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Associated Bank builds partnership with Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity
April 20, 2015
Associated Bank has purchased approximately $2 million in residential loan mortgages from Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity.  It is the largest one-time sale of mortgages in the affiliate’s history, and the funds will support the organization’s five-year revitalization initiative in Milwaukee’s Washington Park neighborhood.
“The success of our neighborhood revitalization efforts relies on partnerships with businesses and organizations that have a strong commitment to building our community,” said Brian Sonderman, executive director of Milwaukee Habitat. “We are deeply grateful to Associated Bank for this opportunity to further our mission to build homes and hope in Milwaukee and to truly transform Washington Park into a safe, sustainable community of choice.”
Milwaukee Habitat plans to use funds towards its complete rehab program, which helps to address the neighborhood’s foreclosure crisis by turning vacant, city-owned foreclosures into decent single-family homes. Sonderman estimates that the mortgage sale will help to fund 25 rehab projects over the next five years.
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Mayor Tom Barrett will speak about Habitat’s impact on the city’s foreclosure crisis this Tuesday (4/21) at 11am.  The press conference will be held at 2119 N. 38 Street, a city-owned foreclosure Habitat has purchased and rehabbed. Mayor Barrett’s STRONG Neighborhoods Plan, rolled out in 2013, focuses on preserving housing stock and stabilizing neighborhoods through a comprehensive approach: prevention, mitigation, revitalization and renewal. With the support of Associated Bank, Habitat will play a key role in the city’s plan to battle the effects of foreclosure.
“Associated has a strong commitment to the communities we serve through both financial support and volunteerism,” said Dave Bauer, director of mortgage sales, Associated Bank. “We are happy the funds will be put to great use, helping to make our communities a better place to live and work.”
In addition to the mortgage purchases, Associated Bank will be providing hands-on support of Habitat’s mission. Over the next five years, employees will volunteer working alongside Habitat staff and partner families in their neighborhood revitalization efforts to build new affordable houses and rehab foreclosures into safe, decent homes..  The organization also welcomed Associated Bank Director of Finance Craig Hahn to its Board of Directors in December.
“Associated’s colleague volunteer program provides employees with an opportunity to give back to their local communities through the donation of time to nonprofit organizations of their choice, including Habitat,” said Mary Wilkosz, corporate social responsibility manager, Associated Bank. “The volunteer opportunities build morale, and promote team-building and leadership. It’s a positive experience for the nonprofit, the employee and our company.”
Milwaukee Habitat relies on several funding sources including charitable donations from businesses, foundations and community members; profits from the Habitat ReStores; and mortgage payments from partner family homeowners.  “It’s a common misconception that we give houses away,” Sonderman said.
“That’s not how Habitat works. We provide an affordable, interest-free mortgage and the payments we receive from these mortgages help us to fund more homes.”
When the opportunity arises, Habitat will sell some of the mortgages and use the funds to continue its mission.  “The mortgage sale to Associated Bank will increase our capacity to build affordable homes and safer communities for hard-working Milwaukee families,” says Sonderman.
To become a Habitat homeowner, partner families must go through a screening process and are required to contribute up to 500 hours of “sweat equity” into their homes. They spend the majority of this time on the construction site, building their homes and the homes of their neighbors.  Sweat equity also includes a financial education component to ensure families are ready to for the challenges of balancing day-to-day expenses with monthly mortgage payments, as well as a community engagement requirement, so the families have a better understanding of the neighborhood where they will live.
Since its inception in 1984, Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity has built more than 540 houses and repaired more than 150 existing homes in the City of Milwaukee.  In 2015, the organization plans to serve 25 families through its affordable housing services, and accepts applications to its homeownership program throughout the year.


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Denver Maps Connection Between Neighborhoods and Jobs | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
April 20, 2015
Next City

source: news-milwaukeenns

license: Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

author: Andrea Waxman


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EXECUTIVE PROFILE: Executive driven by ‘challenge of getting agreement’: Danae Davis (Video) | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
April 20, 2015
Milwaukee Business Journal


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Initiative brings different approach to addressing violence | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
April 20, 2015
Martha Freeman (center) and others come together at a press conference on March 20 in Garden Homes. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
On a late Monday morning, Martha Freeman’s cell phone rings. She answers while sitting in her church, Alpha and Omega Ministries, in the Garden Homes neighborhood where she’s lived since 1969. It takes her a moment to remember the man on the other end, but after a short pause they talk like old friends.
“He’s one of the kids who was always on my porch,” said Freeman, who often would have neighborhood children at her house for meals and activities.
Freeman hadn’t heard from Freddie Jefferson in 10 or 15 years. Recently, he saw her on the news and got her number from a childhood friend. He told Freeman that he now works as a cook at Miller Park.
“I love those stories, I love it when they really make it — they’re not out there locked up or carrying a gun or that kind of thing,” she said. “I love to hear that.”
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William Harris Jr., Vice Lords (left); Torre Johnson, X-men (at microphone); and Terry O’Kelly Jr., Growth & Development (right) speak at a March 20 press conference in Garden Homes. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
Freeman hopes that a new initiative called “Safe Zones” will help more young people in the central city “find a new direction.”
The initiative, recently announced by a coalition of city officials, local activists and neighborhood groups, will take place in four of Milwaukee’s most economically challenged neighborhoods. It will provide community members with violence intervention, workforce development, and education- and health-related services in an effort to improve conditions for residents.
The areas — located at 23rd and Brown streets, 1st and Keefe streets, 27th and Center streets and 52nd Street and Hampton Avenue — are some of the poorest in the city, with poverty levels ranging from 33 to 56 percent of residents. These areas, where more than 80 percent of residents are minorities, face issues including low school enrollment and household incomes, food insecurity and disproportionately high rates of vacant housing and unemployment.
“We want to see our city as a safe zone,” said activist Shawn Moore. “We’re tired of seeing our babies lying on the street … playing in the streets, on their way to prison. Our kids want to be doctors and lawyers and astronauts, too.”
So far, the initiative, which is being spearheaded by Moore and Khalil Coleman, has garnered support from aldermen Ashanti Hamilton, Russell Stamper, Milele Coggs, Willie Wade and Jose Perez, whose districts encompass the four zones. Partners include Northwest Side Community Development Corp., the Garden Homes Neighborhood Association, We Got This, New Hope Baptist Church, Muhammad Mosque #3 and Universal Companies. The group is seeking to add partners.
Breaking down stereotypes
The Safe Zones initiative is modeled after the Cure Violence/Interrupters approach, which began in Chicago in 2010. That model utilizes “violence interrupters” to identify potentially violent situations and intervene using conflict resolution tactics and mediation. Cure Violence proposes eradicating violence “by promoting a public health and science-based perspective,” which views violence as an epidemic.
Independent evaluations by the National Institute of Justice and Johns Hopkins University found a 30 to 70 percent reduction in shootings and killings in areas in Chicago and Baltimore where the method was employed.
According to the Cure Violence website, the group hires “culturally appropriate workers who live in the community, are known to high-risk people, and have possibly even been gang members or spent time in prison, but have made a change in their lives and turned away from crime.”
The Safe Zones initiative is partnering with two Milwaukee street organizations — the Vice Lords and Growth & Development (GDs), formerly Gangster Disciples. Two men, William Harris Jr., a Vice Lord, and Torre Johnson, who had been associated with the GDs in the 1980s, are also involved.
Both Harris and Johnson spent more than 10 years in prison during the 1990s and early 2000s for gang-related offenses but have since dedicated themselves to nonviolence and steering people away from the life they once led. They, along with Freeman and others, will function as H.O.O.D. Ambassadors (Helping Others Obtain Direction), interrupting violence, mediating conflicts and providing a bridge between the community and local government.
“We’re standing together,” Johnson said. “That’s the first thing that we’re asking people to do is stand with us and then we can work on building.”
Referring to Harris and Johnson, Hamilton added, “I’m trying to work with people. They’re people who we share this city with” who have historically not been “invited to the table.”
Hamilton, who grew up in the central city, said he was steered away from the street life by friends, family and others, including Johnson. He said the ability to relate to central city youth is a skill. “Sometimes you need people with a particular type of experience and a particular comfort level.
“Success should be normal. Options and opportunity should be the norm,” he said. “Instead of saving the kids in these environments by ones or twos, we should be saving them by the hundreds.”
Bringing community back
Martha Freeman, 76, has lived in the Garden Homes neighborhood for more than 40 years. She has five children of her own but that didn’t stop her from opening her home to the neighborhood kids. Sack races, movie nights and eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches were among the activities, but that’s not why they came.
“My house over here on 26th Street has always been a place where people could come and ring the bell if they were lost, if they were afraid, if they just needed somebody to talk to,” said Freeman. “I think that that kind of thing is needed to bring a neighborhood together.”
Freeman, who worked at the House of Correction for 20 years before retiring in September, was able to buy the home through a rent-to-own program.
Referred to by many as ‘Momma Freeman,’ she believes that, in order for these neighborhoods to come together, they need “love, in a big way.” She recalls a young man whose mother would take money from her children to buy drugs. The kids were laughed at and made fun of, constantly.
“Now that he’s grown up, he sells drugs, he rides in a big car, he dresses real nice, you know, because he learned to capitalize off of what caused him a lot of pain,” Freeman said. “He does to somebody else what was done to him.”
Freeman believes that, deep down, those who perpetrate violence don’t really want to — that’s why, when she has intervened in potentially violent situations, people listen. They listen because they know she cares about them.
“A lot of them are really afraid,” she said. “You’d be surprised how they cry at night out at the House of Correction after those lights go out.”
Moore, who became one of Freeman’s “children” after his mother died, said he and others involved with the initiative are “on the streets telling these kids that we love them because we do.”
Keys to success
The initiative will operate by reaching out to those who are perpetrating violence. Harris said there will be training for the H.O.O.D. Ambassadors in “proper intervention and [prevention].”
Coleman said it’s important for the initiative to have ambassadors who can relate to the different communities and people they will be working with.
At the same time, the Safe Zones are not designed to harbor criminals and the coalition does not condone illegal activity. “Never have, never will,” said Hamilton. “Everybody that’s involved with the program understands that. That’s been clear from the very beginning.”
Hamilton added that the initiative is working with the police department to determine when police should step in. He said he would like to see a clear line where organizing ends and police work begins, noting that this boundary has not been difficult to define in neighborhoods such as Riverwest, Rufus King and Thurston Woods.
“The only thing we’re saying is [the ambassadors] are working in a tougher neighborhood with a whole lot more danger,” he said.
So far, the initiative has secured $50,000 in funding; Coleman and Moore are seeking a yearly operating budget of at least $150,000 and hope funds will be reallocated from similar programs associated with Compete Milwaukee and the Milwaukee Area Workforce Investment Board.
In addition, Milwaukee submitted an application to the federal Promise Zone initiative in November, after failing to make the list of 12 finalists for the initial round of funding in 2013. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) intends to designate six urban communities from a pool of 97 applicants. Promise Zones will receive technical assistance, staff support and preferential access to existing federal funding.
Either way, more support will be necessary. “It’s not enough just to organize the community — they need to be connected to the infrastructure that will give them the support to take it to the next level,” Hamilton said.
Freeman said the key to success will be communication and trust between the coalition and city institutions. “I think that we need to be able to communicate with each other. We have to be able to trust them that they’re going to do what they say; they have to be able to trust us that we’re going to do what we say we’re doing.”
Besides that, the message from Moore was clear: “Let us do the work.”

