English as a Second Language instructors at the Milwaukee Area Technical College during a Board of Trustees public comment session asked for the full Board to act accordingly and push to reform the administration's hostile tactics that circumvent the existing ESL program services, which are affecting students of color.
By H. Nelson Goodson
Hispanic News Network U.S.A.
April 28, 2026
Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On Tuesday, multiple ESL (English as a Second Language) instructors, the MATC 212 union, and students addressed the Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) Board of Trustees during a Board meeting, in which they exposed the administration's hostile work environment and practices that they have endured, since MATC President Dr. Anthony Cruz was hired in 2024. Especially, when administrators are gradually phasing out crucial ESL services to students of color at the technical college. In several cases, instructors weren't funded by the administration to print schedules for students, which they claimed it was unprofessional, and seems that MATC is moving backwards instead of offering better services to students. Also, the MATC registers office has failed to adequately provide services for students of color in the ESL program. Instructors have been left out from participating with administrative teams to add imput in order to provide better services for students, administrative decisions were made without considering the detrimental effects it creates when forcing instructors to implement, and many instructors are afraid to speak up because they are afraid that they will face retaliation.
Basically, the ESL instructors are facing the same administrative hostile, harassment and retaliation tactics that other MATC instructors faced in 2024, when many exposed what was happening internally between the administration and Latino instructors. (HNNUSA article link: http://hispanicnewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2024/12/african-american-network-requested-for.html)
So far, the ESL instructors are facing wage cuts for more work that is required. But, Dr. Cruz won't be facing a wage cut of his $285,000 yearly salary, including no wage cuts for his full-time administrators.
In a letter dated April 28, 2026, to all employees, Dr. Cruz wrote that MATC is facing a $2.5M deficit for the 2027 fiscal year. According to the recently released Transformation Magazine Annual 2025 (Transformations Magazine Annual Report 2025 by MATC Communications - Issue https://share.google/poXYCVd2GwfkfrXRn) report, in 2025, MATC total revenue was $302.7M and total expense was $279.6M.
Dr. Cruz in his letter to employees confirmed that MATC will "reduce employee expenses through strategic hiring delays for vacant positions, academic program vitality reviews and a voluntary separation incentive program for some employees." Cruz and the Total Rewards Committee will also be addressing the rising cost of healthcare insurance.
Dr. Cruz has a history of promoting himself in his social media platforms creating smoke and mirrors to project that he is transforming MATC by providing leadership and maintaining a strong financial position for the college, and serving MATC students and supporting services. But, on the contrary, Dr. Cruz has definitely failed to reform (or replace) his alleged inept administration that has had a history of engaging in discriminatory workplace practices, creating a hostile work environment, by passing promotions from part-time to full-time positions, including harassment and targeted retaliation against those who file complaints against their supervisors or administrators.
In other words, Dr. Cruz is definitely not in touch with instructors including the communities of color and etc..
The ESL program will most likely face the same fate as the Office of Multicultural Student Service, which without prior notice to the communities of color, Dr. Cruz decided to eliminate the Multicultural Student Services, unjustly fire four student service specialists, and replaced it with the failing Office of Community Impact.
Currently, the ESL, GED and 5.09/HSED programs are gradually facing less effective program versions under the Cruz administration, which mostly likely the programs will be phased out, if the Board doesn't take action to preserve the programs for students of color.
It's evident by recent public comments made by ESL instructors and students during MATC Board of Trustees meeting that the Dr. Cruz administration continues to practice mismanagement within the technical college and has failed to cap any hostile work environment including harassment and retaliation tactics against its employees who have been facing a barrage of cuts back of programs services, are subject to fend for themselves, especially when resources to succeed are not being funneled to the instructors and programs created to service students of color including White students. The mismanagement practices by the Dr. Cruz administration has also created work related mental and health issues for MATC employees.
In previous MATC Board meetings, Carlos Aranda, a Counselor at MATC has said that instructors, especially women have endured "psychological harm, which erodes trust, undermines morale, and weakens institutional integrity." (Link: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1KxyTkVCKL/)
Student population stats: MATC has about 63% majority minority student population including 24% of Hispanic student population.
MATC Board of Trustees meeting for Tuesday, April 28, 2026, the first 42 minutes of the meeting were public comments by 11 ESL instructors, students and the MATC Local 212 union regarding their concerns and issues they are facing at MATC under Dr. Cruz's administration, at link: https://www.youtube.com/live/--C91QsctXM
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