NOW TO ELECTION NEWS.
THAT'S THE GENERAL ELECTION DAY
THAT WILL DETERMINE THE NEXT
SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT.
LAST FRIDAY WE INTRODUCED YOU TO
DEBORAH KERR.
TONIGHT, A CONVERSATION WITH HER
OPPONENT JILL UNDERLY, A FORMER
HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL
SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER.
SHE'S WORKED AS A LICENSING
SPECIALIST AT THE DEPARTMENT OF
PUBLIC INSTRUCTION AND FOR THE
PAST SIX YEARS UNDERLY HAS
SERVED AS THE SUPERINTENDENT OF
THE PECK CON CA SCHOOL DISTRICT.
SHE JOIFNS JOINS US NOW FROM
HOLLANDALE.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> SO K-12 SCHOOLS THAT HAVEN'T
REOPENED, ARE ON THE PRECIPICE
OF DOING SO, WHAT ARE YOU
CALLING FOR TO FULLY AND SAFELY
OPEN TO IN-PERSON CLASSES?
>> YEF.
THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
I KNOW THE VALUE OF PERSONAL --
OR IN-PERSON LEARNING, I SHOULD
SAY.
IT'S BETTER FOR YOUR KIDS, OUR
ECONOMIES, OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH
TEACHERS AND SCHOOL BOARDS TO
HAVE SCHOOLS OPEN.
SO WHAT WE NEED TO DO, I'M THE
ONLY CANDIDATE WHO IS LEADING A
SCHOOL DISTRICT DURING THE
PANDEMIC.
WE REALLY NEED TO WORK TOGETHER.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT
THERE'S BUY-IN FROM THE
TEACHERS, PARENTS AND THE BOARD
AS FAR AS REOPENING PLANS.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR
TEACHERS GET VACCINATED.
>> WHAT'S YOUR RESPONSE TO
GOVERNOR EVERS' BUDGET AND HIS
PROPOSALS FOR A MAJOR BOOST IN
K-12 FUNDING, CALLING FOR AN
INCREASE OF $1.6 BILLION OVER
THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT?
>> YEAH.
I THINK IT'S GREAT.
I HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH
GOVERNOR EVERS.
I THINK THAT INVESTMENT IN OUR
PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS REALLY NEEDED.
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT INEQUITIES
AND BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, WE
CERTAINLY HAVE HAD A LOT OF
FINANCIAL STRUGGLES.
YOU KNOW, ALSO WHEN YOU LOOK AT
THE NUMBER OF SCHOOLS THAT ARE
GOING TO REFERENDUM ON THE
BALLOT, YOU KNOW THAT WE NEED
THE FUNDING IN ORDER TO KEEP OUR
SCHOOLS OPEN AND INVEST IN
SAFETY MEASURES AS WELL.
>> SO THE BUDGET ALSO CALLS FOR
CAPS ON PRIVATE SCHOOL,
STATE-FUNDED VOUCHERS.
WHERE DO YOU STAND ON THAT?
>> I'M 100% PRO PUBLIC SCHOOLS,
SO I SUPPORT THE CAP.
RIGHT NOW WE SPEND $380 MILLION
PER YEAR ON PRIVATE SCHOOL
VOUCHERS AND THAT'S MONEY THAT
SHOULD BE IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
>> SO ANOTHER THING THE GOVERNOR
IS CALLING FOR IS ROLLING BACK
PARTS OF ACT 10 TO RESTORE UNION
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING RIGHTS,
FOR EXAMPLE.
AS THE CANDIDATE ENDORSED BY THE
STATE'S TEACHERS UNION, HOW DO
YOU THINK THAT, ROLLING BACK OF
ACT 10, WOULD HELP STUDENTS?
>> YEAH.
SO WHEN I LOOK AT ACT 10, HERE
WE ARE TEN YEARS OUT, AND I
THOUGHT ABOUT WE'RE NOT IN ANY
BETTER SHAPE THAN WHEN ACT 10
HAPPENED.
