Milwaukee Public Schools Superintendent Proposes New Academic Calendar - WPR
Ross Terrell
November 18, 2016
The Milwaukee Public Schools superintendent announced a proposal Friday for a new academic calendar for the district, in which the school year would start in mid-August and end in late May.
Superintendent Darienne Driver is also proposing a June term. Students would be able to take or make up classes that didn’t fit in their regular schedule during that month. Driver said this will help maximize learning efficiency.
“Our graduation rate is 58 percent in four years and 70 percent in six years,” Driver said. “So if we can close that gap between what’s getting done in six years to making it happen in four years, we need more time. We need to think differently about the time that we have.”
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Driver said the June term would cost about $3 million. She said this a cheaper cost to pay up front compared to the $10 million a year the system spends on 9th grade repeaters.
She said if the new calendar is approved, it would be in place for 2017-18 school year.
“The urgency, the need is so dire,” Driver said. “We are charged with a great task in improving student achieving and making sure that our young people have what they need; and so, again, building an infrastructure that’s going to support student achievement is our number one goal.”
Driver said listening sessions will be held on the proposal.
She said feedback from staff members so far has been supportive but their biggest concern is if the schools are prepared to deal with the summer heat.
The calendar changes are one of several reforms Driver is proposing for the state’s largest school district.
The district must now get a waiver from the state Department of Public Instruction, then the calendar would need to be approved by the board.
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