(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
KENOSHA, Wis. – One day after the Urban League of Racine and Kenosha publicly blasted Kenosha Unified School District (KUSD) leadership in a scathing open letter, Superintendent Dr. Jeffrey Weiss issued a formal response, defending district practices while acknowledging community concerns.
Weiss’s statement, released Wednesday afternoon, was addressed directly to Urban League President and CEO James Hall and was shared with other community stakeholders referenced in Hall’s letter. While Weiss expressed disappointment in the Urban League’s public critique, he maintained that the district remains committed to student safety, equity, and transparency.
“I was disheartened to read your Facebook post regarding our district’s policies and practices,” Weiss wrote. “I appreciate your passion for our schools and would like to address the concerns you raised, many of which we’ve discussed in previous meetings.”
Hall’s open letter, posted Tuesday, alleged that KUSD has become a “barrier, not a bridge” to student success, citing a “culture of favoritism and nepotism” and accusing the district of tolerating microaggressions, harassment, and even molestation. He also criticized the district’s use of the Matrix policy to discipline students, calling it inequitable and inconsistent.
In response, Weiss defended the district’s approach to discipline and safety, emphasizing that student behavior issues are evaluated case by case under KUSD Policy 5430.
“No two incidents are the same,” Weiss wrote. “We must work with students and their families to learn and grow from mistakes… while minimizing disruptions to the learning environment.”
Weiss also pushed back against the implication that KUSD leadership turns a blind eye to misconduct, citing the district’s “thorough investigatory process.”
“We may not have access to details that could indicate potential risks,” he explained, referencing cases where individuals have no criminal convictions or where prior employers fail to disclose red flags. “The safety and well-being of our students remain our top priority.”
On the topic of racial equity and staffing diversity, Weiss acknowledged the Urban League’s concerns but noted systemic challenges in the education field.
“Like many districts, we face challenges in recruiting from a limited pool of candidates, which unfortunately lacks diversity across the profession,” he wrote, highlighting the district’s Educators Rising program, which aims to encourage students from diverse backgrounds to enter the teaching profession.
Despite clear disagreement with the Urban League’s harsh critique, Weiss ended the letter on a conciliatory note.
“We are committed to continuous improvement and will consider your feedback as we continue this effort,” he wrote.
The exchange marks an escalating rift between two influential institutions in Kenosha, both of which have historically collaborated on issues of educational equity. Tensions appear to have grown in the wake of the resignation of former Urban League Director Yolanda Santos-Adams, who maintained close ties to KUSD prior to her quiet departure. Her exit has not been publicly explained.
Rebuttal
“Thank you for your response,” Hall wrote. “However, this is yet another example of the same passive, excuse-laden language we’ve received for years from district leadership.”
While Hall expressed appreciation for Weiss’s willingness to share the district’s position publicly, he said the time for words had long passed.
“I appreciate your acknowledgment, but appreciation alone is not enough; we need action,” Hall continued. “My passion lies with the children and their future, not with a system that merely pretends to educate and protect them.”
Hall’s response sharply criticizes Weiss for citing the evolving difficulty of educational work without proposing tangible reforms. He demanded a “written plan with clear, measurable goals and firm, non-adjustable deadlines,” rejecting what he described as years of vague commitments and bureaucratic resistance.
“If your only contribution is to reminisce about how much the job has changed in the last 15 years, then it may be time for you, and those clinging to the past, to step aside,” Hall wrote.
The letter warns that the emotional and spiritual well-being of Kenosha’s children is at stake, and implies that some district leaders have become too removed from the realities of the classroom.
“We are losing these children emotionally and spiritually because they are not protected in the one place that is supposed to be a safe haven for children,” Hall wrote.
The latest exchange adds urgency to an already high-profile debate over KUSD’s direction, accountability, and leadership culture. The Urban League’s original open letter, published Tuesday, accused the district of shielding misconduct, enforcing discipline unevenly, and failing to address deep-rooted inequities. That letter cited a “culture of silence” and claimed that KUSD is not prepared to serve the needs of a growing, diverse student body.
In closing his latest statement, Hall didn’t mince words, suggesting that if district leaders aren’t willing to lead boldly and effectively, they should resign.
“If you can’t, resign,” Hall wrote. “Move out of the way so problem solvers can do the work.”
.
.
.
.
20 Responses
This is news??? What’s he going to say?? Like he’s going to say, “You’re right. We’re inept, overpaid and top heavy with brass.”
A rift between these two groups is absolutely newsworthy. Kudos to Urban League for taking a strong stand against Unified’s inadequacies.
I meant that Weiss’ response was so predictable
Is Hall’s Democrat or Republican
Does that really matter? SMH!
He REALLYYYYYY needs to get fired ugh
What a well written letter. Good to know that people are aware that this over paid individual is never doing his job well at all. Weiss should run away with his tail between his legs.
The only barrier to success for students is their own action/inaction. Weird, a certain group accounts for about 13 percent of the high school population, and about 70 percent of behavioral referrals and suspensions. Yet somehow, while they’re not even going to class they still graduate (to make KUSD graduation percentages look good).
The truth is either the staff is all picking on this 13 percent of the student body, OR the school just gives them a diploma even though they haven’t learned anything, further setting them up to be leaches off of government the rest of their lives. Perhaps the urban league should ask for specifics on this.
They have a program, the kids go 4 hours a week after regular class hours and even if they don’t know how to read they graduate… the questions are read to them and they are guided to the correct answers. They do need to pass 3 competency tests. It doesn’t matter if they can read, spell or do math.
If true, that’s extremely disturbing.
wow!
That’s not how I read the letter, though I do acknowledge that the Urban League has always been an advocacy group for blacks. He refers to several very obvious problems for ALL students that have been getting progressively worse through the years. They are currently getting worse because district policy supports aberrant behavior either actively or passively.
That’s not how I read the letter, though I do acknowledge that the Urban League has always been an advocacy group for blacks. He refers to several very obvious problems for ALL students that have been getting progressively worse through the years. They are currently getting worse because district policy supports aberrant behavior either actively or passively.
Sorry, my comment was meant to be a reply to “speak the truth”.
Get rid of DEI in our schools.
Funny how when you report your supervisor’s unethical, tyrannical, and abusive behavior to their supervisor at KUSD; it just gets swept under the rug and nothing gets done. The unethical and abusive behavior continue and you have to leave a job you enjoy in order to have something done about it. They protect themselves from consequences that would be expected in any other job. No demotions, no firings or anything negative. Just raises, promotions and protection.
Weis is a poor excuse of a superintendent and should be fired. He is covering his arse and knows full well that the school is failing on more than one level! Whether is is grooming, pedophile teachers, students who bring weapons to school, students on drugs and fighting or porn in the schools. The entire system is a debacle
So glad Yolanda left, but why?
Half of Kenosha’s voters are stigmatized and still vote blue no matter who! Perhaps it’s the folks still living in the area long after the Chrysler site was demolished? Regardless, I’m grateful the Kenosha Eye investigates and reports news that would otherwise be swept under the table.
Dr. Weiss is a product of the “do anything say anything” system that has rotted our community for far too long! He’s a master at crafting words to elude responsibility, all of which has nothing to do protecting and educating our kids. He’s too much of snob to do the right thing, which is to quit!
DIEversity is just another name for anti-white. Call ot what it is. Shut down the “urban” league. Defund welfare. And lock up, or let them self deport to who cares where.