OUR BUDGETS ARE STILL BROKEN.
WE'VE ALSO NOW DESTROYED OUR
PIPELINE TO THE TEACHING
PROFESSION.
WE STRUGGLE RECRUITING AND
RETAINING TEACHERS.
ACT 10 CERTAINLY MADE IT AN
UNDESIRABLE PROFESSION.
SO I WOULD SUPPORT GOVERNOR
EVERS' ROLLBACK OF ACT 10
BECAUSE WHAT IT WILL MEAN IS IF
WE CAN PROFESSIONALIZE THE
PROFESSION AGAIN, THAT'S WHAT WE
NEED TO DO.
>> AND THIS IS A BIG QUESTION,
BUT WHAT IS YOUR PLAN FOR
NARROWING OR ELIMINATING THE
ACHIEVEMENT GAP BETWEEN STUDENTS
OF COLOR AND WHITE STUDENTS?
>> YEAH.
YOU KNOW, ACHIEVEMENT GAP IS
PRETTY MUCH THE POPULAR WORD
STATEWIDE, BUT I LIKE TO CALL
THEM OPPORTUNITY GAPS, BECAUSE
WHEN WE TALK THEM ABOUT BEING
ACHIEVEMENT GAPS WE'RE PUTTING
THE ONUS ON THE KIDS.
IT'S A COMBINATION OF A LOT OF
THINGS THAT THE KIDS HAVE NO
CONTROL OVER, LAWS AND POLICIES
AND PRACTICES.
REALLY WHAT WE FIND IS THE
WELL-RESOURCED SCHOOLS HAVE THE
MOST OPPORTUNITIES FOR THOSE
KIDS AND THOSE KIDS ARE MORE
LIKELY TO DO BETTER IN SCHOOL.
EARLY CHILDHOOD EXPANSION,
BRINGING THAT OPPORTUNITY TO
KIDS, RECRUITING AND RETAINING
PASSIONATE EDUCATORS FOR OUR
KIDS, EXPANDING MENTAL HEALTH
ACCESS AND FIXING OUR BROKEN
FUNDING FORMULA.
>> AND YET MANY OF THESE KINDS
OF IDEAS HAVE BEEN IN FORCE FOR
A WHILE AND THESE GAPS ARE SO
ENDURING.
WHAT ABOUT THAT?
>> YEAH.
I THINK, THOUGH, THAT A LOT OF
THE THINGS THAT I HAVE BEEN
PROPOSING ARE RESEARCH-BASED AND
THEY HAVEN'T BEEN IN PLACE FOR A
WHILE.
RIGHT NOW EARLY CHILDHOOD
EDUCATION IS ONLY REIMBURSED AT
60%.
WE NEED TO EXPAND ACCESS FOR ALL
KIDS SO THAT EVERY KID, NO
MATTER THEIR ZIP CODE, HAS
ACCESS TO A HIGH- HIGH-QUALITY
PRESCHOOL PROGRAM.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TEACHER
RETENTION, THE HIGHEST POVERTY
SCHOOLS OFTEN HAVE THE LEAST
EXPERIENCED TEACHERS BECAUSE
WHEN TEACHERS GET MORE
EXPERIENCE, THEY OFTEN GO TO
WELL-RESOURCED SCHOOLS WHERE
THEY CAN EARN MORE MONEY.
IT'S RURAL SCHOOLS, TOO.
WE LOOK AT MENTAL HEALTH,
THERE'S A SHORTAGE OF PROVIDERS
IN THE STATE.
AND PREPANDEMIC IT WAS AN
EPIDEMIC.
POST-PANDEMIC WE NEED TO GET
MENTAL HEALTH AID TO OUR KIDS.
THESE IDEAS ARE PROVEN TO WORK.
SO GETTING THE FUNDING TO THE
KIDS IS MY HIGHEST PRIORITY.
>> JILL UNDERLY, THANK YOU JUROR FOR
JOINING US.
>> MY PLEASURE.
>> Y