CANDIDATES.
DEBORAH KERR JOINS US FROM
MILWAUKEE.
JILL UNDERLY APPEARS FROM
MADISON AND THANKS TO BOTH OF
YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON.
>> HEY.
SO MARISA TEED UP SOME OF THE
AREAS FOR US TO EXPLORE, FIRST
REOPENING OF SCHOOLS.
DEBORAH KERR, ONE OF YOUR ADS
SAYS WE CAN NO LONGER PLAY
POLITICS WITH OUR CHILDREN.
HOW ARE POLITICS BEING PLAYED ON
THIS ISSUE OF REOPENING SCHOOLS?
>> SEVERAL MONTHS I PUT OUT A
PLAN TO REOPEN OUR SCHOOLS
SAFELY AND SENSIBLY.
I HAD A REENTRY PLAN AND
RECOVERY PLAN.
WHAT'S HAPPENED IS THE FIEFT FIVE
LARGEST DISTRICTS IN THE STATE
HAVE NOT REOPENED BECAUSE OF
TEACHERS UNIONS.
WE NEED TO OPEN OUR SCHOOLS
SAFELY.
THE SCIENCE SHOWS WE CAN OPEN
OUR SCHOOLS SAFELY, THAT
STUDENTS DON'T SPREAD THE
DISEASE AND TEACHERS DON'T
NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE
VACCINATED TO OPEN SCHOOLS
SAFELY.
WE HAVE OVER 70% OF SCHOOLS OPEN
IN WISCONSIN.
THE MAJORITY OF THOSE ARE WITH
WHITE STUDENTS.
OUR PREDOMINANTLY MIGHT HAVE
NORTH STUDENTS ARE NOT BACK IN
SCHOOL YET FULL-TIME AND WE NEED
TO GET BACK TO BUSINESS SO WE
CAN GET ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY.
>> TO YOU, JI JILL UNDERLY.
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR GUIDANCE TO
DISTRICTS NOW OPEN OR THOSE NOT
FULLY BACK IN PERSON IF, AS
THESE NEW TRENDS ARE SHOWING,
COVID CASES START GOING UP
AGAIN?
YOUR GUIDANCE TO DISTRICTS?
>> YEAH.
MY GUIDANCE IS I WOULD SUGGEST
THAT THE TEACHERS GET VACCINATED
ESPECIALLY IF CASES ARE GOING
UP.
MY SCHOOL HAS BEEN OPEN.
WE REALLY WORKED HARD TO MAKE
SURE MY SCHOOL COULD BE OPENED
AND WE DID SO SAFELY.
WE SPACED PEOPLE OUT AND MADE
SURE THAT WE HIRED ADDITIONAL
PERSONNEL AND HAD PPE.
LIKE I SAID, MY SCHOOL HAS BEEN
OPEN.
WE DID SO SAFELY.
THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN SAYING ALL
ALONG, IS THAT THE LOCAL SCHOOL
DISTRICTS KNOW HOW TO DO THIS
AND SHOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE THAT
DECISION.
>> NOW, THIS IS A NONPARTISAN
ELECTED OFFICE, YET DEB KERR HAS
THE BACKING OF REPUBLICANS.
JILL UNDERLY, YOU HAVE THE
BACKING AND ENDORSEMENT OF THOSE
THAT INCLUDE THE DEMOCRATIC
PARTY, POLITICIANS AND UNIONS.
IN A FORUM THIS WEEK, MISS KERR,
YOU ACCUSED DEMOCRATS OF BUYING
THIS ELECTION FOR YOUR OPPONENT.
WHY IN YOUR ESTIMATION WOULD
THEY DO THAT?
>> WELL, I DON'T KNOW.
IT'S UNFORTUNATE.
I'M DEEPLY SADDENED BY T.
THERE'S BEEN NAME-CALLING,
DISPARAGING REMARKS MADE ABOUT
MY SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
THE DEMOCRATS AND UNIONS HAVE
PUT OVER A MILLION DOLLARS INTO
MY
MY OPPONENT'S CAMPAIGN.
