Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association

Photo blog of the Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association

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MPS Safe Haven Toolkit - MTEA Committed to Safe Learning Spaces for Our Students

On January 20, 2025, the Trump Administration rescinded protected area policies that protected certain areas like churches, hospitals, and schools from immigration enforcement. The rescission is a fear tactic to make immigrant communities feel less safe even in spaces that families and children rely on for basic services and survival.

MTEA believes that public schools must be safe, welcoming, and accessible to all children and families. The United States Supreme Court Plyer v. Doe decision guarantees access to K-12 public education for all children regardless of immigration status.

MTEA is committed to our ongoing work with students, families, community members, the Administration and the Board to ensure safety for our students. In 2017 MTEA collaborated with MPS and community groups to develop the MPS Safe Haven resolution. Members should familiarize themselves with the resources available on the MPS Safe Haven page which was shared with families and staff on Friday, January 24.

The MPS Safe Haven toolkit provides the following information for students, families, and staff:

Community Partners Contact List 

A Guide to Your Rights When Interacting with Law Enforcement - English

Guide to your rights regarding contact with immigration officers or the police - Spanish

Know your Rights a Resource for Students, Parents and Guardians - English

Know Your Rights: A Resource for Students, Parents, and Guardians - Spanish

How to act in case of immigration detention - Spanish

Avoid Immigration Scams - Spanish

Voices from the Border - Immigrant Rights

Red Cards / Red Cards

Milwaukee Area Guide to Community Resources - English

Milwaukee Area Guide to Community Resources - Spanish

MTEA will be meeting with Interim Superintendent Galvan later this week to insist on the following:  

Meet and confer with MTEA to develop MPS ICE Safety Plan for all schools to be shared with staff

Provide written confirmation that MPS will not assist ICE in any enforcement action

Provide written confirmation that Administration will not share student records with ICE

Give dates certain when appropriate MPS staff will be trained on how to respond to ICE agents requesting access to schools

MTEA members remain committed to do all in our power to make every child, family and worker feel valued, welcomed and protected in our public schools. 

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Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action - 2025

Week of Action February 3rd - February 7th, 2025

Since 2018, Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association members have participated in the Black Lives Matter at School week of action with lessons and activities based on the principles of Black Lives Matter at School.

All students and educators are invited to participate in the days of action. The Milwaukee Public Schools events can be found on the MPS website. (Not yet updated, check back soon)

Step 1: Preparing for the Week of Action

The Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association has resources at your fingertips to support instructional activities for the week and well into February.

We encourage educators to spend time familiarizing themselves with Learning for Justice, Facilitating Critical Conversations with Students. 

The National Education Association (NEA) has a critical Teach Truth Know Your Rights resource for NEA members that gives some background and legal information that educators should consider when participating in this action.

Step 2: Planning Your Actions

A resource to explore the PLANNING TEMPLATE with various lessons based on the principles.

Step 3: Week of Action

Here is a sampling of Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action activities and learning opportunities:  

Restorative Justice and Empathy | Monday, February 3  Students will be creating Black Lives Matter posters and decorations. Other activities for the day include writing a podcast or video script that highlights justice, diversity, collective value, Black families, or one of the week’s 13 guiding principles.  

Schools participating in the MPS Restorative Practices program use restorative circles. Circles create space and structure for individuals of all ages to come together to repair harm and rebuild trust and respect after conflict. Restorative Justice Day is an opportunity to learn about using restorative circles to help communities of all ages and sizes set and achieve goals together.  

Diversity and Globalism | Tuesday, February 4  Research projects and discussions can explore founding moments and the mission of the Black Lives Matter movement that began in 2013.   

Other activities may include reading and discussing books that share perspectives, histories, and experiences from ethnic groups in your school, neighborhood, or across the globe.  

Trans and Queer Affirming and Disability Justice | Wednesday, February 5  Lesson plans and discussion questions might explore how elections and elected officials shape the spaces we live, learn, and work in. Conversations could center on how everyone can make a positive impact in school. 

Intergenerational Black Family and Village | Thursday, February 6  The comforts of home and family are starting points on this day. Activities could include: 

Making and sharing a family recipe  

Interviewing family members from different generations 

Reviewing family photos and events  

Creating a BLM poster with family, using family photos if possible, to bring to school  

Black Women and Unapologetically Black | Friday, February 7  Day 5 might inspire acts of kindness and connection as students consider the contributions of Black women past and present.  

Students can write a thank-you letter highlighting a Black woman’s impact on Black lives, school communities, the nation, or global society. 

Discussion question: “How can your school community support you in being Unapologetically Black?” 

Classroom celebrations and presentations can highlight students’ contributions to their school community or the contributions of student leaders and others making a positive difference.  

Additional Instructional Resources:

● Select a lesson from

○ Facilitating Critical Conversations with Students

○ Black Lives Matter at School Curriculum Guide

○ Week-long lesson plans (2024 Templates)

○ Teaching About Youth Activism (No Access)

○ National Education Association Racial Justice Resources

○ #TeachTruth Syllabus, from the Zinn Education Project

○ What We Do & How We Done It: A Guide for BLM at School

○ D.C. Area Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action - Multilingual Resources 

● Plan a virtual field trip (Examples below)

○ National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) Digital Archive

○ Equal Justice Initiative - The Legacy Museum and the National Museum for Peace and Justice

○ American Black Holocaust Museum - Virtual and in person opportunities. 

○ Research other virtual options for historical sites (Local and National)

NEW RESOURCES- NEA Black Lives Matter at School Demands

Across race and place, educators, parents and allies are coming together to ensure that every Black student and educator can live, grow and thrive with support, love and joy. The goal of Black Lives Matter at School is to spark an ongoing movement of critical reflection and honest conversation and impactful actions in school communities for people of all ages to engage with issues of racial justice. Find stories, resources and ideas highlighting Black Lives Matter at School from across the country.

Create supportive environments where all students can learn, grow, and thrive

Empower Black Educators to Strengthen Our Schools

Upholding the Freedom to Learn Black History and Ethnic Studies

MTEA BLM Week of Action t-shirt ordering instructions: - 

There are a limited number of Black Lives Matter at School shirts. The current supply includes the student-designed Black Lives Matter at School shirt.

Cost: $12, All items can be purchased with cash or check only.

To place an order, fill out this form.

Please fill in a quantity of 1-10 under the shirt/size you are ordering. You will be contacted by email when your order is ready for pick up. Payment is required at time of pick up in form of cash, check, or money order. Unfortunately, we cannot accept credit cards. If a size isn't listed, we are out of stock, and it will not be reordered.

Pick-up:

You will be emailed to your home email (no MPS emails) that you provided. You will be asked to schedule a pick-up time. Orders will only be held for two weeks. If not picked up, the order will go back into stock.

If you have any questions, contact the MTEA by emailing us here.

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Milwaukee Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action February 5 - February 9

Since 2018, Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association members have participated in the Black Lives Matter at School week of action with lessons and activities based on the principles of Black Lives Matter at School.

All students and educators are invited to participate in the days of action. The Milwaukee Public Schools events can be found on the MPS website.

Step 1: Preparing for the Week of Action

The Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association has resources at your fingertips to support instructional activities for the week and well into February.

We encourage educators to spend January familiarizing themselves with Learning for Justice, Facilitating Critical Conversations with Students. 

The National Education Association (NEA) has a critical Teach Truth Know Your Rights resource for NEA members that gives some background and legal information that educators should consider when participating in this action.

Step 2: Planning Your Actions

A resource to explore the PLANNING TEMPLATE with various lessons based on the principles.

Step 3: Week of Action

During the first week of February, Milwaukee Public Schools will host nightly Black Lives Matter at School events for students, families, staff, and communities. Check the linked page for updates as we get closer to the date.

Additional Instructional Resources:

● Select a lesson from

○ Facilitating Critical Conversations with Students

○ Black Lives Matter at School Curriculum Guide

○ Week-long lesson plans

○ Teaching About Youth Activism

○ National Education Association Racial Justice Resources

○ #TeachTruth Syllabus, from the Zinn Education Project

● Plan a virtual field trip (Examples below)

○ National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) Digital Archive

○ Equal Justice Initiative - The Legacy Museum and the National Museum for Peace and Justice

○ Research other virtual options for historical sites (Local and National)

NEW RESOURCES- NEA Black Lives Matter at School Demands

Across race and place, educators, parents and allies are coming together to ensure that every Black student and educator can live, grow and thrive with support, love and joy. The goal of Black Lives Matter at School is to spark an ongoing movement of critical reflection and honest conversation and impactful actions in school communities for people of all ages to engage with issues of racial justice. Find stories, resources and ideas highlighting Black Lives Matter at School from across the country.

Create supportive environments where all students can learn, grow, and thrive

Empower Black Educators to Strengthen Our Schools

Upholding the Freedom to Learn Black History and Ethnic Studies

MTEA BLM Week of Action t-shirt ordering instructions:

There are a limited number of Black Lives Matter at School shirts. The current supply includes the student-designed Black Lives Matter at School shirt.

Cost: $12, All items can be purchased with cash or check only.

To place an order, fill out this form.

Please fill in a quantity of 1-10 under the shirt/size you are ordering. You will be contacted by email when your order is ready for pick up. Payment is required at time of pick up in form of cash, check, or money order. Unfortunately, we cannot accept credit cards. If a size isn't listed, we are out of stock, and it will not be reordered.

Pick-up:

You will be emailed to your home email (no MPS emails) that you provided. You will be asked to schedule a pick-up time. Orders will only be held for two weeks. If not picked up, the order will go back into stock.

If you have any questions, contact the MTEA by emailing us here.

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(via GIPHY)

This is all that's at stake in the coming April Supreme Court election.

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Milwaukee Black Lives Matter at School 2023

Week of Action 

February 6- February 10

Since 2018, Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association members have participated in the Black Lives Matter at School week of action with lessons and activities based on the principles of Black Lives Matter at School.

Preparing for the Week of Action

The Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association is hosting a "Grab and Go" for educators looking for lesson plans and resources to use with their students. The "Grab and Go" will take place on Thursday, January 12, at the MTEA office, 5130 W. Vliet St, from 3:00-5:30. You can register by clicking on the link.

We encourage educators to spend January familiarizing themselves with Learning for Justice, Facilitating Critical Conversations with Students. A resource to explore the PLANNING TEMPLATE with various lessons based on the principles.

Week of Action

During the first week of February, Milwaukee Public Schools will host nightly Black Lives Matter at School events for students, families, staff, and communities. Check the linked page for updates as we get closer to the date.

Additional Resources:

● Select a lesson from

○ Facilitating Critical Conversations with Students

○ Black Lives Matter at School Curriculum Guide

○ Week-long lesson plans

○ Teaching About Youth Activism

○ National Education Association Racial Justice Resources

○ #TeachTruth Syllabus, from the Zinn Education Project

● Plan a virtual field trip (Examples below)

○ National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) Digital Archive

○ Equal Justice Initiative - The Legacy Museum and the National Museum for Peace and Justice

○ Research other virtual options for historical sites (Local and National)

Educators- The National Education Association (NEA) has a critical Know Your Rights resource for NEA members that give some background and legal information that educators should consider when participating in this action.

Shirts

Brenda Robbins won this year’s MTEA and MPS Black Lives Matter at School t-shirt contest. 

MTEA has a limited number of past Black Lives Matter at School shirts available for purchase. Past Black Lives Matter at School shirts can be found at this link.

If you have any questions, contact the MTEA by emailing us here.

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Milwaukee Roosevelt Middle Student Brenda Robbins’ Black Lives Matter at School Design Chosen for Coming Week of Action

Roosevelt Middle School student Brenda Robbins was awarded Thursday, January 5th for her winning Black Lives Matter at School t-shirt design. MTEA Vice President Ingrid Walker-Henry visited the school to notify Brenda and present her an award and prize.

The winning design will be printed on this year’s Milwaukee’s Black Lives Matter at School t-shirt. Robbins created the design for the annual week of action which takes place February 6-10. 

Brenda who aspires to be a fashion designer first heard about the citywide design contest from her teacher. Brenda with assistance from her friend Kendra immediately began work on a design that incorporated the historical national landmark the Edmund Pettus Bridge. The week of action slogan “A Lifetime Of Practice With Power In Our Voice And Action In Our Steps” encircles her design. The Edmund Pettus Bridge was the site of the brutal Bloody Sunday beatings of civil rights marchers during the first march for voting rights. The televised attacks were seen all over the nation, prompting public support for the civil rights activists in Selma and for the voting rights campaign.

In addition to Brenda’s design appearing on this year’s week of action t-shirt she received a $100 gift card, an MTEA bag, and a commemorative plaque. Her principal, Tiffany Fisher also accepted a $200 gift card on behalf of the school.

Thanks to the hundreds and hundreds of talented student artists who submitted designs for this year’s week of action. 

The Black Lives Matter Movement is guided by the following principles.

