The folkbum endorsement: Una Van Duvall for Milwaukee Common Council, 6th District

I don't live in Michael McGee Jr.'s district, so I have not been following the recall election as closely I could. And, again, since I'm not feeling well, I will let two others make the case for Una Van Duvall here that persauded me:

I am hoping that Una VanDuvall replaces Michael McGee as Alderman in the 6th district. I support her candidacy because Una is a strong and dedicated woman who is committed to the betterment of her community. I happen to know that first hand. Though I don't live in the area, I do go to a church in the neighborhood, and understand on some level the challenges of the people in that area. Una's and my paths have crossed a couple of times over the years, and she has shown passion and leadership in facing the challenges in our community. I think she would be a good representative for the neighborhood, and work to improve the lives of her constituents.

She is currently seeking support from educators. Below is a letter from School Board member Jennifer Morales, also seeking your support for Una's candidacy, as well as some of Una's position statements on education issues.

Thanks, Kris Collett

Dear Educator and Friend,

As an educator, you know well that the strength of our commitment to our students at a young age directly and dramatically affects their likelihood of success in life.

Una Van Duvall, candidate for Alderwoman in the 6th District, is a strong believer in public education. Una grew up in Los Angeles, California, graduating from a public high school there. Her daughter, Ife, attended Milwaukee Public Schools during the years she lived in Milwaukee, first as a student at Oliver Wendell Holmes Elementary School and then at Hartford Middle School.

Please join the growing list of EDUCATORS FOR UNA, Milwaukee educational leaders and teachers who support Una Van Duvall for 6th District Alderwoman.

Together we can elect a Milwaukee Common Council that advocates for our students and works hard to improve their chances for success... starting with Una in the 6th.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Morales, Milwaukee Public Schools Board of Directors

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Una believes that Community Learning Centers (CLCs) keep students off the streets and wanting to go to school the next day, improve grades and behavior, and enrich students' lives in immeasurable ways. She wants the city to fund help more CLCs, as their benefits contribute to a safer and better city.

Una sees truancy as a city problem as well as an education problem. She does not think that it is effective to criminalize truancy by issuing tickets for which most do not appear in municipal court. Rather than backlogging the district attorney's office with habiltual truant charges, we need to look at community efforts like teen court programs and other preventative measures that have proven effective but have gone unused.

Una knows that employment for students who are old enough and for parents of students who may be out of work is critical. Offering accessible job placement and training programs to MPS parents would relieve a major stress on families of MPS students.

Una will work with school officials, students, teachers and parents to come up with comprehensive solutions to address the safety concerns that we all share. Una believes that the security problems facing MPS are monumental and it will require the full commitment of both the public and private sector to produce a safe and productive learning environment.