5-21-15 taking over schools-milwaukee

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A sweeping proposal giving control of the lowest-performing schools in Milwaukee to a commissioner who could fire all the teachers and administrators also applies to other large, racially diverse school districts in Wisconsin.  The Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee, around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, approved the overhaul plan for Milwaukee. The so-called Opportunity Schools and Partnership Program requires three criteria to be met, and Milwaukee is the only district that would immediately qualify.  But Madison and Racine meet two of the three criteria and could be brought into the forced reorganization plan later.  Under the Republican-backed proposal, an independent commissioner would be able to convert the three lowest-performing schools to private voucher or independent charter schools in the first year and then up to five more schools each of the following years.