Title: Mary Bills Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1969-2011 (bulk 1975-1997)

Creator:

• Bills, Mary

Call Number: Milwaukee Mss 228; PH Milwaukee Mss 228; VDA 291-VDA 301; VHB 785; Audio 1703A

Quantity: 10.1 cubic feet (10 records center cartons and 1 oversize folder), 2 photographs (1 folder), 12 videorecordings, and 10 tape recordings

Repository:

Housed at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries’ Archives Department / Milwaukee Area Research Center and the Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections; owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections.

Archival Locations:

UW-Milwaukee Libraries, Archives / Milwaukee Area Research Ctr. (Map)

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

See the catalog entry for information on possible additional materials and shelf locations.

Abstract:

Mary Bills papers, 1969-2011 (bulk 1975-1997), consisting primarily of materials spanning Bills' tenure as a member and president of board of directors of Milwaukee (Wisconsin) Public Schools (1985-1997), and her time with the Metropolitan Integration Research Center (1975-1985), during which time Milwaukee schools desegregated under court order and the state enacted Chapter 220, designed to facilitate voluntary integration. School choice, vouchers, redistricting, charter schools, early childhood education, all-day kindergarten, school closings, and school violence are addressed through materials from the MPS board, Metropolitan Research Integration Center, conferences Bills attended, and other writings. Also includes video and audio recordings documenting appearances by Mary Bills and others addressing school issues.

Note:

There is a restriction on use of this material; see the Administrative/Restriction Information portion of this finding aid for details.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mil00228

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Mary Bills graduated with a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She founded a Milwaukee, Wisconsin, school organization and served as president of the board of directors of the Metropolitan Integration Research Center (MIRC), an organization studying racial isolation in metropolitan Milwaukee, and on the Education Committee of the League of Women Voters of Greater Milwaukee before running for a seat on the Milwaukee School Board in 1985. She served as member of the school board from 1985-1997 and president of the school board from 1993-1995. Her involvement in education, and the school choice and voucher movements continued after her tenure on the board through participation in conferences and writing.

The materials are arranged mainly as Bills maintained them, with some changes made to bring subjects together to bring a stronger chronological order. In the 1976 decision in Amos et al. v. Board of School Directors of the City of Milwaukee, federal judge John Reynolds stated that the segregation of Milwaukee public schools existed because of the intent and actions of the school board, and ordered the board to create a plan for desegration. Materials related to the AMOS DECISION and REACTION are grouped in the following subseries: Milwaukee Public Schools, Organizations and Writings; some of the latter predate the decision. THE METROPOLITAN INTEGRATION RESEARCH CENTER was founded in 1978 to educate the public regarding the “causes for racial isolation particularly in housing and schools in the metropolitan Milwaukee area, and conducting research into the possible means for countering the effects of racial isolation in the metropolitan Milwaukee area.”

CHAPTER 220 was a state law, enacted in 1975 and ended in 2015, that enabled students in Milwaukee to be bused to other districts in a voluntary school integration program. The MPS LAWSUIT AGAINST SUBURBS AND and SETTLEMENT series also follows as a direct result of the Amos decisions.

The MPS BOARD OF DIRECTORS series is primarily from Bills' time as board member and president of board and is arranged primarily in chronological fashion. She was elected in 1985 and chose not to run in for re-election in 1997. It contains the following subseries: Correspondence and remarks; Superintendents; Budgets; Facilities; Strategic Planning; and School Choice and Charter Schools, which reaches beyond Bills' time on the board. Materials on Redistricting can also be found in the BOARD OF DIRECTORS series.

The collection also includes photographs and videos in the VISUAL MATERIALS series as well as AUDIO RECORDINGS.

