was removed. "The repaired canvas covering maintains the asbestos in a safe manner," Davis said. For LaFollette and all other MPS facilities that follow the EPA's Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act regulation, the district has an asbestos management plan in place to manage and address any maintenance and repair requests. That plan has been in place since the 1980s, he said. MPS also conducts re-inspections to assess the condition of asbestos-containing materials in each school every three years, as required by the EPA. Every six months between reinspections, the school's building engineer checks the building to ensure the asbestos-containing material within the building is undamaged, Davis said. Any damage identified during a three-year reinspection or six-month building check gets immediately fixed through the MPS work order system. Cleo Krejci covers K-12 education and workforce development as a Report For America corps member based at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Contact her at CKrejci@ or follow her on Twitter @_CleoKrejci. For more information about Report for America, visit This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 128-year-old LaFollette Elementary School abated for lead, MPS says,
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Milwaukee teacher's aide must self-deport; ICE reviews request to stay
The Brief A teacher's aide in Milwaukee Public Schools is trying to avoid being deported. Yessenia Ruano has been ordered to self-deport by immigration officials. ICE is now formally reviewing her request to stay in the United States. MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee Public Schools teacher's aide has been told by immigration officials to self-deport. She is still in Milwaukee a week after the deadline. What we know The teacher's aide in question is Yessenia Ruano. On Tuesday, June 10, many students were seen holding up posters with messages saying, "I stand with Mrs. Ruano" and "Immigrants are welcomed here." Ruano works at Alba School as a teacher's aide. She faces a self-deportation order. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android Ruano's attorney, Marc Christopher, told FOX6 News Ruano has submitted a request to stay, asking the agency to delay the deportation until a decision is issued pending her T-visa application for survivors of human trafficking. On Tuesday, a group of people walked around a neighborhood on Milwaukee's south side to show their support for Ruano. What they're saying "We have organized to support one of our teachers' aides, who is beloved. She has two daughters here who were born in this country. We are scared that she will be deported. And as a school, as a community, we love her. We love her kids. And just for all of the other immigrants in our community, we're here to support them," said Veronica Ramirez, a teachers union representative. What's next Ruano's attorney told FOX6 News ICE is now formally reviewing his client's stay request. SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News FOX6 News reached out to ICE and the Trump administration for comment, but are still waiting for a response. The Source The information in this post was produced by FOX6 News.
