DEBORAH KERR AND JILL UNDERLY
WILL FACE OFF ON APRIL 6.
TONIGHT IN THE FIRST OF
INTERVIEWS WITH EACH CANDIDATE,
WE INTRODUCE YOU TO DEB KERR,
WHO HAS WORKED WITH PAROCHIAL,
CHARTER, PRIVATE AND PUBLIC
SCHOOLS, INCLUDING 13 YEARS AS
THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE BROWN
DEER SCHOOL DISTRICT AND IS
CO-CHAIR OF THE TASK FORCE TO
ADVANCE TEACHERS IN THE
PIPELINE.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> RIGHT NOW AS YOU KNOW AN
IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR WISCONSIN
SCHOOLS IS WHETHER AND HOW TO
REOPEN SAFELY.
WHAT ARE YOU CALLING FOR?
>> I'M THE ONLY CANDIDATE TO
CALL FOR A STATEWIDE REENTRY
BACK TO SCHOOL.
WE CAN DO THIS SENSIBLY AND
SAFELY.
THE RESEARCH HAS SHOWN ACROSS
THE COUNTRY THAT KIDS CAN COME
BACK TO SCHOOL AND ARE NOT
SPREADERS OF THE DISEASE.
I HAVE PROPOSED A REENTRY AND
RECOVER PLAN THAT GETS OUR
ELEMENTARY STUDENTS INTO THE
SCHOOLS FIRST WITH PROPER
PROTOCOLS AND OUR ADMINISTRATORS
AND SCHOOL BOARDS HAVE BEEN
PLANNING FOR THIS SINCE LAST
SPRING.
SO THEY ARE READY AND WITH THE
VACCINATIONS COMING UP, I THINK
WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO IT
SAFELY AND BECAUSE OUR KIDS ARE
NOT WINNING RIGHT NOW.
OUR KIDS ARE EXPERIENCING
SIGNIFICANT LEARNING LOSS AND
BECAUSE OF THIS PANDEMIC AND
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF
WORK TO DO TO RECOVER.
>> GOVERNOR EVERS' BUDGET CALLED
FOR BIG INCREASES IN K-12
FUNDING.
WHAT'S YOUR RESPONSE TO HIS PLAN
PLAN?
>> WE ARE GOING TO NEED
SIGNIFICANT FUNDS AND RESOURCES
PUT IN JUST THE RIGHT PLACES TO
SUPPORT ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS.
EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS
DIFFERENT NEEDS BASED UPON THE
UNIQUE NEEDS OF THEIR CHILDREN
AND COMMUNITY.
BUT WE ARE GOING TO NEED
EXTENDED FUNDING BECAUSE WE
MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO HAVE A
REGULAR SCHOOL YEAR.
WE MIGHT NEED TO EXTEND LEARNING
THROUGH SUMMER LEARNING
PROGRAMS, PROGRAMS ON THE
WEEKENDS, POSSIBLY LOOKING AT A
TOTALLY DIFFERENT WAY OF
EDUCATING OUR KIDS.
WE DID LEARN THAT SOME KIDS ARE
SUCCESSFUL IN THIS VIRTUAL
LEARNING, BUT WE'VE GOT A LOT OF
WORK TO DO TO CATCH UP.
>> SO YOU LIKE HIS FUNDING IN
HIS BUDGET.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING?
>> THE SCHOOLS NEED THE FUNDING.
THERE'S A LOT OF ADDITIONAL
RESOURCES BECAUSE OF THE PPE,
THE STAFFING NEEDS TO PUT IN
PROTOCOLS FOR CLEANING AND
SANITATION AND JUST THE
SPREADING OUT OF KIDS.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE KIDS HAVE
MASKS, ARE SOCIALLY DISTANCED
AND OUR TEACHERS ARE PROTECTED.
>> THE EVERS' BUDGET ALSO CALLS
ON CAPS FOR ENROLLMENT AND
PRIVATE SCHOOL TEACHERS TO HAVE
STATE LICENSES.
AS A SUPPORTER OF VOUCHER
SCHOOLS, WHAT'S YOUR RESPONSE TO
THAT?
>> FIRST OF ALL, THE STATE
SUPERINTENDENT THE IS
RESPONSIBLE FOR SERVING ALL
CHILDREN AND SO ALL SECTORS OF
EDUCATION ARE UNDER MY PURVIEW
AS THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT.
AND SO WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO
SUPPORT ALL KIDS AND MAKE SURE
THEY HAVE WHAT THEY NEED.
AND SO IRREGARDLESS OF WHAT THE
GOVERNOR HAS PROPOSED, THE
LEGISLATURE IS THE GROUP THAT
MAKES THOSE DECISIONS AND I
BELIEVE THAT ALL KIDS NEED TO BE
SUPPORTED.
