Brewing Cuts in School and at Work

Brewing Cuts in School and at Work

Milawaukee, Wisc., has been making headlines the past couple of days. Yesterday, it was reported that 34 percent of Black males in the city are unemployed. Today, it was announced that Milwaukee Public Schools will lay off more than 300 teachers as part of its budget cutting plan.

Each story is troublesome in its own right, especially given that the city’s woes are reflective of broader national trends. Combined, the stats are dire. A 2006 report on teacher distribution in the MPS found that

“The least experienced teachers and those with the lowest educational attainment are more likely to be instructing children of color, children who are English language learners, and children in poverty. Further, these teachers are more likely to be teaching those children most in need of expert teachers – children in low performing schools.”

With so many Black men facing unemployment because of job cuts in the manufacturing industry—“a key source of jobs for African-American male high school graduates”—it becomes increasingly more important to ensure that all children receive the very best education possible.