author: Jabril Faraj


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 19, 2015

author: Adam Carr


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Milwaukee YMCA and Milwaukee County Parks announce partnership to bring day camps and swim lessons to County Parks sites this summer | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee
April 20, 2015
The YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee is partnering with the Milwaukee County Department of Parks, Recreation and Culture to bring its day camps and swim lessons to  County Parks sites this summer. The new partnership will extend the Y’s programming into the communities it serves and give more children the opportunity to experience a safe, fun camp environment and learn life-saving swim and water safety skills.
Of the Milwaukee Y’s seven area day camps, three will be held at new County Parks sites – Lincoln Park, Wilson Park and the Milwaukee County Sports Complex in Franklin. Swim lessons taught by certified Milwaukee Y swim instructors will be held four days per week for nine weeks at Jackson, Washington, and Sheridan pools, as well as Schultz Aquatic Center in Lincoln Park and Pelican Cove in Kosciuszko Park.
“One of the ways the Milwaukee Y is working to achieve our vision of a stronger, healthier Milwaukee is by bringing our programs out into the community rather than requiring community members to come to us. Partnering with the County Parks gives us a unique platform to introduce hundreds of kids to the fun and value of summer camp and life-saving water safety education,” said Julie A. Tolan, president and CEO of the YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee. “Both the Milwaukee Y and the County Parks are invested in developing healthy kids who grow up to be good citizens, and together we will be able to teach even more young children lifelong skills that will help them grow to be healthy, thriving adults.”
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“We are very excited about our Day Camps and swimming lessons  partnership with the Milwaukee YMCA,” said Milwaukee County Parks Director John Dargle. “This is a strong partnership that is mutually beneficial to both parties, but especially to the residents of Southeastern Wisconsin. Together, we’ll provide opportunities for healthy activities and water safety  for kids and parents.”

author: YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee


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MPS high schools take state’s top 2 spots on Washington Post best list | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Public Schools
April 20, 2015
MPS high schools took Wisconsin’s top two spots on this year’s Washington Post list of “America’s Most Challenging High Schools” — those that are best in the nation at challenging their students to achieve through college-level exams.
Six MPS schools in total made the national list, which was released Monday. The MPS schools and their state rankings are:
The Post creates the list by dividing the number of Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate tests a school administers by the number of graduating seniors. MPS has increased Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate offerings in recent years, including offering more AP classes in high schools across the district and developing IB opportunities.
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“In recent years, Milwaukee Public Schools has taken significant steps to improve outcomes so more students are prepared for college and career success. Challenging students to take more rigorous coursework is an important part of that work,” MPS Superintendent Dr. Darienne Driver said. “I’m proud to say that six of our high schools are earning notice on a national stage for their efforts. Making sure more students have access to curriculum that challenges and engages them is a critical part of the work we are doing now to rethink high schools and to redesign our curriculum.”

author: Milwaukee Public Schools


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MPS to Redesign Struggling Bradley Tech High School | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
April 20, 2015
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio


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On the Block: The poet | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
April 21, 2015

author: Edgar Mendez


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 21, 2015


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Riverside robotics team heading to national championship after regional win | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Public Schools
April 21, 2015
(Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Public Schools)
Robotics team students from Milwaukee Public Schools’ Riverside University High School are bringing their robot and their skills to the FIRST Robotics Competition national championship later this month after winning a regional championship earlier this month in Chicago.
Riverside senior and “Robotigers” team member Matthew Beecher has dreamed about what he and his teammates accomplished since he was a 9-year-old student participating in robotics at MPS’ I.D.E.A.L. School.
“Knowing about the tournament for so long, and not just getting to go but also getting to compete – it’s absolutely great. I haven’t slept the last few nights,” Beecher said days after the regional win.
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It’s been a long journey to the championship. Officially known as Team 2830, the Robotigers team is just six years old and has historically had just a handful of students. At past events, the team was regularly eliminated before the playoffs. This year was different.
(Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Public Schools)
“To go from the team that no one really looked at to actually winning the competition, it was completely unbelievable,” Beecher said.
He thanked the team mentors and Riverside teacher advisor Chris Levas for their support – and believing they could win.
Levas said competing teams do not often expect much from a Milwaukee Public Schools team. He is proud the Robotigers showed them wrong.
“Next to my daughter’s birth and my wedding, it was probably the best experience of my life,” Levas said. “It was just phenomenal to see.”
Levas along with mentors from GE Healthcare and Rockwell Automation and student mentor Erik Orlowski from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee spend countless hours after school hours supporting the team. Students themselves are often at the school for six or more hours after the bell rings working on their robots. The team is also supported by Harley-Davidson Motor Company, the Milwaukee School of Engineering and local philanthropist George Mosher.
Team sponsors, the school, the Riverside University High School Foundation, Tri-City National Bank, MPS and individual donors through a gofundme page are funding the trip to the championship.
The Robotigers won the regional competition after building a robot over the course of six weeks that can successfully compete in this year’s themed competition: Recycle Rush. Two alliances of three robots each stack containers and place “recyclables” into the bins.
Levas said the program is one of the most powerful he has seen in his 11 years of teaching.
“It’s getting kids not just to understand science and engineering and physics concepts – it’s all wrapped up in a giant, hands-on project. It’s problem solving,” he said.
In addition to Riverside’s team, a team from MPS’ Barack Obama School of Career and Technical Education and a joint team including students from MPS’ Lynde and Harry Bradley Technology and Trade School, Alexander Hamilton High School, Rufus King International High School, Ronald Reagan College Preparatory High School and Washington High School of Information Technology participate in robotics events and competitions.
The joint team – Team 1675 – won recognition at the Chicago tournament for the design of its robot, earning the Industrial Design Award, sponsored by General Motors. Students from Dominican High School in Whitefish Bay are also a part of Team 1675, in addition to MPS students.
Riverside’s team was one of just three teams among the 54 at the Chicago competition to earn a spot in the national competition in St. Louis.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 20, 2015


