Richard Grobschmidt is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 educator and former Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

 politician from South Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He served five terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly

Wisconsin State Assembly

The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin....

 (1985–1995) and parts of three terms in the Wisconsin State Senate

Wisconsin State Senate

The Wisconsin Senate, the powers of which are modeled after those of the U.S. Senate, is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature, smaller than the Wisconsin State Assembly...

 (1995–2003), before resigning to take a position with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is the state education agency of Wisconsin. It is headquartered in Madison....

.

Background

Grobschmidt was born in Milwaukee on May 3, 1948. He graduated from South Milwaukee High School

South Milwaukee High School

South Milwaukee High School, "home of the Rockets", is a high school located in the city of South Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.A.,a suburb of Milwaukee. Approximately 1,300 students attend the high school...

 in 1966; earned a B.S. from UW-Oshkosh in 1972, and a M.S. from UW-Milwaukee in 1979. He taught political science

Political science

Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...

 at South Milwaukee High before being elected to the Wisconsin Legislature

Wisconsin Legislature

The Wisconsin Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house Wisconsin Senate and the lower Wisconsin Assembly...

.

Legislative service

Grobschmidt was elected to the state House in 1984, and re-elected for the next five terms for the 21st district, representing South Milwaukee and portions of Oak Creek

Oak Creek, Wisconsin

Oak Creek is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 28,456 at the 2000 census. In 2009, its population was estimated at 33,946.-History:...

. He was elected for the 7th district State Senate seat (representing several southeastern Milwaukee County suburbs, plus a fraction of eastern Milwaukee) in a November 1995 special election; and reelected in 1998 and 2002.

Department of Public Instruction

In December 2002, he announced that he would resign his seat in January 2003 to take a position as Assistant Superintendent of Public Instruction under Governor-elect Jim Doyle

Jim Doyle

James Edward "Jim" Doyle is a Wisconsin politician and member of the Democratic Party. He was the 44th Governor of Wisconsin, serving from January 6, 2003 to January 3, 2011. He defeated incumbent Governor Scott McCallum by a margin of 45 percent to 41 percent; the Libertarian Party candidate Ed...

. He remains in that position as of April 2010.