By Press Release Submitted to OnMilwaukee.com Published Feb 20, 2015 at 12:36 PM

Milwaukee Public Schools is inviting interested students, families, staff and community members to attend one or more of a series of listening sessions tied to the eight strategic objectives the district is developing to improve student outcomes.

Those objectives – eight big ideas – are part of a process aligned to the district's budget process along with operational and strategic planning. They are designed to be interlocking efforts that connect opportunities for students, families and members of the community to create a robust educational experience for children in kindergarten through twelfth grade in MPS.

The objectives were developed to explore the broad range of opportunities and challenges the district faces and to develop concrete plans to improve student achievement. All eight strategic objectives are linked to one of the district's key touchstones for teaching, learning and leading: Academic Achievement; Student Family and Community Engagement; and Effective and Efficient Operations. The objectives, listed under their corresponding touchstone, are:

Academic Achievement

  • Closing the Gap
  • Educating the Whole Child
  • Redefining the MPS Experience
  • Rethinking High Schools

Student, Family and Community Engagement

  • Re-envisioning Partnerships
  • Community Outreach/Communication

Effective and Efficient Operations

  • Workforce Development
  • Organizational Processes

Teams of MPS staff and community partners are working to develop a series of White Papers in each of these areas. These White Papers will identify best practices and research in each of these areas. With community input and ideas, the White Papers will become a road map that guides the district towards developing and supporting programs that improve student outcomes.

"Improving student outcomes is critical work in which we are all invested," MPS superintendent Dr. Darienne Driver said. "We invite our students, families, staff and the community to learn about these strategic objectives and share their input on the big ideas."

The listening sessions all take place from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Dates and locations for each session are as follows:

  • Re-envisioning Partnerships: Feb. 25 at Barack Obama School of Career and Technical Education, 5075 N. Sherman Blvd.
  • Redefining the MPS Experience: March 2 at Riverside University High School, 1615 E. Locust St.
  • Rethinking High Schools: March 3 at Morse*Marshall School for the Gifted and Talented, 4141 N. 64th St.
  • Workforce Development: March 4 at Harold S. Vincent High School, 7501 N. Granville Rd.
  • Closing the Gap: Mach 10 at Bay View High School, 2751 S. Lenox St.
  • Organizational Processes: March 11 at South Division High School, 1515 W. Lapham Blvd.
  • Community Outreach/Communication: March 16 at MacDowell Montessori School, 6415 W. Mount Vernon Ave.
  • Educating the Whole Child: March 19 at Elm Creative Arts School, 900 W. Walnut St.