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LBWN hiring for two positions | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Layton Boulevard West Neighbors
April 23, 2015
Economic Development Manager (Apply by  on )
LBWN is currently hiring for an Economic Development Manager that is bilingual in English and Spanish. This is your chance to work with existing Milwaukee business owners in Silver City, Burnham Park and Layton Park to grow their enterprises while also attracting new entrepreneurs to the neighborhood. Join LBWN’s efforts to continue strengthening our neighborhoods’ economy, which has resulted in 31 new businesses and over 100 new jobs!
Visit www.lbwn.org/jobs for a complete job description and apply by 5:00pm on Monday, April 27th by emailing your cover letter, resume, and salary expectations to charlotte@lbwn.org.
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LBWN is seeking to hire Neighborhood Plan Coordinator that is bilingual in English and Spanish and is responsible for planning, coordinating, and carrying out comprehensive revitalization in accordance with the LBWN Quality of Life Plan, working together with local organizations, residents, government agencies, consultants, businesses, and local service providers.
Visit www.lbwn.org/jobs for a complete job description and apply by 4:00pm on Wednesday, May 13th by emailing cover letter, resume, and salary expectations to charlotte@lbwn.org.

author: Layton Boulevard West Neighbors


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Mobile greenhouse helps students embrace agriculture, entrepreneurship | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Molly Rippinger
April 23, 2015
A Milwaukee Environmental Sciences student checks out the new greenhouse trailer, which will be used for growing seedlings and as a mobile marketplace. (Photo by Molly Rippinger)
Students at Milwaukee Environmental Sciences (MES), an MPS charter school at 6600 W. Melvina St., kicked off their Earth Day celebration with a first glimpse of their new, mobile greenhouse.
“This is awesome,” said a group of fourth graders as they walked up to the greenhouse hitched onto a trailer. The plan is for students to use the trailer for growing seedlings, which will be planted in raised garden beds at MES, and as a mobile marketplace.
Doug Janssen, who teaches fourth and fifth grade at MES, explained that the mobile greenhouse is an opportunity for hands-on learning and to provide a service for the community. “There are no farmers’ markets in this area to buy fresh food at a reasonable price,” he said.
The vegetables, herbs and spices that are not sold will find other uses, such as the lunchroom’s salad bar or as ingredients in fresh salsa made by the students.
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Arts @ Large, a Milwaukee-based initiative emphasizing experiential learning and strengthening school communities through the arts, was key in developing the mobile greenhouse. The project is one facet of Arts @ Large’s three-year commitment to MES. Other projects have included installation of a water catchment system and a floor-to- ceiling mural in the front hall illustrating environmental themes such as urban agriculture and energy consumption.
Sean Kiebzak, site coordinator for Arts @ Large, answers questions from students at Milwaukee Environmental Sciences charter school. (Photo by Molly Rippinger)
Sean Kiebzak, site coordinator for Arts @ Large, explained that the initial idea for the greenhouse trailer stemmed from the Wormfarm Institute, a nonprofit based in Reedsburg.
In its efforts to integrate culture and agriculture, the Wormfarm Institute began building roadside “culture stands,” which are mobile farm stands designed by local artists. “The whole idea behind it was to create mobile markets where individuals and entrepreneurs can have a space in which they can sell their goods,” said Kiebzak.
Locally owned Hometown Building constructed the MES greenhouse trailer, donating both the materials and labor, while Milwaukee-based architect Chad Hilke created the design free of charge.
Kiebzak explained that an area artist will be brought into MES to work directly with the students to beautify and personalize the mobile greenhouse.
“I think the trailer is nice, but we just need to put a little color on it so it will pop out,” said Janaya Cotton, a fifth grader at MES. Cotton hopes to incorporate leaves and other environmental elements into the design.
MES students have been involved with the mobile greenhouse for months, making suggestions for the design and learning about the history of culture stands.
Linda D’Acquisto, professional development specialist at Arts @ Large, works with the MES teachers to incorporate art projects that align with the curriculum.
“It’s so cool what’s happening here and to see the students engage,” said D’Acquisto.
As an example, she mentioned a water catchment system installed by Reflo, a nonprofit specializing in sustainable water use and green infrastructure. Rainwater from the roof is diverted to a drainpipe made from clear, PVC tubing. The pipe is visible inside a MES science classroom where students can use a spout to collect and analyze rainwater samples.
“During a rainstorm, students can actually watch the water running off of the roof and through the piping,” said Kiebzak. The rainwater then flows into a cistern where it can be used to water the gardens.
The water catchment system illustrates the Expeditionary Learning model embraced by MES, which emphasizes hands-on projects for an in-depth understanding of topics.
MES opened in 2013 as a kindergarten through fifth-grade elementary school and is a year-round, non-instrumentality charter, meaning the staff members are not MPS employees and the governing board is independent. Each year the school will add another grade level until it reaches reach 12 grade.
The charter school was established by the Milwaukee Teacher Education Center (MTEC), a nonprofit professional development center promoting teacher-training programs that allow educators to work toward certifications while on the job.
Arts @ Large, which began in 2001, has been involved with MES staff and students since the school first opened. Each year, Arts @ Large brings about 100 area artists into local schools.
For Kiebzak, finally seeing the culture stand at MES is an exciting moment.
“I’ve wanted to do a culture stand for a while,” he said. “After learning about it, I knew we needed to do something like this because it’s so artistic, it’s so innovative and it’s such a great idea. I was just waiting for the right school to come up with a vision where they would use something like this.”

author: Molly Rippinger


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 22, 2015


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Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee bids farewell to longtime executive director | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee Board of Directors
April 23, 2015
Leigh Kunde, who has provided exemplary service and leadership as executive director of the Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee since 1993, has announced that she will leave her position late this summer.
“It has been an honor to work with nonprofit organizations whose critical missions change lives and improve the quality of life for all of us,” says Kunde. “Since its founding in 1967, the Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee has been here to support nonprofits at every stage of their development to be strong and vital contributors and catalysts for change. I am extremely proud of our work together and I have grown professionally from the opportunity to serve. My passion and commitment to support nonprofit capacity and building community will continue moving forward.”
“Through her leadership, compassion, creativity and vision, Leigh has had a profound impact on the nonprofit community in and around Milwaukee over the past several decades,” says Josh Bierbach, chair of the Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee Board of Directors. “We are so grateful for her service.”
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Highlights of Kunde’s tenure as executive director include:
The Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee Board of Directors is undertaking a search for a new executive director and plans to have the position filled shortly after Kunde’s departure, which is currently planned for July 31, 2015.
The Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee is a membership association serving over 500 nonprofit and corporate members and the nonprofit sector at large. The Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee promotes the interests and effectiveness of the nonprofit sector through strengthening organizational capacity, expanding volunteerism and encouraging collaborations. Its programs include training and consulting, Volunteer Milwaukee, financial management, and Jobs that Serve. For more information visit www.npcmilwaukee.org.


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On the Block: Hidden talent | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
April 23, 2015
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/202195993″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
Ronald Franks has had to fend for himself — his life has been about nothing more than survival. Franks has worked as a roofer, mechanic, city worker and exotic dancer and more, only earning $10,000 in taxable income over his lifetime. In the midst of that reality, however, Franks displays a talent of his that has never been fully realized.
Milwaukee Stories link: http://milwaukeestories.org/2015/04/22/just-passin-through/
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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 23, 2015


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Brothers bring art of community building to Bronzeville | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Karen Slattery
April 24, 2015
The people living and working in Milwaukee’s Bronzeville neighborhood have new neighbors. Brothers Darren and Vedale Hill have opened Jazale’s Art Studio – Where Children Create at 2201 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.
Part of the studio’s mission is to offer afterschool and summer art programs to area youth at no cost to the children.
Vedale Hill, an artist who has created public art in Milwaukee, said three other artists, Sherman Pitts, Mikal Floyd-Pruitt and Diego Heredia, are renting space in the studio and will also mentor the children. The students can work on their own projects or “join a project that one of the other artists is doing,” Vedale Hill said. Students can also get help with homework.
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The brothers said they are hoping to create a safe space for children in a neighborhood where safety cannot be taken for granted.
The pair moved dozens of times as children and Darren Hill said they benefited from the city’s youth and family programs that provided things they didn’t have, including a sense of place. “We know how big an impact that had on our own lives, so we want to have that same impact, if possible,” he said.
The studio was formerly located at 731 E. Center St., so the recent open house in Bronzeville marked a “second grand opening,” according to Darren Hill.
The event, which attracted parents and children, offered music, opportunities for children to paint, and a performance by Dance Fusion, featuring members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee dancing to Kanye West’s “All of the Lights.”
The studio walls are lined with the work of professional artists and children with whom Vedale Hill has worked. One painting featured silhouettes of two children, Emily Gonzales, 10, and Jalyssa Thomas, 11. Hill created the painting while working with children at the Don & Sallie Davis Boys & Girls Club, 1975 S. 24 St. The pair were at Saturday’s opening, performing as part of Dance Fusion. “We feel special because we got to be in a painting,” said Emily, as Jalyssa nodded.
While the celebration was underway, Dorothy McCollum was hard at work in her beauty salon next door. McCollum, owner of D & D Lovely Locs, 2201 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, was creating sister locks for Regina Lipsey, her fingers moving quickly through her client’s hair as she spoke of her new neighbors.
“I love what I see them doing. They came to me and asked if I had any problem with them working with kids, sometimes troubled kids. I said no.” McCollum, who works evenings, added, “I have a sense of security at night with them over here.”
The studio is on the edge of the Bronzeville Redevelopment District, a city effort to renovate the area surrounding West North Avenue between King Drive and Seventh Street. Bronzeville was originally home to African-Americans who moved to Milwaukee during the first half of the last century. Many were displaced in the 1960s when a freeway was constructed through the area.
Darren Hill said he’s excited to be a part of the effort to rebuild Bronzeville. “To see people start to reinvest in the neighborhood and believe in the neighborhood again — we’d love the opportunity of being a part of that, and having the arts be a part of the revitalization effort.”
This summer, Vedale Hill plans to paint a large mural on the outside of the building to bring the arts to the neighborhood and signal the studio’s presence there. Hill said he thinks people behave better when they are surrounded by beauty. “I just really want the children to have the sense that we’re going to be here, that this is a solid place to be.”

