MPS board names interim superintendent finalists, postpones overhauling math curriculum
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Board directors for Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) have released a list of four finalists for the vacant interim superintendent's job.
The board held a special, closed session meeting Tuesday night. The session adjourned without board directors speaking with reporters. The board instead released the finalists' names in a press release. Those final four candidates are:
- Acting Superintendent Eduardo Galvan
- Dr. Toni Dinkins, MPS northwest regional superintendent
- Stephen Murley, former Green Bay School District superintendent
- Dr. Darrell Williams, assistant state superintendent
The board said in the press release it plans to choose an interim superintendent before the next school year begins in September.
Currently, MPS is dealing with several key vacancies in the midst of a financial scandal that will cost the district tens of millions of dollars.
Following the revelation MPS still hasn't provided audited financial reports that were due to the state in September, Superintendent Keith Posley and Chief Financial Officer Martha Kreitzman resigned. Comptroller Alfredo Balmaseda was fired.
Before the special meeting to discuss the interim superintendent position, the board's committee on Accountability, Finance and Personnel voted to postpone an overhaul of the district's math curriculum.
A small but very vocal crowd opposed the idea of MPS implementing new math programs, which would have cost more than $22 million between four proposed contracts.
Angela Harris, a second-grade teacher at the Milwaukee Academy of Chinese Language and chairwoman of the Black Educators Caucus, said the timing was bad for such a significant shift.
Harris said with a new state reading law taking effect, which requires schools to develop personalized improvement plans for struggling students, teachers would be overwhelmed by also implementing a new math curriculum.
On the most recent state report card, for the 2022-23 school year, 64% of MPS students tested at a 'below basic' level in math. That was a slight improvement from 68% in 2021-22.
"I'm extremely concerned when I think about, in particular, our students' math scores and holding onto a curriculum for eight years," she said. "Especially if it's a curriculum that is not producing any academic achievement."
Board Director Henry Leonard proposed postponing the curriculum change. He noted the $22 million not spent on new math programs would cover a significant chunk of the $35 million to $50 million MPS is expected to lose in state aid because of past overpayments the district received as a result of inaccurate data submissions.
"The reality is when I've spoken to just dozens of teachers, they have said, 'I don't need this right now. This is not necessary. I feel like we are wasting a significant amount of money for this district,'" Leonard said.
Director Missy Zombor was the only member of the committee to vote against postponing the shift. Before the 3-1 vote, Zombor said putting off the curriculum change would be "a slap in the face" of a textbook review committee that met several times between February and April to explore different curriculum options.
Auditing the audits
The committee did vote unanimously to advance the creation of a new top auditor position.
Hiring a Chief Auditor is part of the corrective action plan the state Department of Public Instruction (DPI) approved for MPS earlier this month. The position will earn a salary between $99,000 and $145,000.
During public discussion of the item, those in the audience shredded the idea as redundant and unnecessary.
"What's the point? At this point, the governor already issued an audit," Larry Mays, an MPS parent, said. "You're gonna just waste some more money again."
Gov. Tony Evers' office is currently reviewing proposals to conduct two audits of MPS; one reviewing the district's finances and operations, the other digging into its academics.
The Chief Auditor position will answer to the Office of Accountability and Efficiency, which operates under the board. On paper, this will give the board a more direct line of sight into the district's finances, since the financial staff operates under the superintendent.
Board leaders have said in interviews district administrators never shared the seriousness of the mistakes done by the finance office, although a 2022 Baker Tilly audit flagged delays and unexpected hurdles in getting financial data from the district.
Shandowlyon Reaves, a former MPS teacher and principal, questioned why Matthew Chason, director of the accountability office, didn't sound a louder alarm for board members when it wasn't getting enough information from Posley and Kreitzman.
"We are negligent - notice how I said 'we' - we are negligent as a community to our children, to our parents, to our teachers and our taxpayers," Reaves said. "Because you all did not hold your board-appointed person accountable."