2024 Candidate Profiles: South Milwaukee School Board

I am excited to present the following information on candidates for South Milwaukee School Board.

Each candidate was asked to answer the same questions, and their responses are shared here verbatim. Thanks to each of the candidates for responding — and for stepping up to serve the community!

Please share this information far and wide … and use it to make informed choices at the ballot box. And look for profiles on the Second and Fourth District aldermanic candidates on Monday.

In-person absentee voting starts Tuesday, March 19, and Election Day is Tuesday, April 2. Get more information, including voting locations and sample ballots, here. You can vote for up to two school board candidates.

Candidates listed in alphabetical order …

Angie DeFord

• Name: Angie DeFord
• Age: 44
• Address: 3409 Blakewood Ave  
• Campaign website/social media URL(s): https://www.defordforsdsm.com/ https://www.facebook.com/AngieDeFordforSchoolBoard/
• How long have you lived in South Milwaukee? I grew up on the southside of Milwaukee and my husband and I moved to South Milwaukee in 2004. We quickly fell in love with the close community and couldn’t be happier with our decision to live here.
• Family: I am married and have 2 children that have attended SM public schools since 4k at Blakewood. They are now in their senior and freshman years at the high school.
• Occupation: I am a user experience researcher and have a master’s degree in business administration. Leveraging my educational and professional background, I bring a unique lens to the board and strive to comprehend the experiences of our students and educators to support them.

Why are you running for office? 

I originally ran for a school board seat because during my children’s time in the district I started to see some shifts that made me concerned. I noticed changes like a reduction in science lessons at the elementary level and teachers held to strict schedules for teaching lessons. We weren’t allowing our teachers to use their expertise to ensure all students understood the material before moving on. Knowing that the transition to middle school is difficult enough, I worried that these changes would increase their struggle. As a concerned parent, and PTO president at the time, I discussed this concern with teachers, the former Principal of Blakewood, and the former Director of Curriculum to no avail. At that point I decided that if I wanted to really help make a change I would have to get on the board.

After the election I sat down with the current Director of Curriculum to advocate for increased educator autonomy. Our teachers know what our students need and are best suited to develop the lessons that will resonate with them. I was happy to learn that our current Director of Curriculum agrees and collaborates with many of our teachers to ensure that we are utilizing their expertise to select curriculum.

In addition to this, our district has also established professional learning communities that allow our teachers to work together to share ideas and create detailed plans to help all students grow.

While I am so glad that these shifts have been made, I am seeking re-election because I know there are still opportunities to improve experiences for our students within the district and I want to continue to advocate for them.

Why should voters vote for you?

Helping and collaborating with others brings me joy. Before running for school board, I spent 10 years volunteering for the Blakewood PTO. During that time, I helped to facilitate the book fairs, organized 3 color runs, and served as President for 2 of those years. Additionally, I have also contributed to the community by co-leading a cub scout den for 2 years, serving as a member of the Middle School Parent Advisory Council, and being on the city Beautification Committee for 2 years.   

Since my election in 2021, in addition to attending and contributing to the actual school board meetings, I was one of two members to attend the 2023 Wisconsin School Board Association Convention. This was a three-day event and provided a chance to engage with fellow board members and educational experts statewide, fostering collaboration and exchanging best practices.

Another significant contribution that I have made has been being the only school board member to join the Strategic Planning committee. This committee has been working for several months to develop SMART goals for our district to guide the next 5 years. This group is made up of approximately 40 contributors including teachers, paraprofessionals, secretaries, students, parents, business owners, and district admins. 

These are just a couple of examples of how I have gone above and beyond, and if re-elected I would continue to look for ways to contribute significantly to the board.

What is the most important issue in your race?

The moral imperative for our district is “The School District of South Milwaukee acts with a relentless commitment to remove barriers and care for all students so they feel accepted and will learn without exception.” This is something that I strongly believe in, and helped to craft, to guide the work of our district. To me, the most important issue in this race is student achievement and ties directly to this imperative. Our school district is composed of individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and abilities and it is our responsibility to make sure that we are providing the tools and opportunities for them to all succeed.

This imperative was also a fundamental component for the development of the Strategic Plan for this district which will guide our district for the next 5 years to improve the student and staff experience.

What is the biggest challenge facing the school district?

The biggest challenge I see for our district is declining student enrollment. As our student population declines, so does our state funding. While it seems obvious that fewer students should mean fewer teachers, we don’t often see groups of students leaving from the same grade or even school, so our staffing needs aren’t greatly affected. To solve this problem, we need to work to retain our students by continuing our robust programming and increase open enrollment.

