News Clippings Re: Rejection of the Willie Plan
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May 8, 1990 - May 24, 1990

10 pages
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Case Files, Sheff v. O'Neill Hardbacks. News Clippings Re: Rejection of the Willie Plan, 1990. cd865215-a346-f011-877a-002248226c06. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/c5211068-204f-4b46-8cf4-157e6bff0cc9/news-clippings-re-rejection-of-the-willie-plan. Accessed July 29, 2025.
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NUR! May 22, 1000 f fas assignments City tas ask force” 5 drops hearing - lon Willie plan , » wag Lo Ey VL ee rd Lda td LA public hearing before the Conimon Council's Long-Range * Eduiaylugal Equity Pian Tas :: Force Techeduled for © tonight (Jag 7 -y NeAlad “af 2s" a "ball wiukee Suerintendznt 1 Robey » S. Peterkin 10 drop key elements’ of # the plan, - £7 od one WEARER riz’ sliding or JF ¥ Knowntas the Willie “plan, the &'proposal would have changed the . way sudente arm accigned to” thes. s; schools, Wise 2d uh 2 or ni ty adr ih ia ND vif Ipe: : wd TY i 7 a AT J. FIA chair. “man of the task force, said task . force. members were “ve much + encouraged that Dr. Peterkin is lis. ; tening to. the community, taking + their input and shifting priorities. 4. from Le 2 student assignment proce fess improving -the quality of i, hit wi ll wus students, I i) ¢ oft Alde rien" Joted inaniiolsly re month to! form. a task force to” > Study ‘the plan aftef receiving come plaintd frony a and othefs : “that there had nde been adequate GEpRernly of pubic comment 3 & I Muiphiy said {he fast” force : would not. be: disbanded “until ‘mémbers’ could: study Peterkin® 5 Prone pater f EC AA i, Foes LE . =: 0a 1 = — a HOT LYE LS IMINIY Sd Ar pg 3 of € THE MILWAUKEE JOURNAL May 24, 1990 PCy 1 of 3 pls wo = SE ih i TE BN + fa (Dipikassignment problems, remain’ 5 FEARS Ak “Tor overhauling the way parents iol hor is eal A Sous schools for their children. Robert ;.. ever, oo a couple. of schools Ygula, be iminedi- TA Peterkin, superintendent of Milwaukee * tel affected. 9." bE i IEE Lf fa “11, -Publie ¢ Schools, has’ scra most of a ‘consul’. + For’ now," then, ie pil, sosignient ‘Process, i ; tant’ S$ ‘recommendations or redoing the ‘pupil ¥ will ‘femdin more’ ee although an” Q ; assignment pricedure after parents: dumped : * advisory group will study wn ‘made’ by i heavily on the p Although he. fod Magee the parents at public hearings. Yet these problems + proposal Betcrrin' obvi : xX #0 2 ERT it of ik persisticy 4 &dhy gm i | Er td cut : ER "3 rpm so i 3m Spas {schon 2 his Togsesusrd Hi 3 a ’ , Temain irtually’ all- A Avi Left! REE 3 “Peop le di idn see “black, {more “than a a result, * are ‘glaring’ “that they were gong ‘ decade after the desegre- problenis’ in’ the ‘pupil. = 10 gain, only that pation process here E RE of {assignment; id process. — he That's’ not. Peterkin’s | they were going to. PE | The. number» of rim The. .. spegialty” faulty ‘what “consultant : yi: LAN 7 ania Lp LALE™N, 5% lose. Bitifs REI schools still 100 low 13 | 1 ‘Charles Willie‘proposed. "would have y Begin to, A 3. Superintendent Peterkin I, , meet demand, * Jat 5 : remedy at’ least a few” Li Ane aly bi: rs SNR: a (54 in 5.0 Busing’, Toutes” a6 .. , inequities. i ig Ef E pe 55 EE ‘as [Complex‘sz=r “and | illing 10 i expensive: LZ ag ever.vAt the same timé, black . iy .i=Buf wilh SERN were “mole, * ~ put up with a bad old process than with what they .