Podcasts about Milwaukee Public Schools

An audit found that Milwaukee Public Schools overspent its budget last school year by $46 million. Now, leaders are considering cuts to jobs.

Dee Anderson was a pastor at West Granville Presbyterian Church for forty years. He retired in 2025, but for years he helped oversee the resettlement of international teachers coming to teach in Milwaukee Public Schools.   You heard from two of those teachers in a previous Status Pending episode - Chigozie Okonkwo and Chioma Mba, from Nigeria. They're part of Dee's congregation, and that's how WUWM's Audrey Nowakowski and Katherine Kokal met him.  Here's Pastor Dee talking about why his church stepped up to meet the moment, and how it's changed them for the better. 

Milwaukee Public Schools recently approved Annie Kubes as the new senior director of Milwaukee Recreation.  Milwaukee Rec runs hundreds of programs in the city – from afterschool care to youth sports and cooking classes.   Kubes has worked for the department since she was sixteen years old. Throughout her career, she's overseen various Milwaukee Rec programs — from Special Olympics to driver education and aquatics. She was most recently working part-time as Milwaukee Rec's special projects coordinator. Lake Effect's Xcaret Nuñez speaks with Kubes about her job experience and the goals she has for this role. 

Milwaukee Public Schools recently approved Annie Kubes as the new senior director of Milwaukee Recreation. She has continuously worked for the department in various part-time and full-time roles since she was 16-years-old.

Milwaukee Public Schools is required to have armed police in some schools. Students are calling for reforms and boundaries for the officers.

Milwaukee Public Schools has announced it will receive a final payment from the state that was previously withheld after the school district missed financial reporting deadlines in 2024.

91% of students in Milwaukee Public Schools cannot read at grade level. But a new literacy plan by the school district promises to change how students learn to read. The plan comes in response to new state legislation, called Act 20, that requires districts to use science-based reading instruction.  WUWM education reporter Katherine Kokal is looking into literacy in her series called Turning the Page: Teaching Milwaukee to Read. She talked with Ana Gabriela Bell Jiménez, the Academic Superintendent for Literacy at MPS, and Jennifer Mims-Howell, the district's Chief Academic Officer. 

2025 was a whirlwind for Milwaukee Public Schools. It hired a new superintendent and dealt with flooding right before the start of the school year. But the biggest story was the school district's multimillion dollar cleanup of toxic lead paint in its classrooms and common spaces.  The project began after a student tested positive for elevated lead levels and the contamination was traced back to the student's school. That was one year ago in January. WUWM education reporter Katherine Kokal is joined by Michael Turza. He's the interim chief operating officer at MPS, and he's been at the helm of the lead remediation project. 

Milwaukee Public Schools announced in December that is has completed lead paint cleaning at 100 of its oldest schools.

This week we present two classic stories from people who got called into action to save an animal they didn't know they'd be called to save.Part 1: While running an errand, Andrea Azarian happens upon a lost horse that needs her help. Part 2: Left in charge of the farm for the first time, Gwynne Hogan panics when a goat goes into labor.Andrea Azarian has an undergraduate degree in Public Administration and Political Science from UW-LaCrosse. She completed her teacher certification and Master's degree in Education at Alverno College. Andrea taught English, Math, Reading, and Family and Consumer Education in grades 5-8 in Milwaukee Public Schools before coming to UWM. She has been at UWM as an Academic Advisor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction for twelve years. Her time outside of work is spent traveling with her friends and family laughing and being present in the moment.Gwynne Hogan is a reporter and producer in the WNYC newsroom who seems to keep ending up covering disease and communities from measles to COVID-19. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Milwaukee Public Schools -- rated at 2-stars -- wans to kick out a charter school. Chris Conley has more on the WSAU Wisconsin Morning News.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Milwaukee Public Schools hired more than 200 teachers from other countries to help fill open jobs this year. The school district uses the temporary H-1B visa program to hire international teachers for three years at a time. This type of visa is reserved for people working in “specialty occupations” like teaching, computer sciences and engineering. Many employers like hospitals and tech companies, rely on these visas.  Last month, President Trump announced sweeping changes to the H-1B visa program. His proclamation creates a 100,000-dollar fee for new applications. That's a steep hike from the current fee of about 3,000 dollars.  As part of our Check-In series exploring immigration updates, WUWM education reporter Katherine Kokal spoke with Milwaukee immigration lawyer Kelly Fortier about the work visa changes. 

