Yearly Archives: 2024

(The Center Square) – Milwaukee’s superintendent could soon be out of a job.

The city’s school board is set to meet late Monday afternoon to talk about Superintendent Keith Posley’s future.

The meeting comes after blowback from Milwaukee parents over proposed budget cuts, a threat from the state to withhold millions of dollars in school aid and a demand from activists in the city for “accountability.”

“These are serious violations that directly call into question MPS’ financial stewardship of taxpayer dollars. We are dismayed, though not surprised, that our concerns have been proven well-founded – and we repeat our calls that Milwaukee cannot afford for business as usual to continue at MPS,” City Forward Collective Executive Director Colleston Morgan Jr. said Friday.

Posley has not answered questions about how MPS missed last year’s deadline for a pair of state-required financial reports.

Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction last week threatened to withhold $15 million in general state, and special education dollars from Milwaukee Public Schools.

“Families are now at risk of having to pay even more in additional taxes than MPS officials indicated during the referendum campaign. This is the direct result of MPS’ own mistakes and mismanagement of public funds – nothing short of a violation of the public trust,” Morgan added.

Voters in Milwaukee approved a $252 million tax increase for MPS back in April.

The sales pitch for that referendum was to avoid deep cuts to Milwaukee schools. But Posley’s latest budget, which was supposed to be finalized last week, includes nearly 300 jobs cuts. About half of those are teaching jobs.

Morgan also took issue with what he sees as a double standard when it comes to the mistakes of MPS.

“If issues of this magnitude had occurred at a public charter school or a private school participating in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, the school in question would be subject to severe sanctions – up to and including closure or loss of eligibility for public funding. Milwaukee Public Schools should be held to at least the same high standards for financial accountability as our city’s charter and private schools,” Morgan added. “MPS should face the same rigorous scrutiny and oversight as any other school operator would for these persistent and systemic failures.”

MPS’ board says Monday’s meeting will include a closed-door session on Posleys future and possible discipline, as well as a public hearing on those missing financial reports.

Donald Trump’s campaign announced Friday that they raised $34.8 million in small-dollar donations in the aftermath of the former president’s conviction on 34 felonies in a hush money trial.

"Today, the Trump campaign announced a record-shattering small-dollar fundraising haul following the sham Biden Trial verdict totaling $34.8 million – nearly double the biggest day ever recorded for the Trump campaign on the WinRed platform," the Trump campaign posted on Truth Social, the social media platform Trump created after he was banned from Twitter.

One of Trump's main fundraising websites crashed within minutes after the verdict was announced on Thursday, an early indication that the conviction may trigger a flood of donations from supporters.

"From just minutes after the sham trial verdict was announced, our digital fundraising system was overwhelmed with support, and despite temporary delays online because of the amount of traffic, President Trump raised $34.8 million dollars from small dollar donors," according a statement from Trump campaign advisors Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles. "Not only was the amount historic, but 29.7% of yesterday’s donor’s were brand new donors to the WinRed platform.

"President Trump and our campaign are immensely grateful from this outpouring of support from patriots across our country. President Trump is fighting to save our nation and November 5th is the day Americans will deliver the real verdict."

Scott Adams, a California man with 1.1 million followers on X, said he donated to the Trump campaign.

"I just donated to Trump," Adams posted. "The donation page crashed from traffic. This is the hill to die on."

Those opposed to Trump also said they made donations to President Joe Biden.

Amy Cumpton, a woman from Oklahoma City, posted on X that she donated to the Biden campaign and tagged Team Trump in her reply.

"Me and me husband donated $34 each to Biden tonight in honor of Trumps convictions. We have never made a political donation before," Cumpton wrote.