Use Restrictions

COPYRIGHT RESTRICTION: Individuals or corporate bodies other than the Wisconsin Historical Society may hold copyright for a portion of the collection. Permission from the appropriate copyright holder(s) may be required before reproducing items from this collection.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Mary Bills, 2013. Accession Number: M2013-186

Milwaukee Mss 228	Series: Amos Decision and Reaction
Box   1 Folder   1	Craig Amos v. Milwaukee Board of School Directors, summary, 1976
Box   1 Folder   2	Armstrong v. O'Connell, 1978
Box   1 Folder   3	Armstrong v. Brennan, 1979
	Milwaukee Public Schools reaction
Box   1 Folder   4	Busalacchi resolution, 1976 October 5
Box   1 Folder   5-8	Planning drafts, 1981-1988
Box   1 Folder   9	Preliminary Recommendations for Increasing Education Opportunities and Improving Racial Balance, MPS, 1976
	Organizations
Box   1 Folder   10	City-Suburban Council, 1978
Box   1 Folder   11-13	City-Suburban Connection
Box   1 Folder   14-15	Coalition for Peaceful Schools
Box   1 Folder   16	"Court Ordered Desegregation: Patterns of Community Response," conference, 1976
Box   1 Folder   17-19	League of Women Voters of Greater Milwaukee, 1975-1978
Box   1 Folder   20	Organization of Organizations report, 1976
	Writings
Box   1 Folder   21	"A Case Study of Political, Social, and Economic Forces Which Affected the Planning for School Desegregation Milwaukee 1976," thesis abstract, Theodore V. Montgomery Jr., 1984
Box   1 Folder   22	"Demographic Study: A Comparison of the City of Milwaukee with the Suburban Regions of Milwaukee County and the Rest of the Milwaukee SMSA," D.J. O'Brien
Box   1 Folder   23	"An Experiment in Central City-Suburban Interaction," Belden Paulson, et al., 1969
Oversize Folder   1	"Reading, Riding and Race: Public Opinion and School Segregation in Milwaukee County," reprint of Milwaukee Journal articles that appeared 1975 March-July
Box   1 Folder   24	Strategy for Balanced Communities
	Series: Metropolitan Integration Research Center, 1975-1985	⇧
Box   2 Folder   1-5	Minutes and board of directors
Box   2 Folder   6-8	Press releases and positions
	Studies
Box   2 Folder   9	"Relationships Between School Desegregation and Government Housing Programs: A Milwaukee Case Study," Lois Quinn, 1980
Box   2 Folder   10	"A State Litigation Approach to Compel Redistricting As a Means to Achieve Milwaukee Metropolitan Desegregation," Peter D. Goldberg, 1980
Box   2 Folder   11	"A Study of the Public School System in Wisconsin Compared with Some National Trends," John Callahan, state superintendent, 1945
	Subject files
Box   2 Folder   12	A Guide for Milwaukee Housing Decisions: 1980-1985
Box   2 Folder   13	Lawsuits and choice
Box   2 Folder   14	League of Women Voters of Greater Milwaukee and MIRC, 1975-1984
Box   2 Folder   15	Quinn
Box   2 Folder   16	Quinn-maps
Box   2 Folder   17	School district reorganization
Box   2 Folder   18-19	Six-district plan
	Series: Chapter 220	⇧
	Guidelines
Box   2 Folder   20	Inter-district guidelines, 1979-1980
Box   3 Folder   1-2	Intra-district guidelines
Box   3 Folder   3	METCO guidelines and background, 1974
	MPS materials, Legislative documents, and policy reports
Box   3 Folder   4-10	1975-1979
Box   3 Folder   11-25	1980-1989
Box   3 Folder   26-38	1990-1994
Box   4 Folder   1-3	1994-1995
Box   3 Folder   39-43	1995-1997