1. Restorative Justice

We are committed to collectively, lovingly, and courageously working vigorously for freedom and justice for Black people and, by extension, all people. As we forge our path, we intentionally build and nurture a beloved community that is bonded together through a beautiful struggle that is restorative, not depleting.​ 2. Empathy We are committed to practicing empathy; we engage comrades with the intent to learn about and connect with their contexts. 3. Loving Engagement We are committed to embodying and practicing justice, liberation, and peace in our engagements with one another. 4. Diversity We are committed to acknowledging, respecting, and celebrating difference(s) and commonalities. 5. Globalism We see ourselves as part of the global Black family and we are aware of the different ways we are impacted or privileged as Black folk who exist in different parts of the world.​ 6. Queer Affirming We are committed to fostering a queer‐affirming network. When we gather, we do so with the intention of freeing ourselves from the tight grip of heteronormative thinking or, rather, the belief that all in the world are heterosexual unless s/he or they disclose otherwise. ​ 7. Trans Affirming We are committed to embracing and making space for trans siblings to participate and lead. We are committed to being self-reflexive and doing the work required to dismantle cis-gender privilege and uplift Black trans folk, especially Black trans women who continue to be disproportionately impacted by trans-antagonistic violence. 8. Collective Value We are guided by the fact all Black lives matter, regardless of actual or perceived sexual identity, gender identity, gender expression, economic status, ability, disability, religious beliefs or disbeliefs, immigration status or location. ​ 9. Intergenerational We are committed to fostering an intergenerational and communal network free from ageism. We believe that all people, regardless of age, show up with capacity to lead and learn. 10. Black Families We are committed to making our spaces family-friendly and enable parents to fully participate with their children. We are committed to dismantling the patriarchal practice that requires mothers to work “double shifts” that require them to mother in private even as they participate in justice work. 11. Black Villages We are committed to disrupting the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement by supporting each other as extended families and “villages” that collectively care for one another, and especially “our” children to the degree that mothers, parents and children are comfortable. 12. Unapologetically Black We are unapologetically Black in our positioning. In affirming that Black Lives Matter, we need not qualify our position. To love and desire freedom and justice for ourselves is a necessary prerequisite for wanting the same for others.​ ​ 13. Black Women ​We are committed to building a Black women affirming space free from sexism, misogyny, and male‐centeredness.

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Participate in the 2022 Milwaukee Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action

Photo: Milwaukee BLM Week of Action t-shirt design contest winner Story Elementary student Fardoso Iman (pictured on the far right) with her two younger brothers.

Week of Action January 31-February 4

The Call to Action:

Black Lives Matter at School is a national coalition organizing for racial justice in education. We encourage all educators, students, parents, unions, and community organizations to join the annual week of action during the first week of February​.

Since 2018, Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association members have participated in the Black Lives Matter at School week of action with lessons and activities based on the Black Lives Matter at School principles.

We encourage educators to spend January familiarizing themselves with Learning for Justice, Facilitating Critical Conversations with Students. During the first week of February, Milwaukee Public Schools will host a nightly virtual Black Lives Matter at School events for students, families, and staff. A week-long lesson to consider is Teaching about Youth Activism, or you can explore various lessons based on the principles.

Order MTEA's 2022 BLM at School t-shirt designed by a Milwaukee Public Schools student. Order here

Educators:

Additional Resources:

● Select a lesson from

○ Facilitating Critical Conversations with Students

○ Black Lives Matter at School Curriculum Guide

○ Week-long lesson plans

○ Teaching About Youth Activism

○ National Education Association Racial Justice Resources

○ #TeachTruth Syllabus, from the Zinn Education Project

● Plan a virtual field trip (Examples below)

○ National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) Digital Archive

○ Equal Justice Initiative - The Legacy Museum and the National Museum for Peace and Justice

○ Research other virtual options for historical sites (Local and National)

Educators should know that the National Education Association has a critical Know Your Rights resource for NEA members that gives some background and legal information that educators should consider when participating in this action.

Order MTEA's 2022 BLM at School t-shirt here

If you have any questions, contact the MTEA by emailing us here.

MTEA 2022 BLM Week of Action t-shirt ordering instruction:

This student designed Black Lives Matter at School shirt is a light grey shirt and 2-sided. The front features the words “Black Lives Matter” in between two hands while the back lists the national demands of the week of action.

Cost: $12, All items can be purchased with cash or check only.

To place an order, fill out this form.

Please fill in a quantity of 1-10 under the shirt/size you are ordering. You will be contacted by email when your order is ready for pick up. Payment is required at time of pick up in form of cash, check, or money order.  We cannot accept credit cards.  If a size isn’t listed, we are out of stock and it will not be reordered.

Pick-up:

You will be emailed to your home email (no MPS emails) that you provided.  You will be asked to schedule a pick-up time.  Orders will only be held for 2 weeks. If not picked up, the order will go back into stock.

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MTEA Black Lives Matter at School 2021-22

Black Lives Matter at School 2021-2022 October 14th National #TeachTruth Day of Action

On George Floyd's Birthday--October 14th--we will teach the truth about structural racism and other forms of oppression, regardless of dubious bills that attack anti-racist education. 

The Call to Action: 

As a kickoff to the 2021-2022 "Black Lives Matter at School Year of Purpose," we call on you to join a national day of action to #TeachTruth about structural racism and oppression on Thursday, October 14, 2021 (George Floyd's birthday). This day of action is co-sponsored by the African American Policy Forum and supported and endorsed by the Zinn Education Project, and the National Education Association, among others. 

Wear your Black Lives Matter shirt or an all black shirt. 

Contact the MTEA at 414-259-1990 or email us here. 

Educators:

●    Select a lesson from

          ○ Black Lives Matter at School Curriculum Guide

          ○ #TeachTruth Syllabus, from the Zinn Education Project

          ○ National Education Association Racial Justice Resources

●   Publicly declare your intent to teach antiracist lessons here by filling out this form   

●    Plan a virtual field trip (Examples below)

           ○      National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) Digital Archive

            ○      Equal Justice Initiative - The Legacy Museum and the National Museum for Peace and Justice

            ○      Research other virtual options for historical sites (Local and National)  

Educators should know that the National Education Association has an important Know Your Rights resource for NEA members that gives some background and legal information that educators should consider when participating in this action.  

As the NEA states: 

If you are advised that the measure in your state prohibits instructing students honestly, and you decide to continue to provide that instruction and are disciplined for doing so: Your local and state affiliate can defend you through the NEA UniServ and Unified Legal Services Program. NEA is strongly committed to ensuring that teachers who teach the truth, and do so with the support of their state and local affiliates, are defended in any and all such matters. 

MTEA Black Lives Matter at School T-Shirt Design Contest

MTEA is holding a contest to design MTEA's 2021-2022 Black Lives Matter at School t-shirt! #TeachTruth

Step 1: Create a design

Step 2: Students should submit their design with their full name, teacher’s name, address, phone number, and school to Ingrid Walker-Henry at [email protected] or at https://forms.gle/4nLaVqrh8GW6PJLB7Deadline: 

Friday, October 22, 2021The winning design will be featured on MTEA'sBlack Lives Matter at School 2021-2022 t-shirts and receive a $100 gift card, and four t-shirts.

Learn more about Black Lives Matter at School www.blacklivesmatteratschool.com

You can find the flyer here. 

Stay tuned…BLM at School Year of PurposeThe Black Lives Matter at School Year of purpose guides have been revised and November’s and December’s guides will be shared with schools in October. 

MTEA BLM at School 2021-2022Along with the t-shirt contest and Year of Purpose guides MTEA will supply other opportunities to learn and participate in BLM at School throughout the year. Continue to look for information in your member emails.

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Milwaukee Teacher Brings Women’s History Month Alive for Students

Allen Field Elementary Teacher and MTEA member Alondra Garcia found a really exciting way to engage her students this year for Women’s History Month. We’re pretty sure students will never forget these lessons or the contributions of these women. Thank you for bringing history alive for your students, Alondra!

“To celebrate Women's History Month, I decided to dress up like an important woman in history each day of the school week. Bringing each individual's character to life brought up awareness of the inequities they have had to encounter to get to where we, women, are today. The impact women have had in our society is remarkable. The excitement and engagement I see on a daily basis has been very rewarding. I love teaching and helping my kids to be the BEST version of themselves.”

- Alondra Garcia, Allen Field Elementary Teacher

Rosa Parks

“You must NEVER be fearful about what you are doing when it is RIGHT!”

Maribel Dominguez

"To play in one of those tournaments feels just incredible. To play ALL together, to ALL play at your very best, to score a goal when everybody, the whole world, is watching. There is NOTHING like it. It is beyond words. It is the BEST thing that can EVER happen to a footballer. THE VERY BEST."

Sandra Cisneros

“You CAN’T erase what YOU KNOW.

You CAN’T forget who YOU ARE.”

Kamala Harris

“You may be the first to do many things, but make sure you’re NOT THE LAST!”

Hellen Keller

“The best and most beautiful things in the world CANNOT be seen or even touched - they MUST be FELT with the heart.”

Eva Perón

“I know that, like EVERY woman of the people, I have MORE strength than I appear to have.”

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

“Fight for the things that YOU care about, but do it in a way that will lead OTHERS to join you."

Ellen Ochoa

“Don’t be afraid to reach for the stars!”

Maria Hinojosa

“What I LOVE most is BECOMING more and more FEARLESS!”

Michelle Obama

"Don’t EVER make decisions based on FEAR. Make decisions based on HOPE and POSSIBILITY. Make decisions based on what SHOULD happen, not what shouldn’t.”

Jane Goodall

“EVERY individual matters. EVERY individual has a role to play. EVERY individual makes a difference.”

Rita Moreno

“What I am interested in doing is finding and EXPRESSING a new form of LIFE.”

Isadora Duncan

“What I am interested in doing is finding and EXPRESSING a new form of LIFE.”

Rosalind Franklin

"In my view, all that is necessary for faith is the belief that by doing OUR best we SHALL succeed in our aims: the IMPROVEMENT of mankind.”

Pura Belpré

“DON’T forget the magnificent sweep of the imagination and dreams of YOUTH!”

Greta Thunberg

“You MUST take action. You MUST do the IMPOSSIBLE. Because giving up is NEVER an option.”

Rigoberta Menchú

“This world's NOT going to change unless we're WILLING to change OURSELVES.”

Gabriela Mistral

"YOU shall create BEAUTY not to excite the senses but to GIVE sustenance to the SOUL.”

Billie Jean King

“Don't let ANYONE define you. YOU DEFINE YOURSELF.”

Coretta Scott King

“My story is a freedom song of struggle. It is about finding one's PURPOSE, how to overcome FEAR and to STAND UP for causes bigger than one's self."

Harriet Tubman

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. ALWAYS remember, YOU have within you the STRENGTH, the PATIENCE, and the PASSION to reach for the stars to CHANGE THE WORLD.”

Selena Quintanilla

“I’m very real, very sincere, and honest, and that’s how I’ll ALWAYS be.”

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MTEA invites Aisha Carr to clarify her past support for the MPS Takeover, associations with private charter/voucher officials

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 30, 2021 Contact: [email protected]

MILWAUKEE - Aisha Carr has made it clear in recent weeks that she is unhappy with the Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association (MTEA) for letting voters know that she supported the 2015 attempt by Scott Walker and Republican legislators to take over MPS schools. Ms. Carr would like voters to forget the statements she made in an interview during her campaign four years ago in which she clearly expressed support for the Republican takeover effort, saying that "by opposing that effort, the union and district was, in essence, turning their backs on the children." Carr went on to say that she wanted a more collaborative relationship with Republicans in Madison. Today, Ms. Carr sits on the board of City Forward Collective, a private organization that promotes Milwaukee area private charter and voucher schools. Beyond sitting on their board, Aisha Carr has received high dollar campaign contributions from private charter and voucher school officials and advocates. Private charter executive Dr. Howard Fuller likes Ms. Carr so much he gave her more than the legal amount in 2017, including a $1450 contribution funneled through the far-right Milwaukee area chamber of commerce (MMAC). Ms. Carr has accepted more money from Dr. Fuller this year, along with thousands in contributions from school privatizers including Cory Nettles, Michelle Nettles, Robert Arzbaecher and others. We invite Aisha Carr to make her true positions clear. Ms. Carr should publicly declare if and why her past views have changed. She should explain how she plans to square her clear affiliations with publicly funded PRIVATE school leaders as a candidate running for a PUBLIC school board. MTEA believes that MPS School Board members should be clear supporters of our Public Schools and we believe that the voters of Milwaukee have shown that they believe the same too. We invite Aisha Carr to come clean to Milwaukee voters about her beliefs before election day.

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MTEA Member Testimony on MPS In-Person School Reopening Plan

Thanks to all who spoke at last night’s school board meeting on the district’s in-person reopening plan:

Jane Audette, Itinerant School Social Worker

“Dear Milwaukee Board of School Directors, My testimony has two parts.  First is my personal reaction to returning students to school in April.  Second is my commentary on the need for my school board to hold this administration to a higher standard. First, investing the money to return to school in April, with the incredible disruption to carefully crafted routines which families in Milwaukee have created, is really ridiculous.  There are so many costs associated with this plan that simply are not worth it for such a short time back in school.  I am not going to take time to lay out all the emotional, financial and health consequences, as I know that you are getting plenty of testimony which lays that out quite clearly. Second, since the presentation was released, I have been devastated by the anxiety and stress that has been precipitated in MPS staff, students and families.  It is truly irresponsible for our school board to allow this administration to put out a slide presentation to the community with serious gaps in specificity and clarity.  Perhaps the board has been provided the actual plan, THE WHOLE PLAN, but it is unconscionable for the board to expect MPS staff and families to testify without full knowledge of what they are testifying about.  That slide presentation creates more questions than it answers. I am testifying as an MPS employee and constituent of President Miller.  However, as Chair of MICAH Education, I have witnessed innumerable times that these slide presentation do not ever tell the entire story.  With a decision to be made of this import, I am speechless that the Milwaukee Board of School Directors would be willing to allow the community to be, once again, shut out as true partners in public education.  The Board could finally step up and hold this administration accountable to the community, but I am not sure members have the political fortitude to do so.  Please prove me wrong.  Demand that the full plan be published TODAY!“

Justin Belot, Obama SCTE Teacher

“President Miller and Members of the Board:

I am a high school teacher with MPS and want to start off saying that I, along with countless other teachers, want to be back in the classroom with students. However, this can only be done when it is safe and in the best interest of students.

