Milwaukee School Board Candidate Responses
To find your school board district:
Go to the City Of Milwaukee Database and enter your address.
Click on Elected Officials.
Your School District and current board member is listed under Citywide Elected Officials.
District 4
Aisha Carr
1. What qualifies you to be a School Board Director? What have you done to improve education?
I taught English and Special Education for 5 ½ years. I am a graduate of MPS and a proud MPS parent. I worked on educational policies while working on Capitol Hill for a former WI State Senator. I have a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis.
I design and facilitate employment trainings for youth; connect youth to sustainable career opportunities; secure quality housing for youth and families; provide 1-on-1 coaching and case-management to youth; create opportunities experience expeditionary learning excursions. I donate to, raise funds for and support educational initiatives, district-wide.
2. Why are you running for School Board? What are the 2-3 things you most hope to accomplish as a School Board Director?
I am committed to shifting the board governance focus from one of a highly politicized educational system to one that focuses on the needs of students, families, and educators.
1) Equitable funding and districtwide accountability
2) Racially equitable and inclusive policies
3) Funding for recruitment and retention of quality educators
3. How will you reduce racial disparities in educational opportunities and outcomes?
By creating policies that make racial bias training and culturally responsive teaching and educational practices mandatory.
4. The field and track at Washington High School have fallen into disrepair. Students and Sherman Park residents deserve better. Common Ground has partnered with Milwaukee Public Schools to put in a new turf field, track, and half-court basketball hoops at Washington High School. Will you support this project?
As a former WHS Purgolder, yes I vow to support.
Dana Kelley
1. What qualifies you to be a School Board Director? What have you done to improve education?
I have sat on boards like the Education Fund Board of Directors for Citizen Action of WI (2002) and currently presides as the 1st VP of Church Women United Board of Directors where we support schools and youth organizations. As Lead Organizer of North Side Rising, I held the PSC and WE Energies accountable to Keep the Lights On in WI during the pandemic.
2. Why are you running for School Board? What are the 2-3 things you most hope to accomplish as a School Board Director?
I am running for School Board because MPS need a change in many ways. As School Board Director I plan to ensure success for students of color by providing support for families especially with special needs and giving a voice to parents, teachers and students by democratizing education; fight for funding for MPS; provide a safe and healthy environment for students and staff through the Green New Deal.
3. How will you reduce racial disparities in educational opportunities and outcomes?
I will reduce racial disparities by fighting for funding for MPS to bring equality to educational opportunities. All things are not equal, therefore outcomes will not be equal. I will fight to bring adequate resources to District 4.
4. The field and track at Washington High School have fallen into disrepair. Students and Sherman Park residents deserve better. Common Ground has partnered with Milwaukee Public Schools to put in a new turf field, track, and half-court basketball hoops at Washington High School. Will you support this project?
Yes, I support physical education that helps develop young people in positive ways.
District 5
Alex Brower
1. What qualifies you to be a School Board Director? What have you done to improve education?
As an MPS substitute teacher for 7 years, I’ve taught students of all ages throughout our city. As president of the substitute teachers’ union, I won healthcare benefits for most subs by going on a 21-day hunger strike and prevented sub jobs from being privatized to a temp agency. I have the experience needed to be an effective leader on the school board.
2. Why are you running for School Board? What are the 2-3 things you most hope to accomplish as a School Board Director?
I will prioritize many positive changes to MPS, 3 of which include: 1) democratizing education by opening up district wide decision making to parents, staff, students and the community; 2) fighting for public schools against the threat of privatization; and 3) standing in solidarity with Black Lives Matter at School. Please see my website for my full six point platform for transformative change at MPS.
3. How will you reduce racial disparities in educational opportunities and outcomes?
I will prioritize policies that advance just, equitable education for our Black, Brown, and Indigenous students, and reject policies that criminalize student behavior. I will also prioritize advancing anti-racist practices, including hiring and retaining anti-racist educators, curriculum and behavioral policies.
4. The field and track at Washington High School have fallen into disrepair. Students and Sherman Park residents deserve better. Common Ground has partnered with Milwaukee Public Schools to put in a new turf field, track, and half-court basketball hoops at Washington High School. Will you support this project?
Yes, I will support this project, but only after we prioritize classroom expenditures in the MPS budget. This community deserves this improvement.
Jilly Gokalgandhi
Has not responded
District 6
Marcela Garcia
Has not responded
District 7
Henry Leonard
1. What qualifies you to be a School Board Director? What have you done to improve education?
27 years as a MPS educator and extensive involvement with all aspects of MPS including social/justice actions in Milw. (Co-Author MPS Sanctuary Proposal) I have dedicated my life to educating and advocating for students and their parents. It takes both; development of relationships, listening and giving voice to families and technical and progressive teaching of students. I understand this and have practiced it for 27 years.
2. Why are you running for School Board? What are the 2-3 things you most hope to accomplish as a School Board Director?
To protect and generate growth for both the students and parents of Milwaukee.
1) Reducing class size is imperative. It is key to effective teacher to student facetime/instruction. That would impact student skill and academic growth.
2) Developing stronger rapport and parent voice within MPS. Input and relational development will be a positive change in MPS by garnering more parent trust and support.
3. How will you reduce racial disparities in educational opportunities and outcomes?
Briefly;
1) improving the academic results of our COC students, (ie. reducing class size) and
2) Promoting and incentivizing the increase of POC as educators. Making this economically feasible is required. If we can change policies to make this more feasible this may increase our number of POC teachers.
4. The field and track at Washington High School have fallen into disrepair. Students and Sherman Park residents deserve better. Common Ground has partnered with Milwaukee Public Schools to put in a new turf field, track, and half-court basketball hoops at Washington High School. Will you support this project?
Yes, I have worked in the Sherman Park Neighborhood for years. This would be a benefit for the WHOLE community.