A progressive slate backed by the Working Families Party and the Milwaukee teachers’ union swept the school board election in Milwaukee.
I received this statement from Rob Duffey of the Working Families Party:
“Last night in Milwaukee the Wisconsin Working Families Party won big, electing a slate of five pro-public school champions who flipped the Milwaukee city school board from a pro-privatization majority to an 8-1 public school orientation. Milwaukee has long served as a laboratory for experimenting with charter schools and voucher programs to no benefit for students. Wisconsin Working Families Party recruited four of the five winning candidates and coordinated a winning strategy that will profoundly affect the decision making for how system budget priorities are set and how private charter schools will be held accountable.”
The slate was led by public education activist and former union president Bob Peterson.
“This is a day to celebrate Milwaukee’s support for public education,” said Peterson, who had gathered with supporters at the Art Bar in Riverwest.
“I look forward — the entire slate looks forward — to working with all the stakeholders, the entire school board, parents, students, the administration and elected officials locally and in Madison to defend and improve our public schools,” he said.
District by district, we will reclaim our schools.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Way to go, Milwaukee!
Great job, democracy’s team!
Now, turn some attention to the Wisconsin state board of education and find out if the public employees’ SETDA , is serving democracy.
How much influence does Gates, a funder of SETDA, and, the “Gold, Silver,…partners” have on the activities of the organization when it “takes action on important issues facing public education”? One program at the annual conference was, “Helping ed tech companies to scale up”. There’s also a “high energy pitch fest” for new ed startups.
Does that sound like what public employees typically spend time on?
Wisconsin has 7 public employees from the state board of education representing the state to foster public-private partnerships and digital learning. SETDA’s treasurer, one of the 9 board members, is employed by the Wis. state board of education.
yay!
Hooray!! Rooting for Bob Peterson and the Milwaukee crew to help lead the way back from the charter looting. Bob was a founder of the marvelous Rethinking Schools Group 33 years ago, he and other progressive educators began a long campaign from his kitchen table to fight for the schoolkids of Milwaukee, great example of what can be done even in these worst of times.
The deformatoids day is done.
Congratulations, Milwaukee!