Article Summary –
Jill Underly and Brittany Kinser have advanced to the April 1 general election for Wisconsin State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Underly, backed by the Democratic Party and teachers’ unions, opposes school vouchers, citing their potential threat to public education, while Kinser, supported by the Republican Party and advocates of school choice, promotes using public funds for private education. Research largely indicates that public funding for private education through vouchers does not enhance student achievement and may actually reduce it.
The top candidates in Wisconsin’s Feb. 18 primary, incumbent State Superintendent Jill Underly and challenger Brittany Kinser, will face off in the April 1 general election. The winner will serve a four-year term leading the Department of Public Instruction.
Underly, a veteran public educator, is endorsed by the Democratic Party of Wisconsin and major teacher unions. She secured 38% of the vote, per unofficial totals on Feb. 19.
Kinser, a former educator and leader of the school choice advocate group City Forward Collective, is backed by the Republican Party. She garnered about 34.6% in the primary.
Jeff Wright, superintendent of Sauk Prairie School District, with 27.4% of the vote, did not progress.
The superintendent’s role includes managing teacher licensing, supporting 421 districts, and overseeing the state’s $8 billion education budget, as reported by Milwaukee’s NPR affiliate WUWM 89.7.
Underly’s campaign highlights achieving Wisconsin’s highest graduation rate and boosting public education rankings. She opposes school vouchers, arguing they drain resources from public education.
Kinser’s platform promotes higher standards and school choice, advocating for more public funds for private education. “I am pro-kid, so if there are kids going to vouchers, I will be pro-voucher school too,” Kinser stated at a forum.
Research indicates public funding for private education often fails to improve academic outcomes. An analysis of Louisiana’s voucher program showed only 14% of voucher students met achievement targets, per the Times-Picayune. A University of Notre Dame study found a persistent drop in performance for Indiana’s voucher students transitioning to private schools.
“Every dollar sent to private voucher schools is a dollar taken from public schools,” Underly stated, advocating for investment in public education.
—
Read More Wisconsin News