	Series: MPS Lawsuit Against Suburbs and Settlement	⇧
Box   5 Folder   1	Agreement discussions, 1986
Box   5 Folder   2	Agreements and settlements, 1987
Box   5 Folder   3	Board reply, Clausen letter, articles, 1987
Box   5 Folder   4-5	Charne, Irvin, 1986
Box   5 Folder   6	Court orders, 1987
Box   5 Folder   7-9	Complaints and drafts, 1984-1985
Box   5 Folder   10	Correspondence, 1986-1987
Box   5 Folder   11-12	Crawford plan
Box   5 Folder   13	Croysdale urban schools plan
Box   5 Folder   14	Curran to counsel, 1985 April 25
Box   5 Folder   15	Data, 1983
	Depositions-School Board v. State of Wisconsin, 1986 July-September
Box   5 Folder   16	Bennett, David A.
Box   5 Folder   17-19	Bills, Mary
Box   5 Folder   20	Charne, Irvin
Box   5 Folder   21	Kreunen, Warren
Box   5 Folder   22	Lynch, William
Box   5 Folder   23	Mallory, Joyce
Box   5 Folder   24	O'Connell, Donald
Box   5 Folder   25	Peterburs, John
Box   5 Folder   26	Pollack, Howard
Box   5 Folder   27	Stacy, Doris
Box   5 Folder   28	Tatel, David
Box   5 Folder   29	Vetter, Mark
Box   5 Folder   30	Walrath, James
Box   5 Folder   31	Desegregation proposal to MPS, 1987
Box   5 Folder   32	Drop lawsuit-J. Mitchell
Box   5 Folder   33	Mallory-Leopold, Board of School Directors vs. Anthony Earl, 1985
Box   5 Folder   34	MIRC and CESA reaction
Box   5 Folder   35	Moe's plan
Box   4 Folder   4	Monitoring board, 1983
Box   5 Folder   36	MPS, 1987
Box   5 Folder   37	MPS-NAACP joint proposal, 1987
Box   5 Folder   38	MPS report and recommendations, 1985
Box   5 Folder   39	MPS suburban suit, 1986
Box   5 Folder   40	MPS v. Anthony Earl and suburbs, 1985
Box   5 Folder   41	NAACP-MPS agreement, 1987
Box   4 Folder   5	Proposal comparisons, 1986
Box   5 Folder   42	School finance task force, 1983-1984
Box   4 Folder   6	Settlement, 1986 March
Box   6 Folder   1-4	Settlements, 1984-1987
Box   6 Folder   5	Settlement critiques, Bills', 1986
Box   6 Folder   6	Settlement discussions, 1986
Box   6 Folder   7	Settlement protest, 1986
Box   6 Folder   8	Six-district proposal, 1985-1986
Box   6 Folder   9	Suburban proposal of the school boards, 1986
Box   6 Folder   10	Tatel to Board, 1983
Box   6 Folder   11	Tentative settlement to MPS board, 1987
Box   6 Folder   12	Testimony before Judge Curran, 1987
Box   6 Folder   13	Willan, Jason, v. Menominee Falls School Board, 1987
	Series: MPS Board of Directors	⇧
Box   6 Folder   14-18	Board materials from Kathleen Hart, 1982-1984
Box   6 Folder   19	League of Women Voters Ozaukee County Forum, 1984
Box   6 Folder   20	Bills' election and campaign, 1985
Box   6 Folder   21	Board materials, 1985
Box   6 Folder   22	Governor Tony Earl Study Commission, 1985
Box   6 Folder   23	North Division-Bob Kasten fundraiser
Box   6 Folder   24	Plan for Future/Now, 1985
Box   6 Folder   25	Ed plan, 1986
Box   6 Folder   26-27	Early childhood, 1986
Box   6 Folder   28	Student assignments, 1986
Box   6 Folder   29	Controlled choice, 1986
Box   6 Folder   30	University of Chicago desegregation conference, 1986
Box   6 Folder   31	National School Board Association Convention, 1987
Box   4 Folder   7	Redistricting, 1986
Box   6 Folder   32-46	Redistricting (continued), 1986-1988, 1992
Box   6 Folder   47-48	Board election changes, 1989-1991
Box   6 Folder   49	Education Committee, 1987
Box   7 Folder   1	Channel 4 and 12, 1986-1987
