1
00:00:05,839 --> 00:00:09,543
>> The following program is
a PBS Wisconsin original

2
00:00:09,610 --> 00:00:12,846
production.
>> No new deals yet for

3
00:00:14,448 --> 00:00:17,351
education funding or
property tax relief out of

4
00:00:17,417 --> 00:00:22,222
the Capitol. As lawmakers
turn into candidates and

5
00:00:22,289 --> 00:00:25,626
campaigns turn their
attention to the 2026

6
00:00:25,692 --> 00:00:28,462
elections.
I'm Frederica Freyberg

7
00:00:28,529 --> 00:00:32,366
tonight on "Here& Now", a
superintendent tells us why

8
00:00:32,432 --> 00:00:36,737
districts of all sizes are
urging property tax relief.

9
00:00:36,803 --> 00:00:40,774
The candidates for governor
weigh in on state prisons.

10
00:00:40,841 --> 00:00:43,877
Charles Franklin shares the
latest Marquette Law School

11
00:00:43,944 --> 00:00:47,014
poll and a new focus
looking at why Wisconsin is

12
00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:51,218
falling behind in math.
It's "Here& Now" for

13
00:00:52,085 --> 00:00:56,190
February 27th.
>> Funding for Here and Now

14
00:00:56,256 --> 00:00:59,359
is provided by the Focus
Fund for Journalism and

15
00:00:59,426 --> 00:01:04,231
Friends of PBS Wisconsin.
>> As the legislature and

16
00:01:11,405 --> 00:01:14,274
governor remain without a
deal on using the state

17
00:01:14,341 --> 00:01:17,878
budget surplus for property
tax relief, five school

18
00:01:17,945 --> 00:01:20,948
districts, teacher unions,
parents and students filed

19
00:01:21,014 --> 00:01:24,051
a lawsuit this week against
the legislature for failing

20
00:01:24,117 --> 00:01:28,155
to adequately fund public
schools in Wisconsin, as

21
00:01:28,222 --> 00:01:31,558
required by the state
constitution. The sweeping

22
00:01:31,625 --> 00:01:34,394
lawsuit states it's not a
new issue, but has gotten

23
00:01:34,461 --> 00:01:38,098
much worse over the last 25
years. The complaint says

24
00:01:38,165 --> 00:01:41,969
state aid to public school
districts this year is $2

25
00:01:42,035 --> 00:01:44,505
billion less than the
inflation adjusted number

26
00:01:44,571 --> 00:01:48,575
from 2009. You don't have
to explain that to our next

27
00:01:48,642 --> 00:01:51,912
guest. He's the
superintendent of Sauk

28
00:01:51,979 --> 00:01:54,214
Prairie schools, which is
among districts not part of

29
00:01:54,281 --> 00:01:57,684
that lawsuit that have been
beseeching lawmakers and

30
00:01:57,751 --> 00:02:00,721
the governor to both
further fund schools and

31
00:02:00,787 --> 00:02:04,224
provide property tax relief.
Superintendent Jeff Wright

32
00:02:04,291 --> 00:02:06,360
joins us now. And thanks
very much for being here.

33
00:02:06,426 --> 00:02:08,462
>> Thank you. Glad to be
here.

34
00:02:08,529 --> 00:02:10,831
>> So how disappointed were
you and other

35
00:02:10,898 --> 00:02:13,066
superintendents when the
Assembly adjourned without

36
00:02:13,133 --> 00:02:16,069
hatching this plan?
>> Well, we were really

37
00:02:16,136 --> 00:02:19,072
disappointed and in part
because they adjourned the

38
00:02:19,139 --> 00:02:21,942
session and the second or
third week of February, and

39
00:02:22,009 --> 00:02:24,578
we talked about that with
some of our students, that

40
00:02:24,645 --> 00:02:26,713
that would be similar to us
ending the school year

41
00:02:26,780 --> 00:02:28,849
after homecoming, that
there's so much of this

42
00:02:28,916 --> 00:02:32,386
year left that the
legislature and the

43
00:02:32,452 --> 00:02:35,088
together to solve these
long standing problems, not

44
00:02:35,155 --> 00:02:38,058
only using the state
surplus that exists now to

45
00:02:38,125 --> 00:02:41,128
solve property tax relief
and school district finance

46
00:02:41,195 --> 00:02:44,331
in the short term, but also
sitting, sitting down and

47
00:02:44,398 --> 00:02:47,434
doing the serious work of
trying to address long term

48
00:02:47,501 --> 00:02:50,003
concerns about the state's
school finance formula.

49
00:02:50,070 --> 00:02:52,940
>> So so you described the
lawsuit as addressing those

50
00:02:53,006 --> 00:02:56,743
long term issues with the
school financing system,

51
00:02:56,810 --> 00:02:59,880
and that you're what you're
calling for is immediate

52
00:02:59,947 --> 00:03:03,183
action to use the state
surplus to both help

53
00:03:03,250 --> 00:03:05,853
property taxpayers and
schools. Describe what the

54
00:03:05,919 --> 00:03:09,089
urgency is.
>> Well, the urgency is in

55
00:03:09,156 --> 00:03:12,359
part, the fact that we have
this unique moment where

56
00:03:12,426 --> 00:03:15,963
the state has more has more
money in revenue than it

57
00:03:16,029 --> 00:03:18,065
anticipated. And so there
is a surplus that we could

58
00:03:18,131 --> 00:03:21,268
be using to not only
address property tax relief,

59
00:03:21,335 --> 00:03:24,872
but also some of these
school funding issues. Six

60
00:03:24,938 --> 00:03:27,174
districts in Sauk County
recently put out a letter

61
00:03:27,241 --> 00:03:29,843
to the governor and the
legislature asking for this

62
00:03:29,910 --> 00:03:32,646
action. We're a really
unique mix of of school

63
00:03:32,713 --> 00:03:34,915
districts. We're in
Wisconsin's most purple

64
00:03:34,982 --> 00:03:37,784
county. And I think what
we're saying is that if we

65
00:03:37,851 --> 00:03:40,487
as school districts that
are as politically diverse

66
00:03:40,554 --> 00:03:43,257
as those in Sauk County,
can get together and ask

67
00:03:43,323 --> 00:03:45,959
for some urgency on this
issue, that hopefully the

68
00:03:46,026 --> 00:03:48,695
legislature will also take
this up in a special

69
00:03:48,762 --> 00:03:52,065
session and act right away.
>> As to the issue of why

70
00:03:52,132 --> 00:03:54,401
we're putting all the
pressure on property

71
00:03:54,468 --> 00:03:57,271
taxpayers at the same time
that we're collecting more

72
00:03:57,337 --> 00:04:00,240
money. Why do you think
that is?

