Closing gaps, building equity
As this academic year has drawn to a close, M3 and our institutions have faced two unprecedented challenges. We have adapted to a health crisis not seen in a century, and we have reaffirmed our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the face of extreme examples of racial injustice.
Our partnership is both uniquely positioned and uniquely obligated to close the racial equity gaps that too often define our region.
We are continuing to close the access-to-college gap by dramatically growing our early college initiative. In May, 54 Milwaukee Public Schools seniors completed the M3 Pathways early college program, with an additional 45 students completing a dual enrollment college math course. These graduates earned more than 1,000 college-level credits from both Milwaukee Area Technical College and the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, saving them a collective $340,000 in tuition costs. We invite you to read more about two outstanding graduates in this edition of M3 Connections and watch the celebration ceremony.
The COVID-19 crisis has both underscored and exacerbated the digital equity gap and other significant student needs including housing, food, and transportation. Each of our institutions is working to address immediate needs and eliminate equity gaps in the long term. To learn more and contribute to emergency funds, see the details below.
Our M3 work teams continue to define what this partnership must do broadly to close gaps and grow our success for the next decade as we work to connect learning from middle school through college, provide strong transitions from high school to college, and drive college success. An outline of this work follows in this newsletter.
We thank you for your shared commitment to closing equity gaps and for your partnership in this work that is as important as it has ever been.
Respectfully,
Keith P. Posley, Ed.D., Superintendent, MPS
Vicki Martin, Ph.D., President, MATC
Mark A. Mone, Ph.D., Chancellor, UWM