Milwaukee Schools: Something To Talk About

Summary: The Milwaukee Schools' District is the largest public school district in Wisconsin; it has 207 schools, 6,055 teachers, and 90,925 students. Hot topics in the district are voucher programs, Chinese Language education, and WiMAX, a free broadband internet access for all students and staff. WiMAX, an emerging wireless broadband technology, is a tool that Milwaukee School officials are hoping to install in the homes of all students and staff members. This technology can r...

The Milwaukee Schools' District is the largest public school district in Wisconsin; it has 207 schools, 6,055 teachers, and 90,925 students. Hot topics in the district are voucher programs, Chinese Language education, and WiMAX, a free broadband internet access for all students and staff. WiMAX, an emerging wireless broadband technology, is a tool that Milwaukee School officials are hoping to install in the homes of all students and staff members. This technology can reportedly broadcast a signal for miles without needing a clear line of sight. If Milwaukee Schools are successful, they will be one of the first school systems in the nation to use this technology. The pilot program will cover approximately five square miles and is scheduled to be up and running by August 2007. James Davis, Milwaukee Schools' director of technology, has said he views WiMAX as the way to provide internet access to students whose families are too poor to even afford a phone line. Davis recently told The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that "without this kind of initiative, these students will fall further behind in competition for college entry and the work force, [which] will increase the digital divide." A very exciting new school will be opening in the Milwaukee School District