Underly wins state superintendent seat

By Chris Spangler and Kim McDarison 

A woman currently leading the Pecatonica School District has been elected state superintendent of schools.

Jill Underly, 43, won Tuesday’s general election over challenger Deborah Kerr, 63, according to the Associated Press.

AP announced about 9:30 p.m. that Underly cruised to a double-digit win, based on unofficial results.

The two had advanced from a February primary field of seven to end up on the spring ballot for the top Department of Public Instruction post.

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 did not seek re-election.

Overall Jefferson County vote tallies were 7,542 for Underly and 6,758 for Kerr.

Underly, in her victory statement, said that she was “especially grateful to the Democratic Party of Wisconsin” and its leaders.

“Wisconsin’s kids and public schools face significant challenges as we work to return to normal, get every student caught up, and support their mental health and wellbeing in the aftermath of this pandemic and the enormous trauma and disruption it’s caused for all of us,” Underly said. “Overcoming these hurdles won’t be easy, but I know that if we work together, we can get it done and do what’s right for our kids.”

Underly promised that she will always do what’s best for students.

“We have a long road ahead of us, but I’m ready to get to work on day one and build a stronger, more equitable public education system that provides every child, every day with the world-class public education system they deserve,” she said.

Tallies for votes cast in Jefferson County were, with Underly first followed by Kerr: the Cities of Fort Atkinson, 1,092, 553; Jefferson, 491, 328; Lake Mills, 890, 504; Waterloo, 0, 0; Watertown, 1,014, 1,143; and Whitewater, 105, 58; Towns of Koshkonong, 7, 7: Hebron, 16, 21; Oakland, 14, 10; Jefferson, 27, 29; Cold Spring, 0,0: Aztalan, 86, 74; Concord, 41, 42; Farmington, 0, 0; Ixonia, 103, 153; Lake Mills, 29, 20; Milford, 9, 9; Palmyra, 1, 0; Sullivan, 70, 104; Waterloo, 61, 58; Watertown, 159, 238; and the Villages of Johnson Creek, 226, 219; Lac LaBelle, 0, 0; Palmyra, 111, 122; Cambridge, 18, 10; and Sullivan, 46, 53; 

Information posted on Jill Underly’s website notes that since 1999, she has worked in many facets of education, including teaching high and middle school social studies, serving as an elementary school principal and as a University of Wisconsin College of Letters and Science academic advisor, a Title I consultant, and as an assistant manager at DPI.

She currently is superintendent of the Pecatonica School District, where she has served for six years.

A native of Indiana, Underly arrived in Wisconsin in 2005 to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison, earning a doctoral degree in educational leadership and policy analysis in 2012.

She also holds two master’s degrees: one earned in 2008 in educational administration from UW-Madison and a second earned in 2004 from Indiana University-Purdue University in secondary education curriculum and instruction. She also has a bachelor’s degree in history and sociology earned in 1999 at Indiana University, Bloomington.

Kerr has 40 years of experience in education, 21 of those as a superintendent of public rural and suburban school districts. She stepped down in 2020 after serving 13 years as the superintendent of the Brown Deer School District.

Her website describes her career as spanning all sectors, including parochial, private and public schools.

She has served as a co-chair of a UW System task force, charged with advancing teachers and leaders into the pipeline. Kerr is a past-president of the national (AASA) and state superintendent (WASDA) associations.

Kerr received her doctorate of educational leadership from National-Louis University, her master of education degree from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, and a bachelor’s degree in arts and science from Valparaiso University. She also attended Walther Christian Academy in Melrose Park, Ill.

The website lists among her achievements serving as an adjunct professor at local universities, championing opportunities for all students, serving as a mentor and advocate for women, coaching a state championship girls varsity basketball team, serving as an athletic director and physical education teacher, and serving as a middle school principal and assistant principal.

At 9:45 Tuesday night, Underly held a Zoom-platform press conference, which lasted about 20 minutes, during which she delivered her victory speech and took questions from members of the media. 

She was asked: 

What is your top priority when you take office?

Underly said her first priority would be making sure that all of Wisconsin’s public schools are open for in-person learning this fall. She said that priority would include making sure that the schools have “the resources they need so that they can be open and be safe.” 

