Wisconsin. School is not yet out for summer, but starting next
fall, the new Wisconsin law mandating how children must be
taught to read goes into effect. The law requires teaching
phonics or the relationships between sounds and words instead
of the current method widely in use, called three cueing, which
uses such things as pictures to solve unknown words. This comes
as the latest statewide third grade reading test scores show
fewer than 40% of students are proficient readers. The reading
law is in place, but the legislature is suing over the
governor's veto of how $50 million to help fund the change
can be used. We sat down with one of the authors of the
reading bill, Representative Joel Kitchens, as his signature
legislation is now in the courts. I know that you have
said that this reading bill was the most important thing that
you have worked on in the Capitol. What's your reaction,
then, to the governor's veto and the lawsuit over it? As act 20
is really already being enacted? >> Yeah, it's frustrating. You
know, it's sort of politics, you know, what the governor did
actually with the veto was not that horrible. It's just the
precedent of that of him being able to go in and use a partial
line item veto where traditionally he has not been
able to use it. And our lawyers, when they drafted the bill, said
he does not have that authority. So it would set a dangerous
precedent. And it's sort of it's similar to the PFAS problems
that we're having with that bill where the governor seems to
think that he can change you know, how the how the money is
spent. And that's just going to be a problem.
>> But meanwhile, it kind of catches this whole piece of
policy, right? In the midst of that veto and the lawsuit now.
Right >> So it's unfortunately my bill
ends up sort of being a test case on this. That's really
unfortunate. So hopefully it doesn't slow it down too much. I
know there are portions of it and I've been in touch with DPI
about it. I think, you know, as far as the testing and the
assessments, they'll have the money for that. But hiring the
coaches statewide, certainly they do not have that money. So
until this lawsuit is settled, that won't happen. You know, we
are encouraging the schools as far as getting the training for
the teachers as buying new that. You know, we will have the
money there. It's just it's just the lawsuit has to play out.
>> So the governor's veto message also spoke to the idea
that he wanted to give DPI the flexibility of where to put this
money, do you take exception to that?
much as because I think we're on the same page on it. It's
really, really unfortunate with this. And again, some other
bills that he didn't just talk to us. You know, because I think
we can work out the details of this. It's just that when you do
that in an area that's never where that's never been allowed
before, it's a problem. And I know when he first did that, you
know, I talked to the members of JFC and they were back and
forth. Well, you know, should we challenge this? But I think they
decided that, yeah. The precedent it's too strong to
ignore that and let him do that because then it'll continue to
escalate from there. >> Is there anything to the idea
that Republicans might have been concerned because he vetoed a
part of the appropriation that would have given per pupil
increase to private choice schools and independent charter
schools? >> You know, I haven't heard
that be part of the concern with it, you know, what I'm hearing
from JFC is just that it's the precedent of it. And, yeah,
there's a lot of distrust of DPI, but I think, you know,
again, the substance of what that partial veto did is not the
big deal. It's just the precedent.
this act 20 is going into effect in the fall. Right. Have you
heard from educators about, you know, concerns they might have
about being able to be ready to do that?
address some of those. There were a lot of concerns. So we
made the first assessment which would have taken place in
September. We made that optional. So they don't have to
do that until later because we were trying to, you know, to
speak to their fears. And now with this, of course,
everybody's like, what's going on? So again, we keep telling
people and I think DPI is giving them the same message. Just go
ahead, go forward. You know, you're you're the money's going
to be there. And it's really important that we get this
going. you've done around this
important issue for you, how soon do you think these kinds of
changes will result in more children being able to read at a
proficient level? pretty rapid. I think that in
two years we will see the difference in those kids. And
again, this is, you know, kids learn to read. There's not a
more important thing in their whole lives than learn to read.
If they don't learn how to read, their chances of success in
school and really in life are so diminished that this is really
important. And I was, you know, gratified to hear Speaker Vos
when he gave his end of the session, wrap up. He said this
was the most important thing that we passed this session,
too. And I think it really is. And so, you know, we have to get
this going. And I think, I think we'll see progress pretty
quickly because going back to Wisconsin's reading test scores
is what is that like for you as someone who works on these
issues to see that? Yeah it's pretty awful. And you know, our
African American students have fallen from where they used to
be, kind of middle of the pack. Now they're dead last in the
country. So we have got to turn that around. It's just it should
really scare people to think of what that means to the future of
these kids. And then you throw the pandemic in on top of it,
where some of those kids just and unfortunately, especially in
real instruction for a year. Well, you can't take a year off
from school when you're in from school when you're in