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Meeting Date:
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6/29/2017 - 6:30 PM
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Category:
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Awards and Commendations
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Type:
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Info
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Subject:
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2. Excellence in Education Award - MPS Drive Program – Free Driver Education for MPS Students
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Strategic Plan Compatibility Statement:
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Goal 2 Student, Family and Community Engagement
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Attachments
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File Attachment:
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Background:
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Each month, the Milwaukee Board of School Directors recognizes an outstanding school, student, staff member, parent, or community member for a display of excellence, achievement, and innovation that may serve as an example to our school district and the entire Milwaukee community.
This month, the Milwaukee Board of School Directors is pleased to present the “Excellence in Education Award” to:
Nichole Yunk Todd, Lois Quinn, and John Pawasarat
Community Members
MPS Drive Program – Free Driver Education for MPS Students
With careers deeply rooted in justice and public service, it is no surprise that Lois Quinn, John Pawasarat, and Nichole Yunk Todd played integral roles in the development of the MPS Drive program.
Lois and John, now retired, were longtime researchers for UWM’s Employment and Training Institute and worked tirelessly throughout their career to achieve equity for underrepresented populations, specifically focusing on people who live in the areas of Milwaukee experiencing the highest and most persistent rates of poverty. John and Lois have been documenting the driver’s licensing needs of Milwaukee teens, and particularly youth of color, since 1998. Nichole is the Administrator of the Division of Youth Services for Wisconsin Community Services. She is also a founding member of the Youth Justice Milwaukee Coalition, and was the inaugural director of the Center for Driver’s License Recovery & Employability in 2007.
Recognizing the positive implication that possessing a valid driver’s license has for post-high-school success, Nichole entered the Greater Together Challenge in 2014 with an idea to provide free driver education to MPS students. It won the challenge, which included over 200 other entries. Her idea was built upon Lois and John’s research and sparked several conversations with stakeholders in the community who had a vested interest in young people having greater access to driver education. As the largest single provider of driver education to age-eligible teens in Milwaukee, MPS recognized this as an opportunity to restore access to free driver education to its students.
MPS initiated the Universal Driver Education Collaborative in December of 2014, on which both Lois and Nichole served. This group worked for over a year to create a framework for the program which includes a track for students needing to restore suspended driving privileges. MPS piloted the MPS Drive program at four high schools during the Spring of 2016, serving over 250 students. Lois and John put together a comprehensive evaluation of the pilot, which clearly demonstrated the need for and success of the program.
The MPS Drive program began Year One of implementation in September of 2016 at eight high schools and is on pace to serve 1,400 MPS students by the end of July. To date, the program has experienced a 97% passing rate on the temporary permit test, and 133 students have received their probationary driver licenses--a number which is increasing daily. During the 2017-18 school year, the program will be expanding to serve 2,400 students with an annual capacity of 6,000 students by the year 2020.
MPS Drive is Redefining the MPS Experience by empowering students to become self-reliant adults. A driver’s license means so much more than the right to operate a motor vehicle. It means freedom. It means independence. And, combined with a high-school diploma, it means a world of opportunity. Now we can proudly say to every graduate, “Go anywhere. Be anything. You have the education, and MPS has put you right where you deserve to be: the driver’s seat."
The Milwaukee Board of School Directors and the entire school community recognize Nichole Yunk Todd, Lois Quinn, and John Pawasarat for their dedication, outstanding leadership, and commitment to excellence on behalf of the students of the Milwaukee Public Schools.
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Fiscal Impact Statement:
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N/A
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Implementation and Assessment Plan
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Recommendation:
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Approvals:
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Recommended By:
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Signed By:
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Dr. Darienne Driver - Superintendent
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