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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

5/5 In short: the goal isn't closing schools for its own sake, it's more students in stronger schools, and the MPS School Board owes Milwaukee a plan that matches the scale of the problem. cfcmke.substack.com/p/mps-still-...

cfcmke.substack.com

MPS Still Needs A Plan: Full Minds, Not Half-Empty Buildings

After a decade of delay, the School Board is out of road to kick the can down.

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

4/5 I made school-closure decisions in New Orleans. They're hard on students, families and staff. But how hard these decisions are cannot be an excuse for avoiding them. Cleveland voted to close or merge 29 schools. St. Louis proposed 14. Minneapolis may close up to 16.

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

3/5 Empty space isn't free. An underenrolled school still needs a principal, heat and a roof, whether 200 kids are inside or 600. That money comes from the same budget as art, music and librarians.

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

2/5 That's almost enough empty space to fit every student in Madison, Wisconsin's second-largest district. Meanwhile, 54 MPS buildings run at or above 90%, with about 8,000 students in overcrowded classrooms.

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

1/5 In today's CFC Corner: a thriving MPS requires investing in full minds, not half-empty buildings. Right now, 30% of MPS building space sits unused: room for nearly 25,000 students the district doesn't have cfcmke.substack.com/p/mps-still-...

cfcmke.substack.com

MPS Still Needs A Plan: Full Minds, Not Half-Empty Buildings

After a decade of delay, the School Board is out of road to kick the can down.

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

My plea: let’s set aside the divisive, ideological, and unproductive sector wars once and for all. Let’s stop pitting students and schools against each other. Strong public schools can and should sit alongside robust school choices — all of them should be high-quality & accountable.

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

I don't think this has to be another round of the school sector wars, and I don't think displacing 30,000 MKE kids currently in school choice helps anyone. Fair funding, real accountability, every sector. There are some common-sense answers out there: student-based budgeting, common accountability

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

On funding: A Milwaukee student can receive $4,000–$7,000 less per year depending on whether they're in a public, charter, or private/choice school. Citywide, that gap is worth $220M+ a year in lost investments in MKE — our city, our schools, our students. It’s unfair, and we should all care.

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

On accountability: 3 in 4 MKE students aren’t meeting expectations in core subjects. That’s across all publicly-funded schools. It shouldn’t be acceptable for any of us — and our conversation was direct. We need real accountability for student outcomes, for every student, school, and sector.

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

1/ I joined leaders of two of MKE's leading private schools in the Parental Choice (or voucher) program — St. Marcus and Messmer — for a frank and open conversation on school funding and accountability. www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/ne... A few numbers worth sitting with:

bizjournals.com

Table of Experts: A conversation about meaningful accountability, funding and the future of educational opportunity in Milwaukee - Milwaukee Business Journal

The Milwaukee Business Journal recently talked with Rich Mannisto, Henry Tyson and Colleston Morgan Jr. about the changes needed to create a funding and accountability infrastructure that better refle...

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

The lesson for both parties is simple: voters want urgency, honesty, and results — not ideological litmus tests. @cfc_mke's full breakdown of the failed deal, the polling, and the lane nobody's running in: open.substack.com/pub/cfcmke/...

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

The split inside the Dem primary is the real story: Among the 45% of Dem primary voters who haven't picked a candidate yet, school choice runs net +32. Public charter support: +30 pts higher There's a wide-open lane. Nobody's running in it.

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

Voters aren't where the politicians are. 80% want accountability for ALL publicly funded schools. Net +76. 57% are more likely to back a school choice candidate. Net +35. Aligning with teachers unions? Net +8. The electorate has moved. MSN insider talking points haven't.

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

And, WI's Education Recovery scorecard shows they're not wrong: → 33rd of 38 states in math → 30th of 35 in reading → Both trending DOWN since 2015 MKE? 1st percentile in reading AND math. Black student reading: 0th percentile — bottom 20 districts in America. This is the crisis voters see.

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

Voters know something is wrong. → 93% concerned about students' readiness for the workforce → 92% concerned about academic outcomes → 91% concerned about financial management — 11 points higher than concerns about funding levels This isn't just a funding debate anymore. It's a results debate.

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

In the @cfc_mke Corner: Last week, the WI State Senate killed a budget deal that would've finally gotten special ed reimbursement to 50%. Real money. This year. For kids. Our new poll shows how badly the MSN echo chamber is misreading the moment. 🧵 open.substack.com/pub/cfcmke/...