author: Karen Slattery


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DNS internship program a possible path to city employment | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Russell W. Stamper, II
April 24, 2015
Alderman Russell W. Stamper, II is encouraging interested residents to apply for the Department of Neighborhood Services’ Code Enforcement Intern program — a two-year training initiative that combines classroom training and on-the-job experience to prepare individuals for Code Enforcement Inspector positions.
Alderman Stamper said interested individuals should go to http://bit.ly/1zVqnHh for more information and to apply. Applications are being accepted until the close of business on Wednesday, May 6, 2015.
“The City of Milwaukee is looking for individuals who are willing to dedicate themselves to a regimen that includes work experience in the field and college coursework in this positive initiative,” Alderman Stamper said. “The program could very well lead to a career in city service (code enforcement) that is essential to keeping our city neighborhoods safe and vibrant. This is a program I strongly support.”
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Minimum requirements for the Code Enforcement Intern program curriculum consist of approximately 31 college credits in the combined fields of English, social sciences, math/computers, architecture, and code enforcement. The position carries a starting salary of more than $26,000 per year.

author: Ald. Russell W. Stamper, II


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1.5 Million Missing Black Men | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
April 27, 2015
The New York Times


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Owner seeks nonprofit to purchase Sherman Boulevard auction house | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
April 27, 2015
Standing on the trash-sprinkled front steps of the Schrager Auction Galleries, 2915 N. Sherman Blvd., Wolfgang Rosenau recalls the deathbed conversation he had with the building’s late owner, auctioneer Al Schrager.
“I made a promise to a dying friend,” Rosenau said.
It was September 2013 when Schrager, by then too weak to speak, squeezed the hand of Rosenau, his friend and fellow antiques dealer, acknowledging Rosenau’s promise to help find a suitable owner for his beloved auction house, located across the street from Sherman Park.
Soon after, Schrager passed away.
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The half-block-long solid stone building, which features an enormous stained glass dome in addition to a 1,400-seat auditorium, has languished on the market since 2010, after Schrager moved his auctions online.
The building originally opened in 1920 as the Third Church of Christian Science, but was purchased by Schrager in 1980 as the headquarters for the auction business he would run for more than 60 years.
“My dad felt blessed to do his business as an auctioneer in this building,” said Jeff Schrager, a real estate broker in California.
Wolfgang Roseanau stands against the center aisle of pews. (Photo by Adam Carr)
Schrager described his father as a caring man with a strong faith in God and sense of community. The son said his father wanted the building to serve a higher purpose, such as reverting to a church or serving the area in another way. Schrager said he hopes the building could serve a purpose that honors his father’s spirit.
“We want it to be more than just a landmark; we want it to be a useful component of the community he was a part of,” Schrager said, adding that a nonprofit or a group of community organizations would be a great fit for the building.
Finding a new owner for the building, which had a price tag of $1.2 million in 2010 but is now listed at $549,000, has been a challenge.
The auction house is located in the 53210 ZIP code, which once housed A.O. Smith Corp., Briggs and Stratton Corp. and many others factories that have since shuttered or moved away, eliminating thousands of jobs once held by area residents. In 2012, nearly half of families in 53210 had annual incomes of less than $20,000, compared to 29 percent in Milwaukee County, according to a UWM Employment and Training Institute study.
The needs of residents in the area have changed a great deal since the days when the building served as a world market and items ranging from sets of ivory dishware to $100,000 tapestries were sold there, Rosenau said.
That’s why he has been reaching out to city officials, school administrators, theatre owners, nonprofit organizations and just about anyone else who will take the time to listen to his idea to turn the building into a neighborhood anchor. Rosenau keeps a log, now six pages, of each person he’s contacted so far.
He’s immersed himself in the community, attending gun violence conferences, town halls and other meetings, each time learning more about the lives of African Americans in Milwaukee and the connection between poverty and violence.
He regularly invites community leaders to visit the auction house and consider running a community center there. “How great would that be if the building could become the Al Schrager Community Center,” said Rosenau, before heading up a staircase to the second floor.
“This is about more than selling the building, it’s about improving the neighborhood,” Rosenau added.
Rosenau thinks that organizations are afraid to invest in the neighborhood, but says if they do, crime will decrease significantly.
Recently, the Near West Side Partners introduced a three-year, $1 million initiative called Promoting Assets and Reducing Crime (PARC) to improve the area near Marquette University by engaging residents and business leaders in the community.
Jeff Schrager said he would like to see the same type of concerted effort by city officials and other stakeholders to repurpose the building as a catalyst for change in the Sherman Park neighborhood.
“To let a building that is that key to the neighborhood go unused is a tragedy and a failure … of city officials to people in that neighborhood,” Schrager said.
To increase the odds that a nonprofit will occupy the building, the family would consider making a valuable charitable donation or offering a below-market sale price, according to Schrager.
The building is remarkably well kept, and hints of its past uses are everywhere. In a room above the auditorium’s upper balcony sit rows of lockers once used by ushers for the church. Behind the auditorium stage, where auctions were held, are bathrooms, small bedrooms, storage and other rooms. There are several other large spaces that were used for auctions, according to Rosenau.
“They’re perfect office spaces,” he remarked.
Scattered across different sections on the first floor of the auction house are a mix of Schrager family possessions and remnants from the auction house business: empty hutches, outdated desktop computers, fax machines, conference phones and coffee cups filled with pens and pencils.
The building is big enough to house six to eight smaller agencies, or perhaps one big one, while the auditorium can be used for talent shows and other fundraisers — “something for the kids in the neighborhood to look forward to,” Rosenau said.
One stumbling block is that there are only a few parking spots in the back, and street parking is limited. Rosenau said he’s had conversations with city officials about the possibility of turning another property into a parking lot for the building.
Dozens of tours for potential occupants have been held over the past few months with no luck, according to Schrager. Still, he said, “We’re not looking to dump it or donate it just to get it off our shoulders.” He said he’d like the community to rally together to find a solution for the landmark building, even if it means renting it out.
Until that happens the auction house will remain unused, and Rosenau’s promise to a dying friend will loom larger and larger on his mind.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 26, 2015


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SHARP Literacy hiring Development Manager | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
SHARP Literacy
April 27, 2015
Job Description
SHARP Literacy seeks a dynamic and passionate individual who will manage the donor database, maintain donor records and create acknowledgment letters. The Development Manager will coordinate all aspects of special events, manage marketing and public relations activities and assist in prospect research and grant writing. Additionally, this person will perform administrative functions to support the development department.
Primary Functions and Responsibilities
Skills and Qualifications
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How to Apply
Interested parties should email a letter of interest, resume, contact information for three references and salary requirements to:
Nandini Sinha
VP of Fund Development
Nandini@sharpliteracy.org
414-410-3203

author: SHARP Literacy


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Uncomfortable Conversations: Talking About Race In The Classroom | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
April 27, 2015
National Public Radio


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When Hospitals Move, Who Gets Left Behind? | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
April 27, 2015
The Atlantic


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Church leaders, community pray for equality at Open Prayer event | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Wyatt Massey
April 28, 2015
Sister Shawnee M. Daniels-Sykes shares a reflection on racism and economic inequality at Greater Together’s Open Prayer event. (Photo by Wyatt Massey)
A repeated chorus of “we are one, we are one” rang through the chapel of Redeemer Lutheran Church at Greater Together’s recent Open Prayer for Racial and Economic Equality.
Dorothy Jackson, sitting in the front-row pew with her three grandchildren, led the singing, joined by about 50 other people. The event featured individual reflections, group dialogues and shared moments of prayer about racism and inequality in Milwaukee.
“It’s a tough subject,” Jackson said. “Anytime you can get people together to talk about it, it’s a good thing.”
The service was part of a series sponsored by Greater Together, a coalition dedicated to raising awareness and gathering ideas to create racial and economic equality in Milwaukee. The movement began in summer 2014 and community dialogues have occurred around the city since.
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Participants at the service hear prayers written by audience members. (Photo by Wyatt Massey)
Rev. Jason Butler of Transformation City Church spoke of recognizing his white privilege and the difficult questions that raises about his role in bringing social change.
After the reflections, members of the audience gathered in small groups to discuss the experience. Carsie Poe, who is African-American, said he was grateful for the variety of churches represented.
“In our community, it’s sad what’s going on,” Poe said. “We need to be united – in our gathering, in our faith – to make a difference.”
The fact that members of multiple churches came together was especially important for Greg Lewis, assistant pastor at St. Gabriel’s Church of God in Christ at 5363 N. 37th St. He is also president of Pastors United, an organization of 300 churches across denominations that addresses community problems. Racism and the plight of the poor are issues the churches should confront together, he said. Services like this fulfill this mission, he added.
“It’s bringing some unity to the division of the churches,” he said. “Usually, with a church, it’s one race or another. It’s good for the church to get to know one another.”
Rev. Lisa Bates-Froiland, pastor of Redeemer Lutheran, asked participants to join their hearts, minds and souls in one mission. The church also hosted Greater Together’s citywide dialogue about segregation and inequality in October, which attracted more than 200 participants.
Bates-Froiland said she saw the same level of energy and commitment in the small group dialogues as she did in the fall. “I saw that people were leaning in and really engaged,” she said.
The service concluded with participants anointing each other’s hands in oil, saying, “May your hands be instruments of peace and love.” As the group filed out of the pews and onto the streets of Milwaukee, resident Dana Orr and her school-age daughter left the chapel inspired.
“This was the beginning of something needed in our city,” Orr said. “I’m excited to be part of it.”