Box   7 Folder   2	WISN tapes
Box   7 Folder   3	"Public Schooling in the Milwaukee Metropolitan Area," Citizens Government Research Bureau, 1987
Box   7 Folder   4	Tracking, 1987
Box   7 Folder   5	Marshall Plan Task Force, 1987-1988
Box   7 Folder   6	Board retreat, 1988
Box   7 Folder   7	Hinshaw, Ed, WMTJ editorials, 1988-1992
Box   7 Folder   8	Riverside-King renaming, 1988
Box   7 Folder   9	School-based management, 1988
Box   7 Folder   10	Peterkin, Robert, 1988
Box   7 Folder   11	Vincent High School
Box   7 Folder   12-18	Four schools
Box   7 Folder   19	Drew, Bill, criticism and response, 1987
Box   7 Folder   20	Early childhood reports, 1987-1989
Box   7 Folder   21	Teacher professionalization task force, 1989
Box   7 Folder   22	"A Selective Operational Review," 1990
Box   7 Folder   23	"The First Year as a New Principal," John Hays
Box   7 Folder   24	All-day kindergarten, 1990
Box   7 Folder   25	Retention, 1990
Box   7 Folder   26	Interview with student roundtable, 1990
Box   7 Folder   27	Wall Street Journal letter and reaction, 1990
Box   7 Folder   28	Resolutions, 1990
Box   7 Folder   29-30	Waldorf School, 1991-2004
Box   7 Folder   31	State Superintendent's Task Force on Early Education Child Care and Family Involvement, final report, 1989
Box   7 Folder   32	Remarks, 1989
Box   7 Folder   33	Vision and growth study, 1990
Box   7 Folder   34	Neighborhood schools proposal, 1990
Box   7 Folder   35	"Chronological Listing of Extended School Latch Key School Age Child Care Initiatives," 1978-1980
Box   7 Folder   36	31st Street School Graduation, 1990
Box   7 Folder   37	Service Delivery Areas, 1991
Box   4 Folder   8	Student assignments, 1989-1992
Box   7 Folder   38	Superintendent hiring, 1991
Box   7 Folder   39	Martin Luther King Jr. Day, 1991
Box   7 Folder   40	Pat Sweeney for superintendent, Department of Public Instruction
Box   7 Folder   41	Parent options
Box   7 Folder   42	School lunch stats, 1991
Box   7 Folder   43	Gay rights
Box   7 Folder   44-45	Great city schools conference, 1992
Box   7 Folder   46	Advertising in the schools, 1992-1993
Box   7 Folder   47	East Side News violence articles
Box   7 Folder   48	Fuller, Howard, notes on Willard Daggett presentation, 1993
Box   7 Folder   49-50	Board materials, 1992-1993
Box   4 Folder   9	Board materials, 1993
Box   7 Folder   51	Principals "Other Compensation" report, 1994
Box   7 Folder   52	Election, 1993
Box   8 Folder   1-2	Intergovernmental group, 1984-1985
Box   8 Folder   3	IBM Partners in Excellence, 1993
Box   8 Folder   4	4 1/2 day school week, 1993
Box   4 Folder   10	Youth Summit, 1993
Box   8 Folder   5	City attorney opinion on school calendar, 1993
Box   8 Folder   6	Election, 1993
Box   8 Folder   7	Tatel, 1993
Box   8 Folder   8	Fuller's recommendations, 1994
Box   8 Folder   9	Graduation standards, 1995-1996
Box   8 Folder   10	Newt Gingrich remark and Bills' response, 1995
Box   8 Folder   11	Corporate welfare
Box   8 Folder   12	Opening school year remarks, 1995
Box   8 Folder   13	School to work, 1995
Box   8 Folder   14	School closings
Box   8 Folder   15	Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel series, 1995
Box   8 Folder   16	Bob Peterson, Charlie Sykes-response to Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel series
Box   8 Folder   17	Data on school performance, 1995
Box   8 Folder   18	School selection, 1995
