Wisconsin school superintendent race draws three candidates | Education

Three candidates are vying to become Wisconsin’s top official overseeing public schools, which means voters could see a primary election for the position next month. 

Incumbent Jill Underly, education consultant Brittany Kinser and Sauk Prairie superintendent Jeff Wright have all registered campaigns to become the state’s superintendent of public instruction. 

If the candidates gather at least 2,000 signatures by Jan. 7, voters statewide will narrow the field to two in the Feb. 18 primary race. Voters would make the final choice on their April 1 ballots.

Elected to a four-year term, the state superintendent leads the Department of Public Instruction and oversees the state’s roughly 2,200 public schools. The position is responsible for submitting a biennial budget request, setting statewide priorities on education and dispersing some grant funding to districts and schools. The Department of Public Instruction includes nearly 600 employees. 

Underly announced in September she’s seeking a second term as state superintendent. 

“As the head of the Department of Public Instruction, I’ve focused on meeting the needs of every child, every day,” she said in a statement. “All kids belong in our schools, and deserve the support and resources they need to succeed. We also need to support our hard-working professional educators, and all the support staff and administrators who make Wisconsin’s schools go.”

Underly is proposing over $4 billion in spending toward schools in the 2025-2027 state budget. The plans would reimburse 90% of schools’ special education costs, tie taxation limits to inflation, and prioritize spending on mental health, nutrition and teacher retention.

Underly wants to put the responsibility of funding schools back on the state, she told the Cap Times in November. 

Wright registered his campaign this fall. He is a long-time administrator in the Sauk Prairie School District and a former principal in Chicago Public Schools. He said he’s running for state superintendent to restore the Department of Public Instruction’s credibility and “return Wisconsin to its rightful place as a national leader in public education.” 

“Under the current DPI leadership, mismanagement and poor decision-making have left our schools and educators without the support they need, and it’s time for bold, effective leadership to address these challenges head-on,” Wright said in an email. 

Wright previously ran for state Assembly as a Democrat in 2016 and 2018. 

“If elected, I will focus on addressing the educator shortage, supporting students’ mental health needs, and fostering cooperation between legislators, educators and community leaders,” he said. “Wisconsin’s public schools work best when we rise above partisanship and prioritize what’s best for our students.” 

Kinser, who registered her campaign in mid-December, was the latest to join the race. She owns an education consulting firm and previously led the state’s Rocketship Schools. The schools are part of a larger network of public charter schools across the nation.  

Kinser also served as president of the Milwaukee-based City Forward Collective, a nonprofit charter school advocacy group. 

In a LinkedIn post, Kinser said she’s running for state superintendent “to put kids first.” 

“As a former special education teacher and elementary school principal, I’m committed to ensuring students can read, write and do math skillfully,” she said. “We must prioritize reading, writing, math and science to provide the foundation for meaningful careers and a bright future. The kids — and their future — should be the number one priority!”

Kinser told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel she wants to bring back high academic standards for students, saying she disagrees with DPI’s overhaul of the Forward Exam, a statewide standardized test. 

Among the changes were lower scoring standards for students’ performance levels in literacy and math. Underly has defended the system, saying the new scoring criteria “better reflect what students should know and be able to do in the classroom at a given point in time.”

Kayla Huynh is an education reporter for the Cap Times. Kayla writes about schools serving young children and teens in the Madison region. Email story ideas and tips to Kayla at [email protected] or call (608) 252-6472.

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