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State Superintendent Jill Underly Running as Public Education Champion 'We need people in the Legislature who will fight for public schools, too,' incumbent says.
By Baylor Spears, Wisconsin Examiner - Feb 11th, 2025 02:55 pm
Incumbent State Superintendent Jill Underly says that Wisconsin has made some “incredible progress” in the last four years when it comes to education, but there is still more work to be done that she wants to see through in a second term leading the Department of Public Instruction (DPI).
“This position is about being the No. 1 advocate for public education, and I feel like I’m doing that,” Underly said in an interview with the Wisconsin Examiner. Underly, a Democrat, ran for her first term in 2021 and defeated her opponent with nearly 58% of the vote. She said entering office during the COVID-19 pandemic was “unprecedented” and presented a bit of a “learning curve,” but she said she feels like DPI has “gotten our arms around what are the most important issues that the state of Wisconsin citizens want us to work on.”
To read the complete article: urbanmilwaukee.com/2025/02/11/state-superintendent-jill-underly-running-as-public-education-champion/
Incumbent State Superintendent Jill Underly says that Wisconsin has made some “incredible progress” in the last four years when it comes to education, but there is still more work to be done that she wants to see through in a second term leading the Department of Public Instruction (DPI).
“This position is about being the No. 1 advocate for public education, and I feel like I’m doing that,” Underly said in an interview with the Wisconsin Examiner. Underly, a Democrat, ran for her first term in 2021 and defeated her opponent with nearly 58% of the vote. She said entering office during the COVID-19 pandemic was “unprecedented” and presented a bit of a “learning curve,” but she said she feels like DPI has “gotten our arms around what are the most important issues that the state of Wisconsin citizens want us to work on.”
To read the complete article: urbanmilwaukee.com/2025/02/11/state-superintendent-jill-underly-running-as-public-education-champion/
Educate yourself on one of the issues of this campaign, School Voucher programs
Wisconsin schools once led the Nation for excellence. What happened?
www.epi.org/publication/vouchers-harm-public-schools/?fbclid=IwY2xjawITFY1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHXAcHgUGD1KtLV9ejib66t8YRcdSQtAulthRCcW4jLrQ7uBzgP-M9gAonw_aem_ggmF4mkBnoQcrrpXwKmRCQ
www.epi.org/publication/vouchers-harm-public-schools/?fbclid=IwY2xjawITFY1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHXAcHgUGD1KtLV9ejib66t8YRcdSQtAulthRCcW4jLrQ7uBzgP-M9gAonw_aem_ggmF4mkBnoQcrrpXwKmRCQ
Do you remember when this happened?
State funding fell behind inflation. As parents and grandparents of students in public schools, we find this appalling.
From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Why Wisconsin districts are closing schools, going to referendum
Since 1993, Wisconsin school districts have been confined by state-imposed revenue limits, which were locked in at different amounts for each district depending on what they spent the prior year. The limits initially rose each year with inflation, but that provision was deleted in 2009, and any increases since have been left to the discretion of lawmakers.
Over the last 15 years, state lawmakers have not increased revenue limits to keep pace with inflation. MPS officials have estimated that had state funding matched inflation, the district would be getting over $210 million more every year.
This summer, school leaders called on Wisconsin lawmakers to use the state’s $7 billion surplus to help catch schools up to inflation. Republican lawmakers allotted the bulk of the surplus for income tax cuts and provided about $534.3 million more in general school aid.
The state budget allowed schools to spend an additional $325 per student this school year and another $325 next year – amounts that fell below estimated inflation. In Kenosha, for example, Hamdan said it looks like the $325 will cover the estimated increase in health care costs but won't make a dent in any other rising costs, such as utilities and salaries.
Additionally, Wisconsin's funding stream for special education services only covers a third of the costs, leaving school districts to pull from their general aid to cover the rest. Research shows this falls hardest on districts with higher rates of poverty, where there are more students with disabilities and schools must spend more on special education services.
From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Why Wisconsin districts are closing schools, going to referendum
Since 1993, Wisconsin school districts have been confined by state-imposed revenue limits, which were locked in at different amounts for each district depending on what they spent the prior year. The limits initially rose each year with inflation, but that provision was deleted in 2009, and any increases since have been left to the discretion of lawmakers.
Over the last 15 years, state lawmakers have not increased revenue limits to keep pace with inflation. MPS officials have estimated that had state funding matched inflation, the district would be getting over $210 million more every year.
This summer, school leaders called on Wisconsin lawmakers to use the state’s $7 billion surplus to help catch schools up to inflation. Republican lawmakers allotted the bulk of the surplus for income tax cuts and provided about $534.3 million more in general school aid.
The state budget allowed schools to spend an additional $325 per student this school year and another $325 next year – amounts that fell below estimated inflation. In Kenosha, for example, Hamdan said it looks like the $325 will cover the estimated increase in health care costs but won't make a dent in any other rising costs, such as utilities and salaries.
Additionally, Wisconsin's funding stream for special education services only covers a third of the costs, leaving school districts to pull from their general aid to cover the rest. Research shows this falls hardest on districts with higher rates of poverty, where there are more students with disabilities and schools must spend more on special education services.
