These subjects provide our students with a strong foundation for developing critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills that lead to high-school, college, and career success.

Longfellow teachers provide creative and interactive reading and math lessons – in English and in Spanish (for bilingual classrooms) – that reach students and achieve results.

• Longfellow School consistently meets expectations on our school report card, including during the 2022-23 and 2021-22 academic years.
• Longfellow School students earned recognition in literacy, math, and behavior from the Wisconsin Response to Intervention Center.
• Longfellow School classroom teachers work with our art, physical education, and music specialists to create interactive learning opportunities that engage the entire school community.

Longfellow teachers support students at every level of English- or Spanish-language fluency. Our bilingual teachers have the expertise and experience to meet every child’s learning and language needs from K3 to eighth grade.

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 appropriate ways to assess and improve their progress, and make sure that students can apply what they have learned in productive ways in school and in their community.

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. Learn more about Common Core.

Early Childhood Programs

The H.W. Longfellow early childhood program provides a positive, interactive, and welcoming academic home for K3, K4, and K5 students who have diverse learning needs.

Math/STEM Achievement

Technology is integrated into every classroom at Longfellow School and includes Chromebooks, interactive whiteboards, and document cameras.

The school’s Verizon Innovative Learning Lab provides a safe, state-of-the-art space where fifth through eighth graders explore emerging technologies such as augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), 3D printing, and artificial intelligence (AI). Longfellow’s STEM-certified teachers are technology guides who lead lessons and supervise projects in the lab.

Reading/Language Arts Achievement

Teachers integrate reading and language arts into daily lessons. Students develop their writing, listening, and presentation skills in class discussions and projects.

Every Longfellow student is inspired to achieve reading proficiency by third-grade completion – a major academic milestone. Literacy programs and community partnerships provide one-on-one tutoring during class and after school to students who need extra reading support.

• Wisconsin Reading Corps: Tutors provide 100 minutes of one-on-one weekly reading support to students working toward reading proficiency by grade three. Tutors work with professional reading coaches to develop a personalized literacy plan that guides each student’s progress.

Longfellow School’s emphasis on biliteracy reflects our values as a diverse and welcoming learning community: Forty percent of our 740 students are English Language Learners (ELL), and many of our teachers are trained, certified, and experienced bilingual educators.

Art, Music, and Physical Education

Weekly art, music, and physical education classes give students the opportunity to recharge busy brains and flex their creativity. Classroom teachers work with our specialist teachers to integrate academic content into art projects, school celebrations, and community events.

• Every September, our art room turns into a craft warehouse as students make items to sell at Longfellow’s National Hispanic Heritage Month Mercado. This popular event welcomes family and community, and provides introductory lessons about art traditions and family economics in Latin America.
• Every spring, Longfellow Field Day transforms our playground into a festival of fitness and fun as students flex muscles and movements they learned in physical-education classes.
• Fifth through eighth graders learn to play guitar, keyboard, or percussion and perform at school and community events through Longfellow School’s Modern Band program.

Special Education

More than 25 percent of our students receive special-education accommodations or support. The school’s special education teachers, regular education teachers, school social worker, school psychologist, school support teacher, and administration 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.

Technology

At Longfellow, students are equipped with the resources and Internet skills needed to compete and succeed in today’s globally-connected world. With an up-to-date multimedia lab and computers in classrooms, Longfellow students receive the technological education they deserve. Multimedia presentations, online safety, and research methods are reinforced through hands-on, interactive learning. Software programs are used to further develop academic instruction, challenging students to use what they learn in the classroom to complete projects on the computer.

At Longfellow, Chromebooks, SMART Board™ interactive whiteboards, and document cameras are used in classrooms to support students in all aspects of their learning.