MTI Candidate Profiles

MTI Officer and Committee Elections are scheduled to take place during the third week of March. This year that falls from Monday, March 17 – Friday, March 21. Ballots will be sent to MTI members for whom we have a personal email on file.  The ballots will be unique and secret as the election will be managed by a secure third party.

This information will be available throughout the election period. Additional information will be added as it is provided by the candidates. If you have any questions, please contact the MTI office at mti@madisonteachers.org.

MTI President Candidates

Name: Maria Brown

Primary Work Location: Velma Hamilton Middle School

Position: Spanish Teacher

Years of experience in MMSD: 30

What office or position are you seeking: President

Describe your Union engagement:

I have been a proud Union member since my employment with MMSD began over 30 years ago. In my second year of employment as Probationary Teacher, I was called to join my Union siblings in a Rolling Sick out to bring the district back to the bargaining table after teaching more than a year without a contract. The originally planned 4 day rolling sickout was a success, with only one day needed for MMSD to agree to commence negotiations. I was involved in the ACT 10 protests for weeks with Union siblings at the Capitol. I have served as a Senior Building Rep for several years, meeting with our Principal for CPS and keeping members at my school informed of events, concerns and actions. The past three years I have served on the Bargaining/Handbook Committee as a Middle School Rep.

Provide a short statement about yourself (where you are from, hobbies, interests, etc.):

Raised in Madison from the age of seven. I am a proud graduate of MMSD, and parent of three MMSD graduates. Growing up in a multiracial family here in the 1970’s and continuing with experiences through my 30 years of teaching in three MMSD middle schools has provided me with a variety of diverse perspectives. I am active in our community, serving on Social Ministry committees and volunteering my time with organizations that work to feed and house vulnerable members of our community.

What does your Union mean to you?

I strongly believe that WE are the Union! When we pull together and stand strong in the face of obstacles, we work for positive change that benefits ALL our Union siblings and creates the work environments we deserve and the learning environments our students need. My vision is to build on our successes in growing our membership base, increase and unify member participation and continue our fight for change at the district and state level to fully fund education and provide all our students with the schools they deserve. I will continue our advocacy for Free School Lunch for All as one of many ways our district can be more student centered and equitable for all learners, as well as working for annual COLA to be a an integrated part of the MMSD Budget process. I am a fierce advocate for students and staff and hope to earn your vote.

Why should members vote for you?:

Maria’s Campaign Video

______________________________________________________

Name: Andrea Missureli

Primary Work Location: Wright Middle School

Position: 8th Grade Math Teacher and ESL

Years of experience in MMSD: 16

What office or position are you seeking: President

Describe your Union engagement:

Leadership Roles

  • MTI Vice-President (year – present)
  • Alternate WEAC board member
  • Member of the bargaining/handbook committee
  • Building Rep
    • Organized school based petition about safely returning to the building during covid
    • Rallied at Doyle when the district wanted to take away seniority for surplus
    • Implemented strive for $5 campaign with results of hourly staff getting a $5 raise.
    • Held rally at school
    • Organized speakers
    • Spoke at meetings
    • Advocated to school board members
    • Organized the walk out (Spring 2021)
    • Arranged speakers
  • WEA Representative for MTI
  • Action committee member 2014-17
    • Collaborated with west and east side PTOs and community members to get a policy on class sizes at the elementary level.
  • Chair of Solidarity Action Committee
    • Organized the district wide “Schools our students deserve” campaign resulting in 8% and 4% full cola back to back and no school level cuts for the 24-25 school year.
      • Gathered district wide pictures and quotes on our demands -Gathered school and public Petitions to present to board -Speakers at rallies
      • Organized activism fairs (2024)
      • Arranged speakers and spoke
      • Planned logistics
    • Trainings
      • Skills to win
      • NEA leadership workshops
      • Centers training and book groups
      • Justified anger classes
    • Political Activism
      • Cris Carusi School Board Race Campaign (Spring 2019)
      • Outreach to potential school board candidates
      • Frequent attendance for more than decade at school board meetings, including testifying on various union related issues

Provide a short statement about yourself (where are you from, hobbies, interests, etc):

My parents met on the picket line during MTI’s strike in 1976. I coached hockey ranging from “learn to skate” to high school teams for over 10 years. I’m a huge Badger fan! I love to support and attend women’s sports. Local organizing has been important to me and you might have had me knock on your door about a different action before with my neighborhood team or a campaign team. You will find me having a delicious meal at local restaurants or festivals.

