An MPS data dump
Regarding Alan Borsuk’s article, “MPS budget filled with information, not answers,” I find it maddening that hundreds of pages of financial information are dumped on Milwaukee Public School Board members, who are then expected to make sense of it.
I attribute no ulterior motive to this. But I will note that this type of data dump is a classic tactic for overwhelming decision-makers to prevent them from asking the right questions and exercising effective oversight.
We’re talking a huge taxpayer investment here — a $1.3 billion annual budget. More important, we’re talking about the education of precious children and the future welfare of our community. School Board members need the clearest possible explanations, comparisons and metrics so that, instead of feeling too intimidated to ask questions, spending too much time on relatively minor issues, or just tuning out in frustration, they can make smart decisions on our behalf.
Toward that end, I urge the MPS board and administration to draw on expertise from the field of information design, which uses a wide array of graphic design tools to present complex information in ways our brains can most easily grasp. Some people refer to this as “information ergonomics,” likening it to how a well-designed hammer or coffee mug can be more easily grasped by the human hand.
Savvy professional communicators have been employing best practices in information design for years. It’s time for MPS to join them.
Anne Curley
Milwaukee