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Tommy Thompson Endorses Brittany Kinser for DPI
The father of school choice in Wisconsin is picking sides in the race for state superintendent.
Former Gov. Tommy Thompson on Thursday endorsed Brittany Kinser in the race to lead the Department of Public Instruction.
“Brittany Kinser is a beacon of hope in a landscape of failures across Wisconsin's schools that harm our children and grandchildren's ability to thrive and survive in an increasingly complicated world and challenging employment environment,” Thompson said in a statement. “Third graders can't read at grade level, and college students aren't prepared to learn - and think critically. Wisconsin must have a new kind of leadership to give children and educators a chance to succeed.”
Gov. Thompson laid the groundwork for school choice in Wisconsin. In 1990 he created the first choice program to allow low income kids in Milwaukee to attend private schools. He expanded school choice again in 1995. What started out as fewer than 350 kids enrolled in a choice school in Milwaukee has grown to more than 20,000 kids in choice schools across the state.
“New leadership is necessary at an agency that has lost its way,” Thompson added. “DPI has long been guided by partisan bias, which has harmed the work of teaching kids to read, write, and do math. Brittany has my vote on April 1.”
Kinser, who is also a school choice supporter, Welcomed Thompson’s endorsement on Thursday.
“I have long admired Governor Thompson’s record as a dynamic and fearless leader and an education reformer who was always willing to work across the aisle to do what’s best for Wisconsin — especially its kids,” Kinser said in a statement of her own.”
Wisconsin’s current governor, and a former state superintendent himself, Tony Evers has not yet endorsed Kinser’s opponent Jill Underly. And the governor has said he has no plans to.
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