The current Roadmap to Readiness plan, however, does not meet those two requirements. Although teachers and school staff became eligible for the vaccine on March 1st, it is impossible for anyone to be fully vaccinated by the stated staff return date of March 29th. CDC guidelines state that a full two weeks after the second dose is needed to be fully vaccinated. It would be irresponsible to force staff back into buildings until the two-week waiting period concludes.

The plan, as presented, sparks more questions than answers.   There is a difference if we are planning for 5% of students returning or 90%. Families have not had to make a choice yet, so any plans are speculative and may require drastic changes based on the number of students choosing in-person learning. This is likely to be rushed to meet the timelines presented in the plan. And rushed plans are not safe.

Communication between all stakeholders is lacking or non-existent. Staff have been provided with little to no answers from administration about procedures and safety practices. Even worse, some have even been provided with direct information that contradicts the little information that is in the plan.

As a high school teacher, I am working tirelessly to get my students to pass their classes and earn credits. This shift to in-person learning with only a month left in school (for high schools on the early start calendar) will be detrimental in that process. Why are we even thinking about sending them back for a month? Given that no textbooks or other resources may be used, we are left with the same online lessons we are currently utilizing and, perhaps, worksheets. I see no real benefit to in-person learning other than they will now be sitting alone at a desk or table in a classroom.

We have made it this far keeping staff, students, and families safe. Why are we throwing the towel in now? We are so close to the finish line, but I see another surge looming. I urge you to vote no on the Roadmap to Readiness plan.

Thank you.”

Gina D’Acquisto, Maryland Avenue Montessori Teacher

“I am speaking tonight in opposition to the MPS reopening plan before the board. Let me tell you about how this feels from an early childhood teacher’s point of view. Every fall, I greet young children in my classroom, many who have never been to school before. There is a silent promise to parents in that moment – I will keep your child safe. But at this moment, and with this plan, I can’t say that I can keep your children safe. I have no experience in teaching during a global pandemic. None of us do. I am creative, but I have no idea about systems to keep 32 children in a classroom distanced from each other and from me, masked, in their seats. We know this is not developmentally appropriate for young children. And may be damaging to their development. Truthfully, this plan doesn’t mention any of these mitigations. We need specific information, assurances, protocols. Where there are holes in the system, the virus gets through. I don’t know how many children are coming. I don’t know how to change my systems for safety. I don’t know how to teach virtually and in person at the same time. We are in a race between vaccines and variants, and we are neck and neck. Milwaukee may be orange now, but our neighboring counties are turning red, and an average of 1 person in Milwaukee has died of Covid everyday over the past 14 days. Going back will bring more cases, more deaths. This is not “a safe reopening.” I would ask: what is the rush? Can’t we hold on for 8 more weeks and get through vaccinations? I understand the board is under pressure, but voting yes, only shifts the pressure from your shoulders to ours, to our principals. We don’t have the answers. We are not ready. There will be cases, there will be deaths. So  I appeal to the board to vote no on this plan. Please wait. Please slow down. We are in the home stretch! We can’t let there be even one more death. Please let me wait to greet children, when I can honestly say “I can keep your child safe.”

Andrea Dougherty, WCLL Teacher

“Dear Director O'Halloran,      I  have started many of these emails this year to the board thanking them for keeping myself and family safe but this time I cannot say the same. I am thoroughly disappointed in not only Dr. Posley and the Central Office Staff but the board as well. Yesterday's board meeting was train wreak.  I am not only a proud MPS staff member but a proud MPS parent. I'm not sure I  can say that anymore. Over this past year I have lost more friendships and contact with family because I was that proud MPS staff and parent. I have defended the choices made by the board over and over again with facts and insights that only a staff member could make.  It truly disheartens me that I may need to leave the district to be more appreciated by my board and superiors. There are so many holes and unanswered questions that needed to be answered to make a clear and unbiased choice.  This district already has so much inequity's it is sickening.   1. The division between the southside schools and the northside schools is horrible. These so called plans may work for the southside schools but not the north and centrally located schools.  Many of the schools are already have no Chromebook in their schools but now students are to return and leave them at home? How is this going to work.  I know for a fact that many of the Chromebook in our building are centuries old and we have tech that comes 1 time a week.  He already can't keep up with fixing them.  So where are our students going to get Chromebook to sit in class with if they are not bring them in? What about testing? How will it work with the virtual students? 2.  I can tell you for a fact that students are not going to sit in an assigned seat on the bus. The students already don't listen to their bus drivers. So what is the consequence for failure to listen.  Not being able to take the bus.  The school I work at is a city-wide school so the vast majority of our students ride the bus.  Just last year before shut down I had several of my students suspended off the busses for failure to comply with bus rules. Guess what? They couldn't take the bus they did not come to school.  They missed out on valuable instructional time.   What will happen to the students that take the city bus and miss it due to the city bus being at full capacity with its COVID restrictions? They will be marked absent and late missing out on valuable instructional time. 3.. What about these virtual Wednesdays? Can staff work from home so our buildings can be deep cleaned. I have ak5 MPS daughter. I have no where for her to go on Wednesdays?  Will I be able to bring her work with me if I have to be in the building? This was not addressed. I don't have close family and no daycare will take a child 1 day a week.  I checked. 4.  What happens if my daughter has to quarantine?  Can I teach from home since I can't leave a 6 year old home alone?  I don't have close family and no daycare will take a child that has to quarantine. 5. Are parents going to be able to flip back and forth between virtual and in person?  I can tell you in building we have some parents that will do that.  We as a district need to improve our communication and transparency with parents.  Maybe the CO staff need to take PD on how to communicate effectively with parents? 6. What is going to happen with the overflow kids? Our building has no extra rooms. 7. What about the students with sensory issues and cannot keep a mask on all day?  How about the students who refuse?  Are they going to be then placed on the virtual roster? 8. What are some of the behavioral consequences? I have several students this year that are chronic hall wanders and regardless of consequences continue to disregard the rules.?  Can they placed on the virtual platform? 8. Are the kindergarteners taking nap?  Their little bodies need that break? 9.  Will staff meetings still be held virtually or in-person. 10. There was talk from CO about textbooks. I can tell you the outdated Journey books for elementary are not the same as the updated Journeys we are using right now. The old online version of Journeys is no longer available online. 11. Are the virtual kids really going to sit online for 7 hours a day?  That is to much without breaks like we have now. There are so many unanswered questions!  As a parent the board and CO took my right to choose for my daughter away. I cannot keep her home safe because I have to return to work.  Don't get me wrong I want to see my students but safety is priority right now.”

“Dear Board Members,              

I first want to thank you in making the best decisions for the children of Milwaukee. You have kept thousands of students, families and staff safe. You have not succumbed to the demands of a few but have stuck up for the safety of everyone. I am calling on you once more to make the right decision for our students, families and staff.   This has been quite a year and a half. Our lives and way of living has dramatically changed. It is still not safe for our students and staff to return to any sort of in-person learning this school year.   Even though teachers are now just beginning to get vaccinated we still have a long way to go. Not only do the teachers need to be vaccinated but the rest of MPS valuable staff , kitchen workers, engineers, safety and bus drivers. How are we going to be able to meet the needs of of students if we are short on bus drivers, engineers or kitchen workers.  I have followed very closely with other districts and have talked to many other teachers. This will not work with the short planning and funds to back up the necessary supplies needed to fully insure a safe reopening.  I have school age family that have had to quarantine a number of times this year due to coming in contact with a positive COVID 19 person at school. I even have had a family member lose a teacher to COVID 19 this year.   Do you know how hard it is to watch a child have to deal with a lose like that when in fact it could have been prevented by having a school board and district that cared about their students and staff during a global pandemic? Believe me it was not easy.  As  MPS staff I feel that we have been left out in the cold on a number of things in regards to the reopening plan.   I know CO staff has a lot of decisions to make but sometimes they forget what it is truly like in the classroom.                Next, is it really worth spending money for 5 weeks for early start and 7 for traditional.  It will be the same as if we were in the classroom all year coming back form Spring Break.   Yes our students haven't been in an classroom for a year.  We are dealing with a global pandemic. Safety has to take course above all the rest.  It takes a good  6-8 weeks to develop a solid routine that students can follow. Now we are just going to throw them back into a classroom and expect they know how to act and what the new procedures are?  No. That is the worst possible thing to do and  we are for student mental health.  Just thinking about it as an adult it throws me into a tail spin.  Before staff can teach the new procedures; they need to shown the ropes and caught up with what has to happen as far as procedures.   Jumping from Spring Break to having kids back immediately is a tremendously bad idea if we are headed back this year.                Yes you as a board will vote on this issue but what time does that give staff to adequately set up their classrooms. Staff need time to prepare to continue doing the job of two to three teachers since we will be teaching both in person and on the computer at the same time. There are still so many unknown questions and answers right now. What kind of time are we giving parent and staff to make arrangements?  Looks like none. Have parents even been notified what days would be best for their child to be in the building if we go hybrid? The answer to that is no.  Parents and staff also need to have a say.                          The media, mayor and even the bus companies have been putting speculation out. Has the Mayor talked to you or Central Office, how about the press or bus company. If what they are putting out about reopening for sure April 12th is true then last board meeting it should have been stated. As a parent and MPS staff, I am very confused right now if MPS is united in this.  These speculations and rumors need to be addressed immediately.  A example below.                                                                                                  Please make the best decision for our students, families and staff.                                                                                                                                                              Thank you.”

Jacqueline Dotson-Miller, Franklin Paraprofessional

“Good evening Superintentent Posely,  President Miller and Members of the Board and Parents... I'm a new Para with MPS. I'm an Educational Assistant at Benjamin Franklin. In addition,  I am an EA Chairperson representing MTEA. As working virtually is my first experience of teaching,  I would prefer to continue to work this way by choice for as long as possible.  We are not at a persistent  decrease with  stability with  Covid-19 numbers. All staff,  students and their families  will not have adequately   received both doses of the vaccine  and awaiting a full two weeks after the second dose for it to do its job of supplying immunity by a return date within the month of April. One Student,  1 Teacher, 1 Staff member is one too many to be put in a position of becoming a possible casualty  of this Pandemic we are in,   to date.  Students can not  learn from the grave. Teachers can not teach from the grave. Going forward with plans to reopen now would cause much disruption,  and anxiety for many students and families. I  am willing to continue in my stance by allowing my voice to be heard and felt making certain we remain virtual until its safe to return. I have raised two outstanding MPS Alumni students, and a proud MPS Parent. As I have fought for the betterment of my Children over the years,   I will equally fight via voicing my concerns for the safety of our students,  my colleagues,  and in making certain to remain diligent in my efforts. I plea to the hearers of my testimony that we not take any chances with precious lives at stake. MPS serves the most vulnerable in our state,   why would we dare to put them in harms way?????   Allow us to remain safe and stay virtual for the remainder of this school year.  Allow this process not to be rushed , and to have  more efficient ,  substantial  barriers in place for the overall safety of our district. Health and overall safety shall never be rushed.   Respectfully,  if your holding this board meeting virtually ....which it is,  and as you all have been for a year,  don't ask of MPS Staff,   Students and Families to do what you won't do. Marinate on that long and deeply. I thank you kindly in advance for your consideration in this matter.“

Crystal Ealy, MEAA President

“I do not support were returning to in person learning right now until all staff have been vaccinated and inoculated and mitigations are in place for safe learning. This past year has been a year of anxiety for some frustration, for others, and a piece of cake for a few, all while allowing us to maintain a safe learning environment within our homes. I understand how hard it might be for parents right now trying to continue to adjust their homes and work schedules to virtual learning because I have six grandkids in MPS, which consists of two sets of twins, six-years old and 11 years old, a 7-year old and a 14-year old so it has not been easy for my daughter. I have experienced MPS on all levels as a student, graduate, parent, grandparent, and employee of 28 years. This would be a great opportunity for MPS to start a practice of being proactive instead of reactive.”

Lorinda Flores, Fernwood Montessori Teacher

“President Miller and Members of the Board. I am an MPS teacher at Fernwood Montessori. I am speaking tonight about Early Childhood in the Montessori schools, which hasn’t been addressed in the plan. However, what I speak about affects many early childhood K3-3rd grade.   The 32 students on my roster are 3-6 years old and my classroom is about 850 sq feet small. Half of my students sit in chairs at tables, in small groups. Montessori schools do not have seating for all of their students because the other half have spots on the floor, working side by side. If you vote to return, and then require students to stay seated for 3+ hours, because we are fearful of spreading a deadly disease, it would be an irresponsible decision.. Montessori schools around the world have successfully returned to in-person learning during a pandemic without compromising their curriculum and pedagogy. They have done this by maxing the number of returning students at 16 so that the children can move about, work together, and use Montessori materials. I am grateful for the proposed modification to the plan to bring back only 15-18 at a time, otherwise, it would be an irresponsible decision.. Sanitizing materials can become part of the work cycle for the 3-6 year olds. Children are able to work with Montessori manipulatives and in small groups, with everyone wearing masks. If you vote to return, and our Montessori students can’t use the materials in our curriculum and pedagogy, and are instead sitting with chromebooks, because we are fearful of spreading a deadly disease, it would be an irresponsible decision.. Montessori curriculum and pedagogy emphasizes natural peer-to-peer social interactions in order to support unfolding social emotional development. I believe my number one job as a teacher is to keep my students safe, and to be their advocate. This includes protecting the WHOLE CHILD. Not just their physical safety, but also their social emotional well-being. It is my job to crawl under a table with a child who is scared or acting out. To hold them. To listen. To help them blow their nose if they have been crying. To clean up accidents and vomiting. I help them feel SAFE. If you vote to return, and my tending to the 3-6 year olds’ social emotional well-being isn’t allowed, because we are fearful of spreading a deadly disease, it would be an irresponsible decision. We all want our children back in school, but we need everyone to be safe.”