73
00:04:00,874 --> 00:04:02,943
>> Well, school finance is
something that we could

74
00:04:03,010 --> 00:04:04,978
spend hours talking about
with your viewers. It's

75
00:04:05,045 --> 00:04:09,349
incredibly complicated, but
every time that the state

76
00:04:09,416 --> 00:04:12,219
raises the revenue limit,
what student what what

77
00:04:12,286 --> 00:04:15,789
schools can spend per
student, that money has to

78
00:04:15,856 --> 00:04:18,792
come from somewhere. And
often it's come from the

79
00:04:18,859 --> 00:04:22,396
state budget. But recently,
the legislature has decided,

80
00:04:22,462 --> 00:04:24,865
yes, school districts can
spend a little bit more,

81
00:04:24,932 --> 00:04:29,870
but that $325 has to fully
be funded by local property

82
00:04:29,937 --> 00:04:32,406
taxpayers. And so that's
why we're asking with some

83
00:04:32,472 --> 00:04:35,275
urgency, that before we go
into another budget year,

84
00:04:35,342 --> 00:04:38,011
instead of passing on that
responsibility for funding

85
00:04:38,078 --> 00:04:40,380
this to local property
taxpayers that are already

86
00:04:40,447 --> 00:04:43,283
stretched incredibly far,
use some of the state's

87
00:04:43,350 --> 00:04:45,052
surplus to not only address
school funding, but also

88
00:04:45,118 --> 00:04:47,120
give that property tax
relief.

89
00:04:47,187 --> 00:04:50,791
>> How does this situation
kind of pit property

90
00:04:50,858 --> 00:04:54,328
taxpayers against schools?
>> Well, there's a direct

91
00:04:54,394 --> 00:04:56,964
connection between the
state not funding schools

92
00:04:57,030 --> 00:05:01,001
the way it used to, and an
increased reliance on

93
00:05:01,068 --> 00:05:04,438
property taxpayers to pay
that bill. This year's high

94
00:05:04,505 --> 00:05:08,475
school seniors, the year
they were born was the last

95
00:05:08,542 --> 00:05:12,079
time that the revenue limit
was tied to inflation. And

96
00:05:12,145 --> 00:05:14,982
so under the Tommy Thompson
administration, under the

97
00:05:15,048 --> 00:05:17,851
Jim Doyle administration,
the revenue limits for

98
00:05:17,918 --> 00:05:21,088
school districts were tied
to inflation. But when this

99
00:05:21,154 --> 00:05:26,059
class of seniors was born
17 years ago, the revenue

100
00:05:26,126 --> 00:05:29,429
limit and inflation was
detached. And so every year

101
00:05:29,496 --> 00:05:32,499
of their life, the amount
that a school could spend

102
00:05:32,566 --> 00:05:35,736
educating a child has
fallen further and further

103
00:05:35,802 --> 00:05:39,373
behind inflation, to the
point where now it's over

104
00:05:39,439 --> 00:05:42,342
$3,500. That gap between
what would have been spent

105
00:05:42,409 --> 00:05:44,878
in real dollars when those
children were born, and

106
00:05:44,945 --> 00:05:46,980
what a school district gets
to spend now as their

107
00:05:47,047 --> 00:05:49,483
seniors.
>> If hundreds of districts

108
00:05:49,550 --> 00:05:52,386
under this scenario are
forced to go to referendum

109
00:05:52,452 --> 00:05:56,323
to get the money, they need
to operate and stay afloat,

110
00:05:56,390 --> 00:05:58,725
what's the tipping point
for voters? I mean, when do

111
00:05:58,792 --> 00:06:01,595
they just say no?
>> Well, we're certainly

112
00:06:01,662 --> 00:06:03,897
seeing that for many
communities. We've already

113
00:06:03,964 --> 00:06:07,167
reached that point that as
the state has chosen not to

114
00:06:07,234 --> 00:06:09,703
allow revenue limits to go
up and school districts

115
00:06:09,770 --> 00:06:12,439
have turned to local
property taxpayers for

116
00:06:12,506 --> 00:06:14,842
referendums to operate
schools, there are many

117
00:06:14,908 --> 00:06:17,144
districts that have gone
year after year to

118
00:06:17,211 --> 00:06:19,112
referendum, hoping that
they could get one passed

119
00:06:19,179 --> 00:06:22,182
and have not been able to
do so. And some of the

120
00:06:22,249 --> 00:06:24,952
districts in the state have
turned to their taxpayers

121
00:06:25,018 --> 00:06:27,154
and said, if we don't pass
this, we're going to have

122
00:06:27,221 --> 00:06:29,089
to consider dissolving the
district and sending our

123
00:06:29,156 --> 00:06:31,091
students to other
communities for schools or

124
00:06:31,158 --> 00:06:33,460
be absorbed by another
district. I think that that

125
00:06:33,527 --> 00:06:35,996
tipping point for a lot of
communities is that we know

126
00:06:36,063 --> 00:06:38,398
that schools are often the
lifeblood of a small

127
00:06:38,465 --> 00:06:41,668
community, and that if we
let the school fail, if we

128
00:06:41,735 --> 00:06:44,938
let the school close,
there's very little that's

129
00:06:45,005 --> 00:06:47,007
going to be attracting new
families to our community

130
00:06:47,074 --> 00:06:49,009
in the future. But for many
communities, they're

131
00:06:49,076 --> 00:06:51,011
already at that tipping
point, which is why this

132
00:06:51,078 --> 00:06:53,480
lawsuit has been filed and
why other districts are

133
00:06:53,547 --> 00:06:55,549
signing on to the letters
like ours, asking the

134
00:06:55,616 --> 00:06:57,451
legislature to act
immediately.