To expand opportunities to serve children during my time on the board I backed bringing the Acelero head start learning program to Blakewood. This is a great way for students as young as 3 years old to get prepared for kindergarten. This program is also a way for families to become familiar with our district that might not otherwise know about us.

Another way that I have supported mitigation of declining enrollment as a current school board member is approving the creation of a Communications Coordinator position. This position is used to help draw families to our district by celebrating our amazing staff and students. As a parent I know that we have wonderful schools with caring staff and tremendous opportunities for children like six certified career education pathways. We didn’t always do a great job showcasing that broadly because we didn’t have the resources in place to do so before this.

This person has expanded our social media presence, revamped our website, started a podcast to give additional insight into our district, and launched targeted marketing campaigns. So far, since the creation of this position we have increased our enrollment at 4K when we compare 2023 to 2024.

What is the biggest opportunity in front of the district?

A significant opportunity for our district is external collaboration. As a smaller district we may not always be able to offer all desired programming for our students and staff due to financial constraints, but when we partner with others great things are possible. For example, we currently partner with Cudahy to provide a health clinic that is available to employees of both districts. We also were able to put together the SM United boy’s volleyball team by joining with Thomas More and Reagan high schools. By continuing to look for ways to join with neighboring districts we can spread out costs and improve everyone’s experiences.

Do you support the upcoming operational referendum? Why or why not?

I fully support the referendum. The funding that our district, and many others, has received from the state has not kept pace with inflation. To expand our career pathways, improve staff retention, and security we have no choice but to ask for the support of our community on this referendum. To help spread awareness of this need I have been a guest on the SMWAY podcast https://rss.com/podcasts/smway/1258404/,  recorded a video https://www.facebook.com/SoMilwSchools/videos/896262542232855, spoken to many community members at several information tables throughout the city, and helped to start a Vote Yes group.  

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Brian Genduso

• Name: Brian Genduso
• Age: 42
• Campaign website/social media URL(s): genduso4sdsm.org and facebook.com/genduso4sdsm
• How long have you lived in South Milwaukee? 16+ years
• Family: Married with two kids
• Occupation: Structural Engineer

Why are you running for office?

I have two children in the district (one at Lakeview and one at SMMS), and over the past few years I have seen how school has become such a vital part of their social network and identity. I made a personal commitment to support them in their education and extracurricular activities as much as I could. At the encouragement of several teachers and friends, and after “doing my homework” on what the job takes, I determined that my background and skills are well-suited for this position.

I see the drive and dedication of the current school board and many talented, caring, SDSM staff, and I want to be part of the leadership group that works hard to ensure the District’s commitment to “remove barriers and care for all students so they feel accepted and will learn without exception.” There are no specific ideologies or causes that I am running on. My goal as a board member will to make balanced, thoughtful decisions based on diligent research into each issue and what is best for students and/or staff… that’s it.

Ultimately, I want to make a positive difference in the education of my kids and all students in South Milwaukee, and feel I have the knowledge, ability, and desire to do a great job.

Why should voters vote for you?

I am passionate about public education… I firmly believe in the value of a high quality school system to our kids, parents and community, and will advocate strongly for students.

I am experienced… I have held a variety of leadership/mentorship roles both within and outside of our schools, and feel I have what it takes to serve SDSM with perspective, wisdom, integrity, and humility.

I am invested… My entire family learns at, works for, plays in, or volunteers for our schools nearly every day, and we love the people and places of South Milwaukee.

What is the most important issue in your race?

Based on the many conversations I’ve had with fellow residents while knocking on doors for my campaign, it is clear that the upcoming referendum is an important issue in most people’s minds. Folks want to know why it is being proposed, what the funding will be used for, and how it impacts their taxes. There is a mixture of support, uncertainty, and opposition.

What is the biggest challenge facing the school district?

Balancing the budget while remaining competitive with neighboring school districts for academic achievement, student support, and teacher retention. Recent school funding levels, paired with declining enrollment and high inflation, has resulted in SDSM facing a significant budget deficit in the coming year, like many systems across the state. The district must make hard decisions to keep itself financially stable while providing students with an excellent education and opportunities for personal enrichment and growth.

What is the biggest opportunity in front of the district?

The opportunity to confidently embrace change and become a leader in public education.

Though the fabric of our community is strong, it is changing. South Milwaukee’s industrial heritage is shifting, along with its demographics. American society as a whole continues to evolve rapidly in light of new technology and in the wake of a life-altering global pandemic. It’s going to take a lot of hard work and foresight to successfully navigate these changes for a large, complex, imperfect social structure like a school district.

I do see fertile soil and seeds being planted within SDSM to address the changes. It has a school board which, for the most part, functions well and has a clear vision statement. There are new administrative leaders who are forward-looking and not afraid to address tough issues. There are so many talented, energetic, committed teachers. Recently, a large, diverse group of students, parents, staff, and community leaders developed a 5-year strategic plan to guide the district’s actions… and hold it
accountable.