This year, Milwaukee Public Schools ended a program that hired international teachers because of uncertainty over visas. A small police department in Jefferson County has applied to work with ICE on immigration enforcement. And, Wisconsin lawmakers introduce a series of election-related bills.

Dr. Brenda Cassellius started her first full school year as superintendent of Milwaukee Public Schools this week. Here's what she thinks the year will bring and what will improve.

Milwaukee Public Schools spent the summer cleaning lead paint, asbestos and now, dealing with a chemical spill. That didn't dampen the mood outside Browning Elementary Tuesday morning.

Some Wisconsin researchers are sounding the alarm after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling ended some science and health grants. Then, recent disasters have underscored a need for more shelters in Milwaukee. And, Milwaukee's public schools looks to rebuild trust.

A second state-ordered audit of Milwaukee Public Schools focuses on how the district teaches its students. It found glaring issues with literacy and teacher training.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court is refusing to hear challenges to the state's congressional district boundaries. We Energies will keep two aging coal-fired units running at its Oak Creek Power Plant for one year longer than planned. And, teams of painters and cleaners are working to remove lead hazards at 44 schools in Milwaukee this summer.

Wisconsin Democrats have elected a new chair to replace Ben Wikler, the outgoing chair who turned the party into a fundraising juggernaut. Thousands of people across the state protested the Trump administration over the weekend. And, a new audit shows Milwaukee Public Schools isn't supporting its teachers and doesn't have adequate systems in place for student learning.

Milwaukee Public Schools has missed another deadline to submit financial data to the Department of Public Instruction. And now, additional state aid for this year is being withheld. Wisconsin Democrats are reintroducing gun regulations after Republicans stripped those measures from the state budget. And, an elk was illegally killed in Wisconsin in March. Now conservation groups are offering a reward for information about the person responsible.

We debrief the historic Capitol Day of Action this Tuesday which called on the Governor to veto any budget that does not meet basic standards. It was organized by Citizen Action Wisconsin in partnership with Wisconsin Public Education Network, and WISDOM; and co-sponsored by: Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC), AFT-Wisconsin, WECAN, Progress North, Madison Teachers Inc, Milwaukee Teachers Education Association, Green Bay Education Association, Kenosha Education Association, Racine Education Association, and Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. 200 citizen-lobbyists met with their legislators, attended a media event with all the partner organizations, who then marched to Governor Tony Evers' office with a jointly signed letter encouraging the Governor to veto any budget from the Legislature that fails to properly fund public schools, expand BadgerCare, fund childcare, and close Green Bay Correctional and builds no new prisons. We review multi-millionaire Ron Johnson's abandonment of Wisconsin's working families by demanding even deeper cuts to Medicaid and food assistance to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy. In addition, this week Johnson declared that Milwaukee Public Schools should get no help from the federal government for cleaning up lead that is poisoning our children. Johnson also rejected science and life-saving measles vaccine requirements for children. Derrick Van Orden emerged again from his bunker and started lying about his broken promise not to cut Medicaid. The Congressional Budget Office is clear that 13.6 million Americans will lose health coverage due to cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act in the House Budget Bill, with 11,000 in Van Orden's district losing Medicaid because of his vote. We encourage listeners to call or visit his office and remind him he broke his promise to voters and now he is lying. We welcome the President of SEIU Wisconsin Healthcare, Pat Raes, to discuss the historic 5 day strike at Meriter Hospital in Madison launched by nurses this week. Pat is a 35 year veteran of the hospital and tells us about why they are striking and how you can support their effort to protect the safety of their patients by fighting the corporatization of healthcare which puts profits over care.

Milwaukee Public Schools leaders announced their lead remediation plan for the 106 schools in the district built before 1978. It comes as the CDC has denied the city's request for help.

Milwaukee Public Schools leaders announced their lead remediation plan for the 106 schools in the district built before 1978. It comes as the CDC has denied the city's request for help.

