Local voters will soon have the choice to narrow down candidates for the Wisconsin State