There are certainly headwinds, and let’s not sugarcoat it, there are serious issues currently within our schools like subpar academic scores, student anger/violence, and teacher turnover that need to be addressed. However, I am hopeful that the district can harness student, staff, parent, and community engagement to meet the changes and challenges head on. If we do that, SDSM can provide a top-notch education and be a beacon for others.

Do you support the upcoming operational referendum? Why or why not?

Yes. I think it is a reasonable, temporary request for additional funding that primarily addresses a key issue facing our schools, teacher retention. As a parent of two students not yet in high school, this is one of my main concerns. Having excellent staff who stick around for more than a couple years is important. The landscape of educational employment seems to be much different than even a decade ago, and I’ve witnessed how difficult it is for SDSM to attract and then keep teachers because its salaries just aren’t competitive. The problem is real, and it’s happening right now.

The majority of the referendum funds will go toward addressing this vital issue, which will ultimately benefit students because it will prevent the district from having to make deep cuts that directly impact student academics and experiences.

The referendum also provides funding to improve school safety by addressing traffic issues on 15 th Avenue (a top complaint of other parents I know) and also installing more electronic (key fob) locks on doors, which I support. I must admit I am not convinced that the third component of the referendum, which is to provide “educational pathways” for younger students, is necessary or will be effective.

However, this part is much smaller than the other two and I don’t think it is worth holding up the whole package. The referendum definitely impacts taxes. Without it our taxes will decrease, not insignificantly. However, the referendum is also fortunately timed to coincide with a reduction in the tax levy due to other well-managed debt falling off. Therefore, if it passes there will be a minimal change to the current tax rate. I strongly believe that the benefits of passing the referendum will be significant and will set our children up for future success.

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Matthew Scales

• Name: Matthew Scales
• Age: 33
• Address: 1710 Marion Avenue 
• Campaign website/social media URL(s): scalesforschoolboard.com
• How long have you lived in South Milwaukee? My family moved to Cudahy in 2016 and then moved to South Milwaukee in 2020.
• Family: My wife is Maddie Scales and we have two daughters, Nora and Ophelia.
• Occupation: Classroom Tech Support Specialist for Mount Mary University

Why are you running for office? 

I come from a family of teachers that put a heavy emphasis on education and the arts. With my daughters entering the school system soon, I want to do my all to improve school policies to better align with community needs.

Why should voters vote for you? 

Because I’m a down-to-earth dad that wants what is best for his children and for the community as a whole. I believe that kids should be allowed to be kids and that parents are their shepherds. Parents should be able to have a significant say in their children’s education and I welcome that conversation with open arms.

What is the most important issue in your race? 

I believe we need to do a better job of paying and retaining our town’s educators. All too often, we have teachers and paraprofessionals leaving during the school year for better paying positions in neighboring communities. These changes take the biggest toll on the children, who continuously lose stability and structure throughout the year.

What is the biggest challenge facing the school district? 

Similar to the previous question, I think one of the biggest challenges is retaining quality teachers. Class sizes are getting too large and our current educators are being stretched too thin, much to the detriment of the students. When educators bring these issues up, they are essentially told to just deal with it, even though federal mandates may not be met because of it. This is ridiculous, borderline illegal, and wrong and it needs to change.

What is the biggest opportunity in front of the district? 

With this election, there is a chance for new blood to come in and shake things up. This is a chance for the community to finally have more of a say. To give power back to parents and educators and not just the administration. And that starts with holding those who have let these problems grow over the last few years accountable. Why give larger salaries to admins and political leaders when that can instead be spent on the students and those who are interacting with them daily? It is time for a change and that starts now.

Do you support the upcoming operational referendum? Why or why not? 

To be completely honest, I do support the referendum, but I do so reluctantly. I feel the same as most throughout the city; taxes are too high, groceries are costing more, inflation is hitting everyone’s wallets. One of the last things I want is to see my taxes go up even more. And from things I have seen, the school system seems to like giving larger salaries to administrators than they like spending time and money on students or art programs. However, I believe that this referendum has the potential to be very beneficial to the students of the community. It is an opportunity to help teachers, to get courses in the high school that can set students up for the future, for better security at our schools. And if elected, I will do everything in my power to make sure these funds are used correctly and responsibly. To make sure that our students can have a brighter future from it, that our teachers stay longer and are happier with class sizes and work loads, to guarantee that nobody is lining their pockets with our taxpayer dollars. If this referendum passes, every cent of it needs to be seen by the community, to know that myself and the school system have the best for their children in mind and are doing everything within our power to gain the trust of every parent and community member.