135
00:06:57,518 --> 00:07:00,053
>> What about the argument
from some Republicans that

136
00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:03,624
what's needed is reform,
not guaranteed funding to

137
00:07:03,690 --> 00:07:06,827
prop up a broken system,
especially in light of kind

138
00:07:06,894 --> 00:07:11,131
of falling test scores?
>> Well, I hope that we can

139
00:07:11,198 --> 00:07:14,301
we can talk about schools
and not just talk about

140
00:07:14,368 --> 00:07:18,038
money, that it it's an
honor to do this work and

141
00:07:18,105 --> 00:07:21,441
to be a trusted partner
with a parent in watching

142
00:07:21,508 --> 00:07:25,245
their child grow and learn.
And if a school can't show

143
00:07:25,312 --> 00:07:27,981
their show the community
how their school, how their

144
00:07:28,048 --> 00:07:31,451
students are growing,
that's on us. We need to

145
00:07:31,518 --> 00:07:34,388
make sure that we're doing
that. We also need to be

146
00:07:34,454 --> 00:07:36,757
incredibly transparent with
how we're spending taxpayer

147
00:07:36,823 --> 00:07:39,326
dollars. Share the audits
with our community. Share

148
00:07:39,393 --> 00:07:42,129
the budgets. Because
there's a lot of trust, not

149
00:07:42,196 --> 00:07:44,298
only in the relationship
that we get to have

150
00:07:44,364 --> 00:07:47,100
watching a student grow and
learn, but also the trust

151
00:07:47,167 --> 00:07:49,236
that a community has to
place in us as school

152
00:07:49,303 --> 00:07:51,104
leaders and how we're
spending the taxpayer

153
00:07:51,171 --> 00:07:53,240
dollars to educate
Wisconsin's children.

154
00:07:53,307 --> 00:07:55,142
>> We leave it there.
Superintendent Jeff Wright,

155
00:07:55,209 --> 00:07:58,111
thanks very much.
>> Thank you.

156
00:07:58,812 --> 00:08:02,616
>> Governor Tony Evers $500
million plan to revamp the

157
00:08:02,683 --> 00:08:05,285
state prison system is
underway, but only in the

158
00:08:05,352 --> 00:08:08,789
most modest fashion.
Earlier this year, a

159
00:08:08,856 --> 00:08:11,258
bipartisan group at the
State Building Commission

160
00:08:11,325 --> 00:08:15,329
released $15 million to
start the years long

161
00:08:15,395 --> 00:08:19,299
process to eventually close
down green Bay Correctional.

162
00:08:19,366 --> 00:08:22,369
Tonight, as we continue our
look at some of the biggest

163
00:08:22,436 --> 00:08:24,538
issues in the race for
governor "Here& Now",

164
00:08:24,605 --> 00:08:27,708
senior political reporter
Zac Schultz asks the

165
00:08:27,774 --> 00:08:30,043
leading candidates for
governor if they would

166
00:08:30,110 --> 00:08:34,715
carry through Governor
Evers corrections overhaul.

167
00:08:34,781 --> 00:08:37,184
>> Green Bay Correctional
and Waupan Correctional are

168
00:08:37,251 --> 00:08:39,720
two of the oldest prisons
in the country still

169
00:08:39,786 --> 00:08:42,689
holding inmates, and
studies have shown time and

170
00:08:42,756 --> 00:08:46,393
again the buildings are not
safe for staff or prisoners.

171
00:08:46,460 --> 00:08:50,130
But building new prisons is
expensive, and closing down

172
00:08:50,197 --> 00:08:52,966
prisons is not politically
expedient. When every

173
00:08:53,033 --> 00:08:56,036
election cycle can quickly
shift focus to law and

174
00:08:56,103 --> 00:08:59,072
order. So we asked nine of
the leading candidates if

175
00:08:59,139 --> 00:09:01,742
they would continue.
Governor Evers plans to

176
00:09:01,808 --> 00:09:04,545
reform Wisconsin's prison
system.

177
00:09:04,611 --> 00:09:08,582
>> I watched that plan be
developed. I have great,

178
00:09:08,649 --> 00:09:11,752
great respect for the team
at the Department of

179
00:09:11,818 --> 00:09:13,754
Corrections who has put
that plan together, along

180
00:09:13,820 --> 00:09:16,423
with Governor Evers
administration, and we need

181
00:09:16,490 --> 00:09:19,259
to get moving on that. You
know, it might not be

182
00:09:19,326 --> 00:09:22,129
perfect, but nothing ever
is when it comes to

183
00:09:22,196 --> 00:09:25,732
corrections. It's a very
difficult situation. And

184
00:09:25,799 --> 00:09:27,534
but we need to make
improvements on that. We

185
00:09:27,601 --> 00:09:30,037
need to modernize that
system. It is costing us

186
00:09:30,103 --> 00:09:34,041
more now to keep the old
system in place than it

187
00:09:34,107 --> 00:09:36,577
would be to build a new
system and get that rolling.

188
00:09:36,643 --> 00:09:39,179
>> Yeah. So with green Bay,
I know that there are a

189
00:09:39,246 --> 00:09:41,281
number of safety concerns.
Structural concerns, of

190
00:09:41,348 --> 00:09:45,152
course. I mean, we can't
have people or even whether

191
00:09:45,219 --> 00:09:46,987
you're a person who's
housed at that facility or

192
00:09:47,054 --> 00:09:49,523
a person who's working at
that facility, we can't

193
00:09:49,590 --> 00:09:52,492
people have people in
substandard conditions. So

194
00:09:52,559 --> 00:09:55,996
the overhaul of smaller
facilities, more regional

195
00:09:56,063 --> 00:09:58,432
facilities, I think that
might get us to a place

196
00:09:58,498 --> 00:10:01,435
where we can more
effectively rehabilitate

197
00:10:01,502 --> 00:10:04,538
people. And that has to be
our baseline as well,

198
00:10:04,605 --> 00:10:07,274
ensuring that
rehabilitation actually

199
00:10:07,341 --> 00:10:08,809
happens.
>> I think it's important

200
00:10:08,876 --> 00:10:12,579
to look at reducing our
prison population, while

201
00:10:12,646 --> 00:10:15,549
also ensuring that those
who are at the Department

202
00:10:15,616 --> 00:10:20,153
of Corrections have
opportunities to be able to

203
00:10:20,220 --> 00:10:25,058
transition and be safe in
their work environments.

