In the lead-up to the April 1 election in Wisconsin, attention has largely focused on the high-stakes Supreme Court race. However, other significant decisions await voters as early voting begins on Tuesday.
One of these is the election for the state’s top education official, a position crucial in shaping K-12 school policies during President Donald Trump’s second term. This race sees intense partisan division, rivaling the fervor of the Supreme Court election, even if it doesn’t match the financial and national spotlight.
Jill Underly, the incumbent, faces off against Brittany Kinser in the bid to lead the state’s education department. Underly, supported by the teachers’ union, previously served as a high school social studies teacher and worked within the Wisconsin State Education Department. Kinser, endorsed by Republicans, promotes private school vouchers and boasts experience as a public charter school principal and executive director for Rocketship Schools.
Underly’s approach has the backing of the Wisconsin Education Association Council, along with endorsements from the Wisconsin Democratic Party. Kinser, meanwhile, receives support from the Wisconsin Republican Party, advocating for charter and voucher schools through her work with City Forward Collective.
The absence of a state board of education means Wisconsin voters singularly elect their top education official, who possesses significant control over educational policy, funding, and teacher licensing.
The campaign highlights heated debates on voucher schools and education funding, as Kinser criticizes Underly’s leadership, specifically her management of state achievement standards. While Underly claims these standards reflect modern learning, bipartisan critics, including Governor Tony Evers, oppose them.
Kinser argues these standards obscure performance reviews over time, while Underly questions Kinser’s commitment to public education, especially with her endorsement of voucher programs, which many see as detracting from public school resources.
Another ballot issue concerns Wisconsin’s voter ID law proposal, which seeks to enshrine the requirement in the state constitution. This has been a state law since 2011 after overcoming legal challenges and is now up for potential constitutional amendment. Republicans argue the amendment would ensure election security, while Democrats criticize it as restrictive, possibly undermining voter accessibility, particularly among marginalized groups.
If amended, any future Democratic-controlled legislature would struggle to alter the requirement. Currently, Wisconsin has the strictest ID laws among nine states mandating photo identification at the polls. With these issues at stake, Wisconsin voters face significant decisions as election day approaches.