In case you didn’t know it, and we wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t, there is a primary election Tuesday, Feb. 16.
It certainly won’t be anything like the last time we all cast ballots to fill public offices (thanks goodness), but it is just as important in its own way.
On the primary ballot for all Wisconsinites are seven persons vying to advance to the spring election for state superintendent of public instruction.
The current DPI chief, Carolyn Stanford Taylor, was appointed by Tony Evers after he stepped down from that spot upon being elected governor. However, she is not seeking re-election.
That means that the two top vote-getters in Tuesday’s primary will face off in the April 6 general balloting.
Even so, voters may pick only one. The field includes Jill Underly, Deborah Kerr, Steve Krull, Shandowlyon Shawn Hendricks-Williams, Troy Gunderson, Joe Fenrick and Sheila Briggs.
An article to get you up to speed on who they are and what they believe in will be soon posted on our government page.
Please read it carefully, because there are a lot of polarizing issues related to education these days.
School choice, for example. Should Wisconsin expand taxpayer-supported vouchers to educate children at private, charter or “independent” schools?
Or how can we close the “achievement gap” and promote equity between districts in neighborhoods with contrasting income levels?
Should the state fully fund special education reimbursement or, while we’re at it, could it totally revamp how public schools are funded in the first place and drop them from the local property tax rolls?
Also up for debate are levy limits, literacy, STEM, bilingual education, standardized testing, diversity and boosting per-pupil enrollment aid in light of a COVID-19 headcount drop.
And we haven’t even mentioned maintaining and updating buildings to keep apace with technology needs, much less offering families full-day 3- and 4-year-old kindergarten.
Of course, the state superintendent of schools can’t unilaterally change programs created through legislation, but he or she does lend a heavy hand toward writing the state’s education syllabus. And that syllabus filters down to affect our local schools … and students.
So yeah, going down to the municipal building to vote on Tuesday is a big deal.
Even if it’s snowy.
Even if it’s cold.
Even if it’s “just” a primary.
See you at the polls!
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