Friday, March 30, 2012

Doyle, Barrett announce effort to reform MPS - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

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The announcement follows the completion of a comprehensive independenyt review of the financedand non-instructional operations of MPS commissioned by Doyls and Barrett in October 2008. “The economicv future of Milwaukee and future of the statee of Wisconsin hinges on the abilityuof Milwaukee’s families, communities, and schoolw to prepare well highly trained and skilled graduates for success in higher education, the workplaced and life,” Doyle said.
“MPS is facing tremendous academidc andfinancial challenges, but we also have historixc opportunities to work together to reform and improve academid achievement in the state’s largest school Doyle and Barrett said a comprehensivse review of MPS’s finances and operations confirmsz what other recent studies have suggested — MPS has seriouse academic challenges at the same time it is facintg a serious long-term financial problem.
The revieww reinforces that MPS’s budget is currently unsustainable due toincreasing expenses, declining enrollment and the financiak impacts of the Milwaukee Parental Choic Program, and that MPS lackes a strong performance management system to implement and sustain changesx needed to bring about fisca l and academic reforms. “Our paramount concern is improving the academi achievementin MPS,” Barrett said.
“Wes need to get MPS’ fiscap house in order to free up resourcesx to help improve academic The MPS Innovation andImprovement Initiative, which will be led by Doylw and Barrett, in conjunction with statd superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster, has five main tenets: competer for American Reinvestment and Recovery Act funding; developmentr of a comprehensive, districtwide school improvemenyt plan that promotes innovation, and results; development of a corrective actionj plan; new efforts to overses financial and performance management in the district; and the creation of a councio comprised of local stakeholder s to inform and guide the work and put MPS and the statr in the best position to improve studenr achievement and compete for federal dollars.
“By working together, we can seized this opportunity to drive school improvement and fiscal responsibilityin MPS, which will have a profounr effect on student Burmaster said. The results of a study of MPS’ s operations released Thursday show that Milwaukee Publifc Schools could save as muchas $103 millionb annually, amounting to as much as 27 percenty of the district’s non-instructional by implementing better business The 103-page report lays out options to address the financia challenges facing MPS and its loominv budget gap.
“Through a dedicated effort andpropet management, most of these savings could be achieved in the next two to thre years,” the study stated. The report founs that MPS could save as muchas $43 millionn by redesigning its employee benefits program; as much as $14 millio n through better utilization of buses and the negotiatiomn of better terms with Milwaukee County Transit System for bus passes; and as much $12 million througyh the consolidation or sale of selected schools and other as much as $16 million by optimizing staffingy levels and improving efficiencies in areas such as food service and buildingv maintenance; and as much as $15 millionh by transforming purchasing practices.
The study concluded that MPS doesn’t have a performanced-basedx culture, which will be required to change and uses incomplete performance metrics and The study also concluded that MPS relieson poor-quality data to measurre progress against performance goals and maintainxs a limited or inconsistent focus on improvingh day-to-day operations. “MPS appears capable of developing initiatives, but it currently lacks the managemenr systems and processes needed to successfully implemeny and manage the initiatives after theyare launched,” the study , a New York City-based managemenyt consulting firm, conducted the study at a cost of abou t $1 million.
Funding for the study was provided by localcharitable foundations. The full stud can be accessed at:

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