Jessica Foster, Fernwood Montessori Teacher

"I have my own ideas about returning to school, but ultimately I serve my students.  So tonight I’m here for them.  When they realized that under MPS guidelines they wouldn’t be able to physically work together, that they would still be getting lessons on their Chromebooks, and that they could not use classroom materials, the looks on their faces broke my heart.  The fact is YES, everyone is aching to get back together in their classroom communities, but not necessarily under the restrictions of the current plan.  Board Directors, have you found out how the families you represent with your vote feel about this?Is it true that classrooms will have a 15 student limit?  I have 30 students.  What is the plan for choosing who gets in?  What happens to those who don’t?  Will they be spread out to rooms throughout the school?  If all of the rooms are full will they be sent to other schools?!  If so, will busses be provided?    Speaking of busses, are there enough?  It doesn’t seem possible even with 3 tiers, and knowing what happened last year with 2 tiers, we’re in for a HOT mess! Getting back to my students, many are nervous about catching COVID and getting sick.  The CDC is saying kids aren’t getting it at school.  Great, so where are they getting it?  From restaurants?  Water Parks?  Hotels?  Disneyland?  All of the places families will be going over Spring Break?  This is when you want to return?  The road to readiness is a short road, and for lack of planning it is full of cracks, sinkholes, and danger.  The current plan will create a massive nosedive in the educational aspect of school.  Please consider what it takes to begin a completely new educational model. Directors, if you vote for this, please be CERTAIN that MPS can deliver what is promised.  Are the air purifiers going to arrive on time?  I was promised a working laptop in September, I got it LAST MONTH.  Our students were promised art supplies months ago.  We haven’t gotten those yet.Your vote will determine the educational quality, health, and safety of all MPS students.  Please make your choice with careful consideration. Our children are in your hands."

Sarah Greuttner, MPS Nurse

"President Miller and Members of the Board.  I am testifying tonight against the reopening plan. As parent and employee, I am disappointed by this reopening plan. A March 29th return date for staff is not acceptable or safe. The school I work at currently has 2 positive cases of COVID. Not to mention the fact that this plan continues to have many holes and leads to questions that can’t seem to be answered by this board or this district. I as a parent will NOT be sending my child back to school because you have not proven to me that it is safe or worth disrupting his routine. I sent in written testimony with 86 questions, I dare to ask a few tonight. Why were Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association and other stake holders being left out of the health and safety committee meetings held by Jennifer Smith since October-is that because the district would rather speak to nurses who sit behind a desk instead of those with boots in the building? Do they not value to the MTEA and stakeholders' input? You stated a nurse in each building-do you have nurses hired to have a nurse in each building every day? Or are you playing with words and considering a half day, consult nurses etc. as a nurse “in the building?” You mention HEPA filters for every classroom-what about HEPA filters for nurse's offices-where sick students will be sent? You have stated classes will be capped at 15, who will teach when more students show up than anticipated? Where will they go? Who gets the teacher they are assigned to and who gets someone else? Why are teachers being told if more than 15 students show up they will just be allowed in class? Why haven’t you sent out an opt in/opt out form prior to this meeting? Why do board members get to meet virtually yet you want to stuff classrooms and schools full? Please realize that we are still completely unprepared to open. We have had a year to properly plan for reopening and instead we continue to be reactive instead of proactive. Please see this and continue to make the hard decisions. Let the families and community of MPS get fully vaccinated, plan from now throughout the summer and come back prepared in the fall. Stay safe and stay virtual"

Erin Hallinan, Bradley Tech Teacher

“Good Afternoon Members of the School Board, My name is Erin Hallinan. I am a special education teacher at Bradley Tech and in January, I completed my 9th year of teaching in MPS. I just want to start by saying that I do not envy the choice you are tasked with making. I know that Milwaukee has shown strong improvements in our spread of COVID-19 as well as the rollout of the vaccine, and because of this, I want to take a different approach in explaining why I oppose the opening of the schools compared to the arguments of some of my colleagues and the parents in the district. This year, the school board has made the consistent choice to stay virtual due to the health and well-being of the students and staff of MPS as well as the city of Milwaukee. I am urging you to stay virtual for the health and well-being of our students and staff, but this time with a focus on the mental health of those in our district. To call the last 365 days a rollercoaster of emotion, would be an understatement. We have all dealt with fear, confusion, anger, and traumatic amounts of stress but to make things worse we have all done it isolated from those we love. While many of us put on a brave face day in and day out, the cracks in our mental well-being that we have tried to repair through so many new and different strategies have only gotten larger and more difficult to patch. I worry that if we return we are going to see a damn burst of mental and emotional health problems across the district. Daily, I speak with staff who are constantly on the brink of a panic attack or anxiety attack or just an overwhelming amount of emotions. Any phone call I take or google meet office hours I join, I see a teacher attempting to hold back tears because they are trying their hardest and despite the many successes we have seen in our classes this year, we have a constant shadow of feeling like we aren't doing enough and like we aren't enough. We have seen from countless districts and schools that hybrid learning is a failure. If we are asked to enter into a model that we know will fail, will only exacerbate these feelings. We all know that in times of high stress, people lash out and make rash decisions, and the last thing any educator wants to do is to take out those emotions on a student. This will also be paired with students who are going to be experiencing high levels of stress because they just spent the last 7 months utilizing one routine to be thrown into a brand new routine for a total of 4 weeks (at the high school level). If you place teachers who are already under an immense amount of pressure, in an extremely stressful situation that has been proven to fail across the country in rooms with students who are confused and frustrated- you are guaranteed to see a mass exodus of teachers before the next school year. The final question that I would like to ask, is what do we really benefit from if we go back in a hybrid setting? I have spoken on the mental and emotional risks, we all know the physical risks since COVID-19 is still spreading, but what do we gain? I can only speak to the high school level, but if we go back on April 26th, there are 3 weeks of instruction and 1 week of finals that will be in the hybrid setting. If students only attend 2 days per week, that boils down to 6 days of face-to-face instruction per child. Since many of you are former teachers, you all know that 6 days is not sufficient time to teach procedures and expectations and attempt to build relationships with students before we have to roll out a final exam.   This instruction has to be done while attempting to keep a group of students who are online and watching from home, engaged in the learning. It is not our fault that the Mayor has been working against the district and the board's decisions this entire time. It is not our fault that the health department has been making decisions of safety based on what they see in private schools that are located in new buildings. It is not our fault that the local news misrepresented your decision at the last school board hearing for the last month. It is not our fault that those who live in surrounding suburbs will always look down on the decisions MPS makes, no matter what decision we make. So please, when you cast your vote at the next meeting, listen to those that work and live in the City of Milwaukee and not just the voices of the most powerful.”

Jenna Hauner, Bryant Elementary Teacher

“Good Evening, Members of the Board. I sent this e-mail to each of you, but I felt it was important to voice it out loud as well.I am a K4 teacher in the Northwest region in MPS, and I do not support this "Roadmap to Readiness" being presented by the district.I planned to testify tonight, something I have never done before, and I'm testifying  because I've done my part already to ensure a safe school year, but the district has failed to do theirs.I've adapted to online teaching.  I've built relationships with all of my families.  Despite all of the struggles and growing pains, my students feel safe and loved, even through the computer.  I got the vaccine on March 1st, the very first day it was available for us to do so, and I got my second dose tonight, right before the board meeting.  I’ve done home visits, become an IT specialist, and I’ve been an emotional support for every family in my classroom.I've kept my end of the agreement.  And yet, the district STILL has not provided a thorough plan.  They have not promised (IN WRITING) to keep class sizes low (it should be 10 max per room, but I'll settle for 15).  They told MTEA that each classroom would be provided with an air purifier (yet, as of yesterday, my administration still only has one in the building, and it’s for our future isolation room).  And now they expect us to accept a "Roadmap to Readiness" plan that is missing so many details, and because of that, we don't even fully understand what we are supposed to be voting for!  MTEA was also not included in any of the discussions for the return to the school building, as the district promised they would be. We, the teachers, were not asked about any of these plans.  We're the ones who have to administer all of these plans on the front lines of this school district, and you're not even going to ask us to weigh in?  It feels like a slap in the face, and it's incredibly irresponsible of the district to not even request our input.I urge you to vote no on this plan, as the lives of my families both inside and outside the classroom depend on it.  Thank you. I also sent a follow up e-mail with questions to each board member (same email mostly, just sent individually), should I send that to you as well?“

Ingrid Henry, MTEA Vice President

“If given the option of in-school learning, 67% of Black families said they would probably or definitely stay remote, compared to 23% of whites, according to Project Ready, a Newark-based social justice group.

“Black and brown people are seeing the COVID-19 impact at a disproportionate rate so we can’t blame parents for thinking about the safety of their children,”

-NorthJersey.com

In all this talk of reopening families and educators have not been asked anything nor have they been presented with a comprehensive plan to reopen. What would learning look like for students at home and school?  Are we being offered hybrid? Which schools will have camp? How many students will be allowed in a class? What mental health supports are there for families? Will food distribution continue? Are we really bringing students back for a state test? Some questions have been answered most have not.

This year has been hard on children and families, but they have done their best to make it work. This sacrifice was done to keep children, their families, and staff safe. In the last two weeks, MTEA had a conversation with some families across the district and the common theme was the need for information and the desire to be heard. MPS has not had discussions with the parent leaders of the District Advisory Council. Families and educators must be a vital part of planning and discussions around reopening safely. Our voices must be heard and honored in this process. Black and Brown families in MPS must have faith that decisions are being made that puts the physical and mental health of our families and the community at the forefront.

Josh Jackson, MTEA Treasurer

“President Miller, School Board Directors and Dr. Posley,I am a proud MPS Graduate, Rufus King C/O 07, and proud 4th grade teacher at Neeskara Elementary School. I will spend the bulk of my two minutes discussing the inequities that this plan will result in, but I cannot emphasize how disrespectful, under the original plan, it is to give the educators in this district who are parents only 11 days to find adequate childcare. It was inconsiderate and appalling that it was an afterthought for the board. As I have learned over the past few months as a parent to a almost 1 year old, daycares will not just save spots and, to spring this date, on us in that manner is disappointing.The plan administration has brought forward is clear that had no educators who have been actively teaching virtually for the past 130 school days and the last days of the 2019-2020 school year were on the planning team. In the classroom that I teach we have created an environment that requires learning and has had rigorous teaching. The fact this plan insinuates that F2F instruction is needed to make up for the ‘learning loss’ is an insult. Everything that was presented tonight has this belief that our children have not been receiving an education while virtual. We will be uprooting routines that are well founded and concrete and create uncertainty and recreate routines. Let alone will we be now forced to prioritize between either in-person students or virtual knowing that what works for one, does not work for the other. If we are honest with our families, some will make a choice to risk their lives and the lives of their families because of a perceived educational benefit of being in person. We must be honest that not only is it unsafe for us to return to schools, but we will be increasing the inequity within our district. We are discussing making a dramatic change for 37 school days when any teacher will let you know it takes that much time to get into a groove with all the procedures and routines. Let us make the right choice and not risk the lives of our students and their families in a trial-and-error manner and stay virtual for remainder of the 2020-2021 school year.“

Jane Konkel, Hampton Parent Coordinator

“Good Afternoon School Board Directors.

Families, students, and staff appreciate your efforts in keeping us safe for the past year. You have some weighty decisions ahead of you and I don't want to take up too much of your time, but I want to share some very real safety concerns.

I've been reporting to my school building each day since the beginning of the school year. As Parent Coordinator, I'm responsible for handling Chromebook distribution and exchanges. I've engaged with many more families this year than ever before. That's one of the "silver linings." They also have many questions and concerns, which will likely go unaddressed in a

too late

survey. Will a survey honestly address the conditions that their children will be returning to, if we return to in-person learning?

Not only do classroom temperatures reach 90 degree + temps, there is not adequate ventilation in the building where I work. Most of the windows do not open, or the effort to open them takes herculean strength. When we are able to get one open, it only opens 4 - 6 in. The outline of the plan says that classrooms will have windows. I want you to help ensure that windows in all classrooms do indeed open. I'm 6 ft. tall, and I need to get up on a chair for the right leverage. Please, visit some schools and see for yourself. Try to open a few windows, look for those air filters, and check out the bathrooms. Until adequate ventilation is addressed, no one should return to these buildings.

As for the portable filters for each classroom, my principal said we have one. I have not seen it. I'm concerned for the safety of our children and my colleagues. I've already been threatened with monitoring the sick room. Curious, who will attend to my other duties when I'm covering the sick room? Or what will we do when parents can not or do not pick up sick kids, or they send their sick children to school. Perhaps Central Office Administrators - regardless of licensure - could cover these rooms? I understand they are willing and available to offer support.