204
00:10:25,125 --> 00:10:29,463
And so I will certainly
look at some of the plans

205
00:10:30,764 --> 00:10:34,601
that the governor has now.
But overall, it's important

206
00:10:34,668 --> 00:10:38,505
that we look at transition
programs and ways that we

207
00:10:38,572 --> 00:10:41,475
can keep those who are
incarcerated and those who

208
00:10:41,542 --> 00:10:44,378
are working in our prisons
safe.

209
00:10:44,444 --> 00:10:47,781
>> Absolutely. We have to
absolutely have to make

210
00:10:47,848 --> 00:10:51,518
sure that we are doing
what's best for people

211
00:10:51,585 --> 00:10:53,620
within our prison system
and corrections system, and

212
00:10:53,687 --> 00:10:57,257
it needs an overhaul.
>> And I think we need to

213
00:10:57,324 --> 00:11:00,527
continually try to to
create that balance where

214
00:11:00,594 --> 00:11:03,297
where there is need for
secure detention and where

215
00:11:03,363 --> 00:11:06,767
there is need for employees
of the corrections system

216
00:11:06,834 --> 00:11:10,504
to have the right tools at
their disposal. We need to

217
00:11:10,571 --> 00:11:14,474
create those, because we
have these 150 year old

218
00:11:14,541 --> 00:11:17,511
prisons and things that we
need to do to make

219
00:11:17,578 --> 00:11:20,347
investments on. But at the
same time, I think we also

220
00:11:20,414 --> 00:11:22,549
need and I think the
governor has done this too.

221
00:11:22,616 --> 00:11:24,818
We need to look at the
alternatives to

222
00:11:24,885 --> 00:11:26,920
incarceration. We need to
work with our partners at

223
00:11:26,987 --> 00:11:29,022
the local level to ensure
that there is a pathway

224
00:11:29,089 --> 00:11:32,559
that doesn't just ensure
that what we have is the

225
00:11:32,626 --> 00:11:35,195
last resort, which is where
we're putting people in

226
00:11:35,262 --> 00:11:38,298
prison and locking them up.
>> We have to reform the

227
00:11:38,365 --> 00:11:41,201
Department of Corrections.
Governor Evers, when he ran

228
00:11:41,268 --> 00:11:44,238
against Governor Walker, he
said, I am going to take

229
00:11:44,304 --> 00:11:46,340
care of that, including
Lincoln Hills, and he has

230
00:11:46,406 --> 00:11:49,243
not followed through on it.
And when you look at the

231
00:11:49,309 --> 00:11:51,745
debacle over in Waupan with,
I think there's been a

232
00:11:51,812 --> 00:11:54,681
couple deaths over there, I
mean, that's unacceptable.

233
00:11:54,748 --> 00:11:57,718
We need reform in the
Department of Corrections,

234
00:11:57,784 --> 00:12:02,122
and I will I don't know
that I'll go in the same

235
00:12:02,189 --> 00:12:05,025
direction as Governor Evers,
but clearly we have to

236
00:12:05,092 --> 00:12:08,061
reform our correctional
system.

237
00:12:08,128 --> 00:12:09,930
revisit how we do
corrections here in the

238
00:12:09,997 --> 00:12:12,566
state of Wisconsin. When I
served in the state

239
00:12:12,633 --> 00:12:15,402
legislature years ago, you
know, Grover Norquist came

240
00:12:15,469 --> 00:12:18,205
to Wisconsin to talk about
how we needed to do

241
00:12:18,272 --> 00:12:20,941
criminal justice reform.
And there's not many times

242
00:12:21,008 --> 00:12:23,710
where I can say I agree
with Grover Norquist. And

243
00:12:23,777 --> 00:12:26,780
so we should be looking at
how do we make sure that

244
00:12:26,847 --> 00:12:29,349
those, those, those, those
less violent offenders

245
00:12:29,416 --> 00:12:32,319
aren't just spending as
much time in our care,

246
00:12:32,386 --> 00:12:34,922
which costs us a lot more
money to have them in

247
00:12:34,988 --> 00:12:38,125
prison?
rightsize the corrections

248
00:12:38,192 --> 00:12:41,495
system, and we have to get
serious about safety in

249
00:12:41,562 --> 00:12:45,332
this state. We have pursued
policies that are not only

250
00:12:45,399 --> 00:12:47,968
not evidence based, but
that really undermine

251
00:12:48,035 --> 00:12:51,738
public safety. It is how we
incarcerate people. It is

252
00:12:51,805 --> 00:12:55,342
how long, and it is the
lack of services and

253
00:12:55,409 --> 00:12:58,245
training to help people
succeed when they actually

254
00:12:58,312 --> 00:13:01,715
reenter society. We spend
an ocean of money on this,

255
00:13:01,782 --> 00:13:04,418
and we are not getting the
safety return that we

256
00:13:04,484 --> 00:13:06,520
deserve.
>> Reporting from Madison.

257
00:13:06,587 --> 00:13:09,723
I'm Zach Schultz for "Here&
Now".

258
00:13:11,258 --> 00:13:13,393
>> Notwithstanding our
efforts to bring you the

259
00:13:13,460 --> 00:13:15,929
positions of the candidates
for state, Supreme Court

260
00:13:15,996 --> 00:13:19,233
and governor in our weekly
reporting on issues in the

261
00:13:19,299 --> 00:13:22,703
races, a new Marquette Law
School poll this week shows

262
00:13:22,769 --> 00:13:25,839
two thirds of voters are
undecided between judges

263
00:13:25,906 --> 00:13:29,676
Chris Taylor and Maria
Lazar in the April 7th

264
00:13:29,743 --> 00:13:32,679
election for Supreme Court.
Likewise, in the large

265
00:13:32,746 --> 00:13:35,716
field of Democratic
candidates in the lone

266
00:13:35,782 --> 00:13:38,151
Republican in the race for
governor, which will be

267
00:13:38,218 --> 00:13:41,388
narrowed in an August
primary, the poll shows no

268
00:13:41,455 --> 00:13:44,625
runaway leader, with most
candidates not well known

269
00:13:44,691 --> 00:13:47,294
by voters. Poll director
Charles Franklin joins us

270
00:13:47,361 --> 00:13:50,430
now. And thanks for being
here.

