Chris Abele appoints Dr. Demond Means as Commissioner of Opportunity Schools Partnership Program

"In the classroom and as an administrator, Dr. Demond Means has made a commitment to reach and uplift every single child. 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."

"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. 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."

“We believe this state mandated program silences the voices of Milwaukee residents and diminishes the people’s ability to self-govern public schools at the local level.

“Since the appointment process used by the County Executive lacked transparency and was conducted outside the public eye, we only know what is being reported in the media about these closed door negotiations.

“Contrary to the statements made today in which the County Executive attempted to recast and reinterpret the legislation as a partnership in support of Milwaukee Public Schools, a plain reading of the text reveals that there is nothing part-time, temporary or consultative about the Opportunity Schools and Partnership Program.

“The Executive should restrain his involvement to the limited statutory mandate that he appoint a Commissioner.  Once again, the County Executive is choosing to overreach beyond the authorities granted to him by the state.”

“While I disagree with the policy that created the Opportunity Schools program, like it or not, it’s law now. With that in mind, I must say that County Executive Chris Abele couldn’t have made a better choice than Demond Means. As someone raised in Milwaukee and graduated from the Milwaukee Public School System, he knows the challenges we face here. Mr. Means chose to dedicate his life to being an educator. I believe Mr. Means has what it takes to get the job done. In dealing with the divisive politics that escorted this policy into law, the choice of a trusted education professional who has the backing of our community will help us heal from this policy. Ensuring our kids get a first-class education is one of, if not the, top issue for me. I trust Mr. Means to handle this difficult task in a fair responsible manner.”

“The County Executive should have immediately rejected the takeover authority granted to him by Republican legislators. There are real and mounting problems in our public schools and many of them have been exacerbated by politicians racing to embrace unproven fads instead of listening to the public, hearing from educators and education leaders, and studying the facts before rushing into new mistakes.

The public school takeover is simply the latest chapter in a long book of divide & conquer in our public schools. We can do better. I'm glad the County Executive is finally showing signs of paying attention to us in the middle class and is embracing many of the ideas we called for in protests, petitions, and legislation.

When I am elected County Executive, the public will have a constant ally ready and willing to listen. We will reach out to each municipality and will be publicly accessible, year-after-year, not just when elections roll around. It's time the middle class is heard in Milwaukee County.”