ELECTION, WISCONSIN HAS A NEW
INCOMING SUPERINTENDENT OF
PUBLIC INSTRUCTION.
JILL UNDERLY WON THE LEAKS OVER
DEB KERR BY 57% TO 42% OF THE
VOTE AND WILL TAKE OFFICE IN
JULY.
TONIGHT WE'RE JOINED BY JILL
UNDERLY TO TALK ABOUT HER
MISSION GOING FORWARD AND SHE
JOINS US FROM HOLLENDALE.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> FIRST, CONGRATULATIONS.
>> THANK YOU.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I'M REALLY EXCITED TO GET TO
WORK AND GET STARTED.
>> I DON'T HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT
THIS ELECTION WAS CONTENTIOUS.
AND RIGHT OUT OF THE CHUTES,
REPUBLICAN ASSEMBLY SPEAKER ROB
VOSS TWEETED THIS.
YECTLY STATED HE SAID THAT THE
TEACHERS' UNION OWNS THE TPI.
HE SAYS COUNT ME AS SOMEONE WHO
ISN'T GOING TO SUPPORT PUTTING
ANOTHER NICKEL INTO THIS
UNACCOUNTABLE STATE BUREAUCRACY.
WHAT'S YOUR RESPONSE TO THAT
MESSAGE FROM SPEAKER VOSS,
PARTICULARLY THAT PART ABOUT THE
TEACHERS UNION OWNING IT?
>> YEAH.
MY INITIAL REACTION WAS THAT WAS
REALLY SAD.
HONESTLY, MY SADNESS.
I THINK IT'S CLEAR FROM
TUESDAY'S RESULT THAT'S
SUPPORT -- THAT SUPPORTING OUR
LOCAL SCHOOLS AND CHILDREN ISN'T
A PARTISAN ISSUE.
I HAVE NO INTEREST IN BEING
PARTISAN ABOUT PUBLIC SCHOOLS OR
ABOUT OUR KIDS.
AND OUR KIDS AND OUR SCHOOL
STAFF, THEY DESERVE -- YOU KNOW,
THEY NEED HELP, I SHOULD SAY,
RECOVERING FROM THE PANDEMIC AND
GETTING BACK ON TRACK.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING
WITH THE LEGISLATURE AND THE
GOVERNOR TO HELP ALL KIDS NO
MATTER HOW THEIR PARENTS VOTED.
>> AS TO SUPPORTING AND PUTTING
MONEY INTO THE DPI AND AS THE
BUDGET PROCESS GETS UNDERWAY,
WHAT CONCERNS DO YOU HAVE THAT
THE LEGISLATURE WILL OR WON'T
OPEN THE PURSEVINGS TO FUND
PRIORITIES THAT YOU HAVE?
>> WELL, I THINK INITIALLY,
THERE'S A LOT OF COMMON GROUND,
RIGHT?
WE'VE GOT -- WE'VE GOT THREE
SOURCES AND CERTAINLY WE NEED TO
PUT THOSE RESOURCES INTO THE
SCHOOLS AND FLOW THAT MONEY
THROUGH OUR SCHOOLS TO HELP WITH
MENTAL HEALTH, CREDIT RECOVERY
STAFFING, AND MORE.
YOU KNOW, THE STATE LEGISLATURE
NEEDS TO FUND OUR PUBLIC
SCHOOLS.
I MEAN, THAT'S TRULY REALLY THE
BASIS OF OUR FUNDING, IS THE
EQUALIZATION AID.
AND THEN THE ADDITIONAL MONEY,
YOU KNOW, FROM THE FEDERAL
MONEY, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT SHOULD
BE HELPING US COME OUT OF THIS
PANDEMIC PIECE.
BUT WE STILL NEED TO OPERATE.
SO I GUESS MY HOPE IS THAT WE
CAN WORK TOGETHER, YOU KNOW,
BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY,
IT'S NOT ABOUT ROBIN VOSS AND
IT'S NOT ABOUT ME.
IT'S ABOUT FUNDING OR EXCUSE --
OUR SCHOOLS AND CERTAINLY IT'S
ABOUT THE KIDS AND THE FUTURE OF
THE STATE.
SO MY DESIRE IS TO WORK TOGETHER
TO SET UP ALL OUR KIDS FOR
SUCCESS.
