Angela Harris on the Finances, Future of Milwaukee's Schools

Frederica Freyberg:
Financial and operational mayhem at Milwaukee Public Schools resulted this week in the resignation of the district’s superintendent and the firing of its comptroller in charge of finances. Educational and political heavyweights like former governor Tommy Thompson are calling to dissolve MPS. Midweek the district responded to the dysfunction.

Marva Herndon:
I can tell you we’re investigating and we will provide updates as soon as we’re able to do so.

Jilly Gokalgandhi:
The district was still in need of those resources to fill what we would be in, which is dire financial straits.

Frederica Freyberg:
Even in the midst of passing a $252 million referendum, the district failed to submit mandatory financial reports to the state. As a result, DPI is withholding nearly $17 million in state aid because the reports are now nine months past due. Plus, federal officials cut the district’s Head Start funding for early learners after finding incidents of verbal and physical abuse and lack of supervision. All of this came to a head at a school board hearing this week during which the superintendent tendered his resignation. MPS teacher and parent and chair of the Black Educators Caucus, Angela Harris, joins us with her reaction. And Angela, thanks a lot for being here.

Angela Harris:
Thank you for inviting me.

Frederica Freyberg:
So how would you describe what happened this week?

Angela Harris:
If I had to choose one word to describe what happened this week, it would definitely be chaos. It was very — it was a very chaotic week. There were new revelations every day about what was going on in the district. Things that we as staff, community members are not — we’re not aware of. Right? We had no idea what was happening behind closed doors within our district.

Frederica Freyberg:
And so what was your reaction to those revelations?

Angela Harris:
I was very disappointed. I was very disheartened to hear that this was what was happening, particularly on the heels of a $252 million referendum.

Frederica Freyberg:
You had been calling for the removal of the superintendent. Is that because you believe he was ultimately responsible for the financial mayhem, as we called it?

Angela Harris:
I believe that the responsibility starts with him. But I don’t believe that the responsibility stops with him. I think that as the head leader of our district, he definitely holds some culpability in what was going on in terms of our financial paperwork not being submitted in a timely manner. Do I feel like he is the sole responsible person for this happening? Absolutely not.

Frederica Freyberg:
Why were you calling even prior to this for his resignation?

Angela Harris:
We had had questions about Superintendent Posley’s leadership through the pandemic. Right? The district had received several hundred million dollars in federal funding through ESSER funding. And we were questioning at the time the way that that funding was being allocated. The way that community voice was not being listened to in terms of how that money should be spent and allocated. And so it was really during that time that we really began to question the fiscal responsibility and the fiscal management of Milwaukee Public Schools.

Frederica Freyberg:
So you spoke to this a moment ago but what was your reaction to the district successfully passing again this $252 million referendum at the same time that their financial books apparently were not square?

Angela Harris:
It really makes it hard for the community, for staff to trust our district, knowing that they knew that these financial — this financial paperwork had not been submitted on time and that it could negatively impact our finances. And they knew this while simultaneously asking for the community to raise our property taxes, to provide financial assistance to a district that can’t even make sure that their financial paperwork is submitted in a timely manner.

Frederica Freyberg:
So how concerned are you then, about the suspension of state aid to Milwaukee?

Angela Harris:
I’m extremely concerned because although DPI says, right, this money is just being withheld, and if the paperwork is submitted and everything is correct, they will release the funds. My worry is what if the paperwork is not correct and what if they have to withhold money that they will not return. These are monies that we cannot afford to lose. MPS cannot afford to lose not a single dollar.

Frederica Freyberg:
Also as we discussed, there’s the loss of federal funding because MPS Head Start programs were found to have maltreatment of children. What is your response to that as a second-grade teacher who no doubt sees some of these youngsters who are in head Start and then come into your school?

Angela Harris:
I am really saddened by that loss especially. We know that when students have access to quality K-3 and K-4 education, that definitely makes my job easier as a second grade teacher, right, because they are experiencing not only the academic side of learning, they’re also getting that social and emotional learning that happens in those spaces as well that they wouldn’t otherwise get if they were at home. And to know that a program that is supposed to be accessible to some of our most marginalized families, right, Head Start is a program that is for families that are specifically low income, to know that they will then suffer a loss because of our financial mismanagement and our mismanagement of this program. It just really makes me sad for our students and our families here in Milwaukee.

Frederica Freyberg:
And what about the idea of these little children reportedly suffering this maltreatment?

Angela Harris:
That is very, very concerning to hear. I mean, as an educator, a lifelong educator, right, I have to pass a background check. If I were to ever hurt a child, I would lose my license and lose my job and be unable to work with children any further. So to know that not only are these children now losing an opportunity to help levy some of the academic disparities that they face, but they were also being harmed and will potentially have some trauma that is related to that care as well is just really devastating to hear.

Frederica Freyberg:
As a teacher and a parent of students, I understand, attending MPS, do you feel like all of this dysfunction trickles down into the classroom?

Angela Harris:
Oh, 100%. I always say, you know, it is very difficult to bear ripe fruit from a rotten tree. And so when we have issues that are happening in the very highest levels of our district, it’s only natural that that is going to boil down to the classroom, to the school, to the teachers, to the students. And I mean, ultimately in our community as well.

Frederica Freyberg:
What is morale like among staff?

Angela Harris:
I think at this point, there’s a lot of uncertainty that exists among staff. People are often asking like, is my job — will my job be safe if we lose this funding? What does that mean for my job? There’s so many questions that still remain due to the lack of transparency from the district.

Frederica Freyberg:
When you hear people like Tommy Thompson and others calling to dissolve MPS, do you think that’s a good idea?

Angela Harris:
I absolutely do not believe that dissolving Milwaukee Public Schools is the answer. Milwaukee Public Schools is the largest public school system here in our state. We serve the largest number of students. Public school is a right. Everyone is entitled to a free and appropriate public education. And as we begin to have conversations about dismantling Milwaukee Public Schools that means that we’re dismantling that ability for students to have that free access to public education that serves all students and not just some. I think that Milwaukee Public Schools definitely needs structural change. But, being dismantled is not in the best interest of our city or our community.

Frederica Freyberg:
We leave it there. Angela Harris, thank you very much.

Angela Harris:
Thank you.