Underly, Kinser present different POVs in DPI debate
On the important matter of funding, Underly argued that public money should be spent on public schools. She recently proposed a significant increase in school funding to begin to make up for years of underfunding which has negatively impacted programming and teacher retention.
Current State School Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly and challenger Brittany Kinser tangled in a debate on Wednesday night just 13 days before the April 1 election.
While Kinser focused on raising literacy rates, Underly spoke of the power of public education to change lives.
“My vision has always been “Every Child, Every Day,” Underly said.
Kinser, who has a goal of improving literacy rates to 95 percent, said, “We need to hold ourselves accountable. We have to set clear goals, growth goals, and then proficiency goals.”
During Underly’s tenure, Wisconsin public education has risen from 14th to sixth in the nation and just reported the highest graduation rates in state history.
The debate, which was uncertain until Kinser agreed to participate just last week, is available to watch at WisEye.org or on the Facebook page of Wisconsin Public Education Network.
The two candidates come from starkly different backgrounds. Underly has worked in all facets of public education, from elementary school principal to middle and high school teacher to school district superintendent. She has also been a university academic advisor and administrator, assistant director at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. She has served as head of the department since being elected in 2021.
(Audio of the forum below)
Kinser, who just recently acquired her Wisconsin teacher’s license, served as Executive Director of Wisconsin Rocketship schools. Rocketship is an ‘independent’ charter school that nonetheless receives public financing but has limited public oversight. (Many school districts have ‘public’ charter schools which are publicly funded and overseen by the local school board.)
Rocketship was caught in an NPR investigation into systemic academic fraud at the school (NPR). The investigation revealed that Rocketship leadership pushed teachers to illegally retest students multiple times to inflate scores.
On the important matter of funding, Underly argued that public money should be spent on public schools. She recently proposed a significant increase in school funding to begin to make up for years of underfunding which has negatively impacted programming and teacher retention. She proposed an increase in special education reimbursement to 75 percent from the current 30 percent.
Kinser, in contrast, is a strong advocate for school choice, arguing, mistakenly, that voucher funding is less than public school funding. The voucher subsidy is more than $10,000 for students in grades k-8 and nearly $13,000 for grades 9-12, whereas the average state funding for public school students is only $7,600, with the remainder, up to the district’s approved revenue limit, paid by property taxpayers.
Kinser agreed that special education funding needs to be improved in public schools, but said only that she would research other states for recommendations. Currently, the private school special education voucher is funded at 90 percent to just 30 percent for public schools.
Both agree that the state has a teacher crisis but each proposes different solutions. Underly advocates for competitive salaries and benefits for teachers to attract and retain talented educators.
“Teacher pay is 20 percent less right now than it was 15 years ago in real dollars,” she said. She added that teacher mentors and establishing growth and career ladders for upward advancement would improve teacher retention.
Kinser, meanwhile, said reforms to the state’s licensure system might be one solution and that she is open to researching ideas from other states, such as apprenticeships and scholarships.
“I am committed to advancing reforms to Wisconsin’s complex teacher licensure systems and welcoming qualified individuals to enter the teaching profession,” she said. “I also believe that alternative educator preparation pathways are essential.”
Both candidates also agreed that a school-wide report card should be required of all schools receiving public funding, though Kinser indicated she thought that was already the case with voucher schools. In fact, voucher schools are not subject to such scrutiny.
Underly added that there should be full transparency to taxpayers as to what they are paying for private school vouchers.
Kinser remained vague on the matter of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), saying it would look different from district to district. “And I do want to say with DEI, that is a local control issue,” she said.” We need to make sure that local school boards and local districts are implementing their programs for their schools.”
Underly was much stauncher in her defense of DEI, saying they are not just buzzwords.
“They are essential to creating an environment where every child can succeed, she argued. “DEI is not optional (and should be) woven into the fabric of our educational experience.”
The Conversation with the Candidates was co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters-Wisconsin, W.E.C.A.N., NAACP, and the Wisconsin Public Education Network. The Conversation can be viewed at WisEye.org or on the Facebook page of Wisconsin Public Education Network. Early in-person voting is available through March 28 but varies by municipality. Election day is April 1.