SHE HAS DUG UP DIRT ON MY
SITUATION IN BROWN DEER WITH A
BUSINESS MANAGER.
SHE'S TALKING ABOUT ISSUES THAT
SHE HAS NO UNDERSTANDING OF.
SO THOSE MILLION DOLLAR ADS ARE
BEING RUN RIGHT NOW.
IT'S UNFORTUNATE.
THIS IS THE KIND OF THING YOU
SEE IN A GUBERNATORIAL RACE, NOT
A STATE SUPERINTENDENT'S RACE.
>> JILL UNDERLY, YOU HAVE SAID
IT SADDENS YOU THAT THIS RACE
HAS BECOME SO PARTISAN.
HOW SO AND WHY DOES IT SADDEN
YOU?
>> IT SADDENS ME BECAUSE
SUPPORTING OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS,
WHICH SERVES 860,000 KIDS
THROUGHOUT WISCONSIN, IT HAS
BECOME PARTISAN.
THERE ARE ISSUES SUCH AS
FUNDING, FOR EXAMPLE, REOPENING
THE SCHOOLS.
THOSE CERTAINLY ARE THINGS THAT
HAVE MADE IT BECOME PARTISAN.
BUT ORGANIZATIONS AND
INDIVIDUALS ON BOTH SIDES ARE
LINING UP.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE BIG RIGHT WING
ANTIPUBLIC EDUCATION DONORS ARE
OF COURSE SUPPORTING DR. KERR.
AND THEN GRASSROOTS,
PROGRESSIVES, MEMBER-FUNDED
ORGANIZATIONS ARE SUPPORTING ME.
YOU KNOW, I'M PROUD OF THE
SUPPORT I'M GETTING BECAUSE
PEOPLE ARE INVESTING IN A LEADER
THAT THEY KNOW HAS GOOD
JUDGMENT, CAN MANAGE A BUDGET
AND WILL MAKE OUR SCHOOLS
STRONGER.
I'VE BEEN WORKING VERY HARD TO
GET MY MESSAGE OUT TO VOTERS AND
I'M PROUD OF THE SUPPORT I'VE
BEEN RECEIVING FROM EVERY CORNER
OF THE STATE.
>> AT THIS POINT WE WANT TO GO
THIS DIRECTION.
WE ASKED EACH OF YOU TO COME
PREPARED TO ASK A QUESTION
DIRECTLY OF YOUR OPPONENTMENT OPPONENT.
FIRST TO JILL UNDERLY.
WHAT IS YOUR QUESTION FOR DEB
KERR?
>> OKAY.
ALL RIGHT.
JUDGMENT IS AN ISSUE IN THIS
CAMPAIGN.
DEB, YOU'VE CAREENED FROM CRISIS
TO CRISIS IN THIS RACE.
YOU'VE GOT A FINANCIAL PROBLEM
FROM TEN YEARS AGO STILL DOGGING
YOU.
THERE'S AETH AN ETHICS COMPLAINT
AGAINST YOU.
YOU HAD TO DELETE YOUR TWITTER
ACCOUNT BUT NOT BEFORE YOU
STARTED BLOCKING CRITICS.
YOUR CAMPAIGN TEAM QUIT AND YOUR
MANAGER HAS ENDORSED ME NOW.
SO MY QUESTION IS HOW CAN VOTERS
HAVE CONFIDENCE YOU HAVE THE
GOOD JUDGMENT AND DISCIPLINE TO
RUN THIS CRIST CRITICAL STATE AGENCY?
>> MISS KERR, GO AHEAD WITH YOUR
RESPONSE TO THAT QUESTION.
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I HAVE
OVER 40 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE OF
BEING IN EDUCATION, 34 YEARS OF
PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATION.
I'M PAROCHIAL EDUCATED AND BEEN
A SUPERINTENDENT FOR 20 YEARS.
I HAVE LOTS OF EXPERIENCE
SUPERVISING EMPLOYEES AND STAFF.
UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE THIS HAS
BECOME A PARTISAN ISSUE,
PEOPLE'S LIVELIHOODS HAVE BEEN
THREATENED.
AND THAT'S SO UNFORTUNATE
BECAUSE IT DIDN'T HAVE TO GO
THAT WAY.