author: Wyatt Massey


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 27, 2015


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MKE Plays hiring Program Coordinator | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
City of Milwaukee
April 28, 2015
POSITION TITLE: MKE Plays Program Coordinator
WORKSITE LOCATION: City of Milwaukee – City Hall and Remote
EXPECTED DATES OF CONTRACT: April 2015 – October 2015
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LENGTH OF CONTRACT: 20-22 weeks (approximately 10-20 hours per week). Hours worked per week are dependent on volume of community activity for a given park. Night/weekend neighborhood and ad hoc board meetings are required.
INTERN SUPERVISOR & CONTACT INFORMATION: Sarah Zarate, Staff Assistant to Council President (414) 286-3272 (stasstp@milwaukee.gov)
FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR CONTRACT: Yes. Hourly Wage $/hr. (some travel required, 50% of time) PROGRAM SUMMARY:
The MKE Plays initiative aims to transform 12 of the city’s most deteriorated playgrounds, as evaluated by the Department of Public Works, into models for local collaboration and renovation. The restoration of the City’s playgrounds will bring much needed improvement to create safe and attractive places for families to play and socialize. At a time when obesity is the leading cause of preventable death in the US and when close to 35% of Milwaukee high school students are either overweight or obese, the systematic and cooperative transformation of Milwaukee play areas cannot be underestimated. Involving local residents in the restoration of community assets offers further benefits by providing opportunities for people to share in the design experience and develop a sense of ownership in their community. The social capital needed to improve and maintain the MKE Plays neighborhoods is as much an asset as the required financial capital, and is more likely to overflow into additional community action.
GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:
The Program Coordinator will oversee the implementation of the MKE Plays program through its first construction season, uncovering local playground dynamics in each of the geographic areas for the first two parks. The Program Coordinator’s community engagement and coordination activities are an opportunity to: provide multiple parties with the context and specific details of program intent and implementation summary; identify the geographic boundary to be used for community outreach strategy; identify branding/community identity dynamics for the surrounding neighborhood including user demographics; identify historical, current and desired best uses for the public spaces that include how use has evolved over the last five years; map community assets; identify points of contact surrounding the parks, including relevant local community organizations, and identifying for the Common Council President appointments to be made for individual ad hoc boards. The first MKE Parks are:
The Program Coordinator will be responsible for developing the tools necessary for successful participatory park assessment in consultation with the Program Manager and other project team members, for training and working with program interns and local partners in each of the parks to collect and analyze data, for overseeing that communication between various partners is efficient and direct, assisting in the organization and development of the evaluation design, and for the production of an implementation guide to be used in the first construction season and which will systemize activities and help facilitate the design and construction of future MKE Plays parks.
Extension of contract into second construction season is possible.
MKE Plays Program Coordinator Scope of Work 4/6/2015
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
MKE Plays program team members, contracted by the City of Milwaukee or local partners, are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, especially to our beneficiaries. The MKE Plays program aims to build playgrounds designed by local residents. With this as a guiding principle, team members must engage beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design process.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY:
No direct responsibility. While the Program Manager oversees program implementation on behalf of the Common Council President, MKE Plays is horizontally structured to encourage collaboration and teamwork.
REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: Staff Assistant to Council President (Program Manager)
WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: Program Manager, Common Council President, Common Council members and their Legislative Assistants, Community Engagement Specialist (Trinity Fellow), Department of Public Works staff including the Commissioner of Public Works and Operations and Maintenance Manager, and local partners.
DELIVERABLES:
MKE Plays Program Coordinator Scope of Work 4/6/2015
The successful Program Coordinator will have strong organizational and communication skills and be orientated towards collaborative problem solving. S/he will be able to work independently, take initiative, and work closely with a diverse project team in a fast-paced, fluid work environment.
IDEAL CANDIDATE SHOULD POSSESS THE FOLLOWING KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
development. Strong facilitation skills required.

author: City of Milwaukee


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On the Block: Keeping kids safe | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matthew Wisla
April 28, 2015

author: Matthew Wisla


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How to spot a stroke | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
American Heart Association
April 29, 2015
A stroke occurs when a blood vessel is either blocked by a clot or bursts — preventing oxygen and nutrients from reaching part of the brain. Cells begin to die and functions controlled by this part of the brain are lost. A stroke can affect your memory and emotions as well as your ability to walk, talk and/or understand.
African Americans are at particularly high risk for heart disease and stroke: almost twice the risk of first-time strokes and higher death rates compared to whites.
May is American Stroke Month and the American Heart Association wants you to be aware of the risks and warning signs of stroke.
Knowing the risks and warning signs of stroke is key to prevention. (Image courtesy of American Heart Association)
Know your risk
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Traits or behaviors that increase your risk for heart disease and stroke are called risk factors. Know your risk factors by knowing your numbers, such as your cholesterol and blood pressure. Also, several factors increase your risk for heart disease and stroke. You can’t change some, such as family history, age and gender, but some risk factors can be changed or treated. The six major changeable risk factors are:
Know your warning signs
In the past, doctors couldn’t do much to help stroke victims. Now, stroke doesn’t have to lead to disability or death. The key is to recognize a stroke and to call 911 immediately. Know these warning signs of stroke and teach them to others.
For more information about strokes, visit www.heart.org.

author: American Heart Association


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 28, 2015


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New garden will bring healthy food, green space to Concordia | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
April 29, 2015
State Sen. Nikiya Harris Dodd (front, center), state Rep. Evan Goyke (third from left), and Ald. Robert Bauman (center, rear) join volunteers in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Neighborhood House of Milwaukee’s Garden Park groundbreaking. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Earth Day in Milwaukee dawned cold and gray but that did not discourage 60 residents, elected representatives, Neighborhood House of Milwaukee staff and volunteers from turning out for a ceremonial groundbreaking at a new community garden at the corner of West 27th Street and Richardson Place.
If neighbors in the Concordia area get involved in planting and harvesting, “it will pull people together a little bit. It will be a nice gathering spot,” said State Street resident Marilynn Weiland, who brought her 3-year-old grandson and another toddler in a wagon.
Community and professional landscaper volunteers invested many hours of work at the Richardson Place Community Garden Park in the days leading up to the groundbreaking. Already visible are the outlines of planting beds and a play area. A small amphitheater and rain gardens will soon follow. And the planners are seeking permission to have a mural painted on the side of a building at the garden’s south border.
Rolando Morgado Sanchez (left) and Michael Peterson of the Wisconsin Landscape Contractors Association build a balance beam out of tree trunks and branches. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
“We left some space on the outside to inspire a farmers/art market, so (there is) space for the tents and for the people,” said volunteer Bradley Blaeser, CEO of The Green Team of Wisconsin, Inc., who donated the garden design. And that wide perimeter also gives the garden a more intimate feel, Blaeser added.
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A Neighborhood House outdoor and environmental educator from 2001 to 2007, Blaeser spearheaded the fundraising and persuaded the Wisconsin Landscape Contractors Association (WLCA) to commit its annual day of service to the project.
Students from the International Learning Center, 639 N. 25th St., joined WLCA volunteers. Patrick Rich, who teaches English as a Second Language (ESL), explained that many of the center’s students come from predominately agricultural countries and are expert farmers. “It’s nice to give them an opportunity to show what they know,” Rich said.
A program of Neighborhood House, the center offers English language instruction and other help to refugees and immigrants.
Neighborhood House has worked to get residents involved in agriculture for decades, said Executive Director Jeff Martinka. Though it has a smaller garden containing raised beds, a pollinator garden and an area for honeybees south of its building, “we wanted to have something that was much more ambitious, that was close to where we work with our preschoolers and our kids,” Martinka said. Neighborhood House is located half a block west of the garden.
The organization is committed to promoting healthy eating, and demonstrating the affordability and relative ease of growing vegetables, Martinka explained.
“There was a time, and it’s been decades ago now, when a lot of people in Milwaukee had gardens. We’re trying in a small way to re-institute that here with Neighborhood House’s garden park.”
In addition to expanding its urban agriculture program, the garden space will also provide a pocket park in an area that doesn’t have other parks, Martinka noted. It also gives Neighborhood House a greater presence on a main Concordia thoroughfare and therefore a stronger link to the community, he added.


