McKinley Leadership Announcement – A Necessary First Step 

OFFICIAL RESPONSE FROM THE 2030 TASK FORCE

July 2, 2025

Statement Overview

Yesterday’s announcement from the Wauwatosa School District confirming the departure of Principal Ted Martin from McKinley Elementary marks a long-overdue acknowledgment of what so many educators, families, and community members have been saying for months: something was deeply broken at McKinley, and change was imperative.

While the district has framed this as a voluntary transition, the truth is clear: this move would not have happened without sustained public pressure. It is a direct result of courageous teacher testimony, parent organizing, and unrelenting civic accountability efforts led by this Task Force.

We are vindicated—and relieved. But we are not satisfied.

Why This Isn’t Enough

This announcement, while significant, does not go far enough:

• There has been no formal acknowledgment of the harm done under Mr. Martin’s leadership.

• The district has not released the McKinley staff climate survey.

• There has been no public apology or admission of failure by those who enabled and defended toxic leadership.

• Mr. Martin remains in a leadership role with access to vulnerable student programs.

• The broader issues of retaliation, fear-based culture, and governance failure remain unaddressed.

This is not closure. This is a beginning.

Six Weeks. One Step Forward. A Long Road Ahead.

It has been just six weeks since the 2030 Task Force was formally launched—and already, this community-led effort has helped drive tangible change:

• The Expanded Core Report (xCore) laid bare patterns of dysfunction and mismanagement the district could no longer ignore.

• Educators like Jenny Leigh, Katie Petitt, and Takela Jones bravely came forward to tell the truth.

• The McKinley community spoke clearly and courageously—again and again.

Let there be no confusion: this leadership change is the result of collective action, truth-telling, and civic resolve.

We are proud to have stood with educators and families in pursuit of transparency and accountability.

Confronting the Spin

The district’s communications on July 2—presenting Mr. Martin’s departure as a voluntary “career move”—cannot be allowed to stand unchallenged.

“This was not a retirement. It was not a promotion. It was not a moment of growth. It was the culmination of six months of community outrage, teacher whistleblowing, and public exposure of institutional harm.”

We break down those misleading narratives, side-by-side with the documented truth, in Appendix B: July 2 Communications – Spin vs. Truth.

What Comes Next

This is only the first step in restoring integrity, stability, and equity to Wauwatosa schools. The work continues.

In the coming days and weeks:

• The Task Force is evaluating concerns raised at Madison Elementary. Based on public testimony from Takela Jones and additional emerging accounts, we are considering a formal call for investigation in the coming days.

• We will continue tracking educator departures, unacknowledged complaints, and governance breakdowns across the district.

• We do not accept Mr. Martin’s reassignment as a solution, and will closely monitor Mr. Martin’s conduct in his new role as Director of Recreation—especially where it affects before/after-school care, summer learning, and childcare services.

• We will escalate calls for transparency, including public release of:

  • The McKinley climate survey

  • All relevant staff performance documentation

  • A full accountability review of those who protected failed leadership

We will also continue to call for termination proceedings against Dr. Demond Means and Mr. Ted Martin, based on the mountain of evidence that has already been submitted to the board, regulators, and oversight agencies.

Today’s response only underscores how untenable Dr. Means’s and Mr. Martin’s positions have become—and validates the pressing, urgent concerns the Task Force continues to document.

Finally, the Task Force calls for the creation of an independent commission to vet the hiring of all future principals.

This is not an isolated breakdown. According to the xCore Report, 11 out of 16 Wauwatosa schools have experienced principal turnover or serious leadership instability since Dr. Means assumed leadership in 2021.

The district’s leadership pipeline is broken. Without a transparent, independent process, the cycle of harm will continue. It’s time to restore credibility and protect school communities from further disruption.

This should be a moment of moral reset—not spin.

To Our Community

• To our families: Your voices are changing the future.

• To our educators: We will not stop standing with you.

• To the Board: This change came from outside pressure. Imagine what’s possible with inside courage.

This is what reform looks like:
The first crack in a wall that long needed to fall.

In solidarity,

The 2030 Task Force

2030TaskForce@gmail.com

www.Tosa2030.com

APPENDIX A: Documented Call for Leadership Change

Dated: January 14, 2025

Six months before the district’s July 2 announcement, Task Force founder Dr. Christopher K. Merker formally called for the resignation of Principal Martin and a full investigation into McKinley’s leadership breakdown. The call was direct, prescient, and ignored.

Excerpted Email to Superintendent Means and the WSD Board:

“Given the deteriorating situation at McKinley, I call for a formal investigation by the District into Ted Martin and his conduct at McKinley Elementary.”

— Dr. Christopher K. Merker, CFA, Ph.D.

APPENDIX B: July 2 Communications – Spin vs. Truth

Spin can’t survive the truth.

What happened at McKinley was real. Documented. Preventable.

