Milwaukee, WI
Organizers say recall effort against Milwaukee school board members has over 37k signatures
Organizers for a recall effort against four Milwaukee Public Schools board members say they’ve collected over 37,000 signatures so far. That’s more than half of the total they need by mid-August to initiate a recall against four board members.
The effort, from the MPS School Board Recall Collaborative, comes after a tumultuous few weeks for the district. In late May, the state Department of Public Instruction sent a letter to the district warning that it could lose millions of dollars in state funding after it failed to send in financial reports.
In the weeks since, district superintendent Keith Posley resigned from his post, Gov. Tony Evers called for operational and instructional audits of the district and Legislative Republicans have pushed for an audit of the district’s finances. This month, the state said the district was projected to lose $81 million in state funds as a result of the reporting failures.
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Now organizers with the recall effort are looking to unseat school board president Marva Herndon, vice president Jilly Gokalgandhi, school board member at large Missy Zombor and board member Erika Siemsen.
To trigger a recall election, the group will need to collect 5,137 signatures for Herndon, 6,809 signatures for Siemsen, 7,759 signatures for Gokalgandhi and 44,177 signatures for Zombor, according to Paulina Gutiérrez, executive director of the Milwaukee Election Commission.
“This MPS recall is not us recalling Milwaukee Public Schools,” said Tamika Johnson, a petitioner in the recall effort, during a Wednesday afternoon press conference. “This recall is recalling incompetent board members who allowed corruption to happen on the back of our Black and brown and white children.”
Angela Harris, chair of the Black Educators Caucus and a second grade teacher at the Milwaukee Academy of Chinese Language, is also in support of the effort.
“I can understand, certainly, after all of the things that have occurred with Milwaukee Public Schools and the current iteration of the board, why community members would feel that it would be necessary to engage in a recall,” Harris said.
“We elect these folks to be our voices, but it seems to me that particularly with these four board members, folks in their district don’t feel like their voices are being heard, respected, or valued,” she added.
But not everyone supports the recall effort. The Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association said in a statement that they believe the push is being led by people with “close ties to private voucher and charter schools.”
“Milwaukee should see this recall effort for what it is — local affiliates of the deep-pocketed, nationwide anti-public education voucher industry seeking to capitalize on the recent troubles with the MPS financial office,” MTEA President Ingrid Walker-Henry said in a statement.
Nicole Johnson, another petitioner in the recall effort, said the group doesn’t have any candidates lined up yet in the case of a recall election.
But Johnson did say Wednesday the recall effort has received money from “anonymous donors” to help pay for canvassers who are collecting signatures. Organizers said those canvassers will be paid for their work after the signatures have been verified by the city.
Organizers also said they do not know who the “anonymous donors” are.
After speaking at a Milwaukee Press Club event Wednesday, Gokalgandhi said she’s aware of the recall effort but is staying focused on the district’s needs.
“The public has … their democratic right. My job is to continue to serve our kids, work on getting the ship back into the right direction and be prepared in September for our kids to come to our schools,” Gokalgandhi said.
Asked if she plans to run again in a recall election, she responded, “I think we got to see what happens.”
The group has until Aug. 12 to collect signatures and submit them to the Election Commission. Johnson said organizers are “confident” they’ll collect enough signatures needed by that time.
The Commission has 31 days after the group submits the signatures to verify them.
Last week, the school board also announced it had selected Eduardo Galvan to serve as the new acting superintendent following Posley’s resignation. The board will meet Thursday to confirm or deny that appointment.
“We are confident in the leadership Mr. Galvan brings to MPS and to this role,” Herndon said in a statement. “Additionally, this step moves the district closer to having an interim superintendent in place before the beginning of the school year, which is critical to our goal of serving the students and families of MPS in the best way possible.”
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Milwaukee, WI
Travelers see shorter lines at Milwaukee Mitchell despite the ongoing partial government shutdown
MILWAUKEE — Despite a partial government shutdown causing long TSA lines at airports across the country, travelers at Milwaukee Mitchell airport are experiencing short wait times ahead of spring break.
John Wahlen and his colleague Joe Orendorf were coming back home from North Carolina and prepared for a much different scene.
“We were remarkably surprised that it was as easy as it was,” Wahlen said.