271
00:13:50,497 --> 00:13:52,699
>> So what does it say
about voter engagement,

272
00:13:52,766 --> 00:13:56,403
when roughly 66% of your
respondents don't know

273
00:13:56,470 --> 00:13:59,106
enough about the two
Supreme Court candidates

274
00:13:59,173 --> 00:14:01,708
less than two months away?
>> Yeah, I think it's first

275
00:14:01,775 --> 00:14:06,246
of all, it is unusually low
engagement this year. It's

276
00:14:06,313 --> 00:14:10,450
not nearly as high as it
was a year ago or in the

277
00:14:11,385 --> 00:14:16,089
gubernatorial races as it
was in, say, 2018 or 2022.

278
00:14:16,156 --> 00:14:18,759
So we do seem a little less
engaged right now. Some of

279
00:14:18,825 --> 00:14:20,928
that is that the
advertising has not really

280
00:14:20,994 --> 00:14:23,530
kicked in in the Supreme
Court race compared to

281
00:14:23,597 --> 00:14:27,801
where it was a year ago.
This time, only 6% said

282
00:14:27,868 --> 00:14:30,737
they'd heard or read a lot
about the Supreme Court

283
00:14:30,804 --> 00:14:35,108
race a year ago. That was
39% at this same time in

284
00:14:35,175 --> 00:14:38,078
February. So I think those
things will pick up. But

285
00:14:38,145 --> 00:14:40,347
we're getting started a bit
slower than we did a year

286
00:14:40,414 --> 00:14:42,416
ago.
>> I'll say in the

287
00:14:42,749 --> 00:14:47,054
governor's race, most of
the eight major candidates

288
00:14:47,120 --> 00:14:49,356
between 52 and 82% who took
your poll have not heard

289
00:14:49,423 --> 00:14:51,325
enough about them. Of
course, former Lieutenant

290
00:14:51,391 --> 00:14:54,695
Governor Mandela Barnes is
a little better known. But

291
00:14:54,761 --> 00:14:59,032
should anyone take stock in
this kind of poll number at

292
00:14:59,099 --> 00:15:01,201
this point.
>> I think the stock you

293
00:15:01,268 --> 00:15:04,771
take is the disengagement
that all of these

294
00:15:04,838 --> 00:15:07,908
candidates have work to do,
introducing themselves to

295
00:15:07,975 --> 00:15:11,378
voters. Mandela Barnes is
the best known by a good

296
00:15:11,445 --> 00:15:15,115
bit, followed by Tom
Tiffany, followed by Sarah

297
00:15:15,182 --> 00:15:19,386
Rodriguez on the Democratic
side. But all of them have

298
00:15:19,453 --> 00:15:22,756
the chance to introduce
themselves to voters over

299
00:15:22,823 --> 00:15:25,893
the next however many eight
months it is seven months

300
00:15:25,959 --> 00:15:30,898
till the primary, but that
will take time. And often

301
00:15:30,964 --> 00:15:33,567
we see that in primaries
people don't really tune in

302
00:15:33,634 --> 00:15:37,104
until June.
>> On the issues which you

303
00:15:37,704 --> 00:15:40,774
also pulled on. Data
centers, as we all know,

304
00:15:40,841 --> 00:15:45,212
are a hot topic right now.
You looked at how people

305
00:15:45,279 --> 00:15:47,814
viewed the cost benefit
analysis of them. Your

306
00:15:47,881 --> 00:15:51,151
results show respondents
from all parties think the

307
00:15:51,218 --> 00:15:54,721
costs outweigh the benefits,
but who wins the day here?

308
00:15:54,788 --> 00:15:57,925
Public opinion or moneyed
interests?

309
00:15:57,991 --> 00:16:00,627
>> Well, moneyed interests
are certainly important,

310
00:16:00,694 --> 00:16:04,665
and the development of
these centers is an

311
00:16:04,731 --> 00:16:08,569
economic priority for a
whole industry. But the

312
00:16:08,635 --> 00:16:11,405
public has not been
convinced. I think the

313
00:16:11,471 --> 00:16:15,609
proponents of data centers
have failed to convince the

314
00:16:15,676 --> 00:16:19,179
public that those benefits
are real. People recognize

315
00:16:19,246 --> 00:16:23,517
that technical jobs and tax
revenue for communities are

316
00:16:23,584 --> 00:16:27,154
important benefits, but
they look at water usage as

317
00:16:27,221 --> 00:16:32,025
a big concern cost. They
also are concerned about

318
00:16:32,092 --> 00:16:34,361
electricity. Maybe
surprisingly, the second

319
00:16:34,428 --> 00:16:36,997
biggest cost people point
to is developing AI and

320
00:16:37,064 --> 00:16:40,300
saying we shouldn't develop
artificial intelligence. So

321
00:16:40,367 --> 00:16:44,705
there's a real need to
communicate with voters

322
00:16:45,839 --> 00:16:50,811
about what those benefits
are or the the critics end

323
00:16:50,878 --> 00:16:54,414
up with the upper hand on
this. And we've seen a big

324
00:16:54,481 --> 00:16:56,750
movement away from data
centers since October. When

325
00:16:56,817 --> 00:17:00,521
we first asked.
>> On immigration, the way

326
00:17:00,587 --> 00:17:05,392
its enforcement has rolled
out is not favored, with

327
00:17:06,793 --> 00:17:12,032
44%, just 44% approving and
5,456% disapproving, do you

328
00:17:14,201 --> 00:17:17,070
think? But for the
Minneapolis surge and the

329
00:17:17,137 --> 00:17:21,108
shooting deaths by the
Border Patrol of two people,

330
00:17:21,175 --> 00:17:22,876
these numbers would look
different.