There are many questions about how lunch will work. I saw conflicting information in the plan. People will be eating indoors without masks and this is worrisome. I haven't eaten indoors with anyone outside my household in more than a year. Suddenly this will be expected, if we return to school this spring. I intend to suggest we eat outdoors, but I'm quite sure that suggestion will be shot down. Waiting until Fall to return to school buildings, when more family members will be vaccinated, seems wise.

In a business where children ARE our business, we seem to have such little regard for them. Our youngest learners will need weeks to adjust to school and new routines. Not sure how those masks are going to stay on or how they will stay distanced from their peers at school and on the bus. Their developmental needs are not a consideration in this plan. Getting kids outdoors, lots of art, music, phy ed and SEL needs to be our priority whenever we return to school - not testing and "academic rigor." I hope the developmentally appropriate needs of our youngest, oldest and special needs students are a consideration of you and the other Directors when examining this plan.

I question the need for High School students and staff to return at all this school year. It seems like a huge expense and a huge risk.

Staff should not be required to report back to buildings on March 29th. This date was pulled from nowhere and it is inconsiderate to expect that our employees with children can find childcare in a few days. Not all of us will be fully vaccinated by that date, so again this is a huge safety concern. If MPS expects to attract and retain staff, demanding a premature and unwarranted return is no way to go about it.

I can only speculate that part of the reason for this rush to return is to get kids through tests, and this is disturbing. I know funds are at stake, but so are the lives, health, and well being of our students, families, and staff members. Please make the decisions as if money was not part of this equation. The political pressure must be tremendous, but I urge you to stand strong and do right by the city of Milwaukee. MPS and our caring School Board could be a model for the rest of the nation based on decisions made this evening.

Three more "silver linings:" Bucket Drums, Milwaukee Art Museum Art Bags, and "Fresh Produce Thursdays." Love that kind of innovation. Hopefully more innovation to come”

Elizabeth Kosmach, Whittier Teacher

“Good Evening, I do not agree with the so-called outline, I mean  plan administration has shown tonight. It is not safe or smart or thought out. .President Miller you brought forth policy  that would have all stakeholders at the table for this plan and MTEA was left out of all   healthy and safety meetings since the fall.  They left out the voices of workers who are on the front line. Real teamwork there. As a special education teacher, I am alarmed that there was one sentence mentioned about special education services. BUT don’t worry parents sports got it’s own slide before special education who services over 14,000 students of MPS. Priorities. Also, I feel this plan was created to cater to a certain subgroup of parents and historically when MPS did that in the 90’s that is how School choice started and we are still fighting that battle.  Parents needed to be surveyed way before this meeting, before this plan came out. What happens if a whole class of 36 students wants to come back, do we throw out the cap, I hope not because that isn’t safe. Would there be a lottery on who can come, who knows because it’s not in the plan.   Do parents understand in real time students will be on a chromebook in a classroom with a mask on, nothing is changing except the setting and masks. There is no real time PD in the world in how to teach engaging lessons to both a screen and students at the same time, we are not a superhero but a teacher surviving a global pandemic. We are not going back to the same teaching like before the shutdown because it’s not possible. But of course MPS wouldn’t tell parents this. There is so much pressure from politicians,DPI and the health department but also the media. I’m sorry but the administration needs to do a better job correcting the fake news that goes out. Because educators are on the frontline answering parents' questions  that they hear from the news and well most of the time they aren’t correct  and we have to tell them the real facts. or educators are looking dumb because we have no clue what’s going on. In order to get a proficient plan, we need a plan with more than just a  topic sentence but one with well thought out details from all stakeholders. Do Better MPS”

Monica Lopez, Clement Avenue

"Good Evening, I have many questions as a parent of two MPS children and as an educator. However, tonight, I am speaking on behalf of common concerns from Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association early childhood educator cohort. It is our district's responsibility to provide structure for successful and safe environments. On the surface to an outsider, the plan may appear to be detailed, but as a staff member we understand the presentation and its lack of direction. The majority of early childhood students are slated to return to school first, even with Director Miller suggestion to move the start day back it does nothing to support Early Childhood students.First – MPS district re-opening plan does not address our Early Childhood Students.Early childhood education is kindergarten through 3rd grade.Second –Staffing early childhood students is not addressed in MPS district re-opening plan.Traditional child development requires a lot of scaffolding and close proximity of an adult, under 3 feet and with multiple adults for support during all parts of the day with activities are planned, implemented, and staffed in increments of 2, 5, 10, 15 minutes. Every school year, at building levels we try to reduce students in lunch and playground but come up against inability to reduce students numbers because of staffing shortages. The CDC still requires adult to be socially distanced 6 feet from studentsThree – Early childhood Academics are not addressed MPS district re-opening plan Early childhood academics requires, manipulatives, movement, physical interaction with peers and adults, routines for rest (important to understand students resting are doing so without masks), play, recess, toileting, and sanitation for all these components, creating issues separate from other age groups. It is hands on learning. Fourth – Planning for our Early Childhood Students is not addressed In MPS district re-opening.In a traditional year two days of 1.5 would be adequate however we are not in a traditional year. Early childhood education is intricate and detailed by nature and the current plan isn’t providing adequate information for staff. The majority of early childhood students are slated to return to school first, Covid health and safety protocols put nearly all of our practices out of complianceIn summary, The administration must work with staff at all levels and disciplines, early childhood, special ed, Montessori, etc. to sufficiently address concerns prior to our two-day professional development. MPS’s own Frog Street curriculum k3/k4 begins each day with a student greeting and commitment called a “safekeeping ritual”. Educators introducing their job as Safekeeper, stating everyday: My job is to keep you safe.I implore the School Board, and Administration to use information gathered tonight as building blocks. We have a lot of work ahead and give us the tools to keep our students and by extension community safe. Thank you."

Amber Mahaffey, Milwaukee German Immersion School Teacher

“Dear Board members,My name is Amber Mahaffy. I am an early childhood special education teacher and I have spent my life advocating for my students and their families.I want to start off by thanking you for keeping our staff and families safe so far during this pandemic. What I can’t understand is why you want us to re-enter the buildings before we have even had our second vaccine and are not immune to COVID19.I get my second vaccine on March 31. I will not have my immunity by March 29th. As a single parent.  I am in shock at this reckless and haphazard plan. Not to mention offended that I have to now get a form, disclose my medical conditions and have my family practitioner check a list saying that I am at risk.1 in 4 Wisconsinites have pre-existing health conditions that make them at a higher risk.  Not only I am at risk but my daughter who is 14 is at risk. I have already rushed her to the ER three times because her asthma was acting up, she was coughing and coughing until her little lips turned blue.  She had to see a respiratory therapist two of the times. This fall, there wasn’t a respiratory therapist to treat her. They were all busy treating COVID19 patients.  I can’t imagine what would happen if my daughter got COVID19. Yet your reopening plan does not allow employees to protect their family members. We are only allowed to stay home and teach at home if we ourselves have a pre-existing health condition.As a single mother, I am all my daughter has. Yet, I am perhaps one of the luckier MTEA members as I  won’t have a problem getting my physician to fill out my form to stay at home due to  my personal increased risk for death from covid19. So I can protect myself and my  child. But I stand united with other MTEA members who have family members who are at incredibly high risk. We should all have the chance to stay home until our loved ones can also receive vaccines. What can be gained from disrupting the students routines the last few months of school? Nothing at all.What happened to a solid hybrid plan? One that has gating criteria and allowed us to ease back into in person teaching. Did you even survey the families to see how many children and families would be returning to in person?What about our special needs students? Most of them have lots of preexisting health conditions and facial tactile defensiveness that makes wearing a mask next to impossible. Let me explain what tactile defensiveness looks like near a student’s face. A child sees something coming towards their face. It could be a pair of sunglasses, a scarf to keep them warm in the winter, or a facemask. Yet to a student that has facial tactile defensiveness, that mask is like a huge stinging murdering hornet that will send them into anaphylactic shock or kill them. The smell, the texture and the colors of the mask all cause them to go into fight or flight mode.  They grab, swat, and hit in response to things that they are tactically defensive with. To that 4 year old austic child a facemask is a murdering hornet. Then there is the concept of space.  My students don’t have a concept of 6 feet or 3 feet or whatever the CDC latest whims are.Don’t even get me started on our new commissioner of health Kirsten Johnson. She previously worked as a director of Washington Ozaukee County Health Department.As of three days ago Washington Ozaukee County has the highest COVID19 caseload in the state.  Their  firefighters and EMT’s are working overtime trying to provide citizens with a high quality of services while battling COVID19. Kirsten Johnson learned nothing in Washington Ozaukee County and she plans on fully opening up Milwaukee with little regard to the first responders, teachers, health professionals and citizens here.We cannot let Milwaukee become Washington Ozaukee County, Italy or Europe. We must learn from others. History cannot keep repeating itself. It must stop now.   The political motive to open up has come with a great cost to schools in Italy and Europe. Now they a real closed down again due to children getting sick from the new variants. What happens when these variants get brought home to my students' parents? Will they lose their jobs when they have to quarantine for 10 days or will they be forced to still work spreading the virus potentially all around.  Our children are the future. They are the future firefighters,police officers, political leaders, teachers, presidents and vice presidents. We cannot let them down.We owe our students and families better than this. My students and their families deserve a well thought out plan like schools in the 53151 zip code. We might not have the funding, we might have older buildings. But we do have some of the most intelligent, creative and passionate people. It is time to invite all groups' parents, MTEA and board members to work together for an inclusive agreement that is respectful to families, staff and the community. Thank you for your time. Respectfully.”

Jesse Martin, James Madison Academic Campus Teacher

“President Miller, members of the board, I am speaking tonight against the proposed plan to return to school in person. I’m a proud MPS high school English teacher. And while I’m glad to see so many of my colleagues getting the vaccine, the general population is just now getting access to the vaccine. I’ve read the plans, I’ve listened carefully tonight, and I am not convinced that this plan will adequately mitigate the risk of students spreading the virus to one another and then to their families. As a teacher, my first and most important priority is that my students are safe. This plan would put me in a position where I wouldn’t be able to keep my students and their families safe. This school board has done the right thing over the past year despite considerable political pressure to unsafely reopen in person. I understand that the pressure is mounting from every direction, and I believe that some - and I want to emphasize some - of that pressure is well-intentioned - it has to be. But that does not mean it is any less imperative that we protect our students and families at all costs. Just one more time, for emphasis: no matter what anyone says, there is nothing as important as keeping our students and our families safe. By staying virtual over the past year, the board has kept students and families safe and has saved countless lives. In fall, when it’s projected that every adult will have had ample opportunity to get the vaccine, we will be in a considerably better position to consider opening in person. I urge the board to not send us back as long as it’s unsafe. Thank you.”

Jennifer Mueller, Neeskara Paraprofessional

“Good evening,  I am writing to you as a parent and an MPS employee.  When it comes to reopening in april I personally don't think it should happen.   As a parent how are these children going to keep masks on?  They will not be able to do anything normal. Lunch would be in the classroom specialists would be affected.  It is not healthy for these kids to be secluded in one classroom all day.   My son has asthma and being in a mask in a building that is not very well ventilated will not be good.  I understand these kids need to be in school, however my son's school which is Mgis goes above and beyond for their students.  They get the materials they need and work is still being done and submitted daily. The employee side of me.  As a paraprofessional.  We can not spread the children out 6 feet apart even hybrid.  Not all staff will be vaccinated.  I for one can not currently get the vaccine because of allergies.  As an employee there is no good that will come out of this.  Bussing is another!  Will we have enough bussing?  Also why would high schoolers start about 3 weeks before they are done anyways makes no sense!  I could go on and on.  Please really reconsider this plan.  Keep us virtual, let's start fresh in September.  Give the schools all summer to get up to where they need to be safe etc.  The variants are out and we have no idea if the vaccine will even cover those or how long the vaccine will even last in one's system.   Why take kids out of their daily routine now since we are only months away from the year being done.  Thanks for reading my email and I truly hope you take this into consideration.”

“Good afternoon Erika,  My name is Jenni.  I am emailing you as a parent and an employee.  First off as a parent my son goes to Milwaukee German Immersion fantastic school fantastic staff however I am not comfortable with him going back.  He has anxiety and adhd he can not sit in a building that isn't well ventilated with a mask on all day.   These kids have more to do at home in their neighborhoods than they would get in a building.  There they have to stay in their classrooms all day, eat lunch there etc . That is not fair to them.  My son is thriving on virtual.  I understand the importance of them being in person but it is not safe in my eyes.   As an employee I work at Neeskara which I love but in the classroom I am in we have 7 tables where we can not distance 30 kids safely.  I have allergies and I can not get the vaccine due to that so then I am put at risk with my asthma going back into a building.   I personally think we should start fresh in September where most of the general public will be vaccinated and a few months closer to the kids being able to get the vaccine.  Mps has done great job this far with this whole virtual why interrupt what the kids are use too besides when they are scheduled to go back that is enough time to get them settled in etc then school is over makes no sense.  I really respect the school board and how they have done this far and I hope they make the right decision.  To be honest that parent that spoke at the last board meeting from mgis and wants these teachers to go more above and beyond I do not think there is any way for them to go higher than what mgis staff is already doing.   A few staff members took this parent as a slap in the face. This pandemic has changed a lot of things and these parents are all about the sports you know what even if we were in person there may not be sports anyways  the rec department already said indefinitely cancelled.  Just wanted to email you personally.  I did send an email to the board goverance too.  Thanks for all you do concerned parent and employee.”

