MPS Prepares to Kick Off 2026-27 School Year With a Bold Call to Expect Great Things
Superintendent Cassellius says district must focus on investing in reading proficiency, infrastructure needs, and operational excellence to set MPS up for success
(MILWAUKEE) — Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) Superintendent Brenda Cassellius today joined district and City leaders as the district prepares to welcome 60,000 kindergarten through grade 12 students to schools across Milwaukee on Tuesday, September 1, with a renewed focus on reading proficiency, building upgrades, and operational excellence.
MPS held a back-to-school news conference at Starms Discovery Learning Center, one of six schools that are receiving significant additional investments this year to enhance building infrastructure. The investments are specific to each school and include items such as new classrooms, playgrounds, a new gym, entrance, fencing, common spaces and more.
Superintendent Cassellius laid out the district’s priorities for the school year, including an intense focus on improving literacy instruction at all grade levels, ensuring every classroom has a certified teacher, managing and lowering class sizes, and improvements to school facilities now and in the future. In addition to these investments, the district revamped five playgrounds through its ongoing partnership through the Green Schools Consortium of Milwaukee partnership with the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, the City of Milwaukee, the Fund for Lake Michigan, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Reflo.
MPS also unveiled a video launching the district’s Expect Great Things campaign, an effort to raise community expectations and showcase the many people and things within MPS that are exceptional. The video production was fully funded by business and community supporters of the district.
“This year, we are asking everyone in Milwaukee to expect great things from MPS and then to do the work to make those great things happen,” Superintendent Cassellius said. “Our students deserve nothing less. They deserve great teaching, great opportunities and great schools, and our educators and staff are ready to deliver.”
The Expect Great Things theme reflects the district’s broader effort to build a culture of high expectations and continuous improvement, one in which students are encouraged to see what is possible and adults are accountable for creating the conditions for them to achieve it.
MPS enters the new school year with important work already underway. The district’s new literacy plan is showing early signs of progress. MPS is deeply focused on high-quality instruction, including the continued implementation of new literacy curriculum and continued professional learning for staff grounded in the science of reading, as well as new literacy curriculum for high school students.
MPS made great progress this summer recruiting teachers to join MPS. With this focused effort, MPS begins the year with about 60 teacher openings, a significant decrease from more than 120 at this time last year — all while adding teaching positions to manage and reduce class size.
“Our teachers, principals, school staff, district team, and union partners have been working day and night to make sure our schools are ready to welcome back students,” said Missy Zombor, President of the Milwaukee Board of School Directors. “MPS has the people and the passion to give all of our students a safe, enriching and joyful school experience.”
This school year, MPS will work to gather community input to its Long-Term Facilities Plan and its Strategic Plan, which will drive the district’s direction for the next several years.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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