MADISON, Wis. — While the race for Wisconsin’s highest court has dominated headlines, there is another statewide contest on the ballot.

Next week, voters will decide who should lead the state’s Department of Public Instruction (DPI). Current State Superintendent Jill Underly faces education consultant Brittany Kinser for a four-year term.

What You Need To Know

  • The race for Wisconsin State Superintendent of Public Instruction between incumbent Jill Underly and education consultant Brittany Kinser has reached $4.5 million in spending, breaking previous records

  • Though technically nonpartisan, Underly has been endorsed by the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, and Kinser is backed by conservatives

  • The winner on April 1 will serve a four-year term at the state’s Department of Public Instruction

 

Though far less than the race for Wisconsin Supreme Court, the contest for State Superintendent of Public Instruction has hit recording spending too, with a total of $4.5 million invested so far, according to a tally by WisPolitics.

 

Among the biggest issues debated in the race have been the state’s academic standards used to measure student success. The recent changes by DPI meant to address a disconnect between what teachers experienced in the classroom and the terminology used to describe student success.

Republicans, however, want to go back to the testing standards used during the 2019-2020 school year that were originally put in place by now Gov. Tony Evers, who was serving as State Superintendent at the time.

“I will restore our high standards on day one. The superintendent has jurisdiction over that, and I would restore them back to our nation’s report card,” Kinser said. “It’s really important that we’re able to have high expectations for our children because we know that they can meet them, and when Jill Underly unilaterally changed them and lowered them, that’s what made me decide to get into this race.”

Kinser, who is backed by conservatives in the technically nonpartisan race, faces incumbent Jill Underly, who has been endorsed by the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.

Underly believes much of the criticism around testing standards amounts to confusion and has pointed out that Wisconsin ranks sixth in the nation for education. 

“We’ve implemented higher standards in math and science and added standards in career and tech ed. We have the highest graduation rate in state history,” Underly told reporters during a press conference held on primary election night in February.

There is also a troubling trend when it comes to teachers. A March report from the state’s Department of Public Instruction shows only roughly half of first-time teachers stay in Wisconsin after seven years.

Underly believes apprenticeship programs could be the answer. During a visit to Underwood Elementary in Wauwatosa earlier this month, she said she has worked with Gov. Tony Evers to craft a statewide pilot program, which the governor included in his latest state budget proposal.

“If we as a state don’t support our teachers, how do we expect our teachers to support us, our students, our families,” Underly said during the visit.

Kinser, who has been critical of how Underly has dealt with the issue, has her own solution when it comes to the shortage.

“We need to have a plan, first, to be able to attract teachers to our schools, not make it so difficult to get the licensing,” Kinser explained. “There [are] all of these barriers for people who have bachelor’s and master’s degrees who want to come into the classroom. We can't make it so difficult that it will detract from someone wanting to teach, so we need to make sure that we have quality teachers. We make it so that it is a place where our teachers feel supported in our schools."

Related Stories