MILWAUKEE — On Monday, Brenda Cassellius spent time with students at Bethune Academy on the city’s northwest side. Cassellius officially started as the new superintendent of Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) on Saturday, March 15.

“Of course, there is a lot of learning still ahead, but I’ve been talking with educators and students,” Cassellius said. “I got to meet with the student council this morning to hear their hopes and wishes.”

What You Need To Know

  • Brenda Cassellius, the district's new superintendent, has officially started in the role

  • Her top priorities include addressing lead hazards, building up the administrative team and cultivating a positive community relationship

  • Also on Monday, school resource officers (SRO) officially returned to MPS schools

She said her top priority is addressing the lead hazards found in some school buildings. Seven MPS schools were identified as having unsafe levels of lead so far. Many more buildings are being tested.

On Saturday, more than 250 MPS students who attend schools with hazardous lead levels, were screened for lead at a clinic hosted by MPS and the Milwaukee Health Department (MHD).

“My number one priority is lead, so that’s number one,” Cassellius said. “Making sure that parents know our schools are safe to send their children to, and that our students feel safe coming to school. That is my number one priority.”

Additional lead testing clinics will be available for MPS students, including: 

Sixteenth Street - Chavez Clinic, 1032 S. Cesar Chavez Drive, Milwaukee

  • Pop-up clinic
  • Wednesday, March 19, from 4 to 6 p.m.

Children’s Wisconsin Next Door Clinic, 2561 N. 29th Street, Milwaukee

  • Every Tuesday and Thursday starting March 20 from 1 to 4 p.m. 
  • Walk-in clinic, no appointment needed

MacCanon Brown Homeless Sanctuary (MBHS), 2461 W. Center Street, Milwaukee

  • Free lead testing clinics operated by Children's Wisconsin for kids under 10-years-old
  • Available on select Saturdays (contact the clinic)

For more information on the lead investigations, click here.

Cassellius said she is also working quickly to fill open roles in MPS administration.

“No one person does this work alone,” she said. “I’m going to be using a search firm to get the best nationally and promote within for those positions. Then we will be able to move forward with those hirings, critical hirings.”

Other priorities Cassellius touched on included improving student achievement, teacher support and teacher retention. 

She also talked about the need to earn trust and build community partnerships, acknowledging it’s been a stressful few years for MPS families.

“I want to partner with parents, and I want to thank them for their patience this past year,” she said. “I also want to thank the board for their trust in me and for bringing me to Milwaukee.”

Also on Monday, school resource officers (SRO) officially returned to MPS schools. A group of Milwaukee police officers underwent 40 hours of formal training to become SROs.

“I know that they were undergoing training,” Cassellius said. “I think that’s really good for them to understand healthy development and restorative justice practices.”

Cassellius said she plans to continue visiting schools across the district in the coming weeks, hearing directly from students, teachers and parents. She said this feedback will help shape her overall vision for MPS.

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