Former MPS superintendent Gregory Thornton dies at 69

Gregory Thornton, who spent four years as superintendent of Milwaukee Public Schools, died Friday, the school district confirmed.

Thornton was 69 years old, just a few weeks shy of his birthday on Jan. 12.

Thornton worked in Milwaukee from 2010 to 2014, resigning the position to work as CEO of Baltimore City Schools. Before his role in Wisconsin, he worked in K-12 leadership for other school systems in Maryland and Philadelphia.

“He came in with fresh ideas. He came in with an openness and willingness to really expand partnerships. I think it was refreshing to people,” Denise Callaway, who worked for Thornton as a director of partnerships, and later communications and outreach, told the Journal Sentinel.

“He just had an incredible ability to talk to people, to get people to understand the importance of education and the work that he was doing in Milwaukee Public Schools, and to work with him,” she said, including the business and philanthropic community.

Callaway credited Thornton with reestablishing a centralized curriculum in the school system, so students who moved between schools could continue learning the same material. He worked within the budget to provide arts teachers and partnerships, she said. Staff appreciated that he welcomed good ideas for new initiatives and innovations, even if they weren’t his own.

Thornton understood the “tough” job of superintendent and the responsibility that comes with it, Callaway said, but he also had a “great sense of humor. He loved to laugh; he would often laugh at his own expense.”

Rhemar Pouncey was a friend of Thornton, naming him the godfather of her son Syheem, now 21.

Pouncey described Thornton as a “true advocate for education on every level,” and said he helped her to understand the complicated process of individualized education programs for special education services.

“As a parent of a special needs son I was not knowledgeable about my rights as a parent nor my son’s rights as a student. Dr. Thornton took the time out to explain to me about an IEP and how to become the best advocate for my son I could be,” she said.

In a statement, MPS media relations manager Stephen Davis said, “Milwaukee Public Schools sends its condolences to his family and recognizes Dr. Thornton’s service to the district.”

The family has not yet announced funeral arrangements. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

Contact Hope Karnopp at HKarnopp@gannett.com or on X at @hopekarnopp.

Cleo Krejci covers education and workforce development as a Report For America corps member based at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Contact her at CKrejci@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @_CleoKrejci. For more information about Report for America, visit jsonline.com/rfa.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Former Milwaukee schools superintendent Gregory Thornton dies at 69

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