What does your Union mean to you?

Four years ago when I decided to run for Vice President, I committed to strengthening our union and organizing to get more people actively involved. I know strong unions are best for students, staff and community. School districts with strong unions not only result in significant student achievement by retaining and recruiting top-of-the-line educators who love their jobs and are happy to go to work each and every day. I have spent the past 4 years working to achieve that by coordinating different district-wide campaigns to better our working conditions. From $5 raises for all hourly staff, which included two years of full cola, as well as other wins, such as smaller class sizes and more support staff for our students. I have continually helped elect pro-union school board members and advocated for better working conditions by frequent communication with our current board. I have helped fellow union representatives map out their own schools to organize. Based on feedback from reps we created the campaign “the schools our students deserve.” I reached out to faculty reps to educate all of them on our campaign demands and to coordinate actions around the campaign such as our petition last year. Our petitions were signed by over 80% of school-based staff and included every school.

For 3 years I have been constantly speaking at our school board meetings and coordinating other speakers to share our demands. This has made it clear to our school board members these topics are very important to our staff and exactly how they affect our staff and the students they educate. I have developed relationships with our school board members by communicating with them regularly about our current issues and how we can work together to improve conditions so that our students’ and their educators have what they need. As your president, I would continue this work to strengthen our union by increasing membership, expanding MTI presence in the community, getting our schools organized for actions, and continually listening and fighting for our staff because our students deserve the best education here in Madison! We know that our working conditions are our students’ learning conditions. They deserve a staff that is strong, united and supportive, which comes from having a strong union.

This is a pivotal time for our students, our staff and our community. We know that we face obstacles from the federal government and, at the same time, face a potential opportunity with a more friendly state legislature. Right now, is our chance to get the collective bargaining agreement that our staff deserves due to the courts overturning Act 10. This is why it is essential that our union leadership is ready to meet the moment. I am ready to be your president and meet the moment to lead our fight for what is best for Madison educators.

Why should members vote for you?:

Andrea’s Campaign Video

MTI Board of Directors Secretary Candidates

Name: Lori Kluetzman

Primary Work Location: Hawthorne

Position: Instructional Coach

Years of experience in MMSD: 26

What office or position are you seeking: Secretary

Describe your Union engagement:

When I began my teaching career, I had strong union leaders at my school that taught me the importance of union membership and I have been a member since day one. As a student teacher, I participated in working to contract and calling in sick. During Act 10 in 2011, I worked with the union leadership at my school to help communicate and mobilize. I never considered union leadership until I began attending CENTRS (now Educational Justice Center) events and realized that I had no choice but to be both an instructional leader and a union leader.

At that time, I became the Faculty Rep for Equity and Diversity (FRED) because I signed up for it, but by the time it became an elected position, I’d learned the importance of social justice unionism in creating the schools our students deserve and that was the work I wanted to do. I continued to grow my communication, organization, and outreach measures to increase union membership and participation in CENTRS events. The more I learned about social justice unionism, the more I wanted to change how the union is viewed and how it supports our work in becoming an antiracist institution. During this time, I was also working with the NEA and MTI on continuously improving the community school model at Hawthorne. This work with our national union was instrumental in helping me understand that working with teachers, families, and the community is our only way to fully support our students and teachers.

In the last 5 years as a FRED, I have continued to actively support social justice unionism by leading antiracist work in our school and having the learning conversations that we need to become a transformational system. I have also revived the fierce advocacy that my predecessors instilled in me for the bread-and-butter unionism that continues to be important during a difficult time to work in our schools. At my school, I have improved communication with our membership, recruited and signed up new members, and participated in regular CPS meetings to discuss issues before they become big problems. For the past 3 years, I have served on the Handbook Committee as an elementary school rep fighting for the changes needed to help all our elementary staff not just survive, but thrive. For the past 2 years, I have also worked to organize the elementary school coaches in their fight to be paid a fair wage for the work that they do in the summer.

