Community Questions Effectiveness of MPS Discipline Policy

Some parents and community members say that Milwaukee Public Schools’ focus on restorative justice is not doing enough to keep students safe or reduce racial discrimination, concerns district employees discussed at their quarterly Community Conversations meeting on Mar. 15.  

In its efforts to comply with a 2018 agreement U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, Milwaukee Public Schools implemented a Multi-Tiered System of Support to address the disproportionate rates Black students are punished compared to their peers.  

“We are looking at improving district and school culture as well as increasing academic achievement and accountability,” said Jon Jagemann, the district discipline manager for MPS student services. “We wanted to discuss how a Multi-Tiered System of Support works for transparency and address community concerns.” 

Milwaukee Public Schools, the largest school district in Wisconsin, had one of the highest suspension rates in the country when the Office of Civil Rights launched a three-year study in response to a discrimination complaint by community members. The district, to meet its new mandate, created five goals for success: increased academic achievement and success and accountability, improved district culture, staff development, fiscal responsibility and transparency, and more community collaboration. 

In 2019, Jagemann started as the first district discipline manager. Milwaukee Public Schools lists the responsibilities of the job as “overseeing district and school culture, climate and discipline practices and policies.”

Jagemann is responsible for ensuring the district complies with its agreement, providing anti-bias workshops for teachers and helping school administrators implement the Multi-Tiered System of Support. 

The shift to online learning during the Covid-19 pandemic presented unique challenges for students and educators and worsened the achievement gap. However, Jagemann found it provided a great opportunity for thorough and effective anti-bias training time for teachers and faculty. Staff members had more time to watch videos and engage with supplementary material. 

“I have seen a lot more staff aware of race throughout the district and throughout their school,” Jagemann said. “They’re aware they need to look at their curriculum, reflect on how they’re addressing in the class and think about they interact with students.” 

What the Multi-Tiered System of Support looks like in MPS 

The Multi-Tiered System of Support system is a three-tiered approach centered around behavioral climate and academic support available to students across the district. Tier criteria vary based on the type and level of support students need, ranging from the needs of all students to highly specialized programming, according to District and School Improvement Manager Annie Knapp. 

Tier one acts as a baseline because it covers the needs of all students and community building, which is more challenging since the shift to virtual learning during the Covid-19 pandemic severed students’ connection to their schools. Staff and administrators focus programming in this tier on building relationships and being responsive to community values. Jagemann described these techniques — such as shared behavior agreements between students, group decision-making and clear behavioral expectations — as proactive support. 

Tier two resolves conflict through activities like restorative circles and group counseling. In terms of academics, this tier supports students who are academically struggling or need more of a challenge in the classroom. 

Tier three is a more focused, individualized approach to the goals of tier two 

School psychologists and social workers play a big role in providing restorative and mental health services.  

“Most of the support provided by school psychologists and social workers fall into tiers two and three,” said Melanie Lynch, a supervisor for the MPS school psychology department. “An umbrella term that we talk about school-based counseling services — which can be provided by a school social worker or school psychologist — can be delivered in a multitude of different formats.”  

These formats include a non-special education needs plan and an Independent Education Plan for students who have an identified disability as well as more traditional support like individual and group therapy. Teachers, staff and parents can refer students to psychology services, and middle and high school students can self-refer if they want additional support. 

The tiered programs are designed to not only build community, but they help students build the confidence to seek help and self-regulate, Lynch said. 

Every school in the district integrated the tiered support system into their student service protocols by the 2014-2015 academic year. MPS added more holistic support techniques like mindfulness and trauma-responsive care during its 2017-2018 session, according to Jagemann.  

“A lot of people think of mindfulness just as breathing, but it’s more than that,” Social Emotional Learning Supervisor Kim Rath said. “Mindful compassion is setting aside time to privately reflect on and direct compassion and understanding towards yourself and others.” 

Rath’s team works with students on mindfulness, social-emotional learning and mental health and wellness. They also coordinate with schools to give staff trauma-sensitive training to better support students. 

Community response 

In small discussion groups, parents expressed excitement for the implementation of restorative circles to better meet the needs of students. However, some were unsure if the tier structure was effective enough to hold teachers and staff accountable for students’ well-being.  

The most common concern among parents is the implementation of restorative comes at expense of student safety like not properly responding to violent behavior, Jagemann said. There is also concern that the increased crime rate in some neighborhoods in Milwaukee negatively impacts the schools.  

“We always want to message be: when staff or students safety is at jeopardy, we are not saying don’t suspend and don’t remove students or staff,” Jagemann said. “Student safety is the utmost concern.”   Each school in the district has a Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports team that can adapt the programs to better meet the needs of its students. Parents should reach out to their child’s school administrators to learn more specifics or share thoughts and concerns, Jagemann said. 

“We’re always looking for parent involvement or input,” Knapp said. 

The Community Conversations are designed to “explore a variety of timely and relevant topics impacting our students and schools,” according to the MPS information page. The next meeting is scheduled for Wed., May 17 to discuss pre-college prep and summer activities.  

Has school culture changed since the 2018 resolution 

Despite the resolution with the Office of Civil Rights, not much has changed in Milwaukee Public Schools over four years later.   

In 2020, nearly 60% of all ninth graders in Milwaukee Public Schools were suspended in the 2019–2020 academic year, according to a Center of Popular Democracy study. 

Black students account for 81% of the suspension rate even though they comprise 50% of the student body, according to a 2022 Milwaukee Public Schools disciplinary data report. In a January 2023 press release addressing school culture, the Black Educators Caucus pointed out that Black students are 27 times more likely to be suspended than their white peers.  

“We believe these data points are symptoms of an alienating school culture begetting an unsafe environment that does not affirm students’ identities and sense of belonging in school, thus resulting in their disengagement,” the Black Educators Caucus said in the 2023 press release. “We know that research on school belonging, racial and ethnic identity, and self-regulation are factors of social-emotional competencies that are increasing in their research base to show that these are important for academic success.”  

When asked to describe district culture, Jagemann did not have a simple answer. He did acknowledge that Milwaukee Public Schools had work to do because of Black students’ still disproportionately high suspension rate. 

“School culture varies across the district,” Jagemann said. “We have been focusing on ensuring that all students feel part of the community. So that’s our big focus in August and September is community building, make sure every student feels a part of the community.”