In this impactful episode of the Leaders Coaching Leaders Podcast, Dr. Latish Reed, a trailblazing equity specialist and author of the upcoming book, The Complexities of Equity: Navigating Shades of Gray in Schools and Organizations, shares her unique and deeply personal insights on equity in education, drawing from her tenure as Milwaukee Public Schools' first equity administrator. Through her “shades of gray” framework, she explores the complexities of addressing equity in schools and other organizations, highlighting the transformational power of leadership, moral courage, and intentional action. From her reflections on building shared understanding of key equity concepts to practical solutions for navigating challenging political and organizational contexts, Dr. Reed inspires leaders to leverage their spheres of influence for meaningful change. You'll also hear heartfelt stories of her dedication to creating better educational outcomes for all students, as well as her personal motivation to make schools work for every child—including her own son. Whether you're leading a school, tackling DEI challenges, or interested in fostering equitable practices, this conversation with Dr. Reed is filled with actionable insights and hope for the future of education. Don't miss this fascinating discussion, and prepare to think deeply about how we can all do better for our students, staff, and communities!Let us know what you think!

Robert Miranda of the lead free Coalition FLAC joins us to speak on lead issues. Earl and Robert shine a light on the lead contamination issue in Milwaukee's schools. They express concern that politicians are focusing more on privatization than on ensuring public safety, urging the community to take action. They criticize GOP attempts to privatize Milwaukee Public Schools, claiming it threatens democratic oversight and does nothing to solve the lead problem. The discussion also touches on the challenges faced by veterans, with a sharp critique of Trump for ignoring their needs while flaunting a tough-guy image. As Trump suggests budget cuts, veterans are left to suffer, sparking anger over the ongoing neglect. This episode highlights the urgent need for real support and accountability in both public health and veteran services. The Earl Ingram Show is a part of the Civic Media radio network and airs Monday through Friday from 8-10 am across the state. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows to see the entire broadcast line up. Follow the show on Facebook and X to keep up with Earl and the show! Guest: Robert Miranda

Some conservative groups filed a federal complaint against Milwaukee Public Schools over the district's gender inclusion policy. A rare species of crustacean was spotted in Menomonee Falls. And, this week's spring election caught national attention. WPR's politics team will recap what the results said about the state of Wisconsin politics.

Dr. Brenda Cassellius is Milwaukee Public Schools' new superintendent. What are her priorities for her first year on the job?

MPS district leaders and city health department officials said Thursday that cuts at the CDC are having an impact on lead remediation projects in schools.

In Wisconsin's Supreme Court race, Susan Crawford won the entire state of Wisconsin by 10 percent. Democrats are seeing this as a positive sign. The director of facilities at Milwaukee Public Schools is being reprimanded and fined by the state for misrepresenting himself as a registered architect. And, La Crosse voters have elected the city's first Black and first openly gay mayor.

Thr new superintendent of Milwaukee Public Schools shares what she hopes to accomplish. We explore the history of school choice. We stage a game show for Milwaukee wine enthusiasts. The meaning behind the Milwaukee Public Market rooster mascot.

Can Congress get away with taking away health care from millions to fund huge tax cuts for the rich? We preview Medicaid Town Halls in Wausau, La Crosse and Eau Claire that will help organize resistance to proposed slashing cuts to Medicaid. Meanwhile, Rep. Van Orden continued to hunker down in his basement bunker, holding a virtual town hall where he can avoid answering tough questions after misleading his own constituents about Medicaid cuts he rubber stamped in Congress. We cannot win by surrendering in advance. We continue to encourage Governor Evers to veto any budget the Legislature produces that fails to expand BadgerCare. The Spring Election is around the corner and Brad Schimel rehashes voter fraud conspiracies about Milwaukee that he knows are false. So much for his phony stance as a high minded judge above politics. This week the only debate in the State Superintendent of DPI election was held by WPEN and other allies. This race remains about Jill Underly's dedicated support for improving and properly funding our public schools vs. her opponent who is a supporter of siphoning even more money to private unaccountable voucher schools. Robert educates us on a legal case against Greenpeace who was found liable for $645 million for Dakota Access Pipeline protests that has huge implications for the Constitutional right of free speech and protest. Will this be the beginning of a legal strategy to bankrupt progressive nonprofits to silence free speech and assembly? We close with a soul-searching discussion with James Causey, a longtime columnist with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, on adults forcing police officers back into Milwaukee Public Schools without ever listening to the kids.

