Milwaukee Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius visited the Marquette University Law School Sept. 10 as part of the Lubar Center’s “Get to Know” series. Derek Mosley, director of the Lubar Center, hosted the discussion.
Cassellius, who has led MPS since March, spent thirty years as an educator working in different roles and districts, most recently as superintendent of Boston Public Schools.
Highs and lows during superintendent tenure in Boston
While her departure from Boston was considered a “mutual decision” by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Cassellius faced criticism during her three-year tenure. The Boston Teachers Union passed a vote of no confidence in the superintendent in December 2020, while negotiating conditions to reopen schools after the pandemic shut them down.
However, Cassellius took what were seen as significant steps toward improving equity in Boston Public Schools. In the summer of 2021, she developed and fought for a proposal that allowed socioeconomic factors, in addition to academics, to be considered in all admissions decisions. She was also praised for raising graduation requirements to match university admissions requirements.
In Milwaukee, she replaced Keith Posley, who assumed the superintendent role in 2018 and resigned in June 2024 amidst the district’s financial struggles. Eduardo Galvan served as interim superintendent until Cassellius was appointed in early 2025.
Family history, early career in educational leadership
Cassellius grew up in Minneapolis, selling flowers on street corners and in bars to make money. Her parents separated but she said they were both a large part of her upbringing.
“I grew up in poverty, but I never had a poverty of love,” Cassellius said.
Cassellius said she was always very interested in human behavior and decided to become an educator because of her love for working with children. She said despite growing up in the Minneapolis projects, she had wonderful teachers and coaches who acted as mentors to her.
A 21-year-old single mother in college, Cassellius managed to finish school in four years and brought her son to the night classes she took to earn a master’s degree.
“It wasn’t going to slow me down,” she said.
Cassellius’ early career consisted of roles as a special education paraprofessional, social studies teacher and school leader.
She then worked as Minnesota’s Commissioner of Education, superintendent in East Metro Integration District, associate superintendent for Middle and High Schools in Minneapolis Public Schools and academic superintendent for Middle Schools in Memphis City Schools.
The last stop before Milwaukee was the East Coast, where Cassellius served as Boston Public Schools Superintendent from July 2019 to July 2022.
Milwaukee Public Schools faces a number of challenges
Now, with her new role as MPS superintendent, Cassellius has inherited some of the district’s challenges, including the withholding of state money, as well as lead paint, flooding and gun violence crises.
In June, the district missed a deadline to submit financial data to the Department of Public Instruction, resulting in over $16 million in state aid being withheld. The money was later released by the state.
MPS is in the middle of a lead paint remediation project to address hazards in its older buildings, following what became a lead contamination crisis in 2025. And, in August, 24 of the district’s buildings were damaged by historic flooding in Milwaukee.
The district also lost 23 enrolled students to gunfire between June 2024 and June 2025.
Cassellius emphasized the support she’s received so far from both Mayor Cavalier Johnson and the City of Milwaukee Health Department in solving some of the districts’ current issues. For example, the health department partnered with MPS earlier this year to launch a lead action plan that is said to prioritize transparency, student health and systems improvement.
Cassellius said the district needs a “100-year plan” to better invest in school infrastructure and meet the needs of future students. At MPS, buildings average 82 years old compared to the national average of 49.
This story was written by Mia Thurow. She can be reached at [email protected].
