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Superintendent Skips Assembly Hearing
Republicans at the Wisconsin Capitol say the silence from both the governor and the state superintendent of schools is telling.
State Superintendent Jill Underly skipped Thursday’s hearing in front of the Assembly Committee on Organization where lawmakers asked questions about the recent report that shows 200 teachers in Wisconsin since 2018 have been investigated for grooming or sexual misconduct, and many of them walked away simply by resigning.
“Instead of answering questions or working with the legislature to fix these problems Jill Underly is skipping town to receive an award at Indiana University,” Republican Congressman and candidate for governor Tom Tiffany said Thursday. “Hiding from accountability while collecting an award in another state is the perfect summary of her leadership at DPI.”
Underly was facing questions about how the Department of Public Instruction investigates claims of grooming or sexual misconduct against teachers, why some teachers are allowed to surrender their teaching licenses to make the investigations go away, and how often do teachers return to the classroom after giving-up their teaching license.
Underly's office sent some answers in a letter, but Rep. Amanda Nedweski, R-Pleasant Plains, who headed the hearing said that was unacceptable.
“This is unacceptable from Wisconsin's education leader. This is not accountability, it is a dereliction of duty,” Nedweski told reporters. “Not only has Underly dodged accountability from the press and this recent scandal, but ‘the education governor’ Tony Evers who previously led DPI has also been silent on the matter. It's clear from today's Committee hearing that the public needs more transparency.”
Evers led the Department of Public Instruction in 2018, before being elected governor. He has not said anything about the Cap Times report.
Underly will have another chance to answer questions in front of lawmakers. The Senate Education Committee has scheduled a hearing for her only on November 4th.
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