Family and community engagement, proudly bilingual students and teachers, and our historic home on Milwaukee’s southside define Hayes Bilingual School’s identity within the Milwaukee Public Schools family.

We honor this identity and prepare our students for high-school, college, and career success by providing a standards-based education that emphasizes literacy, access to technology, STEM-skill development, and dual-language instruction. Students enrolling at Hayes Bilingual School at first grade or above must be familiar with Spanish.

At Hayes Bilingual School, the student experience includes:

• Meeting Expectations on our school report card for the 2022-23 and 2021-22 academic years.
• Exploring creativity in full-time art, gym, and music classes.
• Developing STEM skills in our school’s two technology laboratories.
• Becoming bilingual, biliterate citizens.

All Milwaukee Public Schools implement the Ambitious Instruction Plan and Common Core State Standards.

Common Core State Standards

The curriculum in Milwaukee Public Schools is based on Common Core State Standards. These standards were developed with teachers, school administrators, and experts to prepare all children for college and the workforce.

Ambitious Instruction Plan

The Milwaukee Public Schools Ambitious Instruction Plan recognizes and celebrates that our students come from many cultures and backgrounds. This plan focuses on high-quality, culturally appropriate teaching and learning. Our goal is to ensure that every student masters reading, writing, and math skills in ways that are meaningful to their individual life and experiences. Our staff works together to understand each learner, find the best ways to assess and improve their progress, and make sure that students can apply what they have learned in helpful ways in school and in their community.

Bilingual Dual Language Learning

Families join our school community from Milwaukee, Mexico, Venezuela, and elsewhere. Hayes Bilingual School students proudly embrace their first language while learning another through our unique approach to Bilingual Dual Language instruction:

• English-language learners begin their literacy journey in K3 or K4 bilingual classrooms where teachers deliver 90 percent of academic content in Spanish, consistent with many Bilingual Dual Language programs.
• By the end of fourth grade, our students receive fifty percent of their instruction in English and fifty percent of their instruction in Spanish. This 50/50 approach continues through eighth grade.
• Our graduation goal for all students: bilingualism, biliteracy, and an appreciation for all cultures and communities.

Math/STEM

Students build math knowledge, develop mathematical skills, and grow in confidence as they progress through a standards-based curriculum.

Starting in K4, Hayes Bilingual School students learn the scientific method and use this process to engage in math and science lessons and prepare for the annual school science fair.

Older students engage in hands-on STEM projects and learn to use new technologies in our Project Lead The Way Engineering Laboratory and school technology laboratory. Every student has access to a mobile computing device.

Reading/Language Arts

Literacy is the foundation of every lesson in every subject, and reading proficiency by third-grade completion is the goal for all students. By the time they have completed eighth-grade at Hayes Bilingual School, some students will read, write, and speak Spanish and English.

Special Education

Over 25 percent of our students receive special-education accommodations or support. Hayes Bilingual School staff include special education and regular education teachers, school social workers and psychologists, a speech language pathologist, school support teacher, and administrators who work together to meet students’ needs.

If you think your child has special education needs, ask your child’s teacher or principal for an evaluation. For general questions about special education or specialized services, please call (414) 874-8493, or learn more about Specialized Services.