And now, finally, exposed.

APPENDIX C: Full January 14 Email to District Leadership and Principal Martin

Reproduced for public record and transparency

Dear Dr. Means and School District Board Leadership,

Given the deteriorating situation at McKinley I call for a formal investigation by the District into Ted Martin and his conduct at McKinley Elementary as detailed in my email this morning to Mr. Martin below.

Thank you,

Christopher K. Merker, CFA, Ph.D.

------

Dear Mr. Martin,

Your email/letter to teachers and families as of January 13 is both concerning and continues to raise questions. While it demonstrates an effort to address McKinley Elementary School’s challenges, it leaves critical gaps in accountability and clarity that must be addressed to ensure the school’s success and the trust of its community.

Acknowledgment of Challenges Without Personal Accountability

You correctly highlight issues such as the decline in McKinley’s performance—notably its drop in state rankings from the top five to 123rd and the downgrade from five stars to four stars on the school report card. However, your letter fails to acknowledge your leadership’s role in these outcomes. Acknowledging systemic challenges is important, but without taking personal responsibility, it becomes difficult to trust in the proposed path forward.

Proposed Solutions and Transparency

Your plan to bring in third-party facilitators for root cause analysis and restorative dialogue reflects an understanding of the need for external support. While this can provide objectivity, it also suggests a breakdown in leadership trust and effectiveness. What measures will be put in place to ensure these facilitators address not only staff morale but also actionable improvements in student outcomes?

Additionally, your sudden emphasis on root cause analysis is both confusing and inconsistent. In prior meetings, you were evasive about any such analysis, yet it is now positioned as the centerpiece of your plan to improve McKinley. This shift raises questions about the sincerity and coherence of your approach to addressing the school’s challenges.

Your emphasis on a continuous improvement model and core values of equity, collaboration, and resilience is encouraging, yet the letter lacks tangible strategies. For instance, how will you measure progress in closing achievement gaps or improving growth metrics? Without specific goals or benchmarks, these values risk becoming hollow statements.

Deflection Through Collective Responsibility

Throughout the letter, you frame responsibility in collective terms (“we” and “our team”). While collaboration is important, leadership requires personal accountability. Transparency about the actions you personally plan to take as principal would have strengthened trust and confidence in the proposed improvements.

Staff and Community Relations

Your acknowledgment of frustrations, defensiveness, and the need for restorative dialogue among staff indicates a serious breakdown in internal relationships. Reports of teachers leaving meetings in tears after interactions with you highlight the extent of the problem and are unacceptable in any professional setting. Additionally, the recent and sudden departure of a fourth-grade teacher and reports of parents pulling their children from McKinley to enroll them at Christ King are further signs of eroded trust and dissatisfaction within the community.

Compounding these issues are reports of reprisals against teachers who speak out, including highly qualified veteran teachers being placed on performance improvement plans (PIPs) without clear or valid justification. Such actions contribute to what appears to be both a toxic and hostile work environment, undermining staff morale and the broader school culture. While bringing in an outside facilitator may help rebuild trust, what role will you play in ensuring these relationships improve? How will you address the growing concerns among staff and families?

Long-Term Vision

Your stated commitment to providing extension opportunities for high achievers and targeted support for students with unfinished learning, as well as closing any gaps and inclusiveness, is commendable. However, the absence of measurable goals, timelines, or specific initiatives raises questions about how these objectives will be achieved. Furthermore, reliance on outside facilitators and experts has created a perception of leadership that is reactive rather than proactive.

Questions for Reflection

• What specific actions will you take to address the systemic challenges that have persisted under your leadership?

• How will you ensure that third-party facilitators provide meaningful outcomes and do not substitute for strong internal leadership?

• Why was root cause analysis previously avoided but is now a central focus?

• What are your measurable goals and timelines for closing achievement gaps and improving student outcomes?

• How will you work to rebuild trust and morale among staff while maintaining a focus on academic performance?

• How will you address the dissatisfaction among staff and families that has led to teacher turnover and families leaving the school?

• How will you rebuild trust among staff who feel targeted or unfairly treated, particularly those placed on PIPs without valid justification?

Final Analysis

Mr. Martin, the challenges McKinley faces cannot be resolved if the community does not trust its leadership. Trust is the foundation of any successful initiative, and without it, progress becomes impossible. Given the toxic and hostile work environment under your leadership, it is clear that new leadership is required to move forward. It is time for you to step down and allow McKinley to chart a new course under a leader who can rebuild trust, repair relationships, and create the collaborative environment needed to achieve the school’s goals.

Sincerely,

Christopher K. Merker, CFA, Ph.D.

Candidate for Wauwatosa School District Board

Seat 7

Legal Note:

This statement reflects the views of the 2030 Task Force based on publicly available information, firsthand testimony, and civic engagement. All assertions regarding public officials and administrators are presented in the interest of public transparency and institutional accountability.