Last Friday, the sidewalk outside Parkside School for the Arts turned into an impromptu rally site as dozens of Milwaukee teachers and parents lined up with signs, chants and a clear message for district leaders: hands off student supports. Educators belted out “We are the teachers!” and told families that the district’s proposed staffing plan would pull key interventionists and assistant principals out of school teams.
The demonstration, along with a short video from the scene, was shared Sunday by the Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association. In the clip, educators walk parents through which student-facing positions could disappear and call on the district to deliver the full 2.63% cost-of-living increase for all MTEA members, according to Facebook.
Board Vote Set The Stage
Last month, the Milwaukee Board of School Directors advanced a plan to cut roughly 263 non-classroom positions in an effort to close an estimated $46 million budget gap, a move that drew sharp criticism during public comment. As reported by Spectrum News 1, teachers and parents faulted the process for not providing a clear, line-by-line breakdown of exactly which roles were on the chopping block.
District Says Cuts Protect Classrooms
Milwaukee superintendent Brenda Cassellius has said the reductions are intended to shift resources directly into classroom instruction and that many of the affected staffers hold teaching licenses and could move into classroom roles. The district has also floated the idea of delaying some raises as one way to balance the books. CBS58 reported Cassellius saying, “We will protect classrooms by reducing Central Services staffing.”
Union Presses For Full Raise And Clarity
Union leaders counter that holding back raises would make it harder to attract and keep educators, and they are demanding that the full 2.63% cost-of-living adjustment take effect on July 1 with no changes to health care. As outlined by the Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association, the union is calling for a detailed, line-by-line accounting of the staffing plan and community meetings to pressure the board to reverse cuts that land on student-facing staff.
Parents Say They Were Blindsided
Parents at Parkside and at recent district budget forums said they were caught off guard to learn that frontline staff in their own buildings could be eliminated and voiced worries about how English learners and students with special needs would be affected. Those concerns show up in the union’s video from Parkside, posted on Facebook, and in broader community coverage, as reported by WisPolitics.
What Happens Next
Union officials say they will keep pressing the board for an updated staffing list and continue ramping up community outreach as budget negotiations run through the spring. The MTEA is posting event notices and urging members and families to attend district budget meetings. Details are available on the Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association event page.
