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April 15, 2009

Wisconsin Education Superintendent may use power to impose major change on MPS

Alan Borsuk:
Elizabeth Burmaster, the outgoing state superintendent of public instruction, on Tuesday emphasized the need for a united effort to make quick, major changes to MPS but for the first time hinted that she could use broad powers to make improvements unilaterally if needed.

In her first interview since the release of a consultants report last week that said Milwaukee Public Schools could save as much as $103 million a year by changes in its financial practices, Burmaster said she wants to see major changes in the way MPS teaches reading and language arts; more time in schools for students; more efforts to improve the quality of teaching; and, in general, a more consistent effort to attain quality across the 80,000-student system.

She said changes in the district's business operations are also needed.

Burmaster said an MPS-improvement plan should be set by July and implemented by the start of the 2009-'10 school year. She leaves office July 6, but her successor, Tony Evers, is expected to pursue a similar course and some of what she called for is in line with relatively tough stands on MPS that Evers took during his campaign leading up to last week's election.

He could not be reached Tuesday.
Posted by Jim Zellmer at April 15, 2009 7:15 AM
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