Lake Effect Spotlight

91% of students in Milwaukee Public Schools cannot read at grade level. But a new literacy plan by the school district promises to change how students learn to read. The plan comes in response to new state legislation, called Act 20, that requires districts to use science-based reading instruction.  

WUWM education reporter Katherine Kokal is looking into literacy in her series called Turning the Page: Teaching Milwaukee to Read. She talked with Ana Gabriela Bell Jiménez, the Academic Superintendent for Literacy at MPS, and Jennifer Mims-Howell, the district’s Chief Academic Officer. 

WUWM has committed to covering issues our listeners say are top priorities, including the economy. As part of that coverage, we’re exploring how the economy is impacting Wisconsinites with different financial needs and concerns. 

Tom Oberhaus is the co-operator of Cozy Nook Farm in Waukesha County. Cozy Nook is primarily a dairy farm, supplying milk to Prairie Farms mainly for their cheese products. The farm supplements its dairy businesses with seasonal pumpkin and Christmas tree sales. 

When Lake Effect’s Sam Woods last spoke with Oberhaus in October, pumpkin sales were going strong. This month, the two discuss how Christmas tree season went, and how Cozy Nook is preparing for 2026. 

2025 was a whirlwind for Milwaukee Public Schools. It hired a new superintendent and dealt with flooding right before the start of the school year. But the biggest story was the school district’s multimillion dollar cleanup of toxic lead paint in its classrooms and common spaces.  

The project began after a student tested positive for elevated lead levels and the contamination was traced back to the student’s school. That was one year ago in January. WUWM education reporter Katherine Kokal is joined by Michael Turza. He’s the interim chief operating officer at MPS, and he’s been at the helm of the lead remediation project. 

2025 was a big year in politics. For many Wisconsinites the year brought uncertainty and cuts in services, despite paying more for most necessities. That includes major increases in property taxes and bus fares, alongside cuts to bus services.  

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley joins Lake Effect's Joy Powers to talk about what the past year has been like for the county, and his hopes for the future.

UW-Milwaukee’s Atmospheric Science degree program has come to an end. That program prepared students for careers in weather and climate forecasting and research. UWM says the program ended this year due to low enrollment and faculty retirements. 

Its closure comes on the heels of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration facing federal cuts to its research and staff. As Lake Effect’s Xcaret Nuñez explains, that means UWM atmospheric science students are facing the loss of their degree program and an uncertain job market. 

The average price of a home in Milwaukee County rose about 8-percent since last year. Even with a stable job, buying a home feels out of reach for many. But why is housing so expensive and what can be done about it? WUWM’s series Seeking Solutions: Keys to Homeownership digs into systemic housing problems in Milwaukee and sheds light on solutions. 

One emerging solution is the Milwaukee Community Land Trust, which offers homes under 100 thousand dollars and a fixed appreciation rate to keep that home affordable long term. The organization is new and has just nine homes in its portfolio as of this summer. 

As Lake Effect’s Sam Woods explains, the model isn’t a perfect solution to solve housing affordability. But it is built on decades of nationwide experience, proven to keep individual homes affordable forever, and reveals truths about why homes are so expensive in the first place. 

This year, WUWM explored Milwaukee and Wisconsin’s immigration history through a series called Making Wisconsin. The idea was to help better understand who our neighbors are and how immigration has shaped our city, state and country. One part of the series explored the concept of sanctuary.  Throughout history there have been waves of sanctuary movements stemming from religious organizations, activists, and legislation. 

To help understand sanctuary and how it shaped our history and politics Lake Effect’s Audrey Nowakowski spoke with Marquette University assistant professor of history and author Sergio González.  

Milwaukee hosted the Republican National Convention last year. City officials touted a potential economic windfall. Visit Milwaukee released a report claiming the event carried a 321-million-dollar economic impact. 

But this number doesn’t include normal business that was crowded out by the RNC. Instead, it's a tally of what was spent by visitors and the cost of putting on the event. 

Lake Effect’s Sam Woods looks at what’s in the report. 

The Milwaukee Art Museum has a new leader at the helm. Kim Sajet was previously the director of the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, where she worked to increase the representation of women and people of color in the collection. In May, President Trump claimed to have fired Sajet from the Smithsonian in part because of her work to diversify the collection.  

Although the Smithsonian made it clear the president has no authority to fire employees of the institution, Sajet decided to resign from her position a couple weeks after the incident. But DC’s loss is Milwaukee’s gain. Sajet brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience, and a desire to invigorate the Milwaukee Art Museum’s space with new community engagement efforts. 

WUWM is examining systemic housing problems – and solutions – for more affordable housing. Milwaukee is trying to change its zoning code to encourage more affordable housing in the city. A piece of the plan to allow more new duplexes across the city has been stripped out. But a new change will allow for accessory dwelling units, or extra units above a garage or on the back half of a lot. So, will it bring housing costs down? 

To find out, WUWM's Katherine Kokal is joined by Meg McMahan, the director of city planning for the city of Minneapolis, which made similar changes in 2018.