What would you say to those who voted for your opponent? 

Underly responded: “What I would say to them is thank you for being engaged in this race. Both Dr. (Deborah) Kerr and I have a lot of things in common. We elevated the issues of importance — especially around equity — and so I appreciate that they engaged in this race and that I will serve them and their kids and their communities well.”  

Another issue is getting our kids caught up both academically and socially, can you just talk briefly about your plans to achieve that? 

Underly talked about making adjustments in the school year, such as starting earlier, in August. She talked about providing social and emotional support for students, including “direct mental health services in our schools because they (students) just survived the pandemic.” Looking at academics, she said, “I’d be interested in promoting guidance for our school districts that look at extending the school day, especially our elementary, K-8 as well, to provide enrichment as well as remediation for our kids.”  

What are your top three goals or priorities as state superintendent and how will you go about achieving them? 

Underly described her top priorities as school funding and early childhood education, saying of school funding: “that’s probably the single most pressing issue facing Wisconsin public schools.” She described the school funding system as “broken,” because, she noted, “it causes massive inequity.” She advocated “working with our Legislature, perhaps promoting the Blue Ribbon Commission’s report findings, to make sure that we have a Wisconsin public school funding system that works for all kids, in all communities, and all school districts.” 

She talked specifically about expanding early childhood education, in particular, she said, expanding 4K programming to a full week, “so that kids get a strong start no matter where they live in Wisconsin and also parents have that access to high-quality programming for their kids … If all kids get a strong start it sets them up for success. 

“The other component includes teacher recruitment and retention, and working with our schools and colleges of eduction to recruit and retain teachers, Underly continued, emphasizing a need for “making sure that we can retain and support teachers in the profession because we need to build up that pipeline of teachers.” 

What were the issues that most resonated with voters across the state? 

Underly pointed to inequity in learning and achievement gaps, saying: “We’ve been talking about achievement gaps for example in math and literacy for decades, especially when we look at our minority students in particular. But I think we have to look at what causes these opportunity gaps. The first is poverty, and we need to address poverty through opportunities, and making sure that all kids in Wisconsin have the same opportunities to be successful. So I think one of the pieces that has been very popular and resonated with a lot of families is not only programming, but expanding access to full day, full week, 4K and wrap around care.” 

Do you agree with (current DPI chief) Carolyn Stanford Taylor’s call to return to Tommy Thompson’s two-thirds funding pledge for schools? 

Underly responded: “I do. I do agree with that. I feel that we see it in a number of referendum that have been passed and gratefully so, … taxpayers are increasing their local tax burden because the state hasn’t been delivering on its two-thirds funding promise.”  

How will your administration work with both the governor and the Legislature to achieve goals and your priorities? 

“It’s clear that no matter where you live, or how you vote, Wisconsinites care about their public schools,” Underly said, adding: “What I would do is certainly be working with the Legislature very closely and assemble a team that is very bipartisan.” She said she would work to “help the Legislature with the policies, help the Legislature with the research, and certainly advocate … I’m a public school advocate, from the very beginning.” As state superintendent, she said, her goals are to make sure that the Legislature and the governor have the information they need to advance policies “that help all kids in Wisconsin and help all communities and strengthen our public schools.”  

What do you say to the Republican who voted for Deb Kerr?

“I feel that I got a lot of votes. We support our public schools. And I know that no matter what your political stripes are, Republican or Democrat, that you love your public school. And so that’s where I feel if I could reach out to them and say, ‘look, we all want the same things. We want strong public schools, we want opportunities for our kids, … so let’s work together to accomplish that,’” Underly said.  

Do you have concerns about what the wave of children under 10 contracting COVID-19 in Michigan and Minnesota might mean for Wisconsin students and reopening public schools particularly as we wait for vaccines to be approved for children? 

“Yes, of course it’s a concern. So we need to make sure that we’re following the science and doing what we can to make sure that we keep our masks on and social distancing,” Underly said, adding that currently protocols allow for three feet, but she advocated setting a goal of six feet. She also pointed to the value of additional cleaning, adding: “I think here are certain things we can do to mitigate it, but still, it’s a concern.”