Vannoy Defeats Kuether-Steele In Only Contested School Board Race
Two other members win unopposed races.
Molly Kuether-Steele and Kate Vannoy.
Four of the nine members of the Milwaukee Board of School Directors are new, but only one had to win a contested election Tuesday to get the job.
Kate Vannoy bested Molly Kuether-Steele for the southwest side seat (District 7) on the Milwaukee Public Schools board. Vannoy earned 52.8% (8,078 votes) to Kuether-Steele’s 46.2% (7,070).
Vannoy, a Greenfield teacher, ran with the backing of the Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association, outgoing District 7 member Henry Leonard and citywide board member Missy Zombor. She holds a doctorate in instructional technology from Capella University and previously taught for MPS.
Kuether-Steele, a Fire & Police Commission employee, had the endorsement of Mayor Cavalier Johnson, two other school board members and Fire Chief Aaron Lipski.
In District 5, Jilly Gokalgandhi stepped down and newcomer Chris Fons ran unopposed.
In District 6, Marcela “Xela” Garcia stepped down and Mimi Reza ran unopposed
District 4 incumbent James Ferguson II also ran unopposed. Last year, Ferguson won an unopposed special election to replace Aisha Carr, who resigned amidst an investigation.
The new members join a school district with an equally new superintendent in Brenda Cassellius. She started in March.
They jointly inherit a district that is currently plagued with declining enrollment, a lead crisis and immense public scrutiny following revelations of financial reporting failures that were revealed shortly after voters narrowly approved a referendum in April.
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What a disappointing result.
Aú contraire Mon Frere, an excellent result.
I can’t wait for white people and their meaningless word of ”accountability” to dictate how a predominantly POC school district should run.
Greenfield teacher, not even IN the city either.
OMG her skin is white! Can’t possibly do anything good for POC.
It’s not even just that but the quality of endorsements too.
Whatever, when you see her selling MPS students out for private schools don’t say we warned ya.
Sadly it looks like the district will continue to crumble with more status quo.
Where Kate works has nothing to do with the district 7 position. You must live in the district to be a candidate.
If you don’t know her background you can make foolish statements that are incorrect.
Whether or not she lives in the district does not negate the fact that she teaches in a predominantly Euro-American, middle class school district. Her teaching experience is far different from the poverty stricken MPS. Will she be like Alberta Darling (R) who believed her upper middle class Euro-American experience enabled her to impose a “solution” on the predominantly POC and poor school district; or will she listen to teachers and parents from all over the district? Only time will tell.