*’ pupils “continue; isproportionately to. bear: the r T h e os *"‘Aewed as a bad new process. “People didn't see,” "burden of busing. 3 ine CALS Al NE | that they were going to gain, only, that Joey were : ‘Those problems’ ‘should not” go" “drieniadied © going to lose,” Peterkin said. 55; 5 hia ny fle "much longer, no matter how. little parents Jike ¥ “The superintendent is recommending a. ooup le i some ‘of the correctives.. True, by junking the | " uf helpful changes in. the task of matching D up oh : Willie plan, Peterkin. freed ‘himself to concentrate | 1+". io schools, but they amount to little" more. hans on” educational reform.” But, academic imprave- ih ‘fine-tuning. He suggests. that parents’ rank their *¢ ment doesn’t occur in'a ‘vacuum A fair, acogunits i top Vrs th. choices all at one time, and: scrap’ thet able pupil assignment process could be an impor: 8 tagé procedure in which hey. ‘select By tant building block in reforming MPS, 3 30! ; Ae i nth sage anti they find : HERE MAY bé better correctives, than, what AF Eon ik age R Willie urged, bit parents. have: (in hy icons e process 7s 2 that no’ ‘proposal will satisfy all i pr {here's a. tip 10 “the folks “who. piated T X, . oth M3 2 3 Le PE . he FARE Frey EER MALE i Y. HA fy rly bi +3 bi we oe about. the, Willie ‘plant; » Pipe” down next: v, i} {56 3 X. process beg . = td Jr . - i JECT I oe J Bi MR 8) 0 Os WRN gy oR Bo meen i 1 pn ir, Se FL Oo .2 =O Sal se op Pajgweil sald, Ti Fi nl RL ., THE -MULIYAURER E_SENTINEL, May 8, 1990 did be. poll ans under * ind ho : of “ment, ‘plan being” developad School : ; oid Vice Président | horas = : 2 Sore ‘Tnterested “Sfciale have seen 0 he a va ry Ye as” Sep “Milwaukee Public Schools. spokesman 3 p pave Begel ‘said’ BO. one. at the’ ‘central (office has seen It," 4d i, a du i iy. Pafewski’s’ plan’ would ba an “alterna. R “ve to the “Willie Plan” that would divide i the district {nta two attendance’ zones.” |] n 1 $School Board ‘members have Indicated i the. Willie Plan must be changed before’ “they would accept it, and district officlals are aménding It to reflect concerns ex- Joined by the board and publle. ©" I ; “Psjewskl’s plan calls for allowing pars aA "efts to Send their orig to any. Milwau- 3 4 50 public stasel, ¥en hy SELL or bs edegts ji id series of outlying. ‘schools. will ba 5 ed with each Inner City school that oes not. have “classrooms. 10 ACCOMmO- a ihe children who do live around that *sehooly” Raja wrote, In 4! document J ioptalned by e Milwaukee Sentinel.’ “For % tfack, of &. ek ‘word, Be } tbs : pctiools ‘partner schools,” TR pe Eo ial RCE SP os lobe ti ond gchools’ sitEadunce Cited Ps Ww tan be. b biased 1B: dozens of i differ or schools. if the neighborhood : pr gus hoof cannot accommodate HET: ; NEE HEE a LH) te AERP elu Ss! plan ihe di gs ict Fvould provide sortation, or, 12008. Sof distance and safety tq magnet schools, ", Zoeigh purhond Sheol or Sn bool, Topi “Sef holy lL have whi thes oie ‘ tion , fecording b to the documént.r; Fiche at et a” - sekonls, | any school that maintains a racial balance’ © in i Sa and 