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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 be reduced if specialized itinerant staff are reassigned or required to reapply for their roles.
Several speakers said the district notified staff about the accessing during Teacher Appreciation Week and gave short deadlines to decide whether to accept reassignment to a classroom or reapply for their positions. "This decision was uninformed at best," said MTEA building representative Dr. Julie Hapeman, who urged the board to remove teachers of the visually impaired from the excess list. Multiple speakers described emotional distress and said colleagues were already seeking jobs outside the district.
Public commenters gave specific counts and risks cited during the hearing: the administration had told staff that 181 central‑office‑based teacher positions were being accessed; of those, the district plans to place about 40 certified teachers back in classrooms, according to testimony and staff presentations. Bilingual department speakers noted there were 6,641 students enrolled in the district bilingual program and a total of 12,098 English learners as of May 6, 2025, and warned that staff reductions could jeopardize compliance with federal requirements for English learner placement and services.
Speakers also raised operational concerns: human resources capacity to post, interview and hire dozens of positions in a compressed timeframe; the timing of the action relative to state‑commissioned audits that will be released in the coming weeks; and the potential fiscal impact of rehiring or contracting to fill gaps. "This will be costly," one teacher leader said, noting hiring hundreds of candidates for many vacancies would demand significant HR capacity and could negate any short‑term savings.
Not all public speakers opposed reallocation of resources. Angela Harris, a virtual commenter, said the central services realignment "shows a willingness to confront challenges and reimagine how we serve students" but added: "This plan must be thoughtful, transparent, and grounded in equity." Harris urged that placements of certified teachers be driven by a needs assessment.
Board members took the public testimony under advisement. Administrators had already told the board earlier in the meeting that the reorganization recommendation would be finalized with the FY‑26 budget presentation; many speakers asked the board to delay personnel actions until after audits and fuller community engagement.
The public hearing closed after several hours of testimony; the board then moved to closed session on unrelated bargaining and settlement items. Speakers asked the board to restore the accessed positions or at least to ensure that staff with specialized certifications (teachers of the visually impaired, orientation and mobility specialists, bilingual coaches, transition coordinators, literacy coaches) are not lost in the reallocation process.
The district did not take action on the public testimony at the hearing; administrators said they will present detailed budget and placement information at the June 2 board meeting.