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Controversy Surrounds Wisconsin Food Stamp Bill That Limits Buying Options | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
April 30, 2015
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio


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County may fund mobile market to get produce to food deserts | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
April 30, 2015
jsonline.com


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Officials look to state for answers on sex offender residency | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
April 30, 2015
Celia Jackson, 59, addresses a panel of city officials at the Washington Park Senior Center. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
Richard Rosa’s brother, Raymond, is one of a number of former sex offenders facing an uncertain future because of an ordinance passed by the City of Milwaukee Common Council last fall that severely limits where individuals convicted of a sexual offense can live.
Raymond Rosa, 48, was convicted of second degree sexual assault in the case of a 15-year-old friend of his daughter in 2005. Rosa received a 12-year sentence, consisting of seven years of imprisonment and five years of extended supervision. Rosa was released in 2012 and, after failing a drug test, ended up on a list of offenders wanted by the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Department in late 2013.
At that time, Raymond had been working as an electrician’s apprentice for two or three months after some schooling through WRTP/BIG STEP, Richard said. He has, most recently, served about 15 months at Jackson Correctional Institution in Black River Falls but is set to be released at the beginning of June and is facing the prospect of living in his van.
“He called me a month and a half ago and he said, ‘Rich, they’re trying to kill me,’” Richard Rosa said, referring to the effects of the new ordinance. “He’s scared.”
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Red and orange highlights denote areas convicted sex offenders cannot reside within the city of Milwaukee. (Map produced by City of Milwaukee)
The ordinance, which restricts sex offenders from maintaining a permanent residence less than 2,000 feet from a school, day care, park, recreational trail, playground or “any other place designated by the city as a place where children are known to congregate,” leaves precious few areas where sex offenders who are released from prison can legally reside on a permanent basis. The 2014 legislation came in response to similar ordinances restricting where sex offenders can live in all 18 other municipalities within Milwaukee County.
A recent panel discussion of the ordinance at the Washington Park Senior Center addressed what some called the unintended consequences of the legislation. Mayor Tom Barrett, Common Council President Michael Murphy, Wisconsin Department of Correction Region 3 Chief Niel Thoreson and Capt. James Shepard who commands the Sensitive Crimes Division of the Milwaukee Police Department, participated on the panel.
Murphy, who opposed the legislation, said he understands the concerns of some of his colleagues who felt Milwaukee was becoming a “dumping ground” for sex offenders in the county. Murphy said a 2014 analysis of DOC data by his office showed that of sex offenders living in the county in 2007, 89 percent resided in Milwaukee.
Thoreson, whose office is responsible for monitoring offenders in Milwaukee County, said this issue is not limited to the state’s largest city. Thoreson said the cities of Waukesha, Racine, Kenosha, Green Bay and Madison also shoulder the heaviest burden when it comes to housing sex offenders in their respective counties.
Because of this, Thoreson said he’s optimistic state legislation will result, but he’s also fearful of what that legislation might look like. He said, “I don’t want a statewide solution to be more draconian than what we’re dealing with now, meaning we don’t want to make it more difficult and drive more of these individuals underground.”
Attempts to address the question of where sex offenders should live have surfaced at the state level with bills introduced to the state assembly in 2005 and 2009; both pieces of legislation failed to pass. Barrett, who signed the 2014 ordinance, said inaction on the part of state legislators made the Milwaukee residency restrictions necessary.
“These are individuals who have violated state law, are being prosecuted by state district attorneys, are often represented by state public defenders, appear before state judges, are placed in state institutions and, then, at the very end, it’s a local issue? That’s why we need to have a statewide response,” he said.
“We can’t track them”
During the panel discussion, Thoreson dispelled a number of myths when it comes to the perception of sex offenders and their behavior. Among them are that former offenders assault strangers, find victims in public places and never change. In reality, he said, 93 percent of sexual offenders had not previously been convicted of a sex crime, most victims are known to the perpetrator through a friend or acquaintance and treatment rooted in evidence-based principles “can have a pretty significant effect when it comes to reducing recidivism.” Nationwide, only 5.3 percent of sexual offenders re-offend within three years of their release.
But the reality remains: people, especially parents, don’t want a convicted sex offender for a neighbor. “What if a sex offender lived next door? How would you feel?” said 15th District Alderman Russell Stamper after the discussion. “That’s what you’ve got to ask yourself.”
In theory, these ordinances protect children and families by not allowing potentially dangerous individuals easy access to children. In practice, however, a 2007 Minnesota study on sex offender recidivism found, “very little support for the notion that residency restriction laws would lower the incidence of sexual recidivism, particularly among child molesters.” In addition, anecdotal evidence suggested residency restrictions also “limited offender employment prospects, reduced suitable housing opportunities, and threatened the reliability of the sex offender registry by causing more offenders to become homeless.” Restrictions also cause offenders to give fake addresses or change addresses without notifying authorities.
Five units in DOC are responsible for supervising sex offenders. The goal of these units is to prevent additional victimization by focusing on risk reduction based on the individual’s behavior, not his or her offense, according to Peter Marik, one of the five corrections field supervisors for the DOC in Milwaukee. Depending on a particular individual’s level of risk, the DOC uses controls such as GPS (location tracking), polygraph tests and home visits, often at unusual and unscheduled hours, to keep offenders accountable.
Certain factors, including how old the person was when the offense was committed and how many people were victimized, contribute to the assessment of risk. Marik also noted that whether the individual has recently used drugs or alcohol, lost a job or lost a home can increase the risk that a sex offender will reoffend.
Thoreson quoted testimony given before the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2010 by Dr. Anna Salter, one of the nation’s foremost experts on sex offender supervision and treatment, in illustrating this point.
Salter, who also consults with the Wisconsin DOC, said, “My concern with residency restrictions is that both my clinical experience and the research say they put children at more risk, rather than less. They destabilize offenders without offering any protective effect. They, ultimately, reduce the number of sex offenders who are supervised and monitored and increase the number who are unseen, unknown and free from oversight.”
Shepard, whose department has the responsibility of enforcing the residency ordinance, confirmed that the law makes his job “a lot more difficult.” In addition to inflating the number of apparent violations — out of 300 potential violations his department investigated, only 80 of those cases were “truly in violation,” he said — the ordinance makes it almost impossible to track sex offenders, whether they’re on supervision or not, and only gives the appearance of safety.
“Although they’re not there on paper, they’re still there in those areas but we’re unable to see them,” Shepard said.
“Where should they live?”
Murphy said recently a realtor called him on behalf of an individual who was convicted of a sexual offense eight years ago, wondering whether that person was able to buy a home in the city.
“If you look at the map, he could buy a home right next to the airport,” Murphy said, adding that it would depend on the person’s offense.
He noted that everyone is talking about where sex offenders shouldn’t live rather than where they should live. “That question’s not being asked by anybody,” said Murphy.
“I really think that the idea of going back home makes sense,” Thoreson said.
But, if that locality has residency restrictions, it’s likely the individual will end up homeless within that municipality. In fact, Thoreson said DOC has “already had that happen multiple times.” Responding to a question about placing offenders in other states, Thoreson noted that an “interstate compact” among all 50 states outlines the rules, regulations and procedure for transferring sex offenders from their home state. If an offender wants to live in another state, that state has the right to refuse. The interstate agreement came as the result of “heinous and sensational” crimes committed by sex offenders on active supervision in states that were not aware of their presence, he added.
Now that the ordinance has been in effect for some time, Thoreson said the DOC has received letters from inmates who are nearing the end of their sentences expressing apprehension at the prospect of being released with nowhere to go. That’s cause for concern because the six months before release are crucial, said Thoreson, and the DOC wants offenders thinking about what they’re going to do when they’re released so they don’t end up back in prison.
“We don’t want them worrying about where they’re going to sleep, where they’re going to find their next meal,” he said.
Regardless of the intentions, that’s what’s happening. Because of this, Richard Rosa said his brother actually asked the DOC to forgo the “privilege” of finishing his sentence out of prison.
“He wants to stay there because he’s got a bed, he’s got a routine, he’s got food,” said Rosa. “They’re forcing him to come home to live homeless.”
Celia Jackson, a Milwaukee resident and executive director of the International & Intercultural Center at Alverno College, commented that when it comes to talking about sex offenders, race, crime or “a whole host of social issues,” it is fear “that keeps us from having really authentic conversations.”
Jackson questioned whether looking to the state for a solution is the best course of action, suggesting the possibility of cooperation among municipalities in Milwaukee County. Either way, she called on officials to stop “shifting the blame or the responsibility,” adding that we have a responsibility to everyone in our community to find a solution.
She said, “We can just continue to vilify [sex offenders] … but that doesn’t make us safer.”


