Like most of the students at Milwaukee Academy of Science, Anthony McHenry knows the challenges that come with growing up in poverty and how it impacts kids’ ability to learn. “I remain motivated and reignited to provide our kids with a high-quality education by staying connected to them,” he said. “The challenges and successes remind me that the work we do is life-changing.”
The mission of Milwaukee Academy of Science, an exemplary leader in STEM education, is to graduate urban students prepared to compete successfully at the post-secondary level.
Since he was named a Titan 100 last year, the two-time titan has led the academy’s purchase of the former Penfield Montessori school, located on 24th and Vliet Street. Since the purchase of the building in December of 2023, Milwaukee Academy of Science has invested almost $5 million dollars in renovations and cosmetic upgrades. The campus will eventually serve over 600 K4-8th-grade students, mostly coming from one of Milwaukee’s most impoverished parts of the city.
“Like our current campus, our hope is to serve these kids through high school graduation with our wrap-around support,” said McHenry. “This model of service, which is unique in K12 schools, has allowed us to attain 100% graduation rates and post-secondary acceptance rates for 10 consecutive years. By serving these additional scholars, we will further our impact on the city of Milwaukee as we help kids growing up in poverty become self-sufficient adults.”
According to McHenry, the greatest lesson he learned this year is directly correlated to the recent expansion. “It is not enough to have qualified people to lead projects; they need to be equally passionate about the pursuit,” he said. “While I am impressed with the quality of the work produced by our vendors, it was not the skill level and competency that allowed us to meet the timeline. It was the passion and commitment of the leaders that made it possible.”
In addition to the expansion, McHenry initiated a teacher pay equity process that increased payroll by over $200,000. As a result, the academy continues to have a teacher retention rate of over 90% when most other schools are suffering from teacher burnout, low retention and even a lower number of professionals entering the field.
“Our ability to retain our successful teachers has allowed MAS to produce strong results, which in return retains students and also creates the demand we are seeing,” said McHenry.
To foster the next generation of titans, McHenry continues to serve on multiple boards, including the Medical College of Wisconsin, Teach for America, and I Have A Dream- Milwaukee. “The impact that these organizations have in our city is substantial,” he said. “Each is doing meaningful work that directly impacts children and families in our area.”