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Local NewsMPS Facing Criticism For New HireBy Jay OlstadMILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee Public School Board believes it is moving in the right direction after hiring a new superintendent Friday night. But some don't agree. "What I see is the same old thing we've been doing for the last 20 years," said Democratic state Representative Jason Fields. The board hired Gregory Thornton as the new chief of MPS. He starts in July. But now Fields believes the effort to give the mayor control over MPS, something he supports, maybe in jeopardy. "I think what happens is it creates more confusion. And I think that's unfortunate because we were on the brink of something very drastic for this city," said Fields. School board trustee David Voeltner defended the board's decision. "This isn't business as usual. We are an aggressive board who is willing to make change. And Dr. Thornton is going to lead it," said Voeltner. But some wonder why they hired a man with a questionable past, including filing for bankruptcy in 1997. "You have no worries of a gentleman who obviously had some financial problems running a billion dollar corporation," asked TODAY'S TMJ4 reporter Jay Olstad. "His personal home finances were never in question. He knows how to take care of his own money. He had a business that didn't work out," said Voeltner. All weekend, TMJ4 tried to reach Thornton in Pennsylvania by phone where he's a superintendent, including Monday but he didn't return our calls. Now some are calling his hiring more about the politics of MPS instead of the people it serves. "You have to wonder if it was a strategic move on their part," said Fields. But Voeltner says politics has nothing to do with it. "This was not rushed at all. We had a published timeline before mayoral takeover was even announced," he said.
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