>> AND SO YOU DISFAVOR THOSE
KINDS OF CAPS.
>> IT'S NOT MY DECISION AS THE
STATE SUPERINTENDENT.
HOWEVER, I DO KNOW THAT ALL KIDS
HAVE TO BE SERVED.
AND SOME OF THOSE SCHOOLS ARE
DOING VERY WELL.
AND SO I PROPOSE ONE SYSTEM OF
FULL ACCOUNTABILITY AND
TRANSPARENCY, MAKING SURE THAT
WE'RE ALL ACCOUNTABLE,
ESPECIALLY WHEN USING TAXPAYER
DOLLARS.
>> THE GOVERNOR WOULD ALSO ROLL
BACK PARTS OF ACT 10 AND ALLOW
FOR UNION COLLECTIVE BARGAINING.
IN YOUR MIND, WOULD THAT HELP OR
HURT SCHOOLS?
>> WELL, TO ME, THE ACT 10
SITUATION PROVIDED SOME RELIEF
IN A TEMPORARY WAY.
HOWEVER, IT'S ABOUT THE
RELATIONSHIPS THAT YOU HAVE WITH
YOUR TEACHERS.
SO IN BROWN DEER, WHERE I WAS
THE SUPERINTENDENT FOR THE LAST
13 YEARS, WE TREATED OUR
TEACHERS WITH PROFESSIONALISM.
WE CRAIFTED CREATED THE BEST WORK
ENVIRONMENTS POSSIBLE.
BEFORE WE MADE ANY DECISIONS, WE
ALWAYS VOCHED THEM INVOLVED THEM IN THE
PROCESS.
I BELIEVE IT JUST DEPENDS.
THE SCHOOL BOARD IN BROWN DEER
NEVER OVER-REACHED THEIR
GOVERNANCE IN DEALING WITH OUR
TEACHERS BECAUSE WE TRUSTED THEM
AND THEY TRUSTED US.
>> ACHIEVEMENT GAPS ARE AN
ENDURING PROBLEM IN WISCONSIN.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
>> FIRST OF ALL, WISCONSIN HAS
THE LARGEST ACHIEVEMENT GAPS IN
THE COUNTRY AND WE HAVE BEEN ON
THAT LIST FOR THE LAST TEN
YEARS.
THAT'S REP REEF HENCABLE AND
UNACCEPTABLE.
WE NEED TO HAVE A LASER FOCUS ON
LITERACY AND MATH.
BUT MY TEAM HAS PREPARED A
ROADMAP THAT WILL GET KIDS ON
THE RIGHT PATH FOR LEARNING HOW
TO READ WITH MORE GROWTH AND
ACHIEVEMENT WITHIN THE FIRST
YEAR.
THE IMPORTANT PART OF THIS PLAN
IS WE HAVE 400 DIFFERENT WAYS OF
TEACHING READING RIGHT NOW IN
OUR STATE.
WE NEED TO HAVE ALIGNMENT IN
TERMS OF CRYSK CURRICULUM, ASSESSMENTS
TO MEASURE GROWTH AND TO GET THE
OUTCOMES WE EXPECT FOR ALL KIDS.
>> YOU HAVE SAID THAT YOU'VE
BEEN IMMERSED IN EQUITY,
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION FOR YOUR
ENTIRE CAREER.
I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT A TWEET
YOU POSTED THIS WEEK THAT MADE
HEADLINES.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY ABOUT
THAT?
>> FIRST OF ALL, BEING AN ED
CAIFORT IS A CALLING AND I
CONTINUE TO BE CALLED INTO THIS
WORK.
I DO HAVE A RECORD OF ACTION AS
IT RELATES TO PROTECTING ALL
STUDENTS OF COLOR.
I HAVE A REPUTATION FOR SPEAKING
MY TRIEWFT AT BROWN DEER,
ESPECIALLY WHERE I WAS THE
SUPERINTENDENT.
AND I ALSO ENCOURAGE MY STUDENTS
TO SPEAK THEIR TRUTH.
SO AFTER HEARING FROM STUDENTS
AND WITNESSING A LOT OF RACIST
ACTS AGAINST MY STUDENTS WHEN I
WAS SUPERINTENDENT, I SET UP A
CALL TO ACTION.
ENOUGH WAS ENOUGH AND I WORKED
TO DEVELOP A MULTISEQUENCED
APPROACH TO FIGHT RACISM IN OUR
SCHOOL.
SO I ASKED MY SCHOOL LEADERS TO
JOIN ME AND WORK TO ELIMINATE
THESE DISPARITIES.
BUT THIS IS A CONVERSATION THAT
NEEDS TO HAPPEN ALL ACROSS THE
STATE AND ALL ACROSS OUR
COUNTRY.
>> WE NEED TO LEAVE IT THERE.
DEBORAH KERR, THANKS VERY MUCH.