Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Abele Boasts About MPS Privatization Scheme

As reported yesterday, Chris Abele - the Mitt Romney of Milwaukee County - was in cahoots with Republican State Senator Alberta Darling and Republican State Representative Dale Kooyenga to bring in a Jim Crow education plan to the Milwaukee Public School System.

Today, via WISN-TV, Abele finally speaks about the debacle and is very proud of it:
Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele would oversee the failing schools under the plan.

He released this statement Monday afternoon:

"Providing the best K-12 education system for the community should be a priority for everyone who lives in Milwaukee. For the past 20 years, it has been a priority of mine as I have been actively involved in a variety of education policy efforts in Milwaukee. I have worked with every MPS Superintendent going back to Superintendent Andrekopoulos, I helped the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee, on whose board I still sit, in partnering with over 35 MPS schools, I assisted in crafting the successful Race To The Top grant proposal that MPS was awarded, and I continue to be involved in Schools That Can Milwaukee, an organization that seeks to ensure that 20,000 Milwaukee students attend high-quality urban schools by 2020.

"In all of these efforts, my goal has always been the best quality education for as many kids and their families as possible, delivered in the fairest, most sustainable way possible. While this legislation is not something I sought, when I was recently approached by Rep. Kooyenga and Sen. Darling asking if I would be the appointing authority, I told them that it was hard to have an opinion absent all of the details. But IF the bill passed that way, it’s a responsibility that I would accept and take very seriously.

"Proponents of this legislation should know the following: I like and respect MPS Superintendent Darienne Driver and would want to work very closely with her; I remain very concerned about the funding flaw that the current voucher system continues to create for MPS; and I believe public money should be directed to open admission schools, not selective admission schools.

"If placed in this position, I’m committed to work hard to take this proposal and ensure that its implementation is as successful as it can possibly be. The families in Milwaukee deserve no less."
He likes and respects and wants to work closely with MPS Superintendent Darienne Driver.

Heh.

Boss Abele once said that he wanted to work closely with the Milwaukee County Board. That was before he hamstrung them, took away their authority and consolidated power into his own hands.

Are there any guesses on what he would do if he got control of any of the MPS schools?

Another area that should concern people is Abele's overall track record just running the county.  Even after five years, it is obvious that Abele is way over his head and unable to do the job.  And his failure is costing people their jobs and their lives.

What makes this situation even more disconcerting is the fact that the majority of Democratic Party leadership is silent on Abele's complicity with this attack on public schools - maybe they are too busy putting up inane, ineffective and irrelevant billboards..  Even worse, Marlene Ott, the Chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Milwaukee County, is actually defending Abele's willing assault on our children.

With "progressives" like these, who needs conservatives?

1 comment:

  1. Abele's opinion quoted here — "I believe public money should be directed to open admission schools, not selective admission schools." — seems to oppose "complicity with this attack on public schools".   How, I wonder, can the two be reconciled?   It could be worth directly asking him, on the public record.

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