MPS superintendent to cut 31 administrative jobs, union pushes back on plan to move 40 teachers out of central office
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) Superintendent Brenda Cassellius announced another substantial shakeup Tuesday as she implements her vision for the district. Cassellius told board members in a special meeting she wants to eliminate 31 administrative jobs in MPS' central office as part of a reorganization.
Of those 31 jobs, 12 will be "repurposed," leading to a net effect of 19 positions fully cut.
One of the most significant changes in the reorganization is the elimination of five regional superintendent positions. Previously, four of those superintendents oversaw schools based on geography, and the fifth oversaw MPS' high schools.
Cassellius' reorganization calls for the creation of new elementary superintendents and high school superintendents. There would be six elementary superintendents and two overseeing high schools. Those positions would directly supervise principals, who Cassellius called the "heart" of their schools.
"These superintendents are the ones who supervise principals and support principals," Cassellius said. "And so, this office here is where we are depending on them to implement the vision from the academic office and get the work done for kids."
The organizational overhaul also seeks to create more clearly defined roles for academic supervisors. Under a new flow chart Cassellius unveiled, her cabinet would include the new position of Chief Schools Officer in addition to the already existing Chief Academic Officer.
The academic officer would oversee instruction plans districtwide, while the schools officer would focus more on the day-to-day execution of those plans, including oversight of the new elementary and high school superintendents.
Members of the MPS board approved the organizational shift in an 8-0 vote. Christopher Fons abstained from voting, saying the board should have received more details about Cassellius' plan before a work session she held at Tuesday's meeting.
The overhaul follows Cassellius' letter last week informing 181 teachers based at central office that 40 of them will be moved back into classrooms.
Members of the Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association (MTEA) packed into the central office auditorium for Tuesday's meeting. One speaker after another slammed the shift as one that will hurt morale and drive more educators out of the district.
"This move will not address teacher vacancies and shortages in any meaningful way," Robin Harris, an MPS literacy coach who's among the 181 teachers being considered for relocation, said. "Instead, this will be highly detrimental to the district, both academically and financially while further damaging the culture of the workplace."
MTEA members said Cassellius should wait until the release of an audit into the district's academics that Gov. Tony Evers ordered last June.
The results of that audit are expected to come out later this month; an audit into the district's operations revealed a "culture of fear" plaguing the district.
Union president Ingrid Walker-Henry said the changes should have been made based on seniority and only after a longer dialogue with the union. Beyond that, she said it was disrespectful to make 181 certified teachers re-apply for their positions with 40 eventually being moved.
Cassellius said, ultimately, the top priority for the district is filling the 80 projected teacher vacancies MPS will have at the start of the 2025-26 school year.
"I'll continue to work with the board on our restructuring and continue to work and listen to the community," Cassellius said. "But what I do know is that we need a caring and competent teacher who is certified and the best teacher in our classrooms."