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 29, 2015


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On the Block: The gift of life | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
April 30, 2015
Calip Stephens, a Vietnam veteran, fathered a child with a woman he had dated on and off while on leave from military service. Stephens, who lost a second child before birth, wishes things would have been different but is happy to see the man his 42-year-old son has become.
Milwaukee Stories link: http://milwaukeestories.org/2015/04/29/the-value-of-life-means-a-lot-to-me/
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Two commuter bus lines to suburbs may be scaled back to save money | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
April 30, 2015
Milwaukee Business Journal


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One year later, Milwaukeeans gather to celebrate the life of Dontre Hamilton | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
May 1, 2015
Milwaukeeans from around the city gathered to remember and celebrate the life of Dontre Hamilton in Red Arrow Park on the one year anniversary of his death. Some marched to the event from various spots around the city. The event featured music, speakers, food, and tributes to Hamilton’s life.


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Street poll addresses ‘what if racism ended today?’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matthew Wisla
May 1, 2015
Volunteers prepare to fan out downtown to poll passersby about the impacts of racism. (Photo by Matthew Wisla)
The question seemed to take Barney Moore by surprise. Thinking about it he frowned a little and said, “If racism ended today I would sleep better at night. It causes a lot of underlying stress in our society.”
Moore is African American and works downtown in the Milwaukee Center. He was approached by volunteers from the YWCA of Southeastern Wisconsin while on his lunch break recently and asked, “If racism ended today, what would be different?”
The poll was part of an effort by 44 YWCA chapters across the country to highlight racial issues. “We want to raise awareness and get people thinking and talking about the impact of racism,” said Paula Penebaker, president and CEO of YWCA of Southeastern Wisconsin.
The group recorded the responses and will use them to develop training sessions for companies and organizations looking to increase their cultural sensitivity. The Medical College of Wisconsin is among the organizations that have received such workplace training from the YWCA recently.
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Barney Moore (right) shares his thoughts on racism with YWCA volunteer Donte Moore (no relation). (Photo by Matthew Wisla)
Before fanning out to conduct the survey, about 25 volunteers wearing bright orange shirts reading “Stand Against Racism” were briefed by Penebaker and Mayor Tom Barrett. As an indication of the sensitivity of the topic, most respondents preferred to answer anonymously.
For many, the question brought thoughts of violence to mind. “Think of all the violence and shootings that would end,” one said.
Others mentioned social justice topics. “It would mark the end of blanket judgments,” someone said. “Of course less shootings but also more income equality,” another said.
Recent data collected by the Marquette Law School shows that black males in their late 20s and early 30s earn about $10,000 less annually than their peers. Coincidentally, as the street polling was going on downtown a conference called “Urban Men in Poverty” was taking place down the street at Marquette University, where data on race and poverty were presented.
Commenting on how racism impacts her life day-to-day, Ashanti Roberts said, “Without it things would be a lot different because we would all treat each other better.”
“There would be less animosity and social media would be a much nicer place to hang out,” someone else said. “People would be more open and honest if there weren’t stigmas attached to them,” added another.
Penebaker distinguished between racism among individuals and racism in society. “Even if racism ended between people we would still be dealing with institutional racism,” she said. Several survey participants brought up racially biased hiring and promotions practices.
Racial profiling among police officers is another form of institutional bigotry, Penebaker said. “Officers need training, and then they need supervision and retraining,” she noted. Even good cops can become jaded after years of working in the community and seeing the worst society has to offer. “If the cycle isn’t interrupted that’s when bad things happen between police and the neighborhoods,” she said.
Not everyone thought bringing an end to racism would elevate society to a new plateau. “People are hateful so not much would be different. They would just find another reason not to get along,” one person said. “Right now, everyone is against each other so I don’t see what would change,” another said.
Although most people approached by the volunteer pollsters were willing to share an opinion on ending racism, about 20 percent refused to comment, often saying the topic was too sensitive or uncomfortable for them.
Stephen Crymes said he doesn’t like talking about racism but looks forward to a day when it no longer exists. “Then we wouldn’t have to think about it anymore because even just thinking about racism can ruin your day.”


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 30, 2015


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Meta House announces new drug and alcohol treatment program | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Meta House
May 3, 2015
A new drug and alcohol residential treatment facility for women will open in Shorewood, Wis., on June 22, Meta House announced today. Shorewood House will be a division of Meta House, a women’s treatment organization in Milwaukee since 1963.
“We know that drug and alcohol addiction affects women from every walk of life,” said Amy Lindner, president and CEO of Meta House. “But many women fall through the cracks when attempting to get treatment. Most private health insurance plans don’t cover residential treatment, which can cost upwards of $30,000 per month. And a woman with private insurance may not have access to the free programs offered to low-income clients. Shorewood House will fill that gap with a clinically-sound, comfortable residential treatment setting at a mid-range price point.”
Shorewood House will provide women and their families with the same effective treatment philosophies currently available at Meta House’s main Riverwest campus. Clients at Shorewood House will receive holistic services including individual counseling, group therapy, trauma counseling, art therapy, behavioral therapy and other experiential therapies. It will be priced at roughly half the cost of many existing residential treatment programs.
Drug abuse on the rise in Wisconsin
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The need for more treatment options has never been greater. According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, in 2014, the rate of binge drinking among Wisconsin women of childbearing age was the highest in the nation. The same study found that Wisconsin’s rate of drug-related deaths nearly doubled from 2004 to 2012, with opiate-related overdoses the most frequent cause. Based on the most recent data available from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH, 2014), an estimated 18,657 women in Milwaukee alone are struggling with drug and alcohol addiction.
Increasing treatment options, new revenue stream
Shorewood House will increase access to treatment for many women and families while it also creates a financially sustainable revenue stream for the organization, thus improving availability of all Meta House programs.
“It’s no secret that organizations like us have seen government funding decline sharply,” says Lindner. “While this support is still critical, we knew that along with our generous donors, we needed a new way to support the vulnerable women and children we already serve. Shorewood House fulfills two incredibly important goals — extending treatment to more women who need it, and helping ensure Meta House’s continued care for all the clients we serve.”

author: Meta House


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Does Milwaukee Run a Debtor’s Prison? | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
May 4, 2015
UrbanMilwaukee.com


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Go green, gold and pink for breast cancer awareness | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin
May 4, 2015
To recognize Mother’s Day in a special and healthy way, Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Network is teaming up with Green Bay Packers’ kicker Mason Crosby and his wife, Molly, to increase awareness of breast cancer screening.
On Saturday, May 2, from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm, the Crosbys will be at Brookfield Square Shopping Center’s center court to discuss the importance of screening to detect breast cancer early and save lives. Brookfield Square Shopping Center is located at 95 N. Moorland Rd., Brookfield. The event is free and open to the public.
For a suggested donation of $5, Mason Crosby will autograph specially designed greeting cards that can be given to loved ones for Mother’s Day. Crosby will also sign limited edition pink mini-footballs that will be available to purchase for $25. One hundred percent of funds from donations and the sale of the footballs will be used to support breast cancer research at the Froedtert & MCW cancer center.
According to the American Cancer Society, in 2015, an estimated 230,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in the United States, and approximately 60,000 new cases of carcinoma in situ (CIS) will be diagnosed. CIS is non-invasive and is the earliest form of breast cancer. This year, more than 40,000 American women will die from breast cancer.
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“Monthly breast self-exams, combined with regularly scheduled mammograms and an annual exam by a breast health provider, can dramatically increase the chances of finding cancer early, when it is most treatable,” said Sailaja Kamaraju, MD, a Froedtert & MCW medical oncologist.
On May 8, the Wisconsin Women’s Health Foundation will honor Dr. Kamaraju with a Champion in Women’s Health Award. With a strong interest in breast cancer survivorship, she has helped increase awareness of breast cancer and improve access to breast health services.
For screening guidelines and to learn more about early breast cancer detection, visit http://www.froedtert.com/breast-cancer/early-detection.
For more information about the Green Gold & Pink Mother’s Day event, visit https://www.facebook.com/GreenGoldPink


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MPS 2015-’16 budget shaves $29 million from current spending | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
May 4, 2015
jsonline.com


