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.