More MPS failures
Mark Drake
Richfield
David H.B. Drake
Milwaukee
Prisoners need our help
Gov. Tony Evers must do more to protect Wisconsin prisoners from COVID-19. Overcrowding and understaffing make the virus more dangerous in our prisons. Correctional officials must hand out masks for staff and incarcerated persons, increase cleaning, and create more space for social distancing.
Most important, Evers must release people who are at low risk to commit a crime and high risk to contract the disease. Many of these people, owing to age or health conditions, are at serious risk of death if they were to contract COVID-19. Others pose no danger to society and are needed by their families. Others are scheduled to be released soon any way, and would be safer at home now.
These are extraordinary times that require a compassionate response from our state leaders and the people of Wisconsin. Each of us can advocate for compassionate release of prisoners by contacting Evers, Department of Corrections Secretary Kevin Carr or other prison officials.
Mary Duerson
Waukesha
On May 4, the Journal Sentinel reported on how late Milwaukee Public Schools has been in coming to the table in terms of transitioning to online education (“MPS blasted for virtual transition”).
Is anyone surprised about this? They should not be. This is just another of a long line of failures by MPS in recent decades to meet the needs of its students.
Enough is enough! MPS is a moribund system, run by administrators who exemplify the “Peter Principle” at its worst. They are incapable of effectively dealing with the lack of educating, let alone providing quality education, to the majority of the MPS student body.
The teaching staff of MPS is handicapped in providing what the the students desperately need by their union. The Milwaukee Teachers’ Educaion Association has proven that it is far more interested in preserving its position within the district than in serving the students of MPS. This is evidenced by the fact, as the Journal Sentinel noted, the union insisted “its members not be required to work during the first few weeks of the the (school) shutdown.”
It is time for the state to step in and take over the running of the district. Both MPS administration and the MTEA have shown they are not up to the task.
G. David Yaros