Fritsche Middle School Fight: 17 Arrested

I thought Fritsche Middle School was one of the Milwaukee Public Schools' success stories.

Fritsche Middle School has been recognized as a 1994-96 U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. Created by the Secretary of Education in 1982, the purpose of the blue ribbon Schools Program is to identify and honor America's outstanding public and private schools, while encouraging other schools and communities to look to them for ideas and inspiration.

Fritsche is unique among middle schools in the state and the nation. Embracing the principles of total quality management in education, we have transformed a traditional urban middle school into a house of learning where students, parents, teachers and administrators are empowered to effect change in order to prepare citizens for further learning, productive employment, and leadership in our global economy.

Instead of being a collection of individual initiatives, Fritsche's transformation has been made possible by incorporating the students, parents, and the entire staff into a governing and decision making body, working together to reach their shared vision.

Through this process, consistent incremental improvement has been seen in student achievement on standardized and non-standardized instruments, student GPA, attendance and decreased failure rate and discipline related incidents.

...Nationally recognized by High Strides, a publication of the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, our peer mediation program, in place for the last five years, has assisted in the development of a positive learning environment where students can strive to achieve to their maximum potential.

Our slogan is an encompassing and appropriate motto:

"Fritsche Middle School-Where Knowledge Builds Peace!"

Things weren't very peaceful at Fritsche yesterday.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Seventeen students at Fritsche Middle School in Milwaukee's Bay View neighborhood were taken into custody after a fight Tuesday afternoon, a police spokesman said.

The incident began when two students started fighting in the lunchroom about 12:30 p.m., Sgt. Mark Stanmeyer said. The two students were separated, but other students then became involved, Stanmeyer said.

One student suffered a laceration and was treated at a hospital, Stanmeyer said.

Nine boys and eight girls were taken into custody, Stanmeyer said.

Some of the students will be ticketed for disorderly conduct, Stanmeyer said. Others will be referred to the Milwaukee County district attorney's office for possible charges of battery or disorderly conduct, he said.

I consider 17 arrests at a middle school to be a major story, but the JS sees fit to only give it a few paragraphs.

Here's video from FOX 6 News:



FOX 6 offers a few more details than the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

After the school went on lockdown Milwaukee police arrested nine boys and eight girls all between 14-15-years-old. Milwaukee Public Schools told FOX6 a total of six students were injured in this fight, one of which suffered a puncture wound. That student was sent to the hospital and later released.

...MPS says there will be suspension and expulsions in stored for the students that participated in this incident. Many of the students could face battery or disorderly conduct charges from the City of Milwaukee.

I'd like to know if any weapons were involved.

I'd also like to know more about the police response to the fight. How many officers were called to the scene? How was order restored and how long did it take to regain control?

Some online comments on the FOX 6 website and the JS website give accounts that differ from what was reported.

"Natalie Dockerty" writes:

THESE WERE BAY VIEW HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS HOUSED AT FRITSCHE, NOT FRITSCHE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS. These students are in our building because of another bad move by MPS forcing a productive, safe middle school to merge with a failing high school. As reported in the Journal Sentinel on Friday, March 12th, BAY VIEW HIGH SCHOOL IS ONE OF THE LOWEST PERFORMING HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE STATE. Fritsche Middle School, on the other hand, IS NOT.

Another commenter claims that kids were injured because they were tased.

As I said, I'd like more details on this.

Whatever the specifics, 17 kids at the school were arrested. That's terrible. That's much more than one bad apple.

It appears that there's a lot that's right about Fritsche, which makes it that much more unfortunate that thugs have brought disgrace to the school's reputation.

I hope that the students involved in the fighting receive more than a slap on the wrist from MPS.