Milwaukee Public Schools audit; what independent report found

MILWAUKEE - A new independent audit found the Milwaukee Public Schools workplace has "a culture of fear" and calls for major changes to the state's largest school district.

The backstory:

Gov. Tony Evers ordered two independent audits after MPS failed to turn in required Wisconsin financial documents on time. The audit released Thursday was the first of those two.

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Dig deeper:

MGT of America Consulting studied MPS' operations, workflow and organizational structure. Its audit calls for major changes. In regard to workplace retaliation, the audit included:

"MPS’ current reporting policies enable people to use complaints against each other inter-departmentally, which creates a toxic work culture and makes implementing change difficult. As one person put it, "there’s a culture of fear within the district, and policies are a lot of the reason for that."

The audit went on to say:

"If a leader tries to implement a change and a peer disagrees with that change, that peer could retaliate by subjecting the leader to undergo a formal investigation for bullying, fraud, etc., which requires significant time and resources."

MGT's independent audit also found certain long-employed human resources staff are "highly resistant to change." Some employees complained about "no formal onboarding" – that’s the training you’d expect to get as a new employee or in a new post.

The governor-ordered audit also found unclear and overlapping responsibilities and "siloed departmental structure."

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What's next:

The report offers 29 recommendations, such as restructuring the MPS central office and preventing retaliation.

Evers set aside $5.5 million for the audit work. On Thursday, he said the remainder, which is about $3 million, would go to help MPS start immediately working on the recommendations. He's also calling for another $5 millions in the next budget to continue helping mps to put into place the recommendations. 

In its operational audit, MGT recommends MPS adopt three overarching goals:

Creating a coherent central system 

• Restructure Central Office to streamline decision-making, clarify roles, and improve alignment across departments;
• Invest in the Office of Human Resources to enhance leadership, build capacity, address immediate needs, and sustain long-term growth; and
• Make targeted shifts to the Strategic Plan to focus on a select number of high-impact priorities with measurable outcomes.

Fostering meaningful communication and collaboration 

• Improve collaboration between the MPS Board of Directors and district leadership to align efforts to better serve the Milwaukee community and its stakeholders;
• Bolster leadership and operations of the Department of Communications and Marketing by empowering departmental leadership to drive strategy with vision and expertise; and
• Enhance data management and utilization to ensure transparent, accurate communication and foster data-driven decision-making.

Operating and funding strategically 

• Maintain external accountability structures for continued support and progress monitoring during upcoming leadership changes, Board elections, and implementation of new systems;
• Invest in technological infrastructure and planning so that systems are equipped to operate efficiently and effectively in future technological landscapes; and
• Redesign key internal procedures to equip staff for success, including thoroughly re-evaluating reporting and grievance procedures as well as onboarding policies so MPS can transform organizational culture.

The MGT audit also identifies dozens of actionable recommendations for MPS.

Reaction and statements

What they're saying:

Beverly Hamilton-Williams, director of Community Together Voices of Milwaukee's Children: "It showed the corruption in MPS."

Colleston Morgan, City Forward Collective: "It’s clear the MPS’ central office are deeply broken, deeply dysfunctional. I think the report laid bare what many of us wouldn’t be surprised to be found out.

"We’ve been here before. A lof of this isn’t new. And what matters most is what happens next. We’ve had reports that come out like this 10, 20 and in some cases, 30 and 40 years ago. 

"What matters is we not do what happened so many times before: Take the report, issue some good statements on the first day, whitewash things away into processes down the line and we’ll take of it later, while students continue to struggle across our city. This time, things have to be different. 

Marva Herndon, Milwaukee Board of School Directors president: "It will be a valuable tool as we embark on this new era of leadership for Milwaukee Public Schools."

Official statements

Gov. Tony Evers:

"My focus from the beginning has been on doing what’s best for our kids by working to ensure MPS’ future improvement and success and to get answers for the parents and families, taxpayers, and the greater Milwaukee community concerned about their local schools," said Gov. Evers. "At the end of the day, the bottom line for me in this effort has always been about identifying areas the district can improve to make sure our kids are set up for success. This audit is a critical next step for getting MPS back on track and, ultimately, improving outcomes for our kids, so I urge and expect the district to take these recommendations seriously and move forward quickly with implementing this audit’s findings." 

MGT of America Consulting:

"The motivation for this review is clear: MPS must make systemic changes to ensure that students—particularly the most vulnerable—are at the center of every decision. Ultimately, this work is in service of students, whose future success hinges on a district capable of delivering equitable, high-quality education."

State Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly:

"The success of our children is at the heart of everything we do. The operational audit report released today on Milwaukee Public Schools offers a clear and practical blueprint for getting the district back on course, ensuring it better serves students and families. I am optimistic that under the leadership of Dr. Brenda Cassellius, the district will take the actionable recommendations from this report and turn them into meaningful change. This report also underscores the importance of the DPI’s ongoing efforts to support MPS in financial reporting, including the development of a Corrective Action Plan. These efforts are both realistic and essential for helping the district regain compliance and thrive.

"Our collective support is crucial in helping MPS create a brighter future for its students and families. We are committed to working together with the district to ensure every child has the opportunity to succeed."

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