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

Thank you to @madison_365 for recognizing me as one of WI's Most Influential Black Leaders. I'm grateful to lead our work @cfc_mke to ensure students in MKE and across WI receive the excellent education they deserve, at a high-quality school of their choice. buff.ly/rsSFMfk

madison365.com

Wisconsin's 32 Most Influential Black Leaders for 2025, Part 1

This is the first of a five-part series. Since our founding in 2015, these annual lists of Wisconsin’s most influential Black, Latino, Indigenous, and Asian American leaders have become the most…

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 13/11/2025

In today's special Thursday edition of the Corner, we shared our take at @cfc_mke on the recent School & District Report Card release. Progress in MKE's public charters and private schools, ongoing challenges at MPS - and a continuing mess from DPI. mkeedunews.substack.com/p/school-and...

mkeedunews.substack.com

School & District Report Cards Are Out—But They're Still Broken

Report cards are supposed to be a mirror and a measuring stick, helping families, educators, and communities see clearly where our schools stand.

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 19/09/2025

It's the 3rd Fri in Sept - WI's enrollment count date for publicly-funded students. Unfortunately, its also a day when misinformation abounds. Read CFC's Fact Check to get schooled: Fact Check: How Wisconsin students are counted and schools are paid mkeedunews.substack.com/p/fact-check...

mkeedunews.substack.com

Fact Check: How Wisconsin students are counted and schools are paid

The Fact: If a publicly-funded student leaves ANY school – district, public charter, or private – during the middle of the year (e.g., after the 3rd Friday count), that school does not receive the ful...

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

@the74.bsky.social with a great, thought-provoking piece about the failures of local school boards, and how they echo broader challenges to (small-d) democratic governance. Its an issue here in MKE, but also across the country - & one we must reckon with. www.the74million.org/article/how-...

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 19/08/2025

A key problem: lowered state expectations+ a sliding scale weighting of Achievement (proficiency) & growth, hard-wired into state law, means that low-poverty schools see 9x the benefit from the changes than high-poverty ones. We shouldn't expect less from our kids because of their families' income.

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 19/08/2025

In today's Corner, I shared our take on the recent state Report Card revamp: "The bottom line: Families, educators, and the public deserve a report card that's honest, accurate, and trustworthy - and right now, WI's Report Cards are failing to measure up." mkeedunews.substack.com/p/school-and...

mkeedunews.substack.com

School & District Report Card Revamp

Better Process, But Unfinished Work

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Reposted by Colleston

Matthew Yglesias @mattyglesias.bsky.social · 11/07/2025

You need to give teachers a job that it’s actually feasible to do www.slowboring.com/p/the-promis...

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 08/07/2025

Our state’s students cannot afford for political leaders to let perfection become the enemy of progress. In a political climate that amplifies the extremes, WI's leaders once again chose the harder, more courageous path of compromise—and all of our schools are better for it."

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 08/07/2025

Governor Evers and legislative leaders on both sides of the aisle...deserve credit for courageously and pragmatically leading from the center, rather than being held hostage by ideology and unreasonable partisanship from the fringes of their caucuses.

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 08/07/2025

The final budget includes a generational, half-billion dollar increase in public school special education funding, the long-overdue $50 million for early literacy efforts—now unlocked from litigation—and real resources to address pressing student mental health challenges.

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 08/07/2025

"By any reasonable measure, securing $1.75 billion in new funding dedicated to education – $1.4 billion for K12 schools, plus $330 million more to address early childhood — is a win."

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 08/07/2025

In today's Corner, I shared @cfc_mke's take on the state budget, the real wins it delivered for ALL our kids and schools, & why cross-partisan compromise required courage - not cowardice - from @govevers, @repvos, @senatordevin, & @senhesselbein mkeedunews.substack.com/p/kid-first-...

mkeedunews.substack.com

Kid-First Leadership From The Courageous Center: CFC’s Assessment of the 2025-27 State Budget

Too often, fringe activists on both ends of the political spectrum hijack the policy process, preferring ideological purity over pragmatic progress.

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 02/07/2025

No one got everything - and there's work left undone to address per-pupil funding gaps in MKE - but once again, everyone got something. As I said in May, WI needs more of this kid-first pragmatic policymaking, & less ideology-driven partisan politics in K12 edu www.jsonline.com/story/opinio...

jsonline.com

Wisconsin must follow the lead of Florida and Tennessee on how it funds schools | Opinion

We cannot continue to duct-tape our way through a school funding system that funds institutions and fuels fights while failing our kids and schools.

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 02/07/2025

Our full take next week; some highlights here: - $1k per-pupil in charter/choice increases - 45% public + charter sp.ed reimbursement - 90% guarantee for high-cost sp.ed, matching SNSP voucher provision - full release of remaining literacy funds -$50M to address student mental health

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 02/07/2025

LOTS of sniping from special interests & their lege allies making perfect the enemy of progress, but at City Forward Collective, we see gains for all kids in the budget deal. @govevers.wisconsin.gov, Sen Hesselbein @senatedemswi.bsky.social, and GOP leaders all deserve credit for a 💪🏿 compromise.

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 30/06/2025

It requires courageous leadership and a willingness to embrace true accountability: transparency AND action. And yes, it requires bold, hard choices. But, from FL to DEN to NOLA and DC, we’ve seen this approach yield meaningful, sustained gains in student outcomes & school performance.

