* Photograph by Shane Van Boxtel / Image Studios
Green Bay Area Public Schools
Vicki Bayer is no stranger to adversity. From navigating significant budget deficits and the return to in-person learning post-COVID to twice stepping in as interim superintendent, Bayer has led the Green Bay Area Public School District through substantial change and unprecedented challenges.
“I’m not aware of any of her peers who have faced such deep and overwhelming challenges and who have demonstrated her grace under pressure and a continued focus on what is best for kids,” said nominator and co-worker Lori Blakeslee, who calls Bayer “the people whisperer.”
“I have sat through difficult meetings with her where individuals are angry or upset. She has a way of listening, demonstrating empathy, and the result is usually the person is asking how they can help her,” Blakeslee said.
During her 30-year career in public education, Bayer has served as a classroom teacher, department chair and program coordinator in rural, suburban and urban school districts. The UW Oshkosh alumna joined the GBAPSD — Wisconsin’s fourth-largest school district — in 2013 as an associate principal at Lombardi Middle School. The following year she served as the first principal of Dr. Rosa Minoka-Hill School, an alternative school that supports roughly 150 students with emotional, health, attendance and behavioral issues.
Prior to Minoka-Hill School opening in 2014, Bayer says high-need students received services in isolation throughout the district.
“There was no community; there was no consistency in instruction,” she says. “We were lacking a dedicated counselor, social worker and wraparound services. We were able to provide that once we had those students under one roof.”
The opening of the school resulted in increased graduation rates for the district, including a 17% increase for Black male students.
“We did that in one year,” Bayer says. “Bringing them all into one location changed everything for those kids.”
Bayer went on to serve as GBAPSD’s director of student services, associate superintendent of PK-16 programming and deputy superintendent. While serving as interim superintendent in 2022, Bayer faced a $36 million budget deficit as the district was also seeking voter approval for a $92.6 million referendum. Bayer led the district through cost-cutting measures that included consolidating schools and securing federal pandemic relief funding. The referendum passed with almost 70% approval, and the district passed a balanced budget. Bayer was officially named superintendent in December 2024.
“Under her leadership, the Green Bay School District has navigated difficult times with resilience and innovation,” said nominator and past Women of Influence honoree Ingrid Parker-Hill. “Stepping into the role during periods of significant change, Vicki has demonstrated unwavering commitment and strategic vision.”
Bayer’s leadership philosophy is built on fostering a collaborative environment where every voice contributes to the shared goal of student success.
“I do this in service to the community. I am here to work on behalf of the community to better the circumstances for our children, so I need their help,” Bayer says. “Our community wants to be heard, and I want to make sure this district is something they can be proud of.”
More than 90% of K-12 students in the United States attend public school, says Bayer, who is working closely with elected officials to preserve public education in light of federal funding cuts.
“Students are going to classrooms that are diverse and wonderful, all with the same intent of learning the core curriculum and being better citizens. There’s nothing else like it,” Bayer says. “Every kid is welcome, whether they have a disability, regardless of their religion, sexual identity, orientation. None of that matters in public schools. It’s a cornerstone of society.”