50% whits, it sald. ES E¢{Excep t for those tc oy Sli Fale, 5 grote, Shere would be Crequirements. £3558 SE py Sh or £8 0.) jo Ra “SEE PAGER t SCHOOLS Vey ng ». TA or LT ee Be ag TES = m1 fa AS EER Fa fre Xi edt 3 JEN r. 8 a Foe . “JB Cpe a ME I Wy MRE fo my con} Cept of a magnet school Is much broader, than the current usage, * Pas Tlewskl’ wrote. “Many “current atten. [dance-area “schools could become. magnet schools while’ retaining theft. {neighborhood ‘preference and, Shelf. sgurrent educational program.’,” cis not ¥" During an faterview 7 Monday, Pas ey wski said the “égsential. difference tween the Willle Plan and his ls ‘that the former tried to achleve go Feria racially balanced system.” id = In his plam, Pajewiki ‘ald,’ the la uestion to be. answered is, : ) ‘what level of school desegregation ¢ do- ie need to prevent past: abuses?” EAN The district's general gldeling’ y Fhow is to maintain schools. at 85%. p hinerity and 35% White. in dg The existing pupil assignment toes contributes to residents’ dls- content with the school system, Pa- Jewski wrote, 5 of ERE TH I RA 244 “The Issue Is emotionally charged, “defying honest ‘philosophical dis. . course,” he wrote. “So we Keep hop- ‘ing that we can deal with this discon 1 4tent: by improving: «our schools: without having to address the assign:. 2 ment question. ",. : - ri: But’ you “cannot vos. pareatal; {involvement dnd school-based, man... "agement {rom the school choice” Proc a Fess.” These ssues’, are? titeicately.) : ;linked with each other. if CR : OR - pha SY ¥1 & 2-1 8 50 mL] his i Eo BY i B , Rit L PE —— st te +, op} ke nt bil ' . en — bf 8 Chale mil ot vile Ban A WP ads Ad 3) bins, 2 dk RCT es Vii] ed Yi Dive’ i ‘east and west zon a ty | schools open to all students in the; . city, and Teepingi 18" Inger; redominantly bfack:y FL PR : a § the ox Fi think It’ ud} dent, He: sr JS TE RY ie EC Eg 4 iy Bagg ah Lt Mee "tw es, ART a! Ta fia oh t : i £31ee, 08 bart Dov ause ty ms an tolreduce; the burden on SE Fe i i 24) cules iy ix sxamining 1 the Wille re on '§ me ber of the task force. LS “open ‘enctigh 0 hs Murphy a ay gael 1, daived Ay that. “the distpge EN] Brin Ry Uy ] valued for NA poring Cn a I HY, ES VS » . THE MILWAUKEE JQURNAL May 9, 1990 Sra : schools, “inte black’ isos, 1,and gt FYE Xe, Ro a tha LY, or Supefiatéd ehden ho TE Sa) kre vd AEE men FN 3 . rye Loony SN hs sa . ., Ed Aa Li 2 fie fst SR oe pe Ad 3 IARIE CO hf SAAR od Long Had eh EduGiopal Eqhilly’ 1} zofies, with most stidents limited” Plan,” he BiB LE Bigfal | By lo attending ‘schools, s,_only’ in the = School district spokesman Dave’ hes Bg 5 Boge id cen had nl May ‘zone’ in" which, % they live. It aims’! - 13,tg ‘submit additional written to reduce: ‘bus. ‘comments on the ‘plan, He ‘said ¥ improve ing, ". members of the. SFaaning group: : ted gfou ‘of! BAR all- {Ve parenis and gi t : oY, more; choi ¢ lax x to Wht ft sehodls ec . ¢, fchildred © $ : She 0353 AR : “In APY 7 by * : te pa aE Ady 7.8 PATER) ' \ $2 -! Foy ig \ - A Fis 2 es " ' ia X ; . “i'n : 4 hie ’ 1) J : i 1 . : . co SW ie af El ECT TN RRC i le J i IN BF gp ol ET cl 5; ET - I I 7 rg Yof 2 — — TT — oil OF i 0 o / wwe wwe x Hes 8 tn = ETE Te Wn a 5 tHE@MLWAUKEE JOURNAL May 2900 poy ie Te lA Yoo Fnatan midi ae A wg Wily) ; iL WARE v3} o r A § An rg Sd SR 3 Pete erkin ‘cu Milwaukee School Siperinten ~ dent Robert S, Peterkin's decision to drop the Willie plan's key but controversial proposals for’ revamping the way students are assigned 10 ‘schools sends a strong’ signal to teachers and parents that school. reform is his No, | priority. And while Peterkin, clearly would have preferred to use. stu- dent assignment as the engine.to, . its: ARE nn 2 Myhedi E A hoods, ii va Lo AI pg Te Pe 0SSE€S: boost the ‘number. of students attending schools in their neighborf’ : It was ‘developed by pk fd : - Charles V, Willie, a 0 of > education and urban studies al . Harvard University’s Graduats' I of i win 10 address a number 0 ongstanding problems; the high cost of busing, * the busing of a disproportionate iad drive school improvement, he saw’. + number of black students, the con: the writing on the wall, Large num. bers, of parerits’ at ‘several commu." nity “meetings had’ complained joudly about parts of the plan,’ showing that it was hel going + to” pla in Milwaukee, “Peterkin has come. ar ‘three major elements of the ie * plan: dividing the city into_two attendance zones &nd restricting students’ 10 attending only those schools in the zone where they 1 live; rhaking the City's popular’ citywide J specialty’ schools’ attendance zone... schools; "and integrating 16 all” black inner city ‘schools, HE Si > “The plan aims to givé parents . more <hoics | ig 30 their. c oh 7 » ‘ ; tr Ra KX ; tinuing racial isolation of black stu; .- ; dents in’ a number of inner 0 * schools and ‘a cumbersome student | assignmerit process that many pars. ; ents find di — 10’ understand of use to their beefit, it Ji RI oY In the end, the success of He : da would have to hinge on & high percentage’, of [students beinga "assigned ‘to their first-choice’ ! schools. And unless large niumbess . of ‘parents choose a variety of} , Sebo, that would not happen, ‘++ + . Peterkin his conceded that 9 f public i is not confident that enough schools can ‘be; .improved fasf’’ PT NEAT Fil THE ante Po . Pleas sce Peterkin page 3. 5 A oe ALVIN = MDT Leah ET HT dT ee Edd == eo Tey oe ) "3 i i 1 i 2H 4 - oe Py i e “oh oN D a n 2 ra, | fa,’ Li wi Ho Ith on th e:Wi 3 riovy]'s- xR . vi 8 A or | Be Lf bY et il v C: all CORR A dh A FY ye 13s pr kc a fats 3 BE " pla Seri My Sg Ol & nk ii I. td e 0 en x or ir NO ara pg 4 : 3 | § | Epinicit Ol: {ade oe, et : F ay Jet or TAN Im: adi " a by Tos A > To ay SA gx gv. PRSCHLLA Ae at Eo Silden BEVEL improve the ¢i 5 4% Jouma! education reporter : © least successful schools, reduce bus: Ar duev said ies nt ing, increase, desegregation’’and 7 ST Ta MAR TG ’ EA ag; | tid ‘Peterkin/ nh RE 4 Fx he AS Ci a, THE MILWAUKEE JOURNAL May 21, 1990 Parents la on 4 t faith'in ‘plan Sor bitte we Wu From page 1 “enough to’ give parents ; F wide and © ‘meaningful school ‘choice. As=a result, he has’ decided, to iproW i the schools first. Ge eng "a. rv 7 Se SO ale dive) toed £ a . 