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 30/06/2025

👏🏿 We know this formula works: “Close low-performing, underenrolled schools. Expand high-performing, in-demand schools… As parents clamor for more choices, policymakers should focus on providing a high-quality portfolio of options to choose from.” www.the74million.org/article/big-...

the74million.org

Big Improvements Require Big Changes: Close Bad Schools and Expand Good Ones

Aldeman: New Orleans, Denver & Florida show how implementing a portfolio model of school choice can lead to dramatic academic gains.

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 10/06/2025

Here's City Forward Collective's take on the real issues with WI's school funding approach, including the antiquated special education model - and why the Special Needs Scholarship Program is the wrong target in this fight. www.jsonline.com/story/opinio...

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 10/06/2025

Disappointing to see MKE-area supes use misleading talking points, pitting students & schools against each other. We all agree, WI should increase special education funding - don't demagogue families' choices to make the case. www.jsonline.com/story/opinio...

jsonline.com

Lawmakers should listen to their own commission and fully fund special education | Opinion

The state has the financial capacity to support students with disabilities, to invest in all students, and, crucially, to protect property taxpayers.

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 10/06/2025

The question ahead is whether new MPS leadership can continue to work with urgency to translate its newfound transparency into the sustained transformation Milwaukee's students and families deserve.

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 10/06/2025

We commend Superintendent Cassellius for maintaining focus on students and classrooms, even in the face of loud opposition from leaders of special interest groups defending the status quo.

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 10/06/2025

In our assessment, this budget provides a promising directional framework for the district's more than 58,000 students, and represents a strong start to the long-term work of righting the ship.

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 10/06/2025

The road ahead requires sustained urgency and realistic expectations. MPS didn't get into any of its myriad messes in one day, and it will take time to undo the consequences of past mistakes, missteps, and deferred decisions.

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 10/06/2025

As the Superintendent aptly put it, "MPS must make systemic changes to ensure students – particularly the most vulnerable, are at the center of every decision." It's both an entirely accurate statement and a long-overdue sentiment.

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 10/06/2025

In today's Corner, I shared CFC's assessment of the FY26 proposed MPS budget -- and some thoughts on the refreshingly direct honesty that the new Superintendent is delivering on the district's academic & financial circumstances. mkeedunews.substack.com/p/clarity-an...

mkeedunews.substack.com

Clarity & Candor Amidst Challenges

CFC’s Assessment of the FY2026 MPS Proposed Budget

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 09/06/2025

We at City Forward Collective have joined advocates in calling out the low special education funding levels for public schools, district &charter. That truth stands on its own, without needing to demagogue private schools that are doing the right thing. mkeedunews.substack.com/p/cfc-policy...

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 09/06/2025

Great work by @journalsentinel, providing a straightforward and accurate summary of WI's special education funding challenges - & not falling into the trap of making misleading public/private comparisons on reimbursement rates. www.jsonline.com/story/news/e...

jsonline.com

Educators, parents from about 40 Wisconsin K-12 districts have urged lawmakers to increase special ed funding

The Wisconsin Legislature's Joint Committee on Finance held public hearings on the state budget in Wausau, Kaukauna, West Allis and Hayward in April.

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 08/06/2025

Here’s @dfer.org’s great take on what a better path forward would look like. Embrace innovation & choice, focus on guardrails and goals - not reflexive defenses of an expensive status quo that’s failing far too many students & families: open.substack.com/pub/democrat...

open.substack.com

A New Path for Education Reform: DFER’s Vision for Abundance

A Democratic Framework for An Abundance Education Agenda

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 08/06/2025

Great read - so much also translates into Dems’ refusal to embrace education abundance. @WisDems, esp legislators, are repeating this boasting about policy failures with attacks on high-quality school choices. www.nytimes.com/2025/06/08/o...

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 29/05/2025

Here's a simple test for whether the outcome of the process is credible: does Milwaukee Public Schools, where fewer than 1 in 5 students are meeting DPI's lowered bar for student proficiency, continue to earn a "Meets Expectation" rating once the report card is updated?

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 29/05/2025

5. Finally, DPI's bungling of the process - and outright gaslighting on the outcomes - from the state assessment changes means the level of scrutiny on this work is and should be heightened.

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 29/05/2025

3. DPI deserves credit for at least no longer trying to hide the ball behind closed door, secretive processes on this round of changes. 4. DPI is still failing to include ALL stakeholders: where are the voices of parents/families, employers, and civic leaders in this process?

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Colleston @colleston.bsky.social · 29/05/2025

Our upfront thoughts: 1. This work is necessary because of DPI's decisions to lower expectations for students - which we still believe was a wrong and harmful choice. 2. That said, this is appropriate - otherwise, we'd have >90 percent of districts meeting or exceeding expectations

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