The Advocacy Committee is a small group of PTA members that meet with Principal Harer to discuss issues and concerns within the school. If you have a concern that needs to be addressed, please email the PTA at mkefrenchpta@gmail.com. Active issues that families can respond to are posted below with guidelines on how to take action.
Communicating with MPS about M. Kalumbula’s reassignment
M. Kalumbula was reassigned to another school effective Tuesday, October 26th, with no communication to the school families or staff prior to the reassignment. While MPS has a right to reassign its admins according to its needs, the lack of communication about the change and how MFIS would be supported, especially when we’ve already had so much transition this year, is very concerning.
To express your concerns or ask questions about this development, please contact the following: Office of Board Governance at governance@milwaukee.k12.wi.us, Superintendent Posley (414-475-8001), and Dr, Cotton (414-475-8016) in the Office of School Administration.
If you feel that your concerns are not being heard or taken seriously, or you just don’t receive a response, please email us at mkefrenchpta@gmail.com and we will help you to follow up.
Some talking points or ideas of questions to ask include:
- M. Kalumbula was the only fluent French speaking admin at the school. How will MPS ensure that our French-speaking families have a dedicated resource that can fully understand them and make sure their needs are met?
- We’ve recently undergone a huge transition in our school administration, with a new Principal, new office staff, and a Parent Coordinator who’s doubling as the Camp Director. We only just received our Security person last week. We’ve faced huge bussing issues and the parent pick-up process for inclement weather/winter is still under strain. M. Kalumbula was integral to navigating these and other logistical issues.
- M. Kalumbula had years of experience at the school to draw from when determining how things should be done and figuring out logistical challenges. That experience included last year, when we spent the majority of the year in a virtual format. When the school transitioned to in-person in the Spring, M. Kalumbula was the interim Principal and led the transition. How does MPS plan to replace that level of experience and knowledge, and how do they plan to support the current staff and administration in the meantime?
- Throughout the new principal hiring process, communication from MPS was minimal at best. The communication we did receive only came after several attempts by myself and others to contact HR and find out what the process for recruiting/hiring a new principal would be. The timeline for the process changed multiple times due to a lack of candidates but updates about what was happening and when were few and far between. When a principal was finally hired, there was no formal announcement or communication to the school population. How does MPS plan to communicate with the school population about the process of finding a new Asst. Principal. How will they ensure that the needs of the school are met during that process?
- MPS assigned a new Asst. VP to the school without any communication about why she was chosen or how she fits with the school culture. While she seems very accomplished and we look forward to getting to know her, one concern is that she does not speak French. Again, how will MPS ensure that the French-speaking families have a dedicated resource to meet their needs?
Inclement Weather/Winter Pick-up
As the school continues to refine the process for parent pick-up on days that the weather is not favorable, please submit your ideas and suggestions to mkefrenchpta@gmail.com