MMAC’s plan to create prosperity-Education

Chris Wodke

http://www.summittrainingpublications.com/

The Milwaukee Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC) surveyed it’s members to see what needs to be done in the Milwaukee area to create prosperity (jobs).  They listed some of the assets of the Milwaukee region:

• Livability
• Workforce Quality
• Manufacturing Base
• Prime Location on Lake Michigan.

They identified several challenges to creating jobs in the region and identified an agenda for addressing the challenges getting in the way of creating jobs and prosperity for Milwaukee and the surrounding regions. They outlined their agenda in their report called; “The Blueprint for Economic Prosperity” 

The top concerns they identified are as follows:

• High taxes
• Burdensome regulations
• Inadequate education and workforce development
• Limited prospects for economic growth
• Need for more community leadership.

Education
MPS Graduation rate of 47% ranks 47^th of America’s 50 largest school districts. Milwaukee and Wisconsin cannot be open for business without an educated workforce. The MMAC is a strong supporter for Milwaukee’s Parental Choice program. 83% of members supported this program. Governor Walker has proposed expansion of this program in his State budget. The public schools in Milwaukee are not doing the job needed to prepare students for 21^st century jobs. The MMAC is also proposing changes in the way MPS is structured and governed to get them to perform better.

MMAC has some success in the education area. Here are just some of their accomplishments:

• Worked with legislators from the Milwaukee area to keep the caps from being lowered for the Choice program.
• They helped to get legislation passed to create more stringent standards for schools applying to the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program.
• Required all publicly funded schools to use a standard achievement test.
• Did a study of MPS finances, which showed unfunded healthcare and pension liabilities that are bankrupting the system. 
• Raised more than $34,000 to help fund MPS Reading Enrichment Programs at Phyllis Wheatley Elementary School and at Browning Elementary School.
• Sponsored Charter School of the Year Award.

The MMAS is also proposing to implement the state’s Workforce Training System locally to reduce administrative costs, increase the dollars flowing to training and connect the current educational system to employers.

For 2010-2012 the MMAC proposes the following agenda to help change education to create jobs:

• Increase funding for Choice and Charter schools.
• Support efforts to adopt federal “Race to the Top” Standards including:
• Common standards and assessment.
• Timely reporting on student performance.
• Evaluate teachers based on student performance.
• Intervene in struggling schools.
• Move authority for MPS to the Mayors office.
• Add a business leader to the MATC board.

Improving education is vital to create jobs and prosperity for Wisconsin residents.  The MMAC surveyed pay as it related to educational attainment. Here is what they found for average yearly earnings:

• Less than high school-$21,648.
• High school grad- $30,476.
• Some college or associate degree- $34,471.
• College degree- $47,929.
• Graduate or professional degree- $60,885.

Currently only 31% of the residents of the Milwaukee areas have a four year degree or better. This puts us in the mid point of comparable markets.

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