Dr. Robert Peterson

Bob Peterson (At-Large), who was elected to the Board in 2019, started working in Milwaukee Public Schools as a paraprofessional in 1977. He received his teaching degree from UWM in 1980 and his Master’s Degree in curriculum instruction with an emphasis on bilingual education in 1985. He earned his Doctorate (Ed.D) in Leadership for the Advancement of Learning and Service from Cardinal Stritch University in 2001. His dissertation was titled “Anti-prejudice, Anti-racist Teaching in a 5th-grade classroom: Examining Children’s Understanding and a Classroom Teacher’s Curriculum.” He became a teacher in 1980 and taught fifth grade at 38th Street School. Open Education School, Escuela Vieau, and Escuela Fratney for 30 years. In 1988, he co-founded La Escuela Fratney, Wisconsin’s first two-way bilingual school. He was Wisconsin’s Elementary Teacher of the Year in 1995. Bob was a founding editor of the award-winning national publication, “Rethinking Schools” in 1986. He has written dozens of articles and co-edited several books, including Rethinking Columbus, Rethinking Elementary Education, Rethinking Mathematics, and Transforming Teacher Unions. He has given dozens of workshops and keynote presentations at educational conferences throughout the United States and around the world. In 2009, Bob was co-chair of the Coalition to Stop the MPS Takeover that successfully helped to stop a mayoral takeover of MPS. Later he helped found Schools and Communities United. In 2011, he was elected President of the Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association and served until 2015. Both of Bob’s daughters are MPS graduates. He is married to Barbara Miner. Term expires: April 2023 Telephone: (414) 254-0657