After Meeting Email

“Good very early morning!  I just want to say I am disappointed in the board tonight!   I have a son with asthma, allergies, adhd, and anxiety who can't handle a mask for more than a half hour!   Yes their is a virtual option however me being a para in mps I do not get the option to keep him virtual so how is this fair?   I am not able to get the vaccine due to medication allergies I also have asthma and allergies.  I can't handle a mask for more than 2 hours at most!   You guys have made my decision to pull my son from milwaukee public schools!   No consideration for staff!!    What about the staff who do not have access to daycare for the 12th and 13th?  Can we use sick time?   As a para I can't afford to pay daycare!  I would need a 2nd job to pay just for daycare!   What about Wednesdays do staff get to stay home too?  That is another daycare day!   Can mps pay daycare for staff members?  This plan is unsafe, rushed, and non sense. Shame on you for feeding into their political aspect!   I respect the board members who said no thank you that was smart!   Please answer my questions mainly what does staff do with their own k-3rd kids that don't go back til Wednesday?  Who is paying for their daycare needs?  What about people that do open enrollment is a bus option feasible for them?  Bussing from another public school is that an option?  I need answers or you will lose both my son and myself!  I am so hurt, confused etc to the point I am crying over this ordeal!   You put a lot of us in a predicament that can't be fixed as quick as you can put all these kids into a school building.   Daycare have caps on them not all kids can get a spot!    Please reconsider the plan.  It is not safe!!”

Amy Mizialko, MTEA President

"Administration is not being honest with themselves. MPS does NOT have the staff necessary to cover overflow classrooms. How could they? They don’t know how many students are returning and MPS hasn’t had a full pool of Substitute teachers in a decade. MPS cannot rapidly process staff requests for medical accommodations. I will remind you that during the last week of in person instruction, MPS couldn’t achieve the barebone basics of soap and paper towels in all bathrooms.Administration is not being honest about the choice families actually have - which is -- instead of students logging in safely from home continuing the routines and learning consistency teachers and families have worked so hard to create, that “in person” instruction will simply mean that students will travel on a bus with no social distancing, where mask wearing can’t be enforced, and log in on the same chromebook in a desk that is taped off from peers and teachers, where they will soon be told to take a standardized test.I’ve never heard more administrators repeat over and over again tonight that they have collaborated with MTEA. Administration DID NOT include MTEA to participate in safety reopening workgroup meetings. Administration made a choice to EXCLUDE the union that represents the vast majority of workers in this district. That wasn’t a miscommunication, mistake or misunderstanding. Leaving MTEA and workers out was a calculated decision. MTEA members will not be forced into buildings on March 29th - we will not be inoculated by March 29th. MTEA values and takes seriously the safety and health of our students, families and workers. MTEA will not stand for a haphazard, incomplete, throw the doors open and hope for the best approach, and neither should this board."

Alyssa Molinski, Starms ECC Teacher

“Good afternoon, Milwaukee Public School Board of Directors

My name is Alyssa Molinski, and I am a first year MPS teacher. I teach K3 at Starms Early Childhood Center.

I write to you today to express my frustration with the proposed reopening plan. I have included my main reasons & questions below.

The plan doesn't allow teachers to be fully vaccinated before being forced to re-enter the school building. My second vaccination is scheduled for next Wednesday, and I signed up to be vaccinated immediately - as soon as it was available to MPS teachers. I request that teachers who signed up to be vaccinated as soon as possible should have the chance to have both vaccinations & the two week period after the second vaccination to allow the vaccine to become effective. Setting up classrooms the week after spring break & inviting students back the week after that seems much safer to me. Additionally, anyone who traveled over spring break will have time to be able to be tested/notice symptoms of COVID-19 before they are invited into the school building.

I am confused as to how many students I will have in my classroom each day. My classroom has two tables in it. How many students will be sitting at these two tables when I have a class of 25 students? Is my class going to be split into groups, or will I have my whole class each day?

I have a morning class and an afternoon class. I teach half day K3. I NEED cleaning staff to sanitize my classroom between my morning class & afternoon class. It would not be safe to invite a whole new class into my classroom after the AM student's day comes to an end. How will you ensure this happens?

Will 3 & 4 year old students be expected to sit in 1 chair, on a Chromebook, for the whole day that they spend in my classroom? This proposed plan doesn't include ANY information about what the in-person experience would look like for our early childhood students.

I want my students to feel happy & safe when they enter my classroom. I can say with confidence that this plan does not consider my students' well-being or safety. I want a plan that includes feedback from teachers & families - the people who know what's best for students.

Thank you for your time!”

Karen Olson, Escuela Vieau Teacher

Oral Testimony: “I am against the districts proposal to return at this point. As a parent how am I supposed to make an educated decision this week whether I should keep my children virtual or send them back face to face? This plan is lacking details of how either will work. We have been very cautious this year to protect ourselves and our children. I am not sending my children back to be guinea pigs while they figure it out. The teachers have no more information about the plan and how things will work because the district has failed to prepare them ahead of time. There is no way they can be fully prepared with only a week of professional development while also being expected to teach, plan, help students, set up classrooms, and prepare for student return. My children’s teachers have worked incredibly hard this year and have done an amazing job at setting up routines and making them feel successful. I can’t imagine that being upset at this point in the year for less than 2 weeks. I also will not send them back just to have weeks of testing crammed in! No one can answer questions about how virtual or hybrid will work exactly. What happens if there are more than 15 kids in a room? If sent to overflow rooms who will teach them? Why would I want my children in a room with a different adult than the one they have grown to trust this year? What if we don’t feel safe, can they switch back to virtual? What about virtual, will they just be watching the teacher teach? Will they still get small group time and office hours for help? Will they be left to just watch videos and figure it out? My daughter is in 7th grade and has anxiety. She has been a nervous wreck since this plan has been released because it doesn’t give enough information and leaves way to many questions and unknowns. We told her she could stay virtual and she asked me “but what if I don’t learn what I need to because my teacher will be teaching the in person kids?” No kid should be put in this situation. A clear detailed plan should have been released weeks ago. The district should have held listening sessions where they could answer questions and get feedback from staff and parents. Staff should have received training on what to plan for and what to expect and then could have gone over it with parents if they had questions. Then if you voted to return we all would have been able to make an educated decision on what’s best for our families. And if you voted to remain virtual we would have been able to be prepared for fall. But now, with this shell of a plan, we are being asked to make a decision with little to no information. Don’t allow them to play politics with our students and let’s continue to work to keep them safe!”