Provide a short statement about yourself (where are you from, hobbies, interests, etc:

I have been a Madison East sider for 30 years. My husband and I have 3 kids, including a senior at East High School, making it my 22nd and final year as an MMSD parent. I am a strong supporter of youth arts in Madison and an ally for our LGBTQ+ youth. After a year back in school myself to get a reading license, I am enjoying watching local theater and music performances, walking my long-legged dachshund around the lake, baking cakes and cookies, and visiting the spa in my free time.

What does your Union mean to you?

Our union is the only way to get the schools that our students, staff, and community deserve. I am passionate about school improvement, continuous growth, and improving outcomes for all our students, especially our most vulnerable students. I am driven to undo the systemic barriers to equity that exist in schools and compelled to support teachers, whether they are pre-service or nearing retirement, in seeing their own bias, creating action steps to undo the harm that we have caused, and being able to maintain their resilience, work-life balance, and joy of teaching while doing it. Our union is the only way to achieve all this.

Through the years, I have seen us, the membership of our union, work together to fight for what is right for us and for our students. In my early days in the union, I saw the bread and butter pieces of unionism up close as I called in sick along side my cooperating teacher in 1995 to fight for cost of living, filed a grievance and won with my teaching team over a year of lost planning time, and was represented by the union in a legal dispute with our insurance company a couple of years later. I used the union for the usual planning for parental leaves when my kids were born or an MOU when I went part time for a year. It was not until 2011 that I saw the power of us, the rank-and-file members of our union. We were able to mobilize and fight so quickly because of our union siblings. While we lost collective bargaining, we gained a belief in ourselves and an opportunity to become a social justice union. Year after year since then we have voted to stay a union and work together. Through our union, we have created and supported community schools, we have created the Educational Justice Center and participated in book groups, planning sessions, and discussions to lead the social justice work that needs to be done, and we have supported each other in fighting for more equitable pay for all of our members in all of our bargaining units.

I want to be on the board of MTI because I believe in the power of us. When we work together to support our students and support each other, we can make a difference. Our great MTI staff in the office will continue to work for us in those technical and legal pieces that are still so important, but we need to act together as the union if we are to continue to advocate for the staffing and resources our students deserve, the planning time and autonomy that our teachers need to be healthy and resilient, and the pay, benefits, and respect that all our staff require.

Why should members vote for you?:

Lori’s Campaign Video

__________________________________________________

 

Name: Caitlin Lodahl

Primary Work Location: Orchard Ridge Elementary School

Position: Second Grade Teacher

Years of experience in MMSD: 7

What office or position are you seeking?: Secretary

Describe your Union engagement:

During my 7 years as an educator I have been an active member of my school’s PTO, culture and climate, and SBLT. I have also proudly served as our school’s union representative for 3 years. As Orchard Ridge’s union representative I have consistently attended rep meetings, volunteered for committees, and supported MTI efforts at school board meetings. During the campaign for “the schools our students deserve” I was able to secure signatures from nearly 100% of my staff as well as participate in the bigger school mapping effort. I have worked alongside other union members to rally at board meetings, collect signatures for and deliver petitions, recruit new educators to our union, participate in the union sponsored Skills to Win training which provided me with organizing skills that I utilize in my school and our union as a whole, and attended the WEAC representative assembly.

Provide a short statement about yourself (where are you from, hobbies, interests, etc):

I grew up in Madison and was a student in MMSD. I went to UW – Eau Claire where I majored in elementary and special education before returning to Madison to start my career at the same school where my mom was (and still is) a teacher. I absolutely love my job! Outside of teaching you can find me playing with my daughter, trying new recipes, and traveling to new places. I am at my happiest on a warm spring or cool fall day with a full cup of coffee surrounded by my family.

What does your Union mean to you?

