MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin’s Democratic-backed incumbent, Jill Underly, and education consultant Brittany Kinser will advance in the race for state superintendent, according to the Associated Press.
The two candidates will advance to the general election on April 1, when voters will also decide a competitive race for state Supreme Court. At stake is management of a public school system that includes nearly 900,000 students, 111,000 faculty and staff members, 2,190 schools, and an annual budget of roughly $9 billion.
Jill Underly
Jill Underly is running for her second term as state superintendent. She has more than 25 years of experience both as a teacher and administrator. She holds a doctorate from UW-Madison and lives in Hollandale.
She has faced criticism for lowering the state’s standardized testing benchmarks and not alerting community members and local leaders about a financial crisis at Milwaukee Public Schools. Her campaign website touts Wisconsin’s increased graduation rates during her tenure, as well as her work on a bipartisan literacy overhaul that was passed by the state Legislature and signed into law by the governor. The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is backing Underly.
Watch: Jill Underly and Brittany Kinser advance in the race for state superintendent
Underly reacted to the news of her advancing in a statement Tuesday night. You can read her full statement below:
“I am deeply grateful to the voters of Wisconsin for their support in this primary election. We have a shared commitment to Wisconsin’s public schools, educators, and most importantly, our kids. Throughout my tenure as State Superintendent, I helped pass a new bipartisan literacy law, implemented higher standards for math and science, and expanded career and technical education. Today, our graduation rate is the highest in state history and our schools are ranked 6th in the nation by U.S. News and World Report - up from 14th in 2020. But there’s a lot more work to be done. My opponent, Brittany Kinser, is a former lobbyist who has never held a teaching license in the State of Wisconsin. She has lobbied to drain funds from our public schools and give it to private schools. She’s even advocated to remove teacher licensing requirements. Those policies will put our public schools on a dangerous race to the bottom. I remain committed to tirelessly advocating for better local public schools so every kid can get the best education.”
Brittany Kinser
Brittany Kinser is an education consultant from Wauwatosa. She previously led charter schools in the Milwaukee area and worked at schools in Chicago and California. She is the only candidate who supports school choice programs. The Republican Party of Wisconsin has thrown its support behind Kinser to the tune of $200,000. She currently holds a wide lead over her opponents in terms of fundraising.
Kinser released a statement Tuesday evening, reacting to her advancing in the race:
“I am inspired and humbled by the level of support my campaign has received in just a few short months. From now until April 1, I will continue to travel the state and share my plan to bring a clean slate, a fresh start, and a fundamentally new approach to DPI.” “Jeff Wright ran a strong race and we agree on several important issues like restoring the high standards Jill Underly lowered for our children. I am committed to restoring those standards and ensuring every child has the opportunity to go to college, get a meaningful job, or master a trade. I welcome Jeff, his supporters, and all Wisconsinites – regardless of their political beliefs – who agree that our kids deserve SO MUCH better to join our campaign. “This victory would not have been possible without the help of thousands of Wisconsinites who supported and uplifted my candidacy through grassroots advocacy and generous financial support. My team and I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all who have helped us along the way.”
Jeff Wright, who currently leads the Sauk Prairie School District, was also in the running but announced he would be conceding.
You can read his full statement below:
“While our campaign did not advance, I’m grateful for the conversations I was able to have over the past few years about the future of K-12 public education in Wisconsin, for the support of those who voted for me, and my family who stood by me as well. “All over the state, I met educators, administrators, parents, and leaders committed to the singular role schools play in their communities, be they rural, urban or suburban. We all care about the future of public schools in Wisconsin - and I’m proud of the campaign we ran. “I’d like to particularly thank the Association of Wisconsin School Administrators, whose members and leaders elevated our underdog efforts and, in doing so, made a statement about the excellence they demand for our schools. “I got into this race because I believe that Wisconsin should always be at the forefront of innovation and excellence in public education. Our districts deserve better from the Department of Public Instruction because Wisconsin’s kids and communities deserve the absolute best from our schools.”
Wisconsin is the only state where voters elect the top education official but there is no state board of education. That gives the person who runs the Department of Public Instruction broad authority to oversee education policy, which includes dispersing money to schools and managing teacher licensing.
Whoever wins will have to manage Wisconsin’s relationship with the Trump administration as it seeks to eliminate the federal Department of Education, which supports roughly 14% of public school budgets nationwide with an annual budget of $79 billion.
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