Box   8 Folder   19	South Division High School, 1994
Box   8 Folder   20	Milwaukee Journal Sentinel-MPS agenda publication, 1995
Box   8 Folder   21	Senate Committee - school violence, 1995
Box   8 Folder   22	Failing schools, 1996
	Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association
Box   8 Folder   23	School closings position, 1995
Box   8 Folder   24-25	Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association and Lamont Harris v. Milwaukee Board of School Directors, Mary Bills and Robert C. Jasna, 1995-1996
Box   8 Folder   26	Agenda, 1995
Box   8 Folder   27	Constituents' complaints, 1995
Box   8 Folder   28	Board materials, 1995-1996
Box   8 Folder   29	Wisconsin Association of School Boards, 1996
Box   8 Folder   30	Adopt higher standards, 1996
Box   8 Folder   31	Teacher reform, 1996
Box   8 Folder   32	Redistricting proposal, 1996
Box   8 Folder   33	Cullen breakup of MPS, 1996
Box   8 Folder   34	Darling, Alberta, school closure-legislature, 1996
Box   8 Folder   35	Feasibility study of combining city financial systems and audit, 1996
Box   8 Folder   36	MOUs with various unions regarding innovative schools, 1996
Box   8 Folder   37	Start Smart remarks, 1996
Box   8 Folder   38	Conta, Dennis, student mobility study, 1996
Box   8 Folder   39	Residency, 1996
Box   8 Folder   40	Fisher, Joe
Box   8 Folder   41-42	Learnfare - Lois Quinn
Box   9 Folder   1	Inter-High Council, 1997
Box   9 Folder   2	UW-Milwaukee Think Tank, 1997
Box   9 Folder   3	Communications, 1997
Box   9 Folder   4	Desegregation history, 1997
Box   9 Folder   5	Charter schools endorsement, 1997
Box   9 Folder   6	Bader Foundation meetings, 1997
Box   9 Folder   7	Bills, Mary, board history
	Correspondence and remarks
Box   9 Folder   8-13	1982-1990
Box   4 Folder   11-12	1993-1994
Box   9 Folder   14-15	1994
	Superintendents
Box   9 Folder   16-18	1987-1988
Box   4 Folder   13	1990-1991
Box   9 Folder   19	1990-1995
	Budgets
Box   4 Folder   14	1990
Box   9 Folder   20-22	1990-1993
Box   4 Folder   15	1993-1994
Box   9 Folder   23-28	1995-1998
	Facilities, 1986-1992
Box   9 Folder   29	1986-1990
Box   9 Folder   30	Class size and urban initiative
Box   9 Folder   31	Master Plan Preliminary Demographics report
Box   9 Folder   32	Milwaukee Education Center and Grand Avenue Middle School information book
Box   10 Folder   1	Project Pluto
Box   10 Folder   2-3	Referendum
Box   4 Folder   16	Referendum (continued)
Box   10 Folder   4	School funding and lawsuit
	Strategic Planning, 1988-1997
Box   10 Folder   5	Audit
Box   10 Folder   6	Board governance
Box   10 Folder   7	McKenzie Group report
Box   10 Folder   8	Meeting agenda
Box   10 Folder   9	Options for organizing the Milwaukee Schools, MPS and McKenzie Group reports
Box   10 Folder   10	Organization of the Milwaukee Public Schools
Box   10 Folder   11	Strategic Planning and Budget Committee
	School Choice and Charter Schools, 1972-2011
Box   10 Folder   12	Barrett, Tom, and Doyle, James
Box   10 Folder   13	Bell Curve
Box   10 Folder   14	Bradley Foundation and Wisconsin Policy Research Institute
Box   10 Folder   15	MPS charter schools presentation
Box   4 Folder   17	Debate
Box   10 Folder   16	Decentralization
Box   10 Folder   17	Edison Project
Box   10 Folder   18	Education for the 21st Century
Box   10 Folder   19	Education Trust
Box   4 Folder   18	Educational Alternatives Inc.