The election rumor mill sped up recently after some Wisconsin voters received postcards with wrong information about the upcoming April election. Police officers are back in Milwaukee Public Schools. And, last year's Republican National Convention in Milwaukee may not have been the economic boost to the city that supporters had hoped for.

On Thursday's "Dan O'Donnell Show," Milwaukee Public Schools faces contempt charges. Plus, a shocking celebrity death mystery, the release of the Epstein files (sort of), and the return of "Forgotten History!"

A Milwaukee County judge ordered the state's largest school district and the City of Milwaukee to split the cost of putting school resource officers in schools. That judge also put a strict deadline on when those officers are in Milwaukee Public Schools and the clock is ticking. In this episode of Open Record, FOX6 Investigator Bryan Polcyn invites FOX6 political reporter Jason Calvi on to talk about the controversial law MPS never asked for and the long battle over who should foot the bill for police officers in schools. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

MacIver Institute content director Bill Osmulski and economist Michael Lucas tackle some tough mysteries about Wisconsin public policy in this edition of the MacIver Report. The state senate just introduced a bill this week that would give electric transmission companies a monopoly over future projects in the state. Also, Milwaukee Public Schools' audit came back exploring why the district is a constant financial basket case. And last, but definitely not least, a mom complains about the food her kids get at school while Gov. Evers demands every kid get free breakfast and lunch at school.

Milwaukee Public Schools has not had a permanent superintendent since June 2024, when Keith Posley resigned amid allegations of mismanagement.

On Thursday's "Dan O'Donnell Show," Dan wonders which is worse—Milwaukee Public Schools, which is the worst district in the country at educating black children, or the Milwaukee Housing Authority, which illegally took federal grant money from the poor to give to its employees?

To begin this hour of Civic Media Spotlight, we take the beginning of a conversation with former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn on the Maggie Daun Show. Harry joined Maggie this week in-studio to discuss the recently pardoned J6 felons and the other craziness going on during the first week of President Donald Trump's second term. Then, on a Wednesday edition of the Todd Allbaugh Show, Todd visits from Pat Kreitlow of UpNorthNews Radio and Trygve Olson of The Lincoln Project! On April 1st, Wisconsin will vote to elect a new state supreme court justice. Every day, we discover new reasons why conservative candidate Brad Schimel is completely unfit to serve our state. At a Republican community event last year, Schimel was caught on a mic calling for another “bloody revolution” to get American freedom back from “the socialists.” Then, on UpNorthNews Radio this week, Pat discussed how some Wisconsin legislators are considering a new way to hide from taxpayers the true cost of the programs that give out taxpayer dollars for vouchers to private, often religious schools. He spoke to Chris Thiel, legislative policy specialist for Milwaukee Public Schools, about this new shell game that would force every Wisconsin taxpayer to fund two parallel school systems in the state. Wrapping up this hour with a segment from the John & Gordy Show, the guys welcomed back Mike McCabe and the three spend some time on the topic of oligarchy. They also share how we need not despair right now, and that we can look to the future and plan to make some real advances as a society. To learn more about these shows and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows to see the entire broadcast line up. Follow the network on Facebook, BlueSky, YouTube, X, and Instagram to keep up with Civic Media! Guests: Maggie Daun, Pat Kreitlow, Todd Allbaugh, Trygve Olson, Gordy Young, John Peterson, Harry Dunn, Mike McCabe, Chris Thiel

To begin this hour of Civic Media Spotlight, we take the beginning of a conversation with former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn on the Maggie Daun Show. Harry joined Maggie this week in-studio to discuss the recently pardoned J6 felons and the other craziness going on during the first week of President Donald Trump's second term. Then, on a Wednesday edition of the Todd Allbaugh Show, Todd visits from Pat Kreitlow of UpNorthNews Radio and Trygve Olson of The Lincoln Project! On April 1st, Wisconsin will vote to elect a new state supreme court justice. Every day, we discover new reasons why conservative candidate Brad Schimel is completely unfit to serve our state. At a Republican community event last year, Schimel was caught on a mic calling for another “bloody revolution” to get American freedom back from “the socialists.” Then, on UpNorthNews Radio this week, Pat discussed how some Wisconsin legislators are considering a new way to hide from taxpayers the true cost of the programs that give out taxpayer dollars for vouchers to private, often religious schools. He spoke to Chris Thiel, legislative policy specialist for Milwaukee Public Schools, about this new shell game that would force every Wisconsin taxpayer to fund two parallel school systems in the state. Wrapping up this hour with a segment from the John & Gordy Show, the guys welcomed back Mike McCabe and the three spend some time on the topic of oligarchy. They also share how we need not despair right now, and that we can look to the future and plan to make some real advances as a society. To learn more about these shows and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows to see the entire broadcast line up. Follow the network on Facebook, BlueSky, YouTube, X, and Instagram to keep up with Civic Media! Guests: Maggie Daun, Pat Kreitlow, Todd Allbaugh, Trygve Olson, Gordy Young, John Peterson, Harry Dunn, Mike McCabe, Chris Thiel

