This month on In The Wings, we're focusing on people and organizations working to make Milwaukee a destination. So far, we've touched on music with the 48 Hour Jam Project, and tourism with Visit Milwaukee.
And this week, our topic is education.
Milwaukee is already home to many excellent post-secondary institutions, but what about K-12 schools? Are those schools able to attract and retain quality leaders who inspire teachers to do excellent work in the classroom?
If you ask Schools That Can Milwaukee, the answer is complex.
According to Director Of Partnerships Andy Vitrano, many Milwaukee schools are performing at or well above standards, but the reality is that's not the case for all.
"What needs to be said and said loudly is that we have some amazing schools in this city that are being operated by amazing human beings," Vitrano said. "But to that point, there are a lot of schools that aren't. And that is not acceptable."
That's where Schools That Can steps in. At the core of its mission is support -- providing it to school leaders so they can, in turn, support teachers and staff in their schools. And it works with leaders in public, charter and private voucher schools.
Every month STCM hosts workshops called "Collaboratives." These are professional development sessions aimed at connecting school leaders with other school leaders. The goal is for principals, assistant principals and deans to not only exchange best practices and ideas, but also to connect them with one another, forming personal and professional bonds.
