Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele Appoints MPS Graduate, Long-Time Public School Advocate Dr. Demond Means Commissioner of Opportunity Schools Program
Dr. Means is a graduate of Milwaukee’s Riverside University High School.
Demond Means. Photo courtesy of Milwaukee County.
Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele today announced the appointment of Dr. Demond Means as commissioner of the Opportunity Schools Partnership Program.
Dr. Means, who currently serves as superintendent of the Mequon-Thiensville School District and is a graduate of Milwaukee’s Riverside University High School, began his career in the classroom in 1994 and has since moved through the ranks of educational administration, serving as an assistant superintendent, human resources director, principal and assistant principal.
Under Dr. Means’ leadership, the Mequon-Thiensville School District is consistently ranked as one of the highest-performing public school districts in the state, which has given him a platform to share best practices with other districts and serve as a leader in the movement to address racial disparity in local schools. In 2010, Gov. Jim Doyle tapped Means to serve as a representative for the state of Wisconsin on the Education Commission of the States, and just last year State Superintendent Tony Evers chose Means to chair a statewide Task Force on Wisconsin’s Achievement Gap.
Dr. Means also has experience with early childhood education programs. Last year, the Mequon-Thiensville School District added a 4K program that has exceeded expectations and increased enrollment for the district.
“In the classroom and as an administrator, Dr. Demond Means has made a commitment to reach and uplift every single child,” Abele said. “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,” Dr. Demond Means said. “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.”
“In this role, I look forward to working closely with the MPS Superintendent of Schools and the MPS Board of Directors. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Dr. Darienne Driver and the work she’s doing to strengthen MPS. Under her leadership, the school district employs some of the best, brightest, and most dedicated teachers you’ll find anywhere,” Means said. “But I also know that even the most gifted teachers cannot overcome the challenges we are facing on their own. Our children need more than just effective instruction — they need opportunities for their families and communities to engage with their schools, access to wraparound services that address issues outside the classroom, and teachers who are held to high professional standards and provided with practical training. I look forward to soliciting input from MPS teachers, families and stakeholders at a public hearing in the coming weeks and working with Dr. Driver and Board President Dr. Michael Bonds in a transparent and collaborative way to improve outcomes for all of our kids.”
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.
Mentioned in This Press Release
Recent Press Releases by County Executive Chris Abele
Milwaukee County Passes Ordinance to Advance Racial Equity and Improve Health Outcomes
Apr 29th, 2020 by County Executive Chris AbeleMilwaukee County leaders commit to eliminating institutional racism by addressing County polices, practices and power structures through a racial equity lens
Milwaukee County Officials Order All Municipal Polling Places Closed
Apr 6th, 2020 by County Executive Chris AbeleCounty Officials Implement Gov's Order to Protect Public Health
So the superintendent of Mequon-Thiensville, a proud MPS grad, is being hired to consult with MPS. Wow, that could happen without college-dropout busybody Chris Abele being inserted into the process.
Since Abele has long been known as a grandstander, expect press releases from him about how his great educational vision “saved” MPS. Too bad he could not figure out how to salvage his own educational career (8 years in college without achieving a degree!).
Talk about layers of bureaucracy mucking up the works. Last week Alberta Darling offered her pearls of wisdom for educational success. (Get yourself into a suburban school–duh?). Who needs local control when privatizing-crazy rich people can use our city schools and students for photo ops and resume-bullet builders…
Did someone forget to mention token? That sure come cheap nowadays. You can get one to work part-time outside of their real full-time position working elsewhere. This is too obvious on King Walker, I meant King Abele, and his trickery to muster Black votes come next spring.
Well, King Abele’s, out of pocket cost – for all the glossy political brochures mailings – should have been given back to Milwaukee County taxpayer’s to make up for the County downtown prime land, Abele gave away for $1.00 to the East Coast scam artist, I meant hedge fund tycoons who scammed Milwaukee / Wisconsin elected leaders into funding an indoor basketball court with seating with a future price tag Milwaukee county residents were duped into believing this proposed “indoor court of dreams,” will return future tax payer’s dollar’s with interest.
By the way, I’m still waiting on my return from that huge hunk of steel (Another great idea by our friendly elected leaders) sitting in the Menomonee Valley.