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Students embrace engineering, innovation at STEM science fair | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Molly Rippinger
May 4, 2015
Melissa Sancha, a third grader at Albert E. Kagel Elementary, demonstrates a pulley system at the STEM science fair. (Photo by Molly Rippinger)
Rows of students, including third-grader Melissa Sancha from Albert E. Kagel Elementary, proudly stood in front of tri-fold posters as teachers, parents and community members packed the Peck Welcome Center at the Milwaukee County Zoo during the Milwaukee Public Schools’ (MPS) science fair.
Sancha’s project was one of more than 200 at the fair and focused on creating simple machines to help perform tasks. “My favorite part of the project was testing it,” said Sancha as she demonstrated how a pulley system helped pull a small model car up a ramp.
Like so many of the students at the fair, Sancha’s experience with the project has been an opportunity to foster an early interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). After her demonstration, Sancha said that she hopes to become a doctor or an engineer when she grows up.
Rochelle Sandrin, science curriculum specialist at MPS, oversees the progression of K-12 science courses throughout the district. (Photo by Molly Rippinger)
This was the first year that MPS specifically highlighted STEM at the science fair. Rochelle Sandrin, science curriculum specialist at MPS, explained, “This is a nationwide trend. We don’t have enough students graduating from college to fill our STEM careers.”
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In 2010, President Barack Obama launched “Change the Equation,” an initiative focused on improving STEM education in the U.S. The program combines the efforts of more than 100 CEOs from major corporations, such as Glenn Britt of Time Warner Cable and Ursula Burns of Xerox, to implement STEM programs in schools throughout the country.
“Our success as a nation depends on strengthening America’s role as the world’s engine of discovery and innovation,” said Obama.
A 2011 report released by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce predicts that by 2018, STEM occupations will account for 8.6 million jobs in the U.S. economy, which is a 1.3 million increase from 2008.
The report also anticipates that the Wisconsin workforce will experience a 12 percent increase in STEM jobs by 2018, with 43 percent of the positions being in computer occupations.
New standards
MPS is one of more than 70 school districts in the state to adopt the Next Generation Science Standards, an approach to K-12 science education emphasizing STEM through integration of content and practice.
Sandrin explained that the new standards require teachers to incorporate the engineering process into their science curriculum. “Science doesn’t stand alone,” said Sandrin, who oversees the progression of K-12 science courses throughout the district. “You can’t have science without math, without reading, without problem solving or without engineering.”
The STEM science fair encouraged students to develop projects that incorporate numerous facets of STEM. Some showcased advanced STEM approaches, such as one high school group that created a hand prosthesis from recycled materials.
Participation in the STEM fair was not mandatory. “If you do you this, it’s something you really want to do,” explained Sandrin. She explained that younger grades work on projects as a class, but for the engineering projects older students are encouraged to work in a team of up to five.
With the engineering and design projects, students are required to collect data, make adjustments and collect new data. “They really go through a process similar to what engineers experience,” said Sandrin.
MPS teachers and students have become well versed in STEM through Project Lead the Way, a nationally established program aimed at creating fully developed STEM curricula.
Through the program, teachers and counselors can receive training while students have access to diverse courses, including aerospace engineering, civil engineering and architecture, principles of biomedical sciences, and automation and robotics. MPS reports that 46 percent of students in Project Lead the Way are female.
Female scientists
Antonio Rodriguez, STEM curriculum specialist of Career and Technical Education at MPS, explained that U.S. culture tends to perpetuate the idea that women should not be interested in the STEM fields. “The first thing a lot of little girls get is a Barbie doll or kitchenette and a guy gets the Erector set,” said Rodriguez.
Many girls at the science fair were changing the perception that only boys can be interested in STEM. Payeng Mou, a 10 grader at Samuel Morse-John Marshall High School, worked on a project that focused on the process of starch retrogradation, the reaction of molecules within bread reforming and hardening.
The students conducted various experiments, flushing bags of bread with gases such as argon and nitrogen, and conducting compression tests to measure the softness of the slices. Argon was found to be the best preventer of starch retrogradation, keeping the bread moist for the longest period. Mou said she hopes to major in chemistry when she attends college.
“We’re really trying to work with students at a younger age to help them see the possibilities,” said Sandrin. “Sometimes when people think of a science or a math career they think of very specific things like being a doctor or being an accountant, but there are a lot of science, math, engineering and technology careers that go beyond that.”
Thomas Baker, AP chemistry teacher at Morse-Marshall, has found that a hands-on approach fosters a greater interest in STEM from his students. Baker was instrumental in implementing an aquaponics system for his classroom, which fuses aquaculture (farming of aquatic organisms such as fish) with hydroponics (growing plants in water). “The science that they learn from the [aquaponics] system seems to be more relevant to them and they are able to understand that science better, even though it was technically the same science as before,” said Baker.
“It’s a different way of approaching things,” added Sandrin.
STEM fair judges included past and present MPS staff, corporate partners and community members.
Kris Strand, a retired special education and science teacher at Washington High School, was one of the volunteers judging projects. She is a supporter of the STEM approach. “If the students read something in a book and study for a test, it’s not going to make as much sense to them,” Strand said. “If they have to portray it and come up with a project, it sticks with them a lot longer.”


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16696719243_28187715d1_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 3, 2015


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 3, 2015


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Community HealthCorps marks 20 years of creating healthier communities | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Wyatt Massey
May 5, 2015
Girls on the Run, a program that empowers girls by building healthy habits, is run by Community HealthCorps members at Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers. (Photo by Wyatt Massey)
Girls run across the field at the Kinnickinnic River Parkway, their friends cheering them on in a relay race. The 12 girls, in 3rd through 5th grade, take turns running to their coach, Elizabeth Kellom, who asks them a question that they must answer in writing before the next girl can race forward. Coaches Robert Olson and Leah Weipert cheer from the sidelines.
The girls belong to Girls on the Run, a program that builds self-esteem and positive thinking through exercise and healthy habits. The three coaches are volunteers at Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers and members of Community HealthCorps, a health-focused AmeriCorps program.
The Community HealthCorps was founded 20 years ago by the National Association of Community Health Centers. Currently 535 members serve at 36 partner organizations at more than 200 sites in 17 states.
Each year a group of HealthCorps volunteers spend 11 months at Sixteenth Street, which served more than 36,000 people in 2014. The extra help ensures that patients receive the attention they need. Sixteenth Street has eight HealthCorps members now, and 89 have served there since 2001.
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Maggie Moore, a HealthCorp member who works in the Women, Infants & Children Nutrition Program, poses at Sixteenth Street Community Health Center. (Photo by Wyatt Massey)
“AmeriCorps is just that extra piece,” said Ellyn McKenzie, vice president of community relations at Sixteenth Street Community Health Center. “Their mission is to work with members of the community and they really extend our reach.”
HealthCorps volunteer Steven Hesse runs the Medication Assistance Program, which helps patients apply for free or discounted medicine. The process can be daunting, but Hesse is able to meet with patients multiple times and translate the applications from English to Spanish.
New HealthCorps members at the clinic learn about the community from Kate Jaeger, who directs the volunteer program at Sixteenth Street. She organizes orientations and community engagement events to help them get acclimated to Milwaukee. The AmeriCorps members promote education and treat patients, she said.
“The AmeriCorps volunteers can touch every patient who walks in the door with some kind of education,” Jaeger said.
Eduardo Castro oversees the Healthy Choices Program, which is a 12-week class for families about the importance of exercise and healthy food choices. He started at Sixteenth Street as a summer intern, and then returned through Community HealthCorps.
Coordinating the program gives Castro important insight into the field of public health, which he is interested in pursuing after his year in HealthCorps, he said. An important part of a volunteer’s time at Sixteenth Street involves learning about specific medical fields, through conferences or online classes. Twenty-six of the 89 HealthCorps members Sixteenth Street has hosted went on to medical school.
“They will come away with a perspective after 11 months that someone that went straight to medical school won’t have,” Jaeger said.
Olson, who works in the Chronic Care Program, plans to pursue medical school. His experience in coaching Girls on the Run allows him to see the many forms community medicine can take.
“It’s excellent to get into a clinic and see what it looks like behind the scenes,” Olson said.
Maggie Moore’s work in HealthCorps is helping her prepare for graduate school in counseling psychology. She teaches youth healthy recipes to build good eating habits in the Willow Project, 20-minute interactive workshops that are part of the Women, Infants, and Children program at Sixteenth Street.
The HealthCorps experience informed Jessica Richter’s decision to pursue a career as a family physician. She began volunteering at Sixteenth Street as an undergraduate at Marquette University before joining the clinic as a HealthCorps member in 2010. Now a fourth-year medical student at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, she credits the opportunity to shadow doctors and other practitioners for focusing her interest in community medicine.
“It was a great way to get real-world experience,” Richter said. “I might even be back as a physician there. I could see myself at Sixteenth Street.”


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 4, 2015


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Join MPS in celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Public Schools
May 5, 2015
(Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Public Schools)
This week, as Milwaukee Public Schools celebrates Teacher Appreciation Week, we recognize the hard work and many talents of our dedicated teachers who influence the hearts and minds of our young people every day.
As part of MPS’ weeklong celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week, Dr. Driver, Superintendent of Schools, produced a video message to express her gratitude for the hard work teachers do every day to prepare our students for life-long success.
Many other activities are scheduled to show teachers our appreciation, including:
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Digital billboards provided by Lamar Advertising can be seen at the following locations:
Each teacher in the district will receive a certificate of appreciation signed by Dr. Driver and their school leader.
Families are encouraged to post photos and notes of appreciation to the MPS Tumblr account at milwaukeemps.tumblr.com.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 5, 2015


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On The Block: ‘Modern-day slavery’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
May 5, 2015