My union represents the power we have as educators to be the change our students need and deserve. As the boots-on-the-ground workers we know first hand what needs to be done to make education meaningful and impactful. Our union makes change and gives me a voice. I love working alongside other members to increase my activism. My union also means I am not alone when something goes wrong. I have people to turn to and work alongside to solve problems and find support. As your union secretary, I would continue this work alongside our union siblings to strengthen our union by continuing and increasing my involvement with member recruitment, being a consistent presence in our union actions, and supporting my colleagues. I strongly believe that staff working conditions are our students’ learning conditions and that education justice is social justice. Especially right now, our students deserve a staff that is supported and united, which comes from having a strong union.

Why should members vote for you?:

Caitlin’s Campaign Video

MTI Board of Directors At-Large Candidates (2 Positions)

Name: William McNeill

Primary Work Location: West

Position: Social Studies Teacher

Years of experience in MMSD: 4

What office or position are you seeking?: Member At-Large

Describe your Union engagement:

I have almost a decade of Organizational experience starting in high school and continuing to today. Last year me and West high school got the highest % of our staff to get mobilized for a possible sick out. Additionally, I worked with the solidarity action committee to help organize and run an Activism Fair. I have been working with the Labor Immigration Training Series to help make our schools more prepared for the increasing presence of ICE in our community, while also increasing my communication skills and networking with other unions. Finally Working with TAA of UW Madison we increased their union membership by 1/3rd within a year.

Provide a short statement about yourself (where are you from, hobbies, interests, etc):

I’m originally from NY. Born in Brooklyn and raised on Long Island. When not organizing I love to cook, hike, read and host PowerPoint/ dinner parties.

What does your union mean to you?:

In simple terms, A union represents solidarity and collective power. When I think of our union, I am reminded of John F. Kennedy’s famous inaugural address: “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” I ask that we apply this same principle to our union. We are the union, and its strength depends on how much we are willing to invest in it.

I want to empower our rank-and-file members to drive change in our district and schools, through individual school actions, as well as through larger whole union efforts, and additionally through working with other unions. To me, a union is a place that concentrates our collective effort and focuses that power toward achieving our goals, both big and small. For our union to be strong and effective, we must be focused on readiness so we are ready to act quickly and decisively when opportunities present themselves. This requires ongoing planning, and the setting of clear long-term goals. My role, as I see it, is to work as an organizer and planner to ensure that our union is always prepared for action.

I will focus on building a solid foundation for our union by coordinating strategies, mapping out long-term goals, and ensuring that resources and support are in place for when action is needed. But equally important is making sure that every rank-and-file member feels not only included but also empowered to take ownership in organizing efforts. I’ll work to create a culture where members can see how their individual contributions can lead to real change, whether it’s through local school actions or broader union initiatives. Through ongoing communication, training, and support, I want to make sure every member feels they have the tools, knowledge, and confidence to step up and be part of the collective effort. By organizing from the ground up, we can ensure that our union is not just prepared, but also built on the strength of active participation from all of us.

Why should members vote for you?:

William’s Campaign Video

__________________________________________________

Name: Caitlin Lodahl

Primary Work Location: Orchard Ridge Elementary School

Position: Second Grade Teacher

Years of experience in MMSD: 7

What office or position are you seeking?: Secretary

Describe your Union engagement:

During my 7 years as an educator I have been an active member of my school’s PTO, culture and climate, and SBLT. I have also proudly served as our school’s union representative for 3 years. As Orchard Ridge’s union representative I have consistently attended rep meetings, volunteered for committees, and supported MTI efforts at school board meetings. During the campaign for “the schools our students deserve” I was able to secure signatures from nearly 100% of my staff as well as participate in the bigger school mapping effort. I have worked alongside other union members to rally at board meetings, collect signatures for and deliver petitions, recruit new educators to our union, participate in the union sponsored Skills to Win training which provided me with organizing skills that I utilize in my school and our union as a whole, and attended the WEAC representative assembly.

Provide a short statement about yourself (where are you from, hobbies, interests, etc):

I grew up in Madison and was a student in MMSD. I went to UW – Eau Claire where I majored in elementary and special education before returning to Madison to start my career at the same school where my mom was (and still is) a teacher. I absolutely love my job! Outside of teaching you can find me playing with my daughter, trying new recipes, and traveling to new places. I am at my happiest on a warm spring or cool fall day with a full cup of coffee surrounded by my family.

