In Wisconsin’s February 18 primary, voters will get to choose from three candidates for State Superintendent: Jeff Wright, Jill Underly, and Brittany Kinser. The two candidates who receive the most votes will be on the ballot for the general election on April 1. 

The State Superintendent runs the Department of Public Instruction, or DPI, a massive organization in charge of assessing, licensing, and distributing funds for Wisconsin’s 421 public school districts, running parental choice programs, the Wisconsin Educational Services Program for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and the Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and provides assistance for the development of public and school libraries. 

Guest host Christina Lieffring asks the candidates about why Wisconsin students test poorly in basic skills, the achievement gap between white and Black students, the 100 school districts that had referendums on the November 5 ballot, the Trump administration’s directives to end diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and teacher turnover. 

Jeff Wright is the Superintendent of the Sauk Prairie School District. He says we need to take concrete steps to address the gaps in reading skills for white and Black learners, like with the Science of Reading approach. Wright says that there’s a broken relationship between DPI and the state legislature, and he wants to improve that relationship so more funds can make it into schools. 

Current DPI Superintendent Jill Underly says that we need to put money where there is need, not base our school funding on property taxes. She says that many of the problems Wisconsin schools face remain due to the pandemic, including the lack of state-disbursed COVID relief funds. She adds that under her leadership the bipartisan Act 20 legislation passed. 

Brittany Kinser was unexpectedly unable to be on the show today. To learn more about her campaign you can visit her website, kinserforwikids.com. 

Remixed image via myvote.wi.gov.

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