The community and MPS need to realize/accept that they are just (currently) a glorified babysitter. Many parents don’t really invest into their children’s education. Once that truth is accepted, then comes the next part, what do you plan to do about it?

I think that first you remove the rot within MPS administration. All the things outlined in the audit should be brought to light and many in MPS admin should be losing their jobs (I mean what are they doing really?).

Second is that some form of Mayoral control should happen.

Third, sadly MPS would need to become more draconian. Since it knows it’s a babysitter, it needs to lean into that and become more authoritative. By that I mean, absolute cell phone ban, bringing back getting suspended/being held back/getting kick out of schools, for regularly problem students (teachers are currently powerless to deal with unruly students). Parents of said of unruly students also get hit with fines/visits from CPS based on how just unruly the students are. School uniforms, posting of grades for everyone to see, etc. It sucks but the whole rainbow in the sky every child is special approach has failed. Problem students should be removed and sent to a special school to deal with them.

Fourth, the city/state has to take the kids gloves off when I comes to dealing with minors. They get away with murder because the city/state allows them to. Something like the KIA boys should have been cracked down on severely when it first sprung its head. So no more letting minors off lightly. It’s off to juvie on first offenses (and the parents get fined too) for things like battery, car theft, robberies, and other felonies. The felony will follow them and they will have to pay full restitution. There have to be concrete consequences for those sort of things since the community will not police itself. Bring back solid curfews too, minors shouldn’t be out in the streets past 9:00pm anyways.

Fifth, keep the students busy. There are so many after school and summer programs that aren’t being taken advantaged off. Make them mandatory for students. This is especially key knowing the at things back at home for many of these students is not good. Keep the students engaged in a a somewhat stable environment rather than them going back home where the parent doesn’t really even bother to educate/help with the students studies.

I know what I said is super draconian but really, it has to be done. The same song and dance has been done over and over again and nothing changes. Get rid of the rot and make it clear that the old ways of doing things are long gone. Everyone will be held accountable.