What does your Union mean to you?

My union represents the power we have as educators to be the change our students need and deserve. As the boots-on-the-ground workers we know first hand what needs to be done to make education meaningful and impactful. Our union makes change and gives me a voice. I love working alongside other members to increase my activism. My union also means I am not alone when something goes wrong. I have people to turn to and work alongside to solve problems and find support. As your union secretary, I would continue this work alongside our union siblings to strengthen our union by continuing and increasing my involvement with member recruitment, being a consistent presence in our union actions, and supporting my colleagues. I strongly believe that staff working conditions are our students’ learning conditions and that education justice is social justice. Especially right now, our students deserve a staff that is supported and united, which comes from having a strong union.

Why should members vote for you?:

Caitlin’s Campaign Video

__________________________________________________

Name: Camara Stovall

Primary Work Location: Kennedy

Position: Member At-Large

Years of experience in MMSD: 26

What office or position are you seeking?: Member At-Large

Describe your Union engagement:

Centers Instructor (1619) project; current building representative at Kennedy Elementary School; Member of Equity and Diversity Committee; Voiced representative at WEAC RA every year for the last 7 to 8 years.

Provide a short statement about yourself (where are you from, hobbies, interests, etc):

I was born and raised in Madison where I attended MMSD kindergarten through 12th grade. My three children also attended MMSD schools. I enjoy traveling and spending time with family and friends.

What does your Union mean to you?:

For my family and I, our union means we can negotiate better pay, improve benefits, improve working conditions, advocate for fair or better treatment, and protect workers’ rights. From the strike in 1976 (where my parents were union leaders) to Act 10 in 2011 where I was very active to the year-to-year present struggle of obtaining our cost of living – I’ve been present. As a collective body, we have been able to protect many of our advances over the past 50 years, and we need good leadership to ensure we protect our advancements in the future. While we took a couple of setbacks with Act 10, our strong Union leadership weathered the storm! With the current attacks on public education, we need a strong board ready with the experience and knowledge to continue standing strong against racism, sexism, ableism, bigotry, and any other assaults on our schools, staff, and/or students. Additionally, I have the network and skills necessary to educate and rally others in solidarity.

Why should members vote for you?:

Camara’s Campaign Video

Handbook Bargaining (Middle School – 2 Positions)

Name: Maria Brown

Primary Work Location: Velma Hamilton Middle School

Position: Spanish Teacher

Years of experience in MMSD: 30

What office or position are you seeking: Handbook Bargaining Middle School Seat

Describe your Union engagement:

I have been a proud Union member since my employment with MMSD began over 30 years ago. In my second year of employment as Probationary Teacher, I was called to join my Union siblings in a Rolling Sick out to bring the district back to the bargaining table after teaching more than a year without a contract. The originally planned 4 day rolling sickout was a success, with only one day needed for MMSD to agree to commence negotiations. I was involved in the ACT 10 protests for weeks with Union siblings at the Capitol. I have served as a Senior Building Rep for several years, meeting with our Principal for CPS and keeping members at my school informed of events, concerns and actions. The past three years I have served on the Bargaining/Handbook Committee as a Middle School Rep.

Provide a short statement about yourself (where you are from, hobbies, interests, etc.):

Raised in Madison from the age of seven. I am a proud graduate of MMSD, and parent of three MMSD graduates. Growing up in a multiracial family here in the 1970’s and continuing with experiences through my 30 years of teaching in three MMSD middle schools has provided me with a variety of diverse perspectives. I am active in our community, serving on Social Ministry committees and volunteering my time with organizations that work to feed and house vulnerable members of our community.

What does your Union mean to you?

I strongly believe that WE are the Union! When we pull together and stand strong in the face of obstacles, we work for positive change that benefits ALL our Union siblings and creates the work environments we deserve and the learning environments our students need. My vision is to build on our successes in growing our membership base, increase and unify member participation and continue our fight for change at the district and state level to fully fund education and provide all our students with the schools they deserve. I will continue our advocacy for Free School Lunch for All as one of many ways our district can be more student centered and equitable for all learners, as well as working for annual COLA to be a an integrated part of the MMSD Budget process. I am a fierce advocate for students and staff and hope to earn your vote.

