Colleston Morgan Jr

#girldad x2 w/@klozadamorgan, Exec Director @CityForwardCol, always a Civics teacher, Obamillenial, cheesehead who knows what it means. INTJ/P, heavy on the I.

[Colleston Morgan Jr @colleston]

@WillFlandersWI @SenChrisLarson @cfc_mke *per-pupil funding gap

[Colleston Morgan Jr @colleston]

@WillFlandersWI @SenChrisLarson As are we @cfc_mke — just in the MKE portion of the district, students in public charter and private schools are seeing ~$7M LESS than their public school counterparts this year.

Here’s the core per-Phil funding gap for MKE for the current (25-26) SY.

[Fordham Institute @educationgadfly]

At least a quarter of K–3 teachers aren’t fully committed to the science of reading.

In disadvantaged schools, it’s at least a third.

That gap matters.👇https://t.co/ncn3d6dHCL

[Colleston Morgan Jr @colleston]

1) diversity of opinion in the @WisDems primary field is good!

2) f/u for @TheOtherMandela @FrancescaHongWI & @keldahelenroys - what’s their plan for >30k MKE students?

3) per @cfc_mke polling, choice is a 57% support issue, incl majorities of undecided Dems and independents

[Madison DSA 🌹 @DSAMadison]

Q at Wisconsin Workers Forum for Governor: Do you support fully ending Wisconsin’s private school voucher program?

[Colleston Morgan Jr @colleston]

👏🏿 this is the way; it’s a “no-brainer” that can benefit ALL students and schools — and per polling both from @DFER_News and separately from us @cfc_mke, it’s got solid bipartisan majority support.

[Jason Calvi @JasonCalvi]

NEW: Democratic gubernatorial candidate Missy Hughes says she’d opt into the Big Beautiful Bill Act’s Education Freedom Tax Credit program, which Dem Gov. Tony Evers refused to do. It would allow people to get a tax credit for donations to WI Scholarship Granting Organizations.

[Joanne Jacobs @JoanneLeeJacobs]

Testing reveals "uncomfortable truths." Pretending kids are doing fine when they're not isn't "equity." https://t.co/BmxvOY1aqO

[Colleston Morgan Jr @colleston]

It’s not just @MilwaukeeMPS facing a new fiscal reality

[Chalkbeat Colorado @ChalkbeatCO]

More than half of the country’s 50 largest school districts are poised to or already have made cuts, or are facing a reported deficit. https://t.co/mRBpnbsGUY

[Matt Smith @mattsmith_news]

"I don't know that this particular vote will be the key issue, but I think we can absolutely bet that property taxes and school funding are going to be high on the agenda for the fall campaign for both parties."

Marquette Law School poll dir Charles Franklin on tax relief poll:

[Colleston Morgan Jr @colleston]

@cfc_mke @WisPolicyForum See also this op-ed from a former MPS superintendent in @journalsentinel, giving the full context on this

MPS is now a 'hostile partner' to successful public schools | Opinion

https://t.co/kZSqvhnWHn

[Colleston Morgan Jr @colleston]

I actually agree for the most part with @MilwaukeeMPS School Board member Chris Fons’ vote — MPS needed to demonstrate fiscal competence, & this budget begins some long-overdue work.

But as a fellow social studies teacher, I’m compelled to address some errors & misinfo 🧵

[Journal Sentinel @journalsentinel]

Opinion: I supported MPS budget. State forced even harder choices. | Opinion https://t.co/vgFgMHRIZZ

[Colleston Morgan Jr @colleston]

2) Fons continues to have ideological blinders around PUBLIC charter schools, and school choice more broadly.

On charters: as we @cfc_mke, the @WisPolicyForum, and even MPS admin note, rejecting charters will cost MPS $40M+/yr in revenue

See Key 4: https://t.co/dPyLt81H8g

[Colleston Morgan Jr @colleston]

@620wtmj @StephenScaffid1 @KristinBrey @SpectrumNews1WI @journalsentinel https://t.co/E3yFHNPvzw

[Colleston Morgan Jr @colleston]

Thanks to @StorytellerRyan @SpectrumNews1WI for having me on to talk about school funding & why we’re all feeling the property tax pain. WI spends $12.25B(!) on K12 schools - but we @cfc_mke believe there’s a better way to slice the pie.

https://t.co/cxV7zfH41y

[Colleston Morgan Jr @colleston]

I’ve shared our take on @620wtmj with @StephenScaffid1 and @KristinBrey, on @SpectrumNews1WI and in the @journalsentinel — we need a new approach, one that puts ALL our students first, not systems & sectors.

30+ other states have done it - it’s past time for WI to join them.

[620 WTMJ @620wtmj]

“This funding system is broken.”

@colleston of City Forward Collective old @StephenScaffid1 and @KristinBrey what lawmakers need to fix in Wisconsin education.

Hear more on Point Taken!

[Colleston Morgan Jr @colleston]

@WisconsinDPI is tilting at windmills with listening groups and “portraits”, they’re missing the mark on implementation of Act 20 & reforms that have driven gains in Southern Surge states.

WI was bottom 5 in reading recovery - and MKE behind 99% of districts. Let’s get focused

[Patrick McIlheran @PaddyMacMke]

Wisconsin students who struggle with reading are let down by unenforced literacy reforms, say advocates. https://t.co/66V4VUXOzF

[Colleston Morgan Jr @colleston]

And, our polling @cfc_mke has been equally clear: voters in MKE understand the issue, and by an overwhelming margin (66-11 in our most recent poll), they want to see @MilwaukeeMPS close & consolidate schools rather than seek another property tax hike.

[Colleston Morgan Jr @colleston]

This remains unfinished business for @MilwaukeeMPS — the facilities plan was promised to voters before the 2024 30% tax hike referendum passed.

The clarity on MPS’ underutilized schools is welcome — but 2.5 years later, we still don’t even have a firm answer on timeline.

[A.J. Bayatpour @AJBayatpour]

News we didn't get into with MPS last night -- Supt. Cassellius says the district still has no timeline for when it will have a list of recommended schools to close/merge.

"I think it's gonna take a while...just because it took a little longer to get our fiscal health in order"

[Colleston Morgan Jr @colleston]

We’ve been clear @cfc_mke: MPS is spending $60M+/yr that it doesn’t have, to keep open schools that it doesn’t need. It’s bad for students, it’s bad for taxpayers.

We need a plan, and we need to act - kicking the can down the road only runs up the tab.

https://t.co/vhHPBFmmYq