We are longtime advocates of parent choice who strongly support Deb Kerr in the campaign for Superintendent of the Department of Public Instruction (DPI).
The race matters greatly to the parents and schools that participate in Wisconsin’s four school choice programs. If you care about parental choice, it should matter to you.
That’s because Kerr’s election would end DPI’s de facto role as an arm of the
Wisconsin Education Association Council. DPI has frequently applied WEAC’s bias against Wisconsin’s important choice and charter programs.
Kerr would administer the law fairly. Her opponent, backed by WEAC, has made it clear in her public statements that she opposes parent options.
In responses to a survey by School Choice Wisconsin Action published
yesterday, Kerr offers several noteworthy comments:
Open schools five days a week, in person. Give parents a virtual option.
I will appoint a school choice advocate to my cabinet.
Parental involvement is paramount to a student’s academic success.
The DPI should not be setting administrative hurdles which hinder educational opportunities.
We need career pathways to success for all students. That’s why at Brown
Deer I welcomed choice and charter kids to my buildings for courses not offered at their school.I support exploring expansion of enrollment periods to ensure parents
access to quality education for their children.As DPI Superintendent, my job is to make sure EVERY student regardless
of school receives a world-class education.
Wisconsin polling shows support of Kerr’s call for schools to re-open and for school choice options. But the history of low-turnout DPI elections has favored well-organized interests that don’t reflect general public opinion. This year provides an opportunity to change that history.
George and Susan Mitchell were prominent leaders in the movement for school choice in Wisconsin. Susan Mitchell was a founder of School Choice Wisconsin.
