- Podcasts
Podcasts - Videos
Videos - Policy Issues
Policy Issues - About
About
Evers Plans to Veto Learning Standards Changes
Republicans at the Wisconsin Capitol are trying to understand Gov. Tony Evers’ change of heart on the state’s learning standards.
The governor on Tuesday reportedly told reporters that he’ll “likely veto” legislation from Republicans to restore the state’s testing standards and education vernacular, after State Superintendent Jill Underly ordered them changed last fall.
Unbelievable! Gov. @govevers himself supported and signed up for these high academic standards," Sen Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, said on X. "He called @DrJillUnderly lowering WI academic standards a 'mistake'."
In January Evers told reporters he was surprised by the changes, and that he didn’t agree with them.
“I think we need to have as high of standards as possible. I don't think we should be lowering them," Evers told reporters then. "But the fact of the matter is that's a DPI issue, not a governor's issue."
“But isn’t it the 'year of the kid?’," Sen. John Jagler, R-Watertown, said in a tweet of his own. "Thanks for making it clear. If we want high standards for our kids again, Underly has to lose April 1st."
Underly’s changes pulled Wisconsin away from the Nation’s Report Card, officially known as the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
Under Underly’s standards, just over half of Wisconsin’s school kids were rated as proficient in reading, writing, and math.
Underly said at the time that her standards “better reflect” what students were actually learning.
The Nation’s Report Card scores, however, show under a third of Wisconsin fourth graders and eighth graders can read and write at grade level. The numbers fall to 95% when you look at how many black kids in Milwaukee Public Schools cannot read or do math at grade level.
Evers is not saying why he’ll “likely veto” the legislation to reverse Underly’s standards. He also declined to make an endorsement in Underly’s race for re-election as State Superintendent.
Interested in the content of this Article?
Reach out to the MacIver Institute to aquire more information
