Consensus on MPS further away than ever?

An article in this morning's Journal Sentinel, entitled Doyle, Barrett warn MPS on tax increase, underlines the fragmentation on opinions about what to do about MPS. The article is actually about three happenings:

1. The aforementioned-press release from the Mayor and Governor criticizing the just-released MPS budget.
2. A hearing held in Madison by Rep. Polly Williams' educational reform committee.
3. A press release from several Milwaukee legislators proposing that the state assume the whole cost of the Milwaukee Parental Choice program.

The Barrett-Doyle press release criticizes the timing of the release of the MPS budget, coming on the same day as an announcement of stimulus funds going to MPS. The reality is that the proposed budget is flat, but may result in large tax increases because of reduced state funding under the present formula. Barrett and Doyle do not spell out what they think MPS should do. There is an implication that they believe MPS should use the stimulus funding to offset operating funds. A couple of objections to this approach immediately come to mind. One is that this may not be legal under federal rules. Another is that it could result in an extremely large tax increase two years hence when the extra federal funds go away and MPS has to replace them.

The article then quotes three board members and a Milwaukee legislator as quoting the cost-savings proposals in recent consultant's (McKinsey) report. As is his wont, the board president is quoted as taking personal credit for any improvements in MIPS.

This is the third time to my knowledge that a serious attempt is being made to make corrections to the funding flaw to MPCP funding, that results in choice students costing property tax payers more than MPS students. The first two attempts, in 2001 and 2007, died in large part because of lack of support from members of the Milwaukee delegation (and in 2007 from the MPS board). It appeared that this year might be different because the delegation appeared to be together. Since there is no possibility that out state legislators would support complete state funding, the question is whether the press release from the Milwaukee legislators is simply a political statement about their dislike of vouchers or an attempt to deep-six the latest attempt at reform.

From the article, it appears that MPS may be facing two overseers of its spending of federal stimulus money. Tony Evers, the incoming superintendent of public instruction said he intends to appoint a "federal funds trustee" to oversee how MPS spends tens of millions of dollars of federal economic stimulus money. This trustee would join the commission that Barrett and Doyle intend to appoint which apparently would have much the same job. No word yet on who might be on the commission.