331
00:17:22,943 --> 00:17:26,413
>> I think that the events
that have been going on in

332
00:17:26,480 --> 00:17:30,484
Minneapolis have certainly
tilted independents away

333
00:17:30,551 --> 00:17:34,354
from the way they view ICE
Republican approval of ICE

334
00:17:34,421 --> 00:17:38,892
is still quite high in the
7070 plus percent range,

335
00:17:38,959 --> 00:17:42,596
80% actually on ICE. But
Democrats are deeply

336
00:17:42,663 --> 00:17:45,666
negative. More importantly
is independents. Now three

337
00:17:45,732 --> 00:17:48,035
quarters are negative about
ICE.

338
00:17:48,101 --> 00:17:50,838
>> Then there's the issue
everyone is talking about.

339
00:17:50,904 --> 00:17:54,775
That is property taxes
versus school funding. Your

340
00:17:54,842 --> 00:17:58,712
poll results show 60% of
registered voters prefer

341
00:17:58,779 --> 00:18:01,281
reducing property tax,
while 40% would rather

342
00:18:01,348 --> 00:18:03,750
spend more on public
schools. Now, you have been

343
00:18:03,817 --> 00:18:07,821
pulling on this for for
years. Is this newly

344
00:18:08,488 --> 00:18:09,923
resonant?
>> Now it.

345
00:18:09,990 --> 00:18:13,727
>> Is, but it's been
building for a long time.

346
00:18:13,794 --> 00:18:17,931
We've seen this trend move.
We've done, I think it's 26

347
00:18:17,998 --> 00:18:22,970
polls on this since 2012.
This is the biggest ever

348
00:18:23,036 --> 00:18:27,941
that say property taxes are
more important. 60 to 40.

349
00:18:28,609 --> 00:18:32,746
We saw a big majority
saying schools were more

350
00:18:32,813 --> 00:18:37,284
important in 2015 to 2019,
but those trends have moved

351
00:18:37,351 --> 00:18:40,587
in opposite directions.
Property taxes are really

352
00:18:40,654 --> 00:18:42,689
ascendant right now.
>> Interesting. Charles

353
00:18:42,756 --> 00:18:45,959
Franklin, thank you so much.
>> Thank you.

354
00:18:46,026 --> 00:18:48,462
>> Along with the number of
education bills that

355
00:18:48,529 --> 00:18:51,765
stalled in the legislature,
one authored by State

356
00:18:51,832 --> 00:18:55,035
Representative Karen Hurd,
would have provided year

357
00:18:55,102 --> 00:18:58,572
round testing and tutoring
for students falling behind

358
00:18:58,639 --> 00:19:02,943
in math despite not gaining
enough support this past

359
00:19:03,010 --> 00:19:05,979
legislative session. The
push will continue to help

360
00:19:06,046 --> 00:19:09,016
K through eighth grade
students in Wisconsin

361
00:19:09,082 --> 00:19:11,652
struggling with math
tonight. Here and now,

362
00:19:11,718 --> 00:19:14,755
reporter Murv Seymour takes
us to the classroom and the

363
00:19:14,821 --> 00:19:17,958
big screen to learn more
about statewide struggles

364
00:19:18,025 --> 00:19:22,262
and success with math.
>> This evening, we're

365
00:19:22,329 --> 00:19:26,300
going to do the film
screening of Count It Out.

366
00:19:26,366 --> 00:19:28,135
>> Tonight is movie night
at the Urban League of

367
00:19:28,202 --> 00:19:30,003
Madison's Black Business
Hub.

368
00:19:30,070 --> 00:19:33,040
>> We brought this film to
Madison, to the community

369
00:19:33,106 --> 00:19:35,609
so that we can be a
contributor with changing

370
00:19:35,676 --> 00:19:37,711
the dialog.
>> It's a packed house for

371
00:19:37,778 --> 00:19:40,280
the first ever public
showing in Wisconsin of

372
00:19:40,347 --> 00:19:42,816
Counted Out, a documentary
about the importance of

373
00:19:42,883 --> 00:19:45,052
math.
>> Because math is all

374
00:19:45,118 --> 00:19:48,856
around us, it is something
that maybe many of us might

375
00:19:48,922 --> 00:19:50,858
have had a negative
experience with when we

376
00:19:50,924 --> 00:19:54,661
were in school, but we want
to change that narrative.

377
00:19:54,728 --> 00:19:58,298
>> The film features two
University of

378
00:19:58,365 --> 00:20:01,301
professors. Erika Bullock
is one of them.

379
00:20:01,368 --> 00:20:03,670
>> I love teaching math,
for sure.

380
00:20:03,737 --> 00:20:06,840
>> By her estimate, this is
about her 15th time

381
00:20:06,907 --> 00:20:08,876
participating in a counted
out screening.

382
00:20:08,942 --> 00:20:11,678
>> When people are thinking
about screening it, they

383
00:20:11,745 --> 00:20:14,548
think about, okay, this is
going to help parents to

384
00:20:14,615 --> 00:20:17,050
understand how they can
mathematics. It's really

385
00:20:17,117 --> 00:20:19,019
difficult to convince
people that there's value

386
00:20:19,086 --> 00:20:21,755
in math, even though we use
it all the time.

387
00:20:21,822 --> 00:20:24,258
>> Math is everywhere.
>> Understanding math is

388
00:20:24,324 --> 00:20:26,360
foundational, just under,
you know, being able to

389
00:20:26,426 --> 00:20:28,996
function in the world.
>> Based on the numbers.

390
00:20:29,062 --> 00:20:31,932
Educators everywhere agree
Wisconsin students need to

391
00:20:31,999 --> 00:20:35,102
do better in math.
According to Wisconsin's

392
00:20:35,169 --> 00:20:37,938
forward exam, the test used
to assess how well students

393
00:20:38,005 --> 00:20:40,674
are doing in the classroom,
just over half in grades

394
00:20:40,741 --> 00:20:43,610
three through eight are
proficient in math. In

395
00:20:43,677 --> 00:20:46,747
Milwaukee schools, the
number is just over 20%.

