'Poor communication,' 'Inconsistent': MPS academic audit illustrates a scattershot district with weak leadership
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- An audit into the academics of Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) ordered by Gov. Tony Evers highlights a series of problems contributing to the district's years of bad academic performances. The findings point to poor communication and a less-than-ideal past setup for supervisors to monitor what was happening in schools.
The audit was conducted by MGT, an outside firm the Evers administration hired last June to do two audits on MPS, one on the district's operations, which it released in February, and the other on MPS' instructional practices.
The Evers administration set aside $5.5 million for the effort. The audits cost a total of $2.5 million, and an administration official said the remaining $3 million will be made available for MPS to implement needed changes. MPS will need to submit a plan for how it will use that $3 million before the state releases it.
"It’s always been important to me that MPS has the tools and support it needs, and these independent audits were a critical step toward helping get MPS back on track toward doing what’s best for our kids," Evers said in a statement Friday. "With new leadership, I think the district is taking steps to be headed in the right direction, and I look forward to the district implementing these audit findings and recommendations without delay.”
MPS' reading and math scores are among the nation's worst for large urban districts. The performance of Black students, in particular, has long been concerning. Only 45% of the district's schools are considered to be "meeting expectations," based on the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) annual report cards.
In putting together the report, MGT said it interviewed 28 district officials, 150 principals and assistant principals, 521 teachers and received 2,345 staff surveys. Auditors also sat in to observe classrooms and pulled past academic data and instruction materials from MPS.
The report listed a total of 41 key findings and provided a list of 38 recommendations for MPS to implement.
Communication issues were a theme throughout the report with "unclear expectations and accountability across regions and departments."
"Poor communication is leading to confusion," the report found.
Auditors also questioned the district's structure for overseeing schools. In particular, it questioned the use of regional superintendents who would cover a wide range of school types. They also found MPS has too many different grade configurations, with some traditional high schools and others that also combine with middle schoolers.
Another striking inconsistency, according to the report, is wide differences in what opportunities for specialized programs are available in some schools but not in others.
"This isn't about getting rid of what's working at the district, but it is about ensuring that excellence is equitably accessible to all," Colleston Morgan, Jr., director of the education advocacy group, City Forward Collective, sad. "And that's something that's been missing for too long."
The report noted community surveys revealed a theme of families who believe district leaders aren't listening to their feedback. Auditors also found many teachers were using primarily "one-way" communication tools that don't offer much opportunity for parents to respond.
"Parents have a critical role to play in their kids' education," Morgan said. "And when a school, a school district isn't listening -- and that's something we saw from this district in lots of different ways -- it's hard for things to change."
Superintendent Brenda Cassellius, who took over in March, has already implemented some structural changes. The school board has already approved her plan to restructure central office, a change that replaces regional superintendents with those focusing on either high schools or elementary and middle school instruction.
"In my short time here, I’ve seen a real readiness for change," Cassellius said in a statement Friday. "Our talented educators and dedicated staff are prepared to turn recommendations into a focused strategy. We will act with urgency and purpose to get every child reading on grade level. This audit will help us chart a stronger path forward, one that accelerates outcomes and puts our students first.”
Auditors also said MPS must do a better job of getting experienced, qualified teachers in front of students in low-performing schools. Cassellius has sought to address that already with a plan to move 40 traveling specialists back into full-time classroom roles next year.
The Milwaukee teachers' union has opposed the plan, saying the specialists are essential. The union also maintains it was disrespectful to make 180 such specialists reapply for their jobs. MPS plans to pick 40 teachers from that pool for reassignment.
On a briefing call with selected reporters, MGT staffers involved with the audit said their work largely came before Cassellius started, so they didn't want to offer specific thoughts on her changes.
However, one auditor said "her moves make a lot of sense" when asked to address Cassellius' early changes in a general sense. Morgan said he was encouraged simply by the feeling the district's leadership is more willing to acknowledge its shortcomings publicly.
"Now, just because we face these challenges doesn't mean we're all the way there in terms of fixing them," he said. "But I don't think we can even start that work until we've got a clear and shared understanding of what the problem is."