Written Testimony: “The lack of communication from the district and board about school reopening has created a lot of confusion among staff and parents. Staff are getting questions about what reopening would look like from parents and we are unable to answer any of their questions because we know nothing except what is in the shell of a plan the district released last week. There wasn’t even the courtesy of sending the plan to staff for us to view or be aware of the possibility that we may return as early as March 29th. This lack of communication has created a lot of unnecessary anxiety in children, staff, and students because no one knows what to expect. Teachers have many many questions. It takes time to absorb the new information and plan how to execute that in our classrooms. There has been NO information given to staff and most disturbingly administrators were told to NOT start planning for a return until after the board meets. Why is this? PBIS and other teams could have started to plan procedures for their schools. Even if it was determined we would not return those plans could have been used for a return in fall. I have compiled a list of questions that many staff are asking so you can see just how incomplete this plan is and how many questions staff have. Staff are anxious because we have no idea what to expect or how to plan.1) If the board votes to return school teams will now have very little time to meet and plan especially considering spring break is approaching. Will they be paid for meeting outside of school hours? When will they be given time to present what they plan to staff in regards to routines for morning arrival, dismissal, bathroom routines, lunch routines and procedures, etc?2) Why are staff returning before many have had their second shot and before the waiting period before the vaccinations are fully effective? 3) If it is safe for us to return why are you still meeting virtually?4) What is being done in regards to  the concern with the variants now in Wisconsin and the data showing it affects children more than the original strain?5) If we are hybrid with different groups on M/T and W/Th will staff members students be able to attend all 4 days? Some of our staff(Paras, CHAs, and other staff) do not make enough money to pay for daycare especially if not getting 40 hours a week. 6) If we do two a week hybrid what about students who rely on camp/CLC 5 days a week? Will that still be available? 7) Will before and after school camps be available day 1 and will their enrollment be expanded? Parents who work can not go without this.8) Do buildings have enough bandwidth to support this? In past years when there has been all school testing there are many technology issues.9) How will the district ensure that ALL parents respond to if they are returning or staying virtual? If parents don't reply to a survey what is the plan? We can't have them just show up day 1 without knowing how many will be in classrooms or who is returning.10) Will high risk staff members or those that have high risk members in their household that haven't been able to be vaccinated fully yet be able to work from home? 11) Will staff be able to work from home on Wednesdays while the building is being sanitized?12) Is the plan and the videos available to parents in all languages? 13) Many teacher laptops do not have cameras and they have been using their own laptops. Will they be provided school laptops with working cameras(chromebooks are not sufficient)?14) How does this work for open concept rooms where they don't have separate classrooms? 15) What about families who have moved and are no longer in bussing ranges? Will they have to switch schools? That seems horrible at this point in the year and will cause issues with bussing and class lists. 16) How is it in the students best interests to return at this point in the year when routines and procedures have been established? It will take weeks to teach all of the procedures. How is that loss of learning time beneficial to the students? 17) What happens if 80-90% of students want to return in one school but only 20-30% in another school? 18) How is this going to affect parents who have to work and can't afford to miss work when their child suddenly has to quarantine? Right now they have situations worked out for their children, many are not in the position to change things or take time off work if their child has to quarantine. 19) How is switching between virtual to F2F and back to virtual if there is exposure good for kids? 20) How is this developmentally appropriate for our youngest students? It takes a long time for young children to become comfortable and settled into routines, this does not seem beneficial to them. Parents won't be able to escort them to classrooms, they have been home all year, some haven't been in classrooms ever and will need to adjust, some will have tantrums and try running the building. How will all of this be addressed with staff stretched thin and maintaining social distancing? 21) Are we returning just so we can do state testing? How is this beneficial to students and their social emotional well being? It takes weeks to prepare and teach students to take the tests. This is more loss of learning time on top of the teaching of procedures. Will schools be trying to complete Forward, Star, and Access testing? This is way too much to cram into a short period of time when we should be continuing to teach and not return just to test. Cleaning and safety Supplies:22) Classrooms have not been touched since summer. Will they be cleaned and wiped down before returning? That has not happened as of this email being sent? Who do schools or staff contact with concerns when proper cleaning is not happening? 23) Have you as board members toured the buildings to see if these things are actually happening with fidelity?Have you seen the supplies given to classrooms? (I have included a picture of what classrooms have received so far...24) What has been done to improve ventilation? The plan states all classrooms with windows have had broken windows fixed. What about classrooms and offices without windows? The coatrooms and cubbies that have been turned into SPED classrooms and offices don't have ventilation air returns or windows so what is being done about that?25) We have been told Hepa air filters have been ordered for classrooms. Where are they because they haven't been delivered to all schools? And some schools only received a few so when will the rest be delivered? 26) Were offices and special ed rooms(small ones usually considered offices) included in those counts? What about staff who work in cubbies in hallways, will they be given Hepa filters?27) Will there be plexi glass dividers and if so where are they because no teachers have seen them in buildings yet.28) More cleaning people have been brought in but every year there are many instances where workers from the agencies don't show up, clock in and leave, or don't actually do the cleaning, Buildings in past years have been left in disgusting conditions and have many nights in a row with "emergency cleaning" where only the garbages are emptied. What is the plan to make sure this doesn't happen and buildings are actually cleaned and sanitized every day?29) Are there sanitizing stations around the buildings?30) Will sanitizer and cleaning supplies be supplied to staff because in the past teachers purchased that?Class sizes:31)We are told classes will be no larger than 15 students. What happens to students if more return than 15? If they are put in overflow rooms who will teach those? How is this being communicated to parents ahead of time? Many parents would be upset if their child's teacher changes at this point in the year or if they were in an overflow room and not with their peers and teacher who they have created relationships with this year. What happens when the school has no available classrooms or places to put overflow rooms?32) Some classes are over 40 or even 50, what is the plan with these classrooms? 33) When parents pick virtual or in person do they then have to stay with what they picked? How is this enforced? Subs:34) Is there a large enough sub pool? There are not subs available for vacancies in normal years so how will we cover classrooms now with a smaller sub pool? The plan stated 72% of subs said they would return. Many subs have said they never received a survey so who was surveyed, how many were surveyed, and how many responded? 72% is not sufficient if the majority of the sub pool was not surveyed and responded. Staffing:35) How many extra staff members are being assigned to buildings to help with distancing, lunches, coverage, etc.?36) Will more paras be in buildings to help teachers with all of the additional work for both virtual and F2F? 37) Are more support staff being hired and sent to schools? Psych, counselors, and social workers will be extremely busy helping with behaviors, Bit plans, reevaluations, and their normal duties. Now you are adding on more attendance concerns for them to handle as well as having students in buildings who need more social emotional help and anxiety issues with returning. Will they be able to provide necessary sensory materials or have calming corners that many students desperately need? Will each building have full time Psychologists, Counselors, and Social Workers?Exposure:38) If exposed will we quarantine? Will classes have to quarantine?39) How would that work; would we still teach virtually from home? 40) Who would cover classrooms if not enough subs?41) How does that look in high schools where students change classrooms and hallways are crowded?42) What happens with teachers who teach multiple classes if they are exposed? What about students who travel to different classes?43) What happens with families who have students in multiple buildings, if a family member or student tests positive how does that affect the other classrooms of the siblings? Will the schools be informed so they can monitor those classrooms/students?44) How quickly will schools be notified that someone tested positive? What happens if that student is at school? What is considered close contact? 45) How will families be notified? 46) What happens to staff who only have cubbies to work in? Some work in coatrooms that have been converted into speech, ESL, counselor offices, and SPED rooms. They do not have windows to open and are very small. What happens with those teachers? Where do they work with students if there are NO available classrooms to work in? Have Hepa filters been ordered for them? 47) How are students being scanned? 48) Will their temperatures be taken before entering the school or classroom? 49) What will be done if a student is sick?50) What happens if no parent can be reached, if they don't have transportation to come get the child, or they say they are coming and don't? (These instance happens ALL the time)51) Will assigned seating be required in classrooms, lunchroom, and busses to help with contact tracing?52) The school that the CDC studied used electronic badges that students scanned when getting on and off the busses. This allowed them to easily know who was in contact with students who tested positive. Is the district following this safety measure or if not what other safety precaution is being taken to know who is on busses and exposed each day?53) How are our most vulnerable and at risk students being protected? What about students with Special needs that can't wear masks? 54) What is the procedure for sick students and staff to return to school? There are also colds and regular viruses going around, will all students and staff who are sick need a negative test to return or will they need to be out a certain amount of time?  Lunches:55) How will lunches work? The plan says students eat in the lunchroom but in some schools the lunchrooms are very small so distancing would be almost impossible. 56) Some administrators are saying lunches will be in the classroom. If so who will wipe desks and clean the room after students eat? Who will cover classrooms since that is the teacher's lunch hour? What is the district doing to ensure eating in the classrooms doesn't bring critters; many buildings have had issues with roaches, bed bugs, and mice.57) Are snack times in classes(primarily Kindergarten) still taking place and what does that look like?58) Where will students get water during the day? Assuming they will not be able to use the water fountains, what happens because kids don't always remember to bring water bottles?59) How far apart will kids need to sit from each other in the lunchroom?60) How will staffing work to pass out lunches to virtual students for the Stop and Go?Procedures:61) How will bathroom breaks work both for individual bathroom trips and whole class? 62) How will entry and dismissal work? Some buildings are very congested in hallways/entrances during these times?63) Again, why were schools told not to start planning this in the event that we do return?64) Some schools have 700-900 students with only 3 bathrooms for students, how will that work?65) Last year we regularly had bathrooms without soap because there was none, how can we ensure that will never happen again?66) Will students be able to use school libraries? What will those procedures look like? 67) How much of the day will be allowed for arrival and dismissal? 68) Where will students store things if they can't use lockers?69) How are students expected to carry things home including chromebooks with no backpacks? 70) What will recess look like? Will they be able to play with equipment? 71) If teachers are being streamed to virtual students do in class students need to have media releases signed and what if they don't return them?72) Will classroom cameras need to be on all day even when lessons aren't being taught directly? What happens when there is inappropriate behavior in the classrooms? 73) Will teachers be able to meet with students in small groups?74) Will teachers be provided microphone systems so they can be heard both virtually and in person through their masks? 75) How do we support both virtual and face to face students?76) How do we do interventions or SRBI with virtual students while also supervising in person students? 77) Will families be asked to purchase and send supplies? Uniforms? This could be financially difficult for parents especially for such a short period of time and on short notice.   78) Are schools collecting chromebooks and who will be sanitizing them? 79) Will Paras still be able to move from classroom to classroom? How are they protected because this requires them to be exposed to many classes and students during coverage of lunch and recess?80) How do things like sharpening pencils work? Students usually do this but that would increase exposure and teachers don't have time to do this. Bussing:81) How are 36 kids(50% according to the plan) allowed on a bus when the city buses are only allowing 15?82) What about students who take the city bus? Will there be extra busses added so students can get to school?83) If we are only putting 15 in a classroom why would we put up to 36 on a bus?84) Who will enforce bus policies and face masks while the drivers are driving?85) Will high schools still be collecting cell phones?Quarantine/Sick rooms:86) Who is staffing this? Not all buildings have nurses so who is in charge of it then? Nurses typically spend a lot of time each day giving meds to students- who will be doing this if Nurses are taking care of sick children? Surely they can't do both.87) What happens if the sick room is full? In large schools there could be a number of kids with everyday colds and viruses. How will we be able to seperate them so they aren't exposed in the sick room? Or if they are all sent to the sick room how many can be there at a time?88) Is staff members are quarantined who will cover classrooms if there are no subs?Behaviors:89) How will students with behaviors be addressed? Many kids both in special ed and not in special ed need accomodations for movement, time outs in other rooms, breaks to leave the room. What will the procedures be for such instances and many more that occur on a daily basis? 90) If we are doing two hybrid groups how will it be enforced who comes on which days? What happens to students who come on the wrong day? This happens frequently with Kindergarten start dates at the beginning of the year. Masks:91) How will masks be enforced? What happens to students who refuse to wear them? 92) Will parents have to sign agreements that students will wear masks or will need to return to virtual like in other districts?Specials: 93) What will time with specialists look like? Some travel to different buildings, what will it look like for them? 94) Many specialists teach on carts traveling to classrooms, will that continue?95) How are specialists who teach in multiple buildings also supposed to juggle hybrid schedules? 96) If they are assigned to a building on Wednesday then those students would only get those specials virtually while others receive it F2F. Is that being addressed?97) Can art teachers share materials? How does passing out and collection of materials work?Special Ed:98) Will special Ed teachers be able to see children from multiple classrooms at one time? 99) If not how will they be able to meet minutes in IEPs when they have multiple classrooms and grades?100) What happens with sped teachers who share classrooms?101) What about SPED teachers who don't have classrooms and work with groups in the hallway or cubby? 102) How are SPED teachers who have to teach in close proximity sometimes feeding them or hand over hand assistance supposed to be socially distance and how are they being supported to protect themselves and student exposure?103) How will OT, PT, and itinerant teachers provide services to students in multiple different buildings while limiting exposure between buildings? 104) Are there see-through masks for deaf and hard of hearing students and staff? Are there enough to last the school year? What happens if they run out of them? Professional Development and teaching:105) Why have we gotten no information about any of the plans or procedures?106) When will we be trained about how to do hybrid and why hasn't this happened earlier in preparation for a possible return?107) Will our focus be solely on academics or on SEL and routines? The new routines after a year of being out of school will certainly take much longer to teach and practice then the district put in the plan. 108) The plan says no materials(manipulatives or shared materials) and no textbooks, are there enough chromebooks at school for students to use? Will they carry them back and forth to school? Have chromebooks been purchased to replace ones damaged in homes? Will classrooms have extra chromebooks for students to use when batteries die or they forget chargers?109) How do we effectively teach and engage students without textbooks and materials?110) What about Montessori classrooms where all of the instruction relies on materials, will students be able to use the materials? Parents want to know what these classrooms will look like because sitting in the classroom on computers is NOT Montessori. 111) How will the district support staff in finding and creating lessons to give hands on experiences while limiting exposure and sharing materials? If they are all going to be on computers all day then what is the point of returning?112) How will staff keep track of attendance and students working virtually while monitoring in class students? 113) What supports are being given to them?114) What will Kindergarten classrooms look like? They have snack, play with toys, use materials and manipulatives. How will those procedures and activities happen?As you can see there are many questions that have gone unanswered, these aren’t even all of them. If a full detailed plan had been released earlier than these things could have been addressed. Asking staff to return in less than a week and students in less than 3 weeks(one of which is Spring Break) is unacceptable with the lack of planning and professional development. Putting all of the professional development into one week while teachers are still teaching, planning, and setting up their classrooms to meet distancing guidelines is unimaginable. Even without an exact date for return we could have started to meet within our buildings to plan for school specific routines, professional development could have been offered to show us how to teach both hybrid and virtual together, and collaboration could have happened between schools, the district, and staff to plan for many scenarios left out of the plan. Instead, we have heard nothing nor seen a complete plan with details staff desperately need to know. The most important question:How are parents supposed to make an informed decision with so many unanswered questions that not even the teachers who have built relationships with them can answer?”

Laquita Pryor, Milwaukee Sign Language CHA

“Good evening.....my name is Laquita Pryor.I have been employed with the district for over 10 plus years now.I am also a proud mother of six kids that attended MPS.I believe that it would be in the student's,staff,and their families and community's well being and best interest to remain virtual until next school year.Why? One may ask.The COVID cases among school age kids under 18 years of age is on the rise.....which increases the chances of teachers,staff,and their family members either contracting or and dying from COVID.Waiting until the Fall would also allow for the schools to be properly cleaned and sanitized,PPE put in place and air purifiers and proper ventilization put in every room.This time frame would also allow for staff and other community members such as grandparents, parents,and other family members that may be more prone to contracting COVID become immunized against the virus.Thank you for your time..... “

Jodie Schauer, Hamilton H.S. Librarian

“Dear MPS School Board Members, As a teacher in MPS, the district's reopening plans are shameful. There are so many overlooked things to reopening safely, that this "plan" must be a joke. First of all, where is the hybrid schedule? So we go from fully virtual to all-in, like everything is ok and safe? It's not yet. Teachers aren't fully vaccinated, and neither is the community we're trying to protect. Our students live in multi-generational homes quite often. The districts plan is putting our community at risk, when there are the variants starting to circulate. Our buildings are often quite old, and don't even have air conditioning or working windows. The HEPA filters to each classroom will be useless. Our class sizes, especially in the high school, are around 40 per class. How in the world do they expect enough room and coverage to split those classes into 3 parts? The 15 students per class sounds wonderful, but it can't happen.   Any district that has reopened has an actual plan for contact tracing, which involves assigned seating everywhere, even the cafeteria. This plan offers nothing of the sort. Also, if teachers will have to teach in person and virtual at the same time, how will this actually happen? Our buildings often don't have the wifi bandwidth for full virtual instruction. Since the schedules won't be modified, are we really expecting our virtual students to look at a computer screen for the entire day without ANY interaction with their teacher and class?  This is unhealthy for our students. Also, how will teachers actually do this? There has been no training, and there is no equipment to make this happen beyond Chromebooks. Why weren't parents and guardians surveyed before this plan was designed? Many have said they will not return until it's safe. Let's talk about lunch. In elementary schools, it's possible for students to eat in the room. In high schools, this impossible. Lunch will be a potential super-spreader event every day. How will schools monitor bathroom use? Passing in the halls? I could go on and on with the holes left in this "plan". I hope that as a Board, you will stand up for our school community and require a better plan. One that takes into account reality. The current reopening plan is dangerous and insulting to you as a Board, MPS teachers and staff, and our community. Thank you for your attention to my concerns.”

Ben Ward, MTEA Executive Director

"MTEA has advocated for many of our safety measures and mitigation protocols through the various stages of this pandemic. Without compromising in our advocacy for the highest standards of safety, we have partnered with MPS, participating in regular discussions, in workgroups, labor-management committees, meet and confer and so forth. We also advocated for more support from the State and City governments for MPS.But let me be clear: suddenly MTEA was excluded from critical discussions over the past month about this so-called plan. MTEA somehow was uninvited to the health and safety protocols work group this month and this presentation was never discussed with MTEA in any venue before the day it was released to the public. This summary presentation creates a list of questions longer than it is. A presentation should summarize an ACTUAL PLAN. Administration used the word “rigor” to describe instruction, yet they didn’t impose that standard on their own work product. I am speaking tonight to convey the anxiety, frustration and anger of the members of MTEA, the workers who make this district run, at the lack of a solid, detailed plan that gives staff, students, and families the answers that they need. There is ample pressure to reopen but the real pressure that this Board has on it tonight is to reopen SAFELY during a pandemic that is NOT OVER before we can confidently welcome students back.The devil is in the details and by devil, I mean COVID. Our members will have, for the most part, had an opportunity to be vaccinated but our students and families have not for the most part. Children do catch and transmit COVID, at higher rates than previously thought, and any plan must ensure that MPS is not the cause of outbreaks and unnecessary illness.Directors Miller and O’Halloran’s motion is a push in the right direction, but families, students and staff deserve a real, written comprehensive plan based on actual student numbers that they can consult for answers with an adequate chance to implement it.”

Lukas Weirer, Obama SCTE Teacher

“Good Evening President Miller, Directors of the Board, I want to start by saying that I appreciate how difficult this decision will be to make. At this time I am not in favor of a return to physical buildings this academic year for many of the reasons that have already been discussed.  This is not easy for me, especially since I just heard one of my students mom’s testify about how much she loves our school, but also that we are not able to meet her children’s needs virtually. That is what makes your decision so difficult.

That said, I wanted to spend my time tonight speaking to whether we are personally ready, as a district of educators, to return to our buildings, to meet the many needs of our students.  I want to speak to the opportunity that we have as educators, when we return, to change our personal practices, to change our school and classroom cultures in a way that is student-centered and in a way that promotes equitable spaces for all of our children, but that was not part of the plan.  I want to be assured that if we come back, we will return fundamentally changed.  I want to be assured that we are collectively ready to do away with dehumanizing practices.  This will take work and it goes well beyond a check-in circle each morning.

