Student test scores demand collective action

By Dale Kooyenga
MMAC President

“How are the schools?”

It’s one of the first questions people ask when looking for a place to move or do business. Many in southeastern Wisconsin would answer the question positively – and they’re correct. There are plenty of terrific schools in our region – public, private and charter – where students are building a strong foundation through well-rounded learning.  

Too many, however, are being left behind – especially our students in the city of Milwaukee. And after a fresh batch of test scores in reading and math were released last week, the disparities persist at a level that should shake us to our cores. 

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Generation, opportunities at risk
Of the 25 large urban school districts included in National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) testing, Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) was in the bottom three in all tested grades and subjects.  For our city’s Black children, the story is even more grim, as they tested last in each grade and subject when compared to those same cities. 

Quite simply, this city and its schools are failing its children. And if we don’t take drastic action today, we are not only compromising their future, but the future success of our region. 

It’s not surprising when crunching the numbers to find that the cities with the worst testing results lag in several important categories. Milwaukee, Detroit, Cleveland, Baltimore and Louisville – all cities at or near the bottom of these recent test scores – struggle with population growth, unemployment numbers and poverty rates. On average, these five cities lost 2.3% of their population between 2020 and 2023, have a 7% average unemployment rate and nearly one in four residents are living in poverty. 

On the flip side, Miami, Charlotte, Denver, Orlando and Tampa – all large cities with students scoring at or near the top amongst peers - fare much better in these categories. The population in these cities has grown by nearly 3.5% over the same time, unemployment sits at 4.2% and only 13.7% live in poverty. 

This isn’t a chicken or egg story. The numbers bear it out. Where education thrives, so does the community. Without improving our student outcomes, Milwaukee will cease to compete for new residents, new jobs and economic success. 

Mayor Cavalier Johnson has an audacious vision of growing Milwaukee’s population to a million residents. We applaud him for thinking big. But that vision will never be realized with the state of K-12 schools in the city.  

Priority No. 1
While the situation seems dire, we as a community cannot accept the status quo. It’s well past time to think out of the box, disrupt and make change for our kids. 

We have that opportunity. After a tumultuous year for MPS, residents are starved for accountability within district administration and change in leadership is afoot with the district in the latter stages of naming a new superintendent. That new superintendent should be welcomed with open arms but also held accountable when it comes to improving student outcomes. Classroom success should be any superintendent’s top priority.  

MMAC is not sitting on the sidelines. We recently released our 2024-2027 Education Strategy, a four-pronged approach to improving education in our city’s schools. Within this strategy, our goals include:
• Providing equal funding for students no matter where they attend - public, charter or choice school. 
• Enhancing accountability at all levels of education governance – from the MPS board and administrative leadership to oversight at the state Department of Public Instruction. 
• Engaging our students with the opportunities awaiting them after graduation. 
• Supporting our educational talent through attraction and retention, casting a wider net for new talent and more. 

It’s time to rally. Our kids’ well-being and the success of southeastern Wisconsin rely on educational outcomes here in Milwaukee. Our collective action is required to ensure a bright future.