THE REAL STORY: How Maqsood Khan Turned Educators’ Work Into His Campaign Narrative
By Dr. Richard Busalacchi, Publisher Franklin Community News
The first time I saw the Facebook post, I had to read it twice.
There was Franklin School Board Treasurer and Milwaukee County Supervisor Candidate Maqsood Khan smiling next to a set of colorful charts, proudly announcing that “under my leadership,” the Franklin School District had reached its highest student and employee engagement scores. The message was polished, tightly packaged, and clearly designed for political impact. Kahn is challenging incumbent Patti Logsdon for Milwaukee County Supervisor of District 9.
But something felt off.
Very off.
Because the story Khan was selling didn’t match the reality I’ve lived for more than three decades in education—or the reality I hear every week from my son, a special education teacher at Forest Park Middle School, who works in the trenches with students and families every single day.
Khan’s version of events wasn’t simply exaggerated.
It was a complete rearrangement of who actually makes schools work.
And in the process, he turned the hard-earned accomplishments of teachers, staff, and administrators into campaign material for himself.
The Quiet Truth: Engagement Doesn’t Rise Because of a Treasurer
If you’ve ever met a public school teacher—really met them—you know exactly who drives student engagement. It’s the person sitting beside a student struggling to read. The one rewriting an IEP at 8 p.m. because the child needs something different tomorrow. The one emailing parents, talking to parents for hours after work, modifying lessons, attending trainings, and showing up every morning ready to meet the emotional and academic needs of dozens of children.
That’s real leadership in education.
It doesn’t happen on Facebook.
It happens in classrooms.
My son tells me stories of coordinating with parents, adapting strategies hour by hour, and fighting every day to ensure a student gets the right support. He does this not for praise, but because it’s what the job demands and what he has aspired to be, a compassionate change agent to make a difference in this world.
And he is not alone.
Across Franklin:
-
Teachers are holding the line on student learning.
-
Aides and specialists are providing essential support.
-
Principals are building climate and culture in every building.
-
District administrators are designing the systems that make improvement possible.
These are the people who move engagement numbers—not school board treasurers.
So when Khan announced those improvements as happening “under my leadership,” it wasn’t just inaccurate—it was offensive to the very people who earned those results.
The Numbers He Posted Tell a Different Story
If you look closely at the charts Khan shared, the narrative falls apart.
The so-called “highest ever” student engagement score?
It wasn’t the highest. Not even close.
Student Engagement (NPS)
-
2023–24 Spring: +40.36
-
2024–25 scores: drop sharply
-
2025–26 Fall: +36.70
A treasurer didn’t make those numbers rise.
Teachers did. And the real “high” came before the period Khan highlighted.
Employee Engagement
Slight improvement? Yes.
Historic? No.
Driven by Khan? Absolutely not.
These are the kinds of slow, steady changes driven by building leadership, district climate work, and daily staff experience—not a board treasurer’s presence.
But Khan didn’t want nuance.
He wanted a headline.
THE NUMBERS TELL A VERY DIFFERENT STORY
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT — Net Promoter Score (FHS & FPMS Only)
|
School Year |
Fall |
Winter |
Spring |
|---|---|---|---|
|
2023–2024 |
— | — |
+40.36 |
|
2024–2025 |
+27.78 |
+31.61 |
+29.64 |
|
2025–2026 |
+36.70 |
— |
— |
👉 The highest number in the entire chart is +40.36 in Spring 2023–24, before the period Khan is taking credit for.
The following year, scores dropped, falling into the twenties and low thirties. Even the 2025–26 Fall score he celebrates (+36.70) fails to match the prior year’s peak. In other words: the highest engagement score he references did not happen under his leadership at all.
The employee engagement numbers tell the same story. Small, incremental shifts from 3.86 to 4.06 are positive — but they are the natural result of building leadership, district climate work, and educator effort. They are not the dramatic “highest ever” gains Khan tries to package for his campaign message.
EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT — Average Score (out of 5)
|
School Year |
Fall |
Winter |
Spring |
|---|---|---|---|
|
2023–2024 |
— |
— |
3.864 |
|
2024–2025 |
4.001 |
4.058 |
3.969 |
|
2025–2026 |
4.060 |
— |
— |
👉 Scores increased slightly, but not dramatically, and reflect building leadership & district climate work — not governance by the Treasurer.
STUDENT EXPERIENCE / CLIMATE — Other Table
|
School Year |
Fall |
Winter |
Spring |
|---|---|---|---|
|
2023–2024 |
— |
— |
-21.79 |
|
2024–2025 |
-5.41 |
+1.56 |
-11.37 |
|
2025–2026 |
+3.88 |
— |
— |
👉 This metric actually shows negative scores in 2023–24 and 2024–25, improving only slightly in 2025–26.
These are not “highest scores ever.”
“This Is the Standard Families Deserve.”
But Where Is His Plan?**
In his post, Khan tells families,
“This is the standard you deserve. Let’s see these numbers go up even more.”
The message sounds uplifting—until you ask the obvious question:
What, exactly, is Khan doing to improve engagement?
As Treasurer, he has introduced:
-
No engagement initiative
-
No staff-support plan
-
No district policy
-
No measurable targets
-
No climate or culture proposal
His leadership claim has no substance behind it.
It’s a story without a strategy.
A Familiar Pattern: Khan Taking What He Did Not Build
If this were the only time Khan appropriated something that wasn’t his, perhaps it could be explained away.
But it isn’t.
The public saw this same pattern during the PattiLogsdon.com domain scandal, documented in the FCN investigation.
While Patti Logsdon was serving Milwaukee County, Khan quietly acquired her campaign URL—her own name—and blocked her from using it online. He bought it, controlled it, and held it during an active election cycle.
It wasn’t an accident.
It wasn’t a misunderstanding.
It was a tactic.
And it mirrors perfectly what he is doing now:
taking something others built and positioning himself as its owner.
The Machine Behind Him
Khan is not acting alone.
He is backed by a tight political network that has been expanding its influence across Franklin:
-
Steve Taylor
-
John Nelson
- Michelle Eichmann
-
Danelle Kenney (running against Alderman Jason Craig)
The domain incident wasn’t a random event—it was part of a broader pattern of coordinated political maneuvering.
And now, that same network is trying to elevate Khan.
Why Voters Should Pay Attention
If Khan is willing to:
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Present educators’ work as his own
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Misrepresent district data for political gain
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Take control of an opponent’s domain name
-
Operate within a machine built on behind-the-scenes coordination
then what will he do if voters give him more power?
Milwaukee County deserves leaders who are:
-
Honest
-
Transparent
-
Respectful of public workers
-
Capable of owning their actual responsibilities
So far, Khan has shown none of the above.
The Bottom Line
Maqsood Khan didn’t deliver the improvements he’s celebrating.
Teachers did.
Support staff did.
Principals did.
Administrators did.
Special education staff—like my son—did.
They carried the weight.
They built the relationships.
They made the progress real.
THEY did the work.
HE took the credit.
And that, more than any chart or caption, tells voters everything they need to know.
This piece reflects the author’s personal opinion and experiences. All statements are presented as commentary protected under the First Amendment. Readers are encouraged to review public records, filings, and documented evidence referenced throughout this article.
Dr. Richard Busalacchi is the Publisher of Franklin Community News, where he focuses on government transparency, community accountability, and local public policy. He believes a community’s strength depends on open dialogue, honest leadership, and the courage to speak the truth—even when it makes powerful people uncomfortable.
🕯️ The solution isn’t another insider in a new office. It’s sunlight, scrutiny, and the courage to vote differently.
Because until voters demand honest, transparent government, the corruption won’t stop — it will only change titles.
Elections have consequences — and Franklin’s next one may decide whether transparency makes a comeback.
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Together, we can keep local government honest, transparent, and accountable
— for the greater good.
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