The results of Madison’s Tuesday election proved to be historic as Cristiana Carusi, Ali Muldrow and Ananda Mirilli were elected to what will be the first all-female Madison School Board.
Carusi, Muldrow and Mirilli will hold seats three, four and five after winning their respective elections.
All three of the newly-elected candidates’ platforms focus on closing the achievement and opportunity gaps found in Madison public schools.
Carusi, a public education advocate and University of Wisconsin research director, won out over Kaleem Claire, receiving 51.9 percent of the vote.
Carusi believes closing the achievement and opportunity gaps can be done by having a diverse and experienced teaching staff, smaller class sizes and programs for those who need them. She is also a supporter of public schools and opposes the privatization of education.
Muldrow, co-executive director and director of youth programming and inclusion at GSAFE, a LGBTQ+ youth advocacy group, captured Seat 4 with 69.3 percent of the vote. She beat out a former Dane County Board member David Blaska, who amounted 30.1 percent of the vote.
Muldrow, also a public education advocate, is a strong supporter of the arts. She advocates for integrating arts into core curricula.
Mirilli, a Department of Public Instruction equity consultant, won Seat 5, receiving 58 percent of the vote to incumbent T.J Hertz’ 42 percent.
The new school board could reshape or possibly bring an end to the school resource officer program, which will expire this year. The program stations a uniformed and armed police at East, La Follette, Memorial and West high schools.
Mirilli and Muldrow both oppose the program, while current board Nicki Vander Meulen and Kate Toews voted to end the program back in December. Carusi currently supports the continuation of the program, but with the long-term goal of phasing it out. Board member Gloria Reyes, who was not present for the vote in December, has stated that as deputy mayor, she would recuse herself from the vote.