If we are ready to radically transform how we teach our students, then and only then, should we consider a return to physical classrooms.  There can be no rush to get back to normal when we consider the harm that normal was causing some of our students, families and staff.  I am suggesting that we need a new normal, and that we cannot even consider coming back until we are ready to prioritize healing and growth, as opposed to attendance and test scores.  My question for the board is should we choose to go back to the physical classroom this year, are we doing it for the right reasons?  Are we doing it so we can say we covered more content, so we can meet some testing requirements, or so that we see an uptick in our attendance, or are we really doing this because we are ready to show-up better for our students, families and community.  I sincerely hope that by August and September when it is physically safe to return, we as educators in this district have made it mentally, emotionally, and intellectually safe for our students to return as well.  Thank You”

Mike VanPelt, Riverside H.S. Teacher

“President Miller, Members of the Committee, and MPS Administration:

Tonight you’ve heard (and will keep hearing) a continuing litany of issues regarding the Administration’s return plan this spring, both for and against.  I’m not going to re-hash those issues, you can breathe a partial sigh of relief, but I am going to address some plan shortcomings as specifically applied to the high schools’ return details.

First, what is the actual schedule - Monday’s plan only gives 3 hours of instruction time but high schools teach four hours on Mondays whether on a period schedule or block scheduling.  Later next week, teachers are supposed to be working on re-setting their rooms and curricula, but what happens to the students’ already-scheduled asynchronous learning sessions with their teachers?  We’re not supposed to be working with students during the afternoons according to the plan.  And are we supposed to continue with our other assigned professional responsibilities during asynchronous time next week?

As to resetting our curricula - if the students aren’t bringing anything including Chromebooks, does that mean Admin expects us to pivot completely off of a year’s worth of virtual curricula and return to paper and books - which by the way, the students also aren’t supposed to be given by the plan?  And, when we DO come back after Spring break, are we going to a full-day virtual schedule until the students return physically, or staying with the split synchronous/asynchronous schedule?  Again, not clear in the “plan.”

I’m a good soldier in a lot of ways - because I’m here to teach my kids.  To keep their mental health and learning and needs in mind while teaching them my subject as well as how to “do life.”  A big part of that training is how to plan ahead to be successful.  What kind of example are we setting as a district and as teachers if we can’t even articulate what they are going to be doing as students next week?

High school students will need their Chromebooks daily.  They’ll need teachers to complete their current curricula, as well as prepping the students for all the new return procedures and whatever kind of high stakes testing.  We need a plan for the high schools.  There isn’t enough of one right now to plan with.

I’ll leave you with one last thing: It’s Tornado Awareness Month.  How do we do social distancing during a tornado drill?

President Miller, Members of the Committee, and MPS Administration:

Tonight you’ve heard (and will keep hearing) a continuing litany of issues regarding the Administration’s return plan this spring, both for and against.  I’m not going to re-hash those issues, you can breathe a partial sigh of relief, but I am going to address some plan shortcomings as specifically applied to the high schools’ return details.

First, what is the actual schedule - Monday’s plan only gives 3 hours of instruction time but high schools teach four hours on Mondays whether on a period schedule or block scheduling.  Later next week, teachers are supposed to be working on re-setting their rooms and curricula, but what happens to the students’ already-scheduled asynchronous learning sessions with their teachers?  We’re not supposed to be working with students during the afternoons according to the plan.  And are we supposed to continue with our other assigned professional responsibilities during asynchronous time next week?

As to resetting our curricula - if the students aren’t bringing anything including Chromebooks, does that mean Admin expects us to pivot completely off of a year’s worth of virtual curricula and return to paper and books - which by the way, the students also aren’t supposed to be given by the plan?  And, when we DO come back after Spring break, are we going to a full-day virtual schedule until the students return physically, or staying with the split synchronous/asynchronous schedule?  Again, not clear in the “plan.”

I’m a good soldier in a lot of ways - because I’m here to teach my kids.  To keep their mental health and learning and needs in mind while teaching them my subject as well as how to “do life.”  A big part of that training is how to plan ahead to be successful.  What kind of example are we setting as a district and as teachers if we can’t even articulate what they are going to be doing as students next week?

High school students will need their Chromebooks daily.  They’ll need teachers to complete their current curricula, as well as prepping the students for all the new return procedures and whatever kind of high stakes testing.  We need a plan for the high schools.  There isn’t enough of one right now to plan with.

I’ll leave you with one last thing: It’s Tornado Awareness Month.  How do we do social distancing during a tornado drill?”

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This Wednesday, Rufus King High School will be hosting a virtual #BlackHistoryShow at 7pm on Facebook Live. They sent us this powerful video excerpt of King Choir Director Mr. Lee Stovall perfoming "I Wish I Knew How it Feels to be Free" over a montage of photos MTEA took at #BlackLivesMatter actions happening across the city this last summer. Be sure to check out their Facebook page linked below on Wednesday.Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/rufuskinghighschool

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No Return Until it is Safe!

Milwaukee Public Schools families overwhelmingly oppose returning to in-person learning according to a survey the district recently conducted until it's safe to return and a vaccine is available. MTEA is deeply concerned about the MPS “Roadmap to Readiness Update” reopening plans published as attachments to the School Board agenda for tonight's, Jan 26th SPB Committee meeting. Plan to watch tonight's School Board meeting and submit written testimony by 5pm, January 26th. Click the link below for instructions on how to tune in and how to submit testimony. https://mps.milwaukee.k12.wi.us/.../School.../Boardcast.htm Please reach out to your School Board members to make sure they understand that this plan is not safe. TAKE ACTION! Sign & Share Our Public Petition: Make sure that you and your coworkers, your family members, and friends have all signed the petition to the MPS School Board. Please also share the link on social media. https://bit.ly/39rtDUu Photos: Joe Brusky / MTEA / Overpass Light Brigade

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2021 Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action

Leading off Black History Month in February, the country observes the National #BlackLivesMatter at School Week of Action, February 1– 5, 2021. The week is designed to engage the Milwaukee community in topics that address four national demands, draw attention to issues, promote equity, and foster discussions around current issues.

All events are virtual and FREE and open to the public. Registration is required. Register for Black Lives Matter Week of Action events.

MONDAY, February 1, 2021, 5:30–7:00 p.m.Students Amplified – Student Panel Discussion

Join us as six student activists engage in a moderated discussion about living through and learning during a pandemic, the recent racial uprisings, and a future where Black Lives Matter at school.

TUESDAY, February 2, 2021, 5:30–7:00 p.m.Cultivating Genius: A Community Conversation with Dr. Gholdy Muhammad

Hear from author and educator Dr. Gholdy Muhammad, associate professor of language and literacy at Georgia State University and author of Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy. Dr. Muhammad will engage in a dialogue about her book and what it means to cultivate genius in students using an equity framework for culturally and historically responsive literacy.

WEDNESDAY, February 3, 2021, 5:30–7:00 p.m.Got Talent? Talent Showcase and Poetry Night

Watch students and families from across the district showcase their abilities! To submit a video for the talent show, register for the event and upload your video by Monday, January 25, 2021.

THURSDAY, February 4, 2021, 5:30–7:00 p.m.Intergenerational Talk-Back – Q&A

Listen to students and elders engage in a Q&A discusion around relevant topics of race, equality, and the future of America.

FRIDAY, February 5, 2021, 5:30–7:00 p.m.Black Lives Matter Book Launch & Awards Night

Meet the educators who contributed to Black Lives Matter at School and understand their motivation for the book. Honor an educator and student for their roles in demonstrating Black Lives Matter year-round.

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Black Lives Matter at School / Year of Purpose: January Activity, Black Radical Educator Day

Year of Purpose Information

January Activity, Black Radical Educator Day

Principle(s): Black Villages

Rationale: Septima Poinsette Clark was a Black American educator and civil rights activist. Clark developed the literacy and citizenship workshops that played an important role in the drive for voting rights and civil rights for African Americans in the Civil Rights Movement.

Educator Background (These are teacher resources to increase educator awareness of topics and to support in guiding discussion.):

Let’s Talk! Facilitating Critical Conversations with Students, Teaching Tolerance Freedom’s Teacher: The Life of Septima Clark, C-Span 10 Historic Black Teachers Who Revolutionized the System for the Community, SCOO News The Hidden History of Teachers in the Civil Rights Movement, Future Ed

Student Resources (possible class resources):

K-2, Civil Rights a Kid Friendly Explainer, Brain Pop 3-5,  Septima Clark, South Carolina ETV (video) 6-12, Septima Clark, South Carolina ETV (video),  The Woman Who Schooled the Civil Rights Movement, TIME Magazine

Prompt (whole class):

What do you know about the Civil Rights movement? What were some of the challenges that Black people faced during the Civil Rights movement? How do you think children/students, families, and teachers reacted during that time? What challenges do people face today? How are children/students, families, and teachers reacting today?

Share and Reflect (whole class):

What do you see as an issue in school or your community? What do people need to know about this issue? How can you work on changing it?

Student Submission Write, Sketch, Express, Share

What do you see as an issue in school or your community? What do people need to know about this issue? How can you work on changing it?

Art, poetry, essay, group project submissions are due by Monday, January 25. Submit here.

National Resources Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action Starter Kit, BLM at School

Past “Year of Purpose” Activities

November, 2020: Justice for George

December, 2020: International People’s with Disabilities Day

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Black Lives Matter at School Year of Purpose - December Activity, International People’s with Disabilities Day

*For this principle educators and students should go beyond learning about accepting differences. Awareness of Black people with disabilities and their contributions to society must be identified. Within the links provided are places to start.

Heather Watkins, a writer and disabled mom, had this to say about where our history fits and why it cannot be ignored:

Black Disability History matters to me a great deal because so many of our cultural icons have had disabilities, apparent and/or non-apparent as I’ve discovered. It more than likely factored in self-awareness, decision-making, and how they governed their lives. It’s an important factor that is often downplayed or gets erased in the retelling of their stories, if/when their stories get told at all. Black disability history is part of Black history which is American history. It needs to be chronicled and respected in the same manner we archive forebears who’ve richly contributed to the tapestry of our history and held with the same gleam and esteem. I didn’t learn about many disabled Black history-makers until I was well into adulthood and involved in advocacy. I imagine how it might’ve beneficially impacted my budding adolescent self-awareness knowing disability was part of their lived experience.

Year of Purpose Information

December Activity, International People’s with Disabilities Day

Principle(s)

Globalism and Collective Value

Rationale

December 3 is International People’s with Disabilities Day. Harriet Tubman, Fannie Lou Hamer are two disabled freedom fighters we revere, even as the disabilities they carried with them into struggle aren’t consistently lifted up as assets in their fight. To fight against societal ableism, we must celebrate our differences and understand how the lessons from Black disabled organizers teach us how to build inclusive, accessible movements.

Educator Background

(These are teacher resources to increase educator awareness of topics and to support in guiding discussion.)

Let’s Talk! Facilitating Critical Conversations with Students, Teaching Tolerance

The Overlooked History of Black Disabled People, Rewire News Group, possible student resource

Donald Galloway, Ramp Your Voice (blog), possible student resource

Brad Lomax, New York Times, possible student resource

Joyce Jackson, Ramp Your Voice (blog), possible student resource

Johnnie Lacy, Ramp Your Voice (blog), possible student resource

Student Resources

(possible class resources, videos, lesson plans)

K-2, Meet Julia, Sesame Street (Julia has autism)

3-5, Assessing Access, Teaching Tolerance (two lessons)

6-12, Celebrating Black History and People with Disabilities, LeDerick Horne, short clips (Octavia Butler, Muhammad Ali, Bradley Lomax, Harry Belafonte, Robin Coste Lewis, Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock)

9-12, Exploring Diversity through Understanding Terms Associated With Those With Disabilities, Teaching Tolerance (multiple lessons/activities)

Prompt

(whole class discussion)

Thinking about some of the Black activists we’ve learned about, how does it look when we accept people and work together?

Share and Reflect

(activity- individual or whole class)

K-12, What are you proud of that makes you different from others?

Student Submission

Write,Sketch,Express,Share- What are you proud of that makes you different from others?

Art, poetry, essay, video, group project submissions are due by Friday, December 18. Students can enter through this Google form: https://forms.gle/K4c7Ptekk79TWsYz8

National Resources

** Additional people you may wish to explore. It is important to pre-read the selections of the people highlighted. There are sensitive issues that you may want to leave out of the retelling with students.

Maya Angelou, Legendary Poet and Civil Rights Activist Who Had Disability, Inspires Generations

Halle Berry: Living with Disability While Taking a Stand against Domestic Violence

Missy ‘Misdemeanor’ Elliott ‘Works it,’ Serves as Role Model for Young Women with Disabilities

First Deaf African American Lawyer Claudia Gordon, Anti-Discrimination Advocate

Deafblind Lawyer Haben Girma Advocates for Disability Rights

Whoopi Goldberg: Talented Actress, Comedienne and Talk Show Host Lives with Dyslexia

Daymond John: Clothing Entrepreneur and “Shark Tank” Star with Dyslexia

Actress with Cerebral Palsy Diana Elizabeth Jordan is Veteran of 17 Shows, Shorts and Movies

Solange Knowles: Role Model for African American Performers with Disabilities

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Creating a Banner for #BlackLivesMatteratSchool Week by Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association (MTEA) Via Flickr: French Immersion students were busy Wednesday creating an all-school banner for the #BlackLivesMatterAtSchool national week of action. The completed banner will be used for an all school gathering with parents and community Friday. Nice works staff and students at French Immersion! Can't wait to see the final product on Friday. All phptos: Joe Brusky #BlackLivesMatter The National Black Lives Matter Week of Action in Our Schools