I’ve been involved in a lot of discussion in the last three years about whether there should be more cooperation between the Chicago and Milwaukee areas in spurring economic development. There’s a lot to be said for that.
But I can tell you two areas where Chicago and Milwaukee stick to their own turf in ways that I doubt will ever change.
One is the Packers vs. the Bears. But on the weekend of the renewal of this great rivalry, we’ll leave commentary on football to others.
The other is schools. You ever heard of Chicago and Milwaukee people talking to each other about schools? My answer: Not never, but close.
That’s understandable. Schools are a classic local and state matter, so people are focused on their own turf.
But Chicago and Milwaukee face such similar issues — big systems facing too much poverty and too little educational success.
Are there perhaps things people in each place could learn from the other? I’d say yes. To support that, let me offer a glimpse of the Chicago situation and some thoughts on what each metropolis could learn from the other.
“They’re in a world of hurt” — that’s how one person put it when I asked about the current state of Chicago Public Schools.