Milwaukee Public Schools officials and County Executive Chris Abele sat down Thursday for the first time in an effort to resolve a monthslong standoff over a new state law seen by many as a takeover of MPS.
And while there were no decisions, Abele said he and his school turnaround commissioner, Demond Means, would “take a good faith look” at a proposal floated by school officials last week that would allow them to open an early childhood program in an MPS building.
Abele said they would weigh the financial feasibility of the plan, and whether it would comply with the state law, which calls for the transfer of some of Milwaukee’s poorest performing schools to outside operators.
“Anything we do has to be legal. It has to be something we think will help public education (and) it will have to be OK with the authors” of the legislation, Abele said in the lobby of the Zeidler Municipal Building after the meeting. “We’ll be checking in with the lawmakers to make sure they’re comfortable with this.”