MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Board of School Directors announced its new superintendent at a special board meeting Tuesday.
Brenda Cassellius will fill the role vacated by former Superintendent Keith Posley, who resigned in June 2024.
Watch: Meet MPS' next superintendent:
#BREAKING Dr. Brenda Cassellius was just named the finalist for the next superintendent for @MilwaukeeMPS @tmj4 pic.twitter.com/SV2Q37KCMT
— Megan Lee (@MeganLeeNews) February 12, 2025
Many had called for his resignation, along with other board members, citing a lack of transparency and longstanding financial discrepancies within MPS.
The motion passed 8-1 pending a background check and contract negotiations. Director Darryl Jackson was the only one who voted no.
Brenda Cassellius' previous experience
Cassellius is the former superintendent of Boston Public Schools. According to her bio, she has spent three decades as an educator. Some achievements include securing millions of dollars of annual funding and passing new high school graduation standards.
Other finalists
The other two finalists were Andraé Townsel, the current superintendent of Calvert County Public Schools in Maryland, and Joshua Starr, the former superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland.
Over 50 applications for the role were received, and 48 candidates were considered. The board "narrowed the candidate pool to the three finalists it believed were well-positioned to serve the Milwaukee community," according to a release.
Community members got to meet with all three finalists last week. Cassellius talked about focusing on improving graduation rates.
The board said that Cassellius presented a variety of ideas on how to tackle district issues and that's what set her apart from the other candidates.
"We know that the district is at a juncture in terms of transparency, connecting with the public and really getting our academics back on track and we believe she is the right choice to do all three of those things,” Vice President, Jilly Gokalgandhi said.
The district hopes to have her in place by July 1.
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