Brendyn Jones/TMJ4
A national TSA spokesperson told TMJ4 that over 3,450 TSA officers called out across the country on Thursday. The national call-out rate was at 11.83% percent, the highest since the shutdown began.
While the TSA could not provide specific numbers for Milwaukee Mitchell, the airport was not in the top-10 for call-out rates.
The highest percentages of call-offs came from much larger airports, including George Bush Intercontinental in Houston at 44 percent, Atlanta at almost 41 percent, and Baltimore at 37 percent.
“We were in smaller airports, Raleigh-Durham, I think we waited for two people, and one of them was him,” Orendorf said.
Watch: Travelers see shorter lines at Milwaukee Mitchell despite the ongoing partial government shutdown
Travelers see shorter lines at Milwaukee Mitchell despite the ongoing partial government shutdown
A spokesperson for Milwaukee Mitchell told TMJ4 that around 11,000 people are expected this Friday and Saturday, and next Friday and Saturday as spring break travel peaks.
President Trump signed an executive order to pay TSA agents, meaning a resolution may be on the horizon. Travelers, including Selena Mauricio, said they are thankful for the agents who are still showing up.
Brendyn Jones/TMJ4
“Their jobs aren’t easy, and I commend the ones that still come to work, definitely,” Mauricio said.
This story was reported on-air by Brendyn Jones and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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MILWAUKEE — A truck drove through the Grace Coffee Co. in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward on early Friday morning, the owners announced in a social media post.
Due to the extensive damage that was done, the coffee shop will be closed until further notice.
TMJ4
“We’re incredibly grateful no one was hurt, and we’ll keep you updated as we begin repairs,” the coffee shop said in the post.
TMJ4 reached out to the Milwaukee Police Department but have yet to hear back.
Let’s talk:
Hey there! At TMJ4 News, we’re all about listening to our audience and tackling the stuff that really matters to you. Got a story idea, tip, or just want to chat about this piece? Hit us up using the form below. For more ways to get in touch, head over to tmj4.com/tips.
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MPS cuts face backlash
Milwaukee Public Schools plans about 200 layoffs to close a $46 million budget gap, but union leaders say cuts could impact student safety while district leaders say no classroom teachers will be eliminated.
MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee Public Schools is planning to cut roughly 200 positions next school year as the district works to close a multi-million-dollar budget gap — but there’s disagreement over which roles will be impacted.
What we know:
District leaders say the goal is to close a roughly $46 million shortfall, prompting changes that Superintendent Brenda Cassellius says are necessary.
Milwaukee Public Schools said about 201 staff members will be impacted. District leaders say no classroom teachers, counselors or social workers will be cut — something the teachers’ union disputes.
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The reductions stem from a previously approved plan to eliminate about 260 non-classroom roles. The final number dropped after retirements and existing vacancies. The Milwaukee Board of School Directors approved that plan on March 9.
What they’re saying:
“We have a $50 million deficit, we are for sure not going to be able to do business the same way that we’ve been able to do business,” Cassellius said. “Change is just hard. It’s just hard. And every single one of our employees is so important.”
But some educators say the cuts go too far.
“MTEA is setting up a distress signal. We are talking about our teachers, art teachers, music teachers, physical education teachers, counselors — things that the voters of referendum of Milwaukee actually voted for,” said Ingrid Walker-Henry, president of the Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association. “Staffing is being cut to the extent that they are concerned about student safety.”
Cassellius acknowledged the uncertainty and asked school leaders for patience.
“We just have to for sure know our budget situation, where we’re at with that after these cuts are made in order to make those decisions,” she said. “So I’m asking my principals, be patient with us.”
By the numbers:
The district outlined the 201 affected positions as:
- 70 central office roles
- 62 educators with a teaching license but not assigned to one classroom
- 59 assistant principals
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MPS says the savings will support new class size guidelines, including:
- 18 students per teacher in K3
- 20 students per teacher in K4
- 22 students per teacher in K5
Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS)
District leaders say no students will be asked to leave a school to meet class size guidelines. Officials say they are working with schools that may not have space or that require larger classes based on specific programs.
What’s next:
Milwaukee Public Schools plans to present its proposed 2026–27 budget to the Milwaukee Board of School Directors in May.
The Source: Information in this post was provided by Milwaukee Public Schools and prior FOX6 coverage.
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