396
00:20:46,813 --> 00:20:49,149
>> I would say this
question of math and

397
00:20:49,216 --> 00:20:51,552
numeracy is every bit as
important as a conversation

398
00:20:51,618 --> 00:20:54,221
we've had around literacy.
>> Welcome to the Milwaukee

399
00:20:54,288 --> 00:20:56,690
offices of City Forward
Collective, a nonprofit

400
00:20:56,757 --> 00:20:59,860
team of educators and
advocates led by Colleston

401
00:20:59,927 --> 00:21:03,163
Morgan.
understand and analyze so

402
00:21:03,764 --> 00:21:06,633
many different aspects of
our world.

403
00:21:06,700 --> 00:21:08,969
>> Collectively, their
mission is to eliminate

404
00:21:09,036 --> 00:21:11,638
educational inequity while
providing students access

405
00:21:11,705 --> 00:21:15,309
to quality schools. City
Ford also tracks state and

406
00:21:15,375 --> 00:21:17,611
national test scores of
students at public and

407
00:21:17,678 --> 00:21:21,281
private schools statewide.
A father of two, Colleston

408
00:21:21,348 --> 00:21:23,584
Morgan tells me he tracks
his own kids in their

409
00:21:23,650 --> 00:21:25,886
journeys with math.
>> My fourth grader

410
00:21:25,953 --> 00:21:27,855
probably just got through
her times table. She's

411
00:21:27,921 --> 00:21:30,691
working on advanced
multiplication division. My

412
00:21:30,757 --> 00:21:34,094
sixth grader is doing her
math skills as well, right?

413
00:21:34,161 --> 00:21:36,997
What keeps me up at night
is thinking about the tens

414
00:21:37,064 --> 00:21:39,633
of thousands of students
across our state who maybe

415
00:21:39,700 --> 00:21:42,102
aren't getting that same
level of instruction, who

416
00:21:42,169 --> 00:21:44,204
maybe aren't getting that
same level of attention. At

417
00:21:44,271 --> 00:21:46,840
home. We get to the point
where we don't even think

418
00:21:46,907 --> 00:21:48,742
about the ways in which
we're adding and

419
00:21:48,809 --> 00:21:51,011
subtracting, multiply and
divide.

420
00:21:51,078 --> 00:21:54,281
>> And we say, okay, it's
three hours away. If I go

421
00:21:54,348 --> 00:21:57,684
about 60, I'll get there.
Those kinds of calculations,

422
00:21:57,751 --> 00:22:01,255
we don't see those as
mathematical, really

423
00:22:01,321 --> 00:22:03,991
calculating a discount in a
store or, you know, kind of

424
00:22:04,057 --> 00:22:05,826
visually eyeing something
to see. Okay, does this

425
00:22:05,893 --> 00:22:08,929
look about the same size.
>> In politics?

426
00:22:08,996 --> 00:22:10,531
Strategizing winning
campaigns and mapping

427
00:22:10,597 --> 00:22:13,033
voting districts involves
math.

428
00:22:13,100 --> 00:22:15,636
>> This is a battleground
state. I need to invest my

429
00:22:15,702 --> 00:22:17,638
resources because there is
something here that the

430
00:22:17,704 --> 00:22:19,940
data has shown that says
this is a possibility for

431
00:22:20,007 --> 00:22:23,744
me. We're using algorithms
in order to determine if

432
00:22:23,810 --> 00:22:28,115
somebody will recommit a
crime and return back to

433
00:22:28,182 --> 00:22:30,184
prison. And maybe for every
disciplinary infraction,

434
00:22:30,250 --> 00:22:33,120
I'm going to subtract ten
points.

435
00:22:33,187 --> 00:22:35,389
>> Math is at the center of
managing Covid and other

436
00:22:35,455 --> 00:22:37,558
diseases.
>> You have one person who

437
00:22:37,624 --> 00:22:41,028
is infected, and then that
person sits in a room with

438
00:22:41,094 --> 00:22:43,730
30 people and now 30 people
are infected.

439
00:22:43,797 --> 00:22:46,466
>> Walk sign is on to cross
park.

440
00:22:46,533 --> 00:22:49,002
>> Even something as
mundane as crossing a busy

441
00:22:49,069 --> 00:22:51,839
street involves mathematics.
>> I'm thinking about.

442
00:22:51,905 --> 00:22:54,274
>> You got 30 seconds to
get across the street.

443
00:22:54,341 --> 00:22:57,644
>> So I'm looking at the
distance.

444
00:22:57,711 --> 00:23:00,547
before the light turns red?
>> Do I need to run? Do I

445
00:23:00,614 --> 00:23:02,916
need to walk fast.
>> On the street? You're

446
00:23:02,983 --> 00:23:05,319
driving 35 miles an hour.
>> Suitcase in my hand. Can

447
00:23:05,385 --> 00:23:08,622
I make it?
>> These foundational

448
00:23:08,689 --> 00:23:10,691
the basis for your ability
to access and enter. And if

449
00:23:10,757 --> 00:23:12,726
anything, they'll only
become more important.

450
00:23:12,793 --> 00:23:14,895
>> People need to hear that
there are places in

451
00:23:14,962 --> 00:23:17,598
education that are working.
>> The Notre Dame Academy

452
00:23:17,664 --> 00:23:19,700
on Milwaukee's south side
is one of those places.

453
00:23:19,766 --> 00:23:21,702
>> There's a special math
culture here, and it's

454
00:23:21,768 --> 00:23:23,871
evident in the numbers.
>> That's the school's

455
00:23:23,937 --> 00:23:25,772
president, Patrick Landry,
speaking about the culture

456
00:23:25,839 --> 00:23:28,475
of learning at Notre Dame.
>> Math is cool here. Math

457
00:23:28,542 --> 00:23:30,711
is fun. When you ask the
kids their favorite

458
00:23:30,777 --> 00:23:32,846
subjects, I'd say 70% of
them are saying math.

459
00:23:32,913 --> 00:23:36,149
>> You each have a problem.
It's up front here.

