MPS academic plan focuses on integrated literacy, new assessments; teachers urge timely high-school curriculum adoption

Milwaukee Public Schools presented a follow-up on the FY26 academic plan that outlines a districtwide literacy strategy built on an "aim" framework (align, implement, measure) and a shift to integrated reading-and-writing instructional blocks, new pacing guides and expanded use of universal screeners and diagnostic tools.

Academic leaders described the plan's roots in an external academic audit and said the strategy emphasizes tier 1 instruction, diagnostic follow-up for students identified by screeners, and targeted small-group interventions. Gabriela Veil Jimenez, academic superintendent for literacy, summarized the plan's four levers from the audit'visionary leadership, ambitious instruction, culture of support, and student-centered decision-making'and explained how those were translated into pacing guides, unit texts and professional learning community structures.

Public commenters raised two recurring concerns. Jay Bullock, a virtual speaker who said he speaks for more than 70 high-school ELA teachers, asked the board to "keep high schools in mind for literacy this year," noting there is no current district-wide adoption for grades 11 and 12 and requesting a formal textbook and curriculum adoption for grades 9'12. "All students will read and all means all, and that must include grades 9 through 12," Bullock said. Elizabeth Kosmach, a classroom teacher who spoke in person, criticized the district's switch to iReady as a universal screener and urged greater teacher involvement, saying, "We are testing our students too much...Come talk to us. We want our students to succeed. We are tired of testing them."

Administration defended the assessment choices as part of a multi-step system in which universal screeners flag students who need additional diagnosis, and diagnostic tools like iReady are used to identify instructional needs. Gabriela Veil Jimenez said universal screeners help "predict future outcomes" and that diagnosis is necessary to plan targeted small-group instruction. Chief Academic Officer Jennifer Mims Howell said the district would follow its normal textbook-adoption process for any high-school ELA materials and confirmed a high-school ELA adoption for the 2026'1027 school year will be brought to the board during the 2025'1026 cycle. She and other administrators acknowledged gaps in communication and implementation and agreed to return with additional information.

The board asked administration to return with several follow-ups: a briefing on assessment choices and the time burden of probes (including comparisons of STAR and iReady and the district's AIMS requirements), a meeting with high-school teachers to gather frontline feedback and a report on the timing for the textbook-adoption process and curriculum review cycle. Administration also described new pacing guides and shared that guidance for elementary and ninth- and tenth-grade semesters has been released; the district plans an instructional session on October 8 for broader staff engagement.

No formal board votes were taken on the academic plan; the item was presented as informational and the committee recorded directions to staff for follow-up.