Box   10 Folder   20	Fuller, Howard, report card remarks
Box   10 Folder   21	General, 1972-1995
Box   10 Folder   22	Goals, 1995
Box   10 Folder   23	Hill, Paul
Box   10 Folder   24	Marquette Center
Box   10 Folder   25	Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce
Box   10 Folder   26	Middle school remarks
Box   10 Folder   27	Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel correspondence
Box   10 Folder   28	Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association v. John Benson and James Doyle
Box   10 Folder   29	Mitchell, George and Susan
Box   10 Folder   30	Norquist, John
Box   10 Folder   31	Partners Advancing Values in Education
Box   10 Folder   32	Reports and correspondence
Box   10 Folder   33	School assignments
Box   10 Folder   34	Shepherd Express articles
Box   10 Folder   35	Superintendent's Strategy for Change
Box   10 Folder   36	Tommy Thompson v. Warner Jackson and MTEA, amicus brief
Box   10 Folder   37	Village Partnership
Box   10 Folder   38	Voucher legal briefs
Box   10 Folder   39	Wall Street Journal letters to the editor
Box   10 Folder   40	White, Sam
Box   10 Folder   41	Wisconsin Association of School Boards convention
Box   10 Folder   42	WisKids
Box   10 Folder   43	Witte, John F.
	Series: Visual Materials	⇧
PH Milwaukee Mss 228	Photographs
VHB 785	Sarah A. Scott Middle School, Milwaukee Public Schools, Hunzinger Construction Company, 1990-1991
VDA 291	Health Clinics; Begel Interview; Bills' election recall, undated
VDA 292	"Bills Milwaukee Public Schools," undated Note: 1. MPS/HS Parent Teacher; 2. MPS/HS Elementary School; 4. Urban Waldorf.
VDA 293	"Mary Bills," 1991-1993? Note: 4. Smith and Company segments, 1991 July; 1992 (3); 1993?
VDA 294	Hugh Price: "Educating Milwaukee Forum," 1993 November 13
VDA 295	"Mary Bills," 1993 Note: 1. Michael Joyce 1993 May 30; 2. This Week with David Brinkley, 1993 August 29; 3. PBS, Milwaukee: "Hotbed of School Choice," 1993 September 8
VDA 296	"Mary Bills," 1994 Note: 1. Smith and Company, 1994 February 3; 2. MPS news clip; 3. "Interchange" MPS budget/decentralization
VDA 297	Mary Bills final school board meeting as president, 1996 April 25
VDA 298	"Mary Bills: Milwaukee Public Schools" Note: Educational Innovations; Smith and Company: Bills and Cullen "Close 'Em Down"
VDA 299	News clips, Smith and Company, PBS programming
VDA 300	"Mary Bills-Education Series" Note: 1. Civil rights bill/Vel Phillips; 2. Gay issue recall; 3. School choice 4. Mary's last board meeting
VDA 301	"MTEA/PAC," MPS School Board Election, 1995
	Series: Audio Recordings	⇧
1703A/1	"Let's Talk," 1986 March 5
1703A/2	"Financing Our Children and Our Future" / Jonathan Kozol, 1992 March 27
1703A/3	"Financing Our Children and Our Future"; "Wisconsin's Funding Inequalities" / Moderator: Ed Hinshaw, WTMJ, 1992 March 27
1703A/4	John Golle, Public Policy Forum, 1992 December
1703A/5	Jan Weller, Topic: Shorter School Week for MPS Students, Guest: Mary Bills, WPR, 1993 May 21
1703A/6	The Milwaukee Public Schools Budget, Mary Bills, WPR, 1993 July 2
1703A/7	Kathleen Dunn, Redesigning Public Schools, Attorney General's Gun Proposal, Mary Bills, WPR, 1994 January 7
1703A/8	Kathleen Dunn, The Value of the State Department of Public Instruction, Mary Bills, 1994 March 2
1703A/9	Daggett-Wingspread, 1994
1703A/10	Changing Milwaukee's Schools, Howard Fuller, undated