460
00:23:36,216 --> 00:23:38,418
>> Welcome to Mrs. Frome's
eighth grade all boys

461
00:23:38,485 --> 00:23:41,388
algebra class.
>> To make sure that

462
00:23:41,455 --> 00:23:45,325
whatever you input for X,
whatever the outcome is for

463
00:23:45,392 --> 00:23:47,461
Y, then okay.
>> Where the proof is all

464
00:23:47,528 --> 00:23:51,265
in the numbers, student
Jonathan Todd will tell you,

465
00:23:51,331 --> 00:23:54,735
in this classroom, the
passion for math adds up to

466
00:23:54,801 --> 00:23:57,471
positive perfection.
>> The teachers here are

467
00:23:57,538 --> 00:23:59,840
just amazing. I think that
like the best teachers in

468
00:23:59,907 --> 00:24:01,608
the world.
>> Sixth through eighth

469
00:24:01,675 --> 00:24:04,611
grade boys at Notre Dame
scored a perfect 100% in

470
00:24:04,678 --> 00:24:09,316
math on the state's Ford
exam. It's girls, 70%

471
00:24:09,383 --> 00:24:11,652
students at other Milwaukee
schools in the same grades

472
00:24:11,718 --> 00:24:15,255
scoring at 20%.
>> So is your X and Y is

473
00:24:15,322 --> 00:24:17,424
going to be the same as
Jonathan's. Yes or no?

474
00:24:17,491 --> 00:24:20,260
>> Jonathan wants to be a
math teacher some day.

475
00:24:20,327 --> 00:24:22,129
>> The reason why people
struggle with math is

476
00:24:22,196 --> 00:24:24,031
because you haven't learned
it yet.

477
00:24:24,097 --> 00:24:27,267
>> He believes the
derivative of school

478
00:24:27,334 --> 00:24:29,203
Dame is a combination of
strict teaching discipline,

479
00:24:29,269 --> 00:24:32,406
students supporting each
support. And it's okay to

480
00:24:32,472 --> 00:24:35,409
make mistakes. He and his
classmates say. They learn

481
00:24:35,475 --> 00:24:37,811
from them.
>> There's a coefficient in

482
00:24:37,878 --> 00:24:40,714
front of the variable y.
>> Outside the classroom,

483
00:24:40,781 --> 00:24:44,017
Jonathan says. He uses math
all the time, even when he

484
00:24:44,084 --> 00:24:47,521
plays basketball.
>> If I'm like the three

485
00:24:47,588 --> 00:24:51,458
point line and my brain is
like, how much force I need

486
00:24:51,525 --> 00:24:54,328
to put in the ball, how
what angle I need to go

487
00:24:54,394 --> 00:24:57,364
upwards like this into the
net.

488
00:24:57,431 --> 00:24:59,733
come up and give me an
example.

489
00:24:59,800 --> 00:25:02,569
>> After more than 30 years
in the classroom, Angie

490
00:25:02,636 --> 00:25:05,739
says teaching how students
learn has changed a lot

491
00:25:05,806 --> 00:25:08,876
today. It involves more
problem solving, more

492
00:25:08,942 --> 00:25:11,111
critical thinking.
>> Maybe you and I were

493
00:25:11,178 --> 00:25:13,747
kids where we just like,
okay, what is two times

494
00:25:13,814 --> 00:25:17,317
five is ten? What is it was
it's more more than

495
00:25:17,384 --> 00:25:20,487
computation. It's more
conceptual. You know, you

496
00:25:20,554 --> 00:25:23,891
have to really think about
and use it for everyday

497
00:25:23,957 --> 00:25:26,059
situation, everyday life.
>> I have numbers in front

498
00:25:26,126 --> 00:25:30,531
of me all day financial
data, fundraising trends,

499
00:25:30,597 --> 00:25:33,567
enrollment and demographic
data test scores.

500
00:25:33,634 --> 00:25:36,470
>> You each have a problem.
It's up front here.

501
00:25:36,537 --> 00:25:39,706
>> At Notre Dame School of
Milwaukee, the formula for

502
00:25:39,773 --> 00:25:42,643
than their peers at other
schools involves a simple

503
00:25:42,709 --> 00:25:45,445
equation centered around
the basics.

504
00:25:45,512 --> 00:25:48,982
>> Fluency and subtraction,
addition and multiplication,

505
00:25:49,049 --> 00:25:53,053
and percents, decimals and
fractions. And if students

506
00:25:53,120 --> 00:25:55,989
don't have those in second,
third, fourth grade, it

507
00:25:56,056 --> 00:25:59,960
makes any type of more
complicated or more

508
00:26:00,027 --> 00:26:01,995
advanced math. In middle
school or high school

509
00:26:02,062 --> 00:26:03,931
really hard.
>> We've got to make sure

510
00:26:03,997 --> 00:26:05,799
that teachers are getting
the right training. We've

511
00:26:05,866 --> 00:26:07,868
got to make sure that
students are showing up.

512
00:26:07,935 --> 00:26:09,870
>> I think it's a
partnership between the

513
00:26:09,937 --> 00:26:12,639
home and school.
>> As long as it looks nice

514
00:26:12,706 --> 00:26:14,474
and neat and organized.
>> In your notebook.

515
00:26:14,541 --> 00:26:17,010
>> Capiche? Prasch. All
right.

516
00:26:17,077 --> 00:26:19,746
as you can see in some of
our data, I think really

517
00:26:19,813 --> 00:26:21,415
remarkable things can
happen.

518
00:26:21,481 --> 00:26:24,852
>> Reporting from Milwaukee
I'm Murv Seymour for here.

519
00:26:24,918 --> 00:26:28,722
>> Now for more on this and
other issues facing

520
00:26:28,789 --> 00:26:32,626
Wisconsin, visit our
website at PBS Wisconsin

521
00:26:32,693 --> 00:26:35,329
and then click on the news
tab. That's our program for

522
00:26:35,395 --> 00:26:37,264
tonight I'm Frederica
Freyberg.

523
00:26:37,331 --> 00:26:40,567
[MUSIC]
>> Funding for "Here& Now"

524
00:26:45,105 --> 00:26:47,808
is provided by the Focus
Fund for Journalism and

525
00:26:47,875 --> 00:26:50,344
Friends of PBS Wisconsin.