>> WHAT ARE YOUR PRIORITIES?
STARTING DAY ONE?
>> WELL, I MEAN, OPENING AND
MAKING SURE OUR SCHOOLS ARE
OPEN.
THAT'S NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
RIGHT?
BUT YOU KNOW, ASSUMING THAT WE
GET THROUGH THAT, GETTING OUR
KIDS CAUGHT UP IS CERTAINLY THE
OTHER PIECE OF THAT.
HIGH-QUALITY EARLY CHILDHOOD
EDUCATION, ADEQUATE AND FAIR
FUNDING FOR ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS.
MENTAL HEALTH AND EMOTIONAL
WELLNESS SUPPORT.
TEACHER RECRUITMENT AND
RETENTION.
AND DISRESULTING THOSE
SYSTEMS -- DISRUPTING THOSE
SYSTEMS OF INEQUITY THAT I'VE
BEEN TALKING ABOUT, THAT
CERTAINLY PLAGUING OUR PUBLIC
SCHOOL SYSTEMS.
>> AS TO THE MORE THAN
$2 BILLION IN FELD COVID RELIEVE
FUNDING THAT YOU -- RELIEF
FUNDING THAT YOU SPOKE OF, CAN
OR SHOULD THAT BE USED TO
REPLACE STATE FUNDING IN THE
BUDGET?
>> IT SHOULD NOT BE USED TO
REPLACE STATE FUNDING IN THE
BUDGET.
THE REASON FOR THAT FUND NAME,
IT'S -- FEDERAL FUNDING IS A
ONE-TIME THING.
AND THE INTENTION IS TO HELP
WITH INFRASTRUCTURE AND TO HELP
GETTING OUR SCHOOLS OPEN AND
STAYING OPEN, AS WELL AS
PROVIDING THE RESOURCES THAT OUR
KIDS NEED TO RECOVER FROM THE
PANDEMIC.
SUCH AS MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT,
FOR EXAMPLE.
THE LEGISLATURE AND THE -- IN
THE STATE OF WISCONSIN STILL
NEEDS TO MAKE GOOD ON ITS
PROMISE OF FUNDING OUR PUB
SCHOOLS FEDERAL MONEY ASIDE.
>> SO HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING WITH
OR TALKING WITH GOVERNOR EVERS
AROUND THESE ISSUES?
>> I HAVE NOT SPOKEN RECENTLY
ABOUT THE BUDGET, FOR EXAMPLE.
BUT HE KNOWS AND I -- WE'VE
TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT I'M
VERY SUPPORTIVE OF WHAT HE'S
RECOMMENDING IN HIS BUDGET, SUCH
AS HIGHER REIMBURSEMENT FOR
SPECIAL EDUCATION, POVERTY AID,
AS WELL AS THE BROADBAND, THE
TECHNOLOGY WIRELESS ACCESS AND
AFFORDABILITY, TOO.
SO WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE.
>> I KNOW YOU SAID YOU WANT TO
WORK WITH THE REPUBLICAN
LEGISLATURE.
AROUND THESE ISSUES.
BUT WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO
THEM, THE REPUBLICAN BUDGET
WRITERS IN PARTICULAR, AS THEY
CONSIDER THE SCHOOL FUNDING
PACKAGE?
>> YEAH.
YOU KNOW, I THINK AT THE END OF
THE DAY, IT'S JUST ABOUT OUR
KIDS.
HONESTLY.
AND IT'S ABOUT THE FUTURE OF OUR
STATE HERE THIS WISCONSIN.
AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT
WE'RE FUNDING OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS
ADEQUATELY SO THAT WE CAN NO
LONGER HAVE THESE INEQUITIES.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF GAPS.
WE TALK ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES.
WE TALK ABOUT ACHIEVEMENT.
BUT REALLY, IN ORDER TO GET
THROUGH ALL THAT, WE CERTAINLY
NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE
FUNDING OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
AND RIGHT NOW AS WE'RE COMING
OUT OF A PANDEMIC AND OUT OF THE
HARDEST YEAR OF OUR LIVES, WE
HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE KIDS AND
THE SITUATION, TOO.
AND THE KIDS DESERVE AT
QUADLY -- ADEQUATELY FUNDED
SCHOOLS.
>> JILL