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Andy Simmons

• Name: Andy Simmons
• Age: 37
• Address:  1502 Fairview Ave., So. Milw., WI 53172 
• Campaign website/social media URL(s): https://www.simmonsforschoolboard.com/ and Andy Simmons for School Board on Facebook
• How long have you lived in South Milwaukee? I’ve lived in South Milwaukee almost my whole life. I attended Blakewood, SMMS, and graduated from SMHS in 2005. The only exception is when I lived in Bay View for a few years when I was teaching in MPS.
• Family: I have been married to my wife, Allison, for 12 years. We have two boys, ages four and seven, and two dogs, a golden retriever and a bernedoodle.
• Occupation: I am the Director of Sales Enablement for Omnigo Software, which means I provide our sales teams and clients with anything they need to be successful with our products. Mainly this involves video training courses for security and police. I am a former SMHS and Ronald Reagan High School math teacher, and I also coach Brazilian jiu-jitsu and kids wrestling.

Why are you running for office?

I am running for school board because I love South Milwaukee, firmly believe in our school district, but know that we can always do better. We have a problem with staff retention.  Our family has had a student enrolled in the district for three years, and in that time his former 4k co-teachers and his first grade teacher left. We do not give kids adequate time to move and play in an unstructured environment, and then we wonder why they are restless. We lack consistent policies around simple things such as homework, and are behind on preparing students for what comes after high school. I see the district attempting to make strides on some of these issues through the referendum, and I believe I can be a part of the solution.

Why should voters vote for you? 

I bring a unique perspective to the role. As a former South Milwaukee teacher, I understand first-hand how schools operate and why teachers may leave. I also know many of the great things happening in the district that fly under the radar. As a parent, I absolutely want experienced and effective educators to stay. I am all about giving young teachers a chance (someone once took the chance on a 22-year old me), but experience in education is invaluable, both in the classroom and through mentorship. Lastly, as an employee of a SAAS (software as a service) company, I have seen numerous good jobs created in the last decade that students and teachers likely don’t know exist, many of which can be obtained through nontraditional means. I want to bring awareness to these career paths for students in the district.

What is the most important issue in your race?

You may have gathered this from my last couple answers, but the most important issue in this race is teacher retention. Not long ago South Milwaukee was known as a place where, once you got the job, you stayed for your whole career. You can still catch glimpses of this recent past when you look at each year’s retirees; teachers that are often spoken of as having taught multiple generations in a family. For better or worse, the incentive to stay with the same district or even the same profession no longer exists. The district can still do its best to maintain effective educators by providing support via things like ongoing mentorship, listening sessions with staff, and callouts for educators that go above and beyond for their students.

What is the biggest challenge facing the school district?

The biggest challenge facing the school district is still fallout from Covid. Adults made critical decisions that affected attendance and learning, and it is up to us to pick up the slack. Our proficiency scores in both math and reading have never been lower, and this seems to coincide with our above-average rate of chronic absenteeism. I appreciate the emphasis the district has made the last two years to try and combat absenteeism through emails and flyers sent home, but I believe we can still do more. Students are more likely to attend, and parents are more likely to get their kids to school, when they feel like they are truly an integral part of a community. I know the teacher workday is already incredibly busy, but making students and parents feel seen may begin with small changes such as periodically making positive phone calls home to just say hello and give some updates. I plan to be just as communicative with SM residents by making myself regularly available through open forums at a coffee shop or the library.

What is the biggest opportunity in front of the district?

Our biggest opportunity is to expand upon our strong base of activities and course offerings already available. SDSM is not a large school district. With about 2,800 students we are barely even considered a medium-sized district. However, students in SM still have an incredible amount of opportunities to stay involved. We have been able to maintain nearly every common high school sport without co-oping, provide music, art, robotics, theater, dances, a state-of-the-art PAC, a community fitness center, etc. Students who stay involved keep out of trouble, and they see the value in and feel pride in their work. We need to maintain such a high level of options for our students and keep finding ways to get more students as well as community members involved. I’ve seen a shift over the years from the district viewing athletics and activities as a reward (or sometimes even an afterthought) to now being viewed as an extension of the classroom. I would love to see us continue to pick up steam here.

Do you support the upcoming operational referendum? Why or why not?

I do support the referendum. It is important for us to be financially responsible, and excessive spending sometimes exists in school districts, but the referendum does not appear to be that. I really cannot think of much I’d rather see extra money spent on than school safety measures, technology upgrades, and teacher retention. The financial impact per family is also so minor that this seems like a no-brainer to me. My family will spend more on popsicles at Chill on the Hill than we will on this referendum. I will be voting yes.