In Milwaukee Public Schools news . . .

Last night the Board of School Directors installed milquetoast Joe Dannecker as its new president. Dannecker, who, unfortunately, represents me, replaces anti-public school Director Ken Johnson in the post.

This just makes me feel like crying in futility:

"I'm the most average person on the board in some ways," he said last night after being elected. "I don't have a special agenda...My job is to facilitate a meeting and work very hard to keep the board focused."

Not that I was pleased with Johnson's agenda--far from it--but at a time when the Board needs to show some guts and lead, Dannecker's initiativelessness will just leave the district and the city feeling even more hopelessly mired in all the problems we face.

Sigh.