MILWAUKEE — Lead mitigation, the return of school resource officers, financial delinquency, and a damning operational audit. All issues laid before incoming Milwaukee Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Brenda Cassellius.
Still, Milwaukee’s new face of public education is keeping an optimistic outlook for Wisconsin’s largest school district.
“I felt a readiness and a sense of hope here. And so I’m really hoping to build some momentum around that,” Dr. Cassellius tells WTMJ’s Adam Roberts.
While she’s only been officially on the job since March 15th, the former superintendent of Boston Public Schools says she has had her eye on the MPS job since as early as 2018. After ending her tenure in Boston in 2022, Dr. Cassellius says she was in the running for the job in 2023.
“But I had just taken this new position as CEO of Fresh Energy and we were right in the middle of five year strategic planning. I felt like I couldn’t let my board down. So that was not the opportune time for me,” she says.
Dr. Cassellius grew up in Minneapolis’s public housing system, and see’s that similar scenario playing out in the lives of many Milwaukee children attening MPS schools. When asked why Milwaukee was a place she always had an interest in, Dr. Cassellius says it has a student population that matches well with what she says is a life-long mission to improve achievement opportunities for students of color and students in poverty. “I’ve been looking at Milwaukee for quite a while, and the reasons why is because they have astudent population that matches the purpose of what I believe is my life work…I felt a readiness and a sense of hope here. And so I’m really hoping to build some momentum around that.”
Regarding the aforementioned list of issues facing her as she begins her two-year contract, Dr. Cassellius says addressing the ongoing lead crisis and the issues brought up in Governor Tony Evers’ audit of the district are both top of mind. The Superintendent has hired former MPS Director of Business Operations Mike Turza out of retirement to help draft the district’s comprehensive lead plan. As of Monday, three schools are still closed in the city for lead dust cleaning, and MPS plans to test all of its buildings as part of their plan.
As for the audit, the report released in February revealed tense relationships with the school board, outdated technology, and a harmful internal culture. The audit identified 29 areas where MPS can improve its practices, including a suggested restructuring of human resources and the central office.
“How do we address the governor’s operational audit, so that we have a lean, efficient, organization that really responds to the public’s trust, and uses money well and gets it out to students and classrooms, and that we ensure that there’s a caring and competent teacher in every single classroom this fall.” says Dr. Cassellius.
When it comes to attracting new staff to the district, Dr. Cassellius says she is pitching to prosepctive employees Milwaukee’s low cost of living, as well as increased workplace autonomy.
“[I’m] looking back and getting connected with all of my colleagues from the past 30 years and saying, come join me. They know that I’m a fun person to work with and that I give them a lot of autonomy. You know, you build the best and you let them do their work. I don’t do a lot of micromanaging, although I do hold people accountable.” says Dr. Cassellius.
The Superintendent is also making a pitch to young families making decisions about where to send their kids to school. According to a report conducted by independent firm Perkins Eastman in 2024 titled “Who are the students of MPS?”, only one in six MPS students are enrolled at the school within their official “attendance area”. Additionally, the total number of students in the district has gone down by about 10,000 over the last 10 years.
“I think public schools are great, great choice for families. All my children went to their neighborhood public school. They never rode the yellow bus. They walked to their neighborhood public school, and they had a great experience.” says Dr. Cassellius.
One person that’s been suggested should have a closer working relationship with MPS is the city’s mayor, Cavalier Johnson. While no official relationship exists between the district and the mayor’s office, Dr. Cassellius and Mayor Johnson have already communicated with each other regarding the district’s path forward.
“I was introduced to his cabinet. He talked about it in the State of the City address, that we will be working closely together…I’ve seen the power of leveraging community assets on behalf of children, families and communities. And so if we’re working together, we can work quicker, we can work smarter, we can work more efficiently, and make sure that we’re connected and doing it in an equitable manner for all communities and all neighborhoods.” says Dr. Cassellius.
At her “first school day” media availability March 17th, the Superintendent admitted she still had a lot to learn about the district and its unique challenges. But as far as Milwaukee goes, she tells WTMJ she quickly learned of one local staple that has earned her seal of approval: Saz’s State House on the west side.
“I was at Saz’s, which I guess is supposed to be the best place to go for Milwaukee locals.” she says, while also giving a thumbs up to the offerings at Canela Cafe and Bavette La Boucherie.
TOP STORIES FROM THE WTMJ NEWSROOM:
- High winds causing power outages across Milwaukee
- Milwaukee man arrested for stabbing a child in Two Rivers
- Lake Drive road closures start in Fox Point
- Buc-ee’s Faces Opposition and More Milwaukee Business News\
- Kirsten Simms sparks Wisconsin to 4-3 sudden-death win over Ohio State in title match of Frozen Four