0 * ** He can’ now’ point fo Tore. bw, $s million’. earmarked for scho aud improvement, - and. has’ ‘taken’ SEL | bold move’ of approaching subti 333 ¥ ban échools' for some Chapter. Fat Rl doygagisen, aid als Pid ot: § a ui Al i TE LL tive, al ; ty TR + Still Petri or rt Hig 3 ‘to abaridon key: ements of, wy Willie plan “was against hi§ iN 4 ‘judgment. He has seen similgd | ‘plans succeed in Boston and Care pb ’, bridge, Mass. where he formerly bai worked. ‘But it comes at @ time when Peterkin can ill afford 10 bé & " | distracted by the kind of hea’ 4 J criticism the Willie plan evoked x : from’ parents | "board members ad} aldermen y 13a iy Lb Yn. a) Three ‘Hiohths tof Sniroversy | orl | over racial balance quotas and i : i pom agsi pment is ho Petagy ui k ine in, Wy E mént Leg D1 ON i Milwaukee Journal He | 3 tened to what the public Koop {o's 3 * Rd % oN ET Fat | Cou SLOW REFORM vec 50 hs A are J, Mt $y dy Bay oo Pa ak, . “NThe downside. to [Ent “decision is that it could slow Schodd reform. pg NE EAT fain '#.In the Willie plas, the 174 to improve the city’s least {ful schools, including” some or ie | all-black schools, ¢ omy, with el [8 a g I A T T o n D a geted for, help, das 3 ; Ber ‘principals could. VER their jobs, 32 | Sud Ha ad LE that Ehren Af + M guid bet for, evaluating any plan. i that the plan has tab 1 Bast be just, and has 1b hel,’ § combination of os aiduet ru ie x *. “Willie remains ined a school improvemént_and Student assignment, should” not be Toot vo 2m fe AR SR Ee atl Sl i RR FT Se RE Et FOOLY THE MILWAUKEE JOURNAL May 20, 1990 Pg 1 of 4 a i nh = SS ot Le 2TH 3, Xe + a A RRA i 15% x Atel pd SL at A LA UKE SCHOOIS 7 5:3 ot A we Si dl Bh poe GT OE Ey As yet! sigcud id ii adn =) = @ Brill da FMLA hat a Th " teh . RL ve - Che wll 8 Berd A rtd us ge oe paltry N Fy wr 1 Tn wJ- 3 55. as Lh A] Jad rs £ Wi J ER ad ye Sr nie o S or gu n S o . : “d a ome Y n id o) 1. pn g e s i Ng) Hid oy {49 NL a A ¢ Fe by 2 g 1 CDi an® SR 2, —-- < 7 fi S50 C A of EELS i: Serr Vie SE Hr Regs he 49 i € days conirover : ny a fold on hold back Ae Lh Lo OAL: Be a. ‘time, Fert Limprovernent of schools’, ie : 410, ease” the ‘current. Sed x] LAL LRT ‘a wl . ~a ' SDRISOILLA AHL CREM / a hg hed * student! assigns SEE 3 3 fo REHED process TTI ET tif: Eli I20 pant Lo AR WLW and aid further ON BI" o ‘ i 4 4 : Fp Sis changes Foulds, me hp ik i bag ‘response. to" fvirahe Inning ‘u “femain”a’ “longF Race Race relations community Spposition, Milwaukee’ 7 term poal, “rere ng hig hey ‘School Superintendent Robert S, g-- But he” said fe on public y : Peterkin wants to drop the sweeps Soe y he would ‘édna"s r jing ind controversial elements of centrate’t? his, [ager LY "the Willie plan’that were to chalign'> fmhedi Rt &3 po = by rl 3 “the” way sty nts are assigned’ to aefforts {4 ont; id "schools, HEE RE RE | de .was resoundingly’ 3 as ay of instru, iid A h “The: ton schools “We gr ver taking effort away ‘from Student's iy, Riles tome here to bil Ll improvement. We were spending “ “all our time on student’ assign- 5 dent sion rina pr 4 , ment,” Peterkin said in an’ inter. §; S78 16750 IIOIOVE SCHOO = | view this weekend, It is_time.10 ‘criticized by snr races, by’ EE a on Sve several School Board members, "and by some members of the Com-, yore poing to gain, only’ that Rp ater: ‘mon Council, which. formed a task : the proposal. a percepion hat pecs hk #7 C10 SABE propo 4 ng 1g be able to ‘deliver on | “the School Board that major com=" ‘ys : 5 panents..of the. Willie plan be" ye PE pal (Sasi ko z Le Nef hid SEE on “ a ee HOI LEAH LSINIMNMOID-SAdL S&T 1 a@ HOW gese-S3@a-99ns . . » . +o Ny . Ee ' ’ 5 : - en ry : - ! . ; ar vi—r ea a — ———————; TS —— — — cs es wo i § 5 re— wd bh SMT Tg en pe ag THE MILWAUKEE JOURNAL May 20, 1990 pg 2 of 4 PES i fp 5a Ra hr, Peterkin/Parents, others rejected Wills CHS From at HEL Zee Ss, He Under bi plan, par: EX o . ents would list their fii: io“ favaity fate scrapped, at least tor now, The plan “top three school i’ sp yee was develo %i2. by, Sontulant % choices, on one applit. : ; Charles Vy, Willie, 2 professor § cation. JA; Computer: i pra ? education “and ‘urban studies “at would” autbmatically’ } Harvard University’s Graduate . ‘students aK “School of, Education, Willie "was 4 ‘on those requests. Hi sy 3 ‘hired in ‘April 1989 and was paid i a 4, | Rg SEAN the plan.” <i in Now, dents i: y 7 st 4ble fo ask for only 3 Updef Beerkin's roposal 4% “one school in the first ® Minsikee public’ "schools <.round of et would. not be divided into separate o and. manyy Ww 5 "attendance zones. Willie has pro?’ A turned’ dow: BE: Fposed cast and west zones, with found ‘Tat Rad x | _ most students restricted to attend- “ond or third-choice * [oid Yor a S00 *ing ‘only schools in the zone where +” * Schools ae full by the , Rouert S. PETERGN “they live, beginning i in 1992+ 93.4%: yi "3 time - they’ get the = : ie © m Thélcity’s ‘popular specialty opportunity to apply. sign. schools would remain open to stu; “RE “In. ‘another aod io epeated dents from throughout the city. Fequests from. neighborfioods, Pet: : Park Cha The \ Wills pn wh "he diet 2 erkin'js recommending that schools. “*‘ation’s Educatid i Cox fmittee, § S1CenS live 003 ‘in integrated. areas be allowed 13; "We fould Jove toisee’ where they liye, © enn 20 “draw all .of their students” from dent’ assigAment: ‘pla’ but: I Sixteen inner city schools those neighborhoods. Specifically, hoped, that ‘any’ decisions: on . would remain virtually all black.” the. proposal “would * Chil * dent assignmént would be ea: Willie's proposal calls for -all - Hi-Mount Elementary on the W ‘to provide for insane commu- schools in ‘the city to reflect the Side and Fratney a tity input.” po : racial makeup of their zone, within Frteated teighborhood hoa 1 “ Pasi aid, LE = rs _integrat net I SCNOOIA, 7 & ple were saying. y degis | 10 percentage points, 5s 4 Wi 5 An or 0. was. . Peterkin's’ RTI] Tt vnthesizing all the information.” 3 STUDENT ASSIGNMENT CHANGES i want to School Board members’ pei 5 HR ah 5% “:: ‘Meanwhile, Peterkin is recom- \* Saturday: The board is expected 10 12 £0 Se “mending some immediate changes ." act on te issue at a Higeting June” 5 ane fil Rap ’. that should ¢ ease the student assign. . 4% ed wl <6: 30 i Ae ino AN AAT, E A W a n t w h o ang e d i t eo d i n t § io! i MOT Les LS IMNIMTS— So ® : THE MILWAUKEE JOURNAL May 20, 1990 sr Ps pl PP FERRY Re POL (RIYEL LS Th AR A LORE ALR 2 | COMPLANTS FROM PARENTS. Sih vt] oR Filey | Mba % HI “54 tion: {3 ihe pian was. : ple, : LT I G I O I TL TH Y S A T Hd i t 8 E r v F- } £ \ if 1 SEE 0 he pie ould mt r' child 3 Ff ‘en's. iACCEsX, fo" aired 1 — E a Si p u e wi c n = ~ cainad Produced ER of whichi/P Peterkin | [oh 0 1 tn in ie plan had helped improve; schools in Cambridge, » where he has worked ini the past but *I've teamed tha ’s dot the Way 10 g0 in T r . ~~ hy — T - HOI LEBEL SIHIWIAD—-S4did 3