In Milwaukee Public Schools, ‘A’ Is For Activism

One-third of Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) students fail to graduate. Complete High school. These dismal statistics would lead one to expect that MPS leaders will be focused on education. Instead, they are focused on politics and elections. Although this is unwise and dangerous, it is likely illegal.

Milwaukee radio talk host Dan O’Donnell broke this week’s news on his Milwaukee radio show. Story This article explains how MPS officials have been advancing a plan to make use of taxpayer-funded resources to assist left-wing groups in their targeted voter registration efforts within Milwaukee’s public school systems. Instead of promoting academic achievement, resources will be used to support a get-out–the-vote program to benefit the left. Although Milwaukee is the first to have this scheme, it won’t be the last.

O’Donnell obtained district records and found that MPS ordered its administrators. “generate a list of students who are 18 and who will be eligible to register for and vote” in the April 4, 2023 election — the election that will decide the ideological balance of the state Supreme Court, likely affecting policies like school choice, voter ID requirements, right to work, government union collective bargaining, and many other issues. District staff members are also encouraged to connect with the League of Women Voters — a group long aligned with the left — to set up voter registration events to target Milwaukee students. It is clear that this effort is designed to benefit the left at all costs to taxpayers and student privacy. It likely violates both federal student privacy laws and state student privacy laws.

Wisconsin Law Unless an exception applies, all student records are required to be kept private. There is an exception for student records that are made public. “directory data.” Wisconsin law allows districts to disclose only certain categories of directory data. The district must have informed the parents or guardians of students in the designated categories, and given them 14 days to notify the district if they disapprove of the release.

MPS officials have given administrators the order to collect voter eligibility and age information. The district does not identify voter eligibility or age. “directory data,” As such, disclosure of this private information would be a violation of state law.

O’Donnell also noted that the district could be violating federal law. Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. FERPA, which is a model of Wisconsin law, provides a framework for federal funding schools based on compliance. If a district wants to disclose directory data, FERPA — like Wisconsin law —requires districts to give public notice of the information it has designated to be released. MPS intends to disclose information beyond what MPS has defined as directory information. This is a violation of FERPA.  

The most concerning thing is that O’Donnell’s lack of good journalists in other states is likely to be behind the events in Milwaukee. Similar to in 2020It is more likely than not that left-leaning political groups have. Recently The same voting system has been replicated throughout the country.

What’s the motivation for state and local agencies such as MPS, which have nothing to do in election administration, to engage in this type of unrepeatable behavior? A likely answer is the Executive Order of President Biden 14019. The administration issued the order in 2021 and directed federal agencies to follow it. “partner” For more voter participation, officials from state, tribal and local governments will work together. The order also commands agencies to provide support “approved” Third-party groups such as the League of Women Voters that MPS seems to be working with, can participate in voter registration efforts at agency premises.

Is the Biden executive-order responsible for the scandal at Milwaukee Public Schools? Is the U.S. Department of Education implicated? Unfortunately, the public won’t be able to know the answer until groups like Foundation for Government Accountability can force disclosure through legal action such as the Lawsuit We filed the lawsuit last year. We asked for information from Biden’s Department of Justice. Once the lawsuit is over, we will receive it.

Another example of how the left’s cynicism leads to government being used against fair elections is the scandal at MPS. It is amazing that a chance for civic engagement is being used in a district where students are starving for adult leadership and needing better education outcomes. Wisconsin’s people owe Milwaukee Public Schools the answers.

The good news is that state legislators all across the country, including Wisconsin, have powerful oversight tools that can be used to expose this scheme and stop it. They must, for the good of all families in Milwaukee as well as across the nation.

David Craig, a Wisconsin resident, is senior legal fellow at Foundation for Government Accountability.