Why should members vote for you?:

Maria’s Campaign Video

__________________________________________________

Name: Alyssa Franze

Primary Work Location: Black Hawk Middle School

Position: 8th Grade English Language Arts Teacher

Years of experience in MMSD: 3

What office or position are you seeking?: Handbook Bargaining Middle School Seat

Describe your Union engagement:

I’ve been a faculty rep for over two years in both of the buildings I’ve worked in, Gillespie and Black Hawk, where I’ve regularly participated in Collaborative Problem Solving meetings. This year I’ve served as a middle school rep on the Handbook/Bargaining Committee. I’ve worked as a summer organizer for MTI twice and am currently working as a winter organizer

Provide a short statement about yourself (where are you from, hobbies, interests, etc):

I grew up in Waukesha, WI and have lived in Madison for almost 20 years. When I have precious free time from teaching, I love to watch tv and movies. I also run and read, attempt the NYT crossword, and enjoy a beer at the Crystal Corner Bar

What does your Union mean to you?:

To me, my union means authentic relationships with my coworkers and collective struggle for the schools we and our students deserve. This year, as a middle school rep on the handbook/bargaining committee, I took a leading role in developing the proposal we put forward to more clearly define the structure of our workday and more effectively protect our planning time. I turned to the Chicago Teachers Union contract for inspiration. I advocated for this proposal in meetings with Dr. Angie Hicks, MMSD superintendent of middle schools. Most importantly, I think, I organized meetings with MTI members in my own building and in several other middle schools to share information about what our middle school handbook subcommittee was working on and to get input from members. I found these meetings really valuable. If I am elected to another term as a middle school rep on the handbook/bargaining committee, I will continue to serve in this way: as a fierce advocate for handbook (or contract!) language that supports us and our students and as an organizer who shares information from the committee to educate members and build our power to win the working conditions we deserve.

Why should members vote for you?:

Alyssa’s Campaign Video

__________________________________________________

Name: Anna Peterson

Primary Work Location: Sherman

Position: English Language Arts Teacher

Years of Experience: 16

What office or position are you seeking?: Handbook Bargaining Middle School Seat

Describe your Union engagement:

Fully participated in US President pre-election process

Provide a short statement about yourself (where you are from, hobbies, interests, etc.):

I am from St. Petersburg, the city of white nights, rivers, canals, museums, history, and Russian cultural capital. There, I received my degree in Mechanical Engineering/Shipbuilding/Russian Language and Linguistics and learned 4 languages. I also graduated from UW-Madison/School of Education/ Elementary Education/ESL/Spanish Bilingual/ Educational Administration. In my free time, I enjoy traveling, teaching kickboxing classes, and playing the piano.

What does your Union mean to you?

The teachers’ unions’ purpose is to help educators; they aim to achieve proper functioning of the education system. Our Union is made up of people interested in and passionate about education. Our teachers have limited opportunities to develop and have little influence to change this, so they need a meaningful and independent voice at the level of policy and practice, labor carried out by unions, to make significant changes and solve their working conditions and professional learning needs.

Our union prioritizes the professional needs of educators: first, it supports teachers’ career and professional development, which is vital for their professional progression. Second, it is a voice for teachers, especially on momentous issues that impact their daily work. Finally, it builds and strengthens the union itself, focusing on professional issues and allowing members to construct a union identity.

In addition, there are other reasons addressed the main problems faced by teachers:

  • Develop a negotiation plan focused on social dialogue so that the voice of teachers is heard.
  • Ensure access to professional development is provided to meet the need to train educators.
  • Facilitate self-organization by working for the union with teachers to identify and address their professional needs.
  • Help build the narrative about public education, which supports changing how people view investment in education resources.
  • Build alliances and create partnerships.

Moreover, being a union member can offer protection if grievances arise. Grievance procedures offer a way for teachers to address certain issues. These issues include unfair working conditions or potential violations of an agreement. Furthermore, unions can offer professional development initiatives, which help educators grow in their careers.

Why should members vote for you?:

Anna’s Campaign Video