**Milwaukee**: Local education and business leaders convened at BizTimes Media’s Milwaukee Education Spotlight event to address declining student enrolment and low proficiency levels. Keynotes and panels emphasised the need for collaboration and innovative approaches to enhance student achievement across all types of schools in the city.
As Milwaukee’s educational landscape grapples with issues of declining student enrolment and low proficiency levels, local education and business leaders gathered to devise strategies for greater collaboration. This engagement took place during BizTimes Media’s Milwaukee Education Spotlight event, held on Thursday at the Italian Community Center. The event marked a pivotal opportunity for discussion on the intersection of Milwaukee’s education system and its business community.
The proceedings commenced with a keynote address from Tim Gerend, chief executive officer of Northwestern Mutual, who expressed the current challenges related to retaining quality educators. “Certainly it’s a challenging environment to be attracting great teachers, growing and keeping great teachers in other environments, but I think that just speaks to why the collective efforts … are so important,” he stated. Gerend’s involvement also includes being a board member of Milwaukee College Prep, emphasizing his commitment to educational improvement.
Following this, Colleston Morgan Jr., executive director of City Forward Collective, presented a troubling overview of student performance in Milwaukee. Morgan’s assessment indicated that fewer than 10% of students across various types of schools—public, charter, and private—met the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) proficiency benchmarks. He articulated the necessity for a citywide dialogue aimed at enhancing student achievement and increasing access to high-quality education. “The challenges our students face are not just about MPS,” Morgan remarked, stressing the broader implications for all educational institutions in the city.
The event also featured a panel moderated by JoAnne Anton, president and CEO of Herb Kohl Philanthropies. Alongside Anton were prominent figures including Hans Dawson, owner and president of Lannon Stone, Syneathia LaGrant, vice president and global head of talent management at ManpowerGroup, Aaron Lippman, CEO of Carmen Schools of Science and Technology, and Mike Roemer, principal of Reagan IB High School.
In a provocative statement, Dawson underscored the necessity for accountability in the education sector, positing that underperforming schools should be closed. “Imagine an economic system where no matter how awful a business was run, no matter how awful their products were, how unsafe they were, they were never allowed to go out of business… Why is it that we let a school who has zero (students) at grade level… just plop the same amount of money on the front door at the start of every year? That is unethical and it needs to stop,” Dawson asserted.
Roemer highlighted the untapped potential within Milwaukee Public Schools, urging businesses to engage more actively with local talent. “We have talent, MPS across the board… that right now you would want to hire in a heartbeat, no doubt about it,” he said, inviting companies to connect with schools to nurture this potential.
Lippman also called for partnership, particularly with his initiative targeting the south side of Milwaukee through a $55 million high school project. He suggested that inspiring relationships between businesses and students can help young individuals envision their future paths. “We need our kids to see that you believe in them, that you can show them who they can become,” Lippman added.
The importance of practical exposure to business environments was echoed by several panelists. Dawson revealed that his company tours around 1,000 students annually, noting the positive effect it has on their motivation and engagement with their studies. He remarked, “Getting exposure to what we do makes education relevant.”
LaGrant pointed towards her experience with interns from All-In Milwaukee, a nonprofit aimed at supporting students in completing their education and launching their careers. “It was an opportunity for us to show them that here in Milwaukee, I work for a great big global company, and there are so many more opportunities out there for you, and you don’t have to leave Milwaukee in order to have a really great, successful career,” she explained.
The need for an innovative approach to education was emphasised by LaGrant, who advocated for collaborations between schools and businesses to enhance practical learning experiences. “We need to think differently about how we’re teaching,” she expressed, stressing the importance of developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills among students.
This event encapsulated the ongoing dialogue in Milwaukee regarding the urgent need for improvement in the educational sector, as stakeholders from diverse backgrounds seek to create a more collaborative and effective learning environment for the city’s youth.
Source: Noah Wire Services
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