State superintendent: Find common ground to move education forward

Evers calls for state to adopt reforms to fix school funding system

MADISON, Wis. — State Superintendent Tony Evers called for finding common ground to move education forward for Wisconsin students in his annual State of Education address Thursday.

“We’re doing more in this single year than in any of my previous 37 years in public education,” Evers said. “Let’s work together to find common ground that unites us and stand strong on behalf of our kids.”

Evers focused on the importance of the daily steps going on in the state’s public schools to transform teaching and learning. He said educators are working on higher, rigorous new academic standards, better assessments, a new education evaluation system, new investments in career readiness and continued improvements in the state’s accountability system.

Evers also talked about Wisconsin’s nation-leading ACT scores and Advanced Placement results, but he cautioned that the state has much to do to reach the Agenda 2017 goals to have every child graduate college and career ready.

He commended the work of the Speaker’s Task Force on Rural Schools for listening to educators talk about the fact that the state’s school funding system is broken.

Evers said the school funding system is threatening Wisconsin students” fundamental right to an equal opportunity for a sound basic education because there is an increasing divide among rural, suburban and urban school districts.

He also cited data that showed state aid hasn’t kept pace with inflation, and he called for the governor and Legislature to adopt reforms to fix those problems.