We'll get an update from reporter Elisabeth Montemurro on the Wisconsin impact of President Trump's proposed freeze on a large swath of federal spending. Then we'll hear from Chris Thiel, legislative specialist for Milwaukee Public Schools, about a new way some legislators would like to hide from taxpayers the true cost of the hundreds of millions of dollars sent to private schools through vouchers. UpNorthNews with Pat Kreitlow airs on several stations across the Civic Media radio network, Monday through Friday from 6-8 am. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows to see the entire broadcast line up. Follow the show on Facebook, X, and Instagram to keep up with Pat & the show! Guests: Todd Allbaugh, Brittney Merlot, Elisabeth Montemurro, Chris Thiel

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said local communities should be required to cooperate with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement. School resource officers must return to the Milwaukee Public Schools district after a legal ruling. And, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes leaves his post.

Sherwin Hughes breaks down the controversy surrounding the Milwaukee Public Schools teachers' union. Why are funds intended for teachers being funneled to the administration? Sherwin examines the growing frustration among educators, the power dynamics within the union, and what it means for the future of public education. Tune in to hear how teachers are reacting, who's really benefiting, and what this could mean for the classroom experience.

Democratic Vice Presidential hopeful Tim Walz was back in Wisconsin yesterday. Republican candidates for office have run up the numbers in Wisconsin's suburbs, like conservative Waukesha County, for years. But that GOP support has been slipping recently. And now both parties are competing for votes there. WPR's Shawn Johnson will have more on how suburban voters could tip the scales for Wisconsin.

Wisconsin State Senator John Jagler talks about no student resource officers in Milwaukee Public Schools.

Wisconsin environmental groups are grappling with how a recent Supreme Court decision will be felt here. Milwaukee Public Schools will lose more than 81-million-dollars as fallout from its financial reporting scandal continues. And Anya van Wagtendonk reports on how Wisconsin's election clerks are getting ready for the presidential election -- and the spotlight that comes with it.

Milwaukee Public Schools may face an audit by the state Legislature. That's the latest fallout from the district's financial crisis. The Wisconsin Supreme Court unanimously ruled that lower courts violated the First Amendment rights of an abortion protester. And Wisconsin construction companies are trying to get more women to join the industry.

Govenor Tony Evers announced he is proceeding with plans to direct resources to support two additional audits of Milwaukee Public Schools. The Wisconsin Elections Commission approved Tony Wied to be on the ballot for the state's 8th Congressional District despite challenges to his nomination paperwork. And, Milwaukee County is seeing more unsheltered homeless people on the streets. Evan Casey will have the latest on how community members are handling the situation.

Milwaukee Public Schools might not lose millions of dollars in state funding, after submitting missing financial data to the Department of Public Instruction. The warden and eight other employees of Waupun Correctional Institution were criminally charged in connection to the deaths of two inmates. And, Margaret Faust will have the latest on a bakery in Menomenee Falls that is continuing to raise money for queer youth despite safety threats.

Candidates have filed their paperwork to run under Wisconsin's new legislative maps. And that means most districts will be competitive. The Superintendent of Milwaukee Public Schools is resigning after more than 100 community members called for him to be fired last night. And, community frustration is bubbling up in La Crosse around the city's response to a large number of unsheltered people.

Wisconsin's new state voting maps have shaken up state legislative races. Nearly half of all lawmakers have announced they won't run in their old districts, and many will leave the Legislature entirely. The family of a man who was killed by Appleton police is suing the city and the police officer who shot him. And, Wisconsin's Department of Public Instruction is threatening to withhold funding from Milwaukee Public Schools unless the district completes a corrective action plan.