YOU ALSO HAD AN ETHICS COMPLAINT
AGAINST YOURSELF.
THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN BROUGHT
FORTH WITH THOSE TYPES OF
COMPLAINTS HAVE GONE TO PRISON.
THE ETHICS COMPLAINTS I HAVE,
THOSE PEOPLE HAVE NOT.
I HAD INCIDENTAL CONTACT IN
STARTING A NEW BUSINESS AND I
DID NOT EXCHANGE ANY KIND OF
CONTRACTUAL ARRANGEMENT.
SO I THINK YOU HAVE BROUGHT UP
SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN VERY
DEVASTATING TO MY BROWN DEER
COMMUNITY AND THEY ARE BEHIND ME
100%.
IN FACT, THEY HAVE COME OUT AND
PUT ADS IN THE PAPER SUPPORTING
ME AND THEY WILL ALWAYS BACK ME
BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN
ABLE TO STAY AS A SUPERINTENDENT
IN BROWN DEER FOR 13 YEARS IF I
HAD SOME OTHER KIND OF FINANCIAL
IRREGULARITY.
SO YOU ARE MISSPOKEN ABOUT THAT
AND THAT'S VERY UNFORTUNATE.
>> AT THIS POINT I'D LIKE TO DIG
INTO SOME OF THAT, BUT I ALSO
WANT TO GET TO SOME OF THE
IMPORTANT ISSUES IN THIS RACE.
SO I WILL ASK YOU, DEB KERR,
WHAT IS YOUR QUESTION THEN FOR
JILL UNDERLY?
>> WHEN A CANDIDATE SPENDS ALL
THEIR TIME AND THEIR RESOURCES
PUTTING DOWN SOMEONE ELSE, A
FORMER COLLEAGUE, IT'S BECAUSE
THEY KNOW THEY'RE NOT CAPABLE OF
COMPETING AT A HIGH LEVEL.
YOU CLEARLY, JILL, DO NOT
UNDERSTAND OUR STATE.
YOU APPROACH EVERYTHING FROM A
PARTISAN BIEWFER CAT BUREAUCRAT MINDSET.
HOW WILL YOU TAKE YOUR APPROACH
TO OUR STATE AND WORK WITH
REPUBLICAN LEGISLATURE,
ESPECIALLY AFTER CALLING THEM
TRANSPHOBIC?
I'D LIKE TO HEAR YOU CONTINUING
WHAT HAS GONE ON IN THE DPI FOR
YEARS IS GOING TO MAKE US BETTER
WHEN WISCONSIN KIDS HAVE CLEARLY
SUFFERED UNDER YOUR PARTISAN
STYLE OF LEADERSHIP.
>> MISS UNDERLY, GO AHEAD.
>> ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU.
SO THIS CAMPAIGN IS ABOUT GOOD
JUDGMENT, AND I'VE GOT OVER 20
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN RURAL,
URBAN AND SUBURBAN SCHOOL
DISTRICTS AS WELL AS IN HIGHER
EDUCATION AND INCLUDING THE
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC
INSTRUCTION.
THIS CAMPAIGN IS ABOUT EQUITY, A
LEADER WHO CAN BRING EQUITY TO
SCHOOL PROGRAMMING, EXPANDING
MENTAL HEALTH.
IT'S ABOUT LEADING OUR SCHOOL
DISTRICTS THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC.
I HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE
SUPPORTING ME, DOZENS OF
SUPERINTENDENTS, SCHOOL BOARD
MEMBERS, COUNTY BOARD MEMBERS,
CITY COUNCIL.
I HAVE A BIPARTISAN GROUP OF
LEGISLATORS.
AND THEY SUPPORT ME BECAUSE I'M
DEDICATED TO WISCONSIN'S KIDS,
OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND I'VE
DEMONSTRATED THE GOOD JUDGMENT
AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT WE NEED
IN THIS POSITION.
>> I THINK WE LEAVE THAT SECTION
THERE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
VERY POINTED QUESTIONS,
DIFFICULT IN THIS NONPARTISAN
RACE, ONCE AGAIN.
