Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele announced on Thursday the appointment of the superintendent of the Mequon-Thiensville School District as commissioner of the Opportunity Schools Partnership Program.

Dr. Demond Means currently serves as superintendent of the Mequon-Thiensville School District and is a graduate of Milwaukee’s Riverside University High School.

"In the classroom and as an administrator, Dr. Demond Means has made a commitment to reach and uplift every single child,” Abele said. “His relentless pursuit of excellence, coupled with his background as a long-time social justice advocate and supporter of Milwaukee Public Schools, makes Dr. Means a unique fit to partner with MPS Superintendent Dr. Darienne Driver and the MPS community to strengthen our public schools. We can all agree that our children, teachers, families and communities are better served when every child has the opportunity to achieve the kind of success in school that’s required to live a better life.”

He began his career in the classroom in 1994 and has since moved through the ranks of educational administration, serving as an assistant superintendent, human resources director, principal and assistant principal.

Mequon-Thiensville School District was ranked as one of the highest-performing public school districts in the state, which has given him a platform to share best practices with other districts and serve as a leader in the movement to address racial disparity in local schools. 

“As a proud MPS graduate and native of Milwaukee who still has scores of family and friends directly impacted by the trajectory of educational opportunities in the city, the role of commissioner of OSPP is important to me. As Milwaukee goes, so goes Wisconsin. It is imperative that we do everything in our collective power to assist in closing achievement gaps in Milwaukee and around the state,” Dr. Demond Means said. “I have high expectations for the professionals entrusted with the responsibility of educating our students and am passionate about ensuring we maximize the academic, social, and emotional growth of all children. I am excited to work with concerned citizens from Milwaukee, the region and the state to ensure that the city’s youth have greater access to high-quality educational opportunities."

In 2010, Gov. Jim Doyle asked Means to serve as a representative for the state of Wisconsin on the Education Commission of the States, and last year State Superintendent Tony Evers chose Means to chair a statewide Task Force on Wisconsin’s Achievement Gap.

Dr. Means also has experience with early childhood education programs. Last year, the Mequon-Thiensville School District added a 4K program that has exceeded expectations and increased enrollment for the district.