In January 2011, the GE Foundation awarded the Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) a $20.4 million grant the district would receive over a five-year period, according to the Foundation’s website. The money, which was meant to go toward improving student achievement as well as better preparing pupils for college and the workforce, represented the largest ever single corporate contribution to the MPS.
Unfortunately, in the 18 months that have passed, the MPS has only spent $700,000 of the grant money, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. While a plan was in place to direct $7 million toward new textbooks, district officials have decided to go down another road because of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).
As the MPS system’s focus on the CCSS has grown since the grant was announced, district officials have shifted their priorities. Moving forward, GE’s money will be used to establish 10 district "exemplar" schools, where teachers will develop the best practices for applying the CCSS to their classroom lessons.
"The GE grant will eventually go away, and so we have to leverage this resource in a way that can create transformational change," Gregory Thornton, MPS’ superintendent, told the news source.
No comments yet.