BUT THANK YOU.
I WANT TO GET NOW TO ACHIEVEMENT
GAPS.
TWO EDUCATORS IN MARISA'S
REPORTING SPOKE TO THEIR CONCERN
THAT THE PAST YEAR HAD
EXACERBATED ACHIEVEMENT GAPS.
WHAT IS THE VERY BEST WAY TO
ELIMINATE THESE GAPS?
JILL UNDERLY, FIRST TO YOU.
>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
ELIMINATING THESE GAPS IS
SOMETHING I'M VERY PASSIONATE
ABOUT.
I SEE THEM AS OPPORTUNITY GAPS
BECAUSE ACHIEVEMENT GAPS SEEMS
IT'S LIKE SOMETHING THE KIDS
DID.
IT'S ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES.
THE ZIP CODE YOU LIVE IN
DETERMINES YOUR EDUCATIONAL
STUDENTS AND OUTCOMESMENT SO IN
ORDER TO ADDRESS THIS, WE TO
LOOK AT EQUITY, THE PROGRAMS
THAT WORK, SUP AS SUCH AS WRAP-AROUND
CHILD CARE FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
KIDS, LOOKING AT EXPANDING
MENTAL HEALTH ASK SES, ACCESS AND ALSO
RECRUITING TEEP TEEP TEACHERS.
THE KIND OF UNDERLYING ALL THF
IS THE FACT THAT OUR SCHOOL
FUNDING FORMULA IS BROKEN.
WE NEED TO INFUSE IT WITH
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES SO WE CAN
PROVIDE THESE OPPORTUNITIES FOR
OUR KIDS.
>> DEB KERR, WHAT'S YOUR FIRST
PRIORITY IN ADDRESSING
ACHIEVEMENT GAPS OR OPPORTUNITY
GAPS, AS DR. UNDERLY REFERS TO
THEM?
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WE HAVE
TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE SERIOUS
NATURE OF THESE ACHIEVEMENT GAPS
AND UNFORTUNATELY UNDER THE
CURRENT LEADERSHIP THERE'S BEEN
TEN YEARS OF THE ACHIEVEMENT
GAPS ACROSS THE COUNTRY BETWEEN
OUR BLACK AND WHITE STUDENTS.
WE NEED TO GET WISCONSIN OFF THE
LIST OF UNDER-PERFORMING STATES.
I WILL DO THAT BY LEADING ADY
VEERS SCHOOL DISTRICT AND FOCUS
ON LITERACY AND MATH.
SO I WAS ABLE TO CLOSE
ACHIEVEMENT GAPS, RAISE
ACHIEVEMENT AND GET ALMOST 100%
GRADUATION RATE.
IT CAN BE DONE WITH FOCUSED
INTERVEFNTIONS AND HIGH-QUALITY
CURRICULUM FOR TEACHERS,
SUPERINTENDENTS AND PRRCHTS PARENTS TOO.
WE'VE GOT TO WORK ON THESE EXACT
ISSUES.
I DO AGREE THAT WE NEED TO TAKE
A LOOK AT THE WAY SCHOOLS ARE
FUNDED.
AND I WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE
THAT THE STATE SCHOOL
SUPERINTENDENT IS IN CHARGE OF
ALL STUDENTS.
IT'S THE LAW.
SO I WANT TO BRING PEOPLE TO THE
TABLE TO TALK ABOUT HOW WITH CAN
WE BEST FUND ALL KIDS AND WHAT
DOES A HIGH-QUALITY EDUCATION
LOOK LIKE SO WE CAN CLOSE
ACHIEVEMENT GAPS.
>> AS IMPORTANT AS THAT ISSUE
IS, I WANTED TO JUMP TO
SOMETHING THAT WAS MENTIONED
PREVIOUSLY AND THAT IS THE FACT
THAT LEGISLATURES ACROSS THE
COUNTRY AND HERE IN WISCONSIN
ARE CONSIDERING THESE LAWS TO
PROHIBIT TRANSGENDER AGENT ATHLETES.
DEB KERR, YOU SUPPORT THOSE
PROCEED BENEFICIALS.
TELL US WHY.
>> ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE BEEN
FRUSTRATED WITH IS SOME OF THESE
QUESTIONS THAT REALLY ARE NOT IN
THE PURVIEW OF THE STATE
SUPERINTENDENT.
BUT I SPEAK TO THEM FROM MY
PERSONAL EXPERIENCES.
SO I'M A COLLEGE ATHLETE, I'M A
GIRL OF TITLE IX.
I AM NOT TRANSPHOBIC AND NEVER
HAVE BEEN.
I'VE WORKED WITH MY KIDS AND
TEACH NERS MANY, MANY WAYS TO
SUPPORT THEM NO MATTER WHERE
THEY COME TO US, WHAT ENTRY
POINT AND WHO THEY ARE AND WHAT
THEY WANT TO BE.
AND SO THAT INFORMATION, THE LAW
AND THE LEGISLATURE, THOSE KIND
OF THINGS ARE VERY COMPLEX.
AND THEY'RE VERY NUANCED.
AND SO UNFORTUNATELY MY ANSWER
WAS TAKEN OUT CONTEXT IN A
SHORT, LITTLE SOUND-BITE.
>> OKAY.
JILL UNDERLY, YOUR RESPONSE TO
THAT SAME QUESTION?
YOUR POSITION ON ANY KIND -- ANY
KIND LEGISLATIVE BILLS THAT
WOULD BAN TRANSGENDER ATHLETES
FROM COMPETING ON GIRLS OR
WOMEN'S TEAMS.
>> ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU.
SO LOOK.
SERVING ALL KIDS MEANS SERVING
ALL KIDS.
AND WE CAN'T TURN OUR BACK ON
THOSE WHO NEED OUR HELP THE
MOST.
THE TRUTH IS THAT THIS IS AN
ISSUE MEANT TO DIVIDE AND
DISTRACT US.
THIS RACE IS ABOUT WHO HAS THE
BEST JUDGMENT, BEST FINANCIAL
MANAGEMENT SKILLS AND BEST
VISION FOR THE FUTURE.
THE COMPARISON IS CLEAR.
>> I WANT TO GO TO THIS
IMPORTANT ISSUE AND THAT IS ONE
OF THE STARKEST DIFFERENCE
NOTICE YOUR POSITIONS AROUND
TAX-FUNDED VOUCHER SCHOOLS.
GOVERNOR EVERS' BUDGET CALLS FOR
A CAP ON CHOICE ENROLLMENT.
SHOULD IT BE CAPPED?
FIRST TO YOU, DEB KERR.
>> FIRST OF ALL, IT'S THE LAW.
AND I DON'T THINK THE
LEGISLATURE IS GOING TO PASS
THAT LAW TO CAP ANYTHING.
I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO THINK
ABOUT IS WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN
IN FOUR YEARS WHEN THOSE CAPS
COME OFF.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE IN A CRISIS.
I'M WORRIED THAT OUR PUBLIC
SCHOOL PRRCHTS WHO HAVE PARENTS WHO HAVE BEEN TO
VOUCHER SCHOOLS ARE NOT COMING
BACK.
I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE EVERY
PARENT CHOOSE THEIR PUBLIC
SCHOOL IN THEIR OWN
NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT THIS IS WHY WE
HAVE SCHOOL CHOICE IN WISCONSIN
AND I RESPECT THAT LIBERTY.
>> I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME
LEFT BUT OF COURSE YOU WANT,
JILL UNDERLY, TO HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT
WHETHER OR NOT YOU THINK THAT
ENROLLMENT ON SCHOOL CHOICE
SHOULD BE CAPPED.
>> I DO THINK IT SHOULD BE
CAPPED.
I'M NOT LOOKING TO TAKE A
VOUCHER AWAY FROM A STUDENT.
IN THE LONG TERM, WE WE CAN'T
AFFORD TO FINANCE TWO SCHOOL
SYSTEMS IN WISCONSIN AND WE NEED
TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY CHILD
HAS ACCESS TO A QUALITY
EDUCATION IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL,
PERIOD.
>> WE LEAVE IT THERE.
DEB KERR, JILL