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Teachers, specialists and parents urge halt to mass 'accessing' during MPS public hearing
Summary
At a May 13 public hearing on central services restructuring, dozens of teachers and specialists criticized the district’s plan to ‘access’ 181 positions and asked the board to preserve teacher‑leader and specialist roles that support students with disabilities, bilingual learners, and new teachers.
Hundreds of stakeholders filled the MPS auditorium May 13 for a public hearing on central services restructuring, telling the Milwaukee Board of School Directors that a plan to “access” 181 district positions risks harming students and undermining teacher retention.
The public hearing was limited to comments about central services restructuring and realignment. Multiple speakers — including itinerant teachers, teacher leaders, bilingual staff and union representatives — said the district’s approach has been rushed, that seniority and specialized licensure were not adequately accounted for, and that the process will worsen staffing shortages rather than fix them.
"If they do not have access to the curriculum, they will not be able to succeed in reading, in math, and in life," said Gretchen Kapperman, who identified herself as an itinerant teacher for blind and visually impaired students. Kapperman and other specialists said services required by students’ individualized education programs (IEPs) could…
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