Milwaukee Excellence charter school has named
Rodney Lynk Jr. as its next chief executive officer.
Lynk, previously chief academic officer of the Milwaukee Public Schools charter school, has served as its interim leader since fall 2021, when founder Maurice Thomas was fired following allegations he violated school policies and professional standards. The alleged misconduct did not involve students.
Lynk was a founding member of the school, which opened in 2016.
Milwaukee Excellence’s enrollment has grown since its founding and now has over 700 students between its middle school, 4950 N. 24th St., and high school, 3620 N. 18th St., campuses.
In 2019 and 2021, the school received a five-star rating on the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction's report cards. (Federally mandated standardized tests were canceled in 2020 under a waiver, and report cards weren't issued.)
“We are proud of Rodney’s commitment to excellence, proven results and engaging leadership style,” said Bill Mahler, Jr., chair of the Milwaukee Excellence board of directors. “Rodney has been an integral part of developing the mission and curriculum of Milwaukee Excellence that has led to our students’ continued growth. We are confident in a bright future for our school and students and are excited to continue working with Rodney and the leadership team to drive Milwaukee Excellence’s increasing performance and impact.”
A Milwaukee native, Lynk is an alumnus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Marquette University and Milwaukee School of Engineering, and is currently pursuing his PhD in educational leadership and policy analysis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Prior to Milwaukee Excellence, Rodney was the principal at Southside Community Prep, a Rocketship Public School.
“Serving Milwaukee’s youth through education has always been a passion of mine and I am incredibly fortunate to be in the position to work with wonderful colleagues, parents and supporters to impact so many lives,” he said. “My goal is to continue making Milwaukee Excellence a beacon of hope for our students and inspiring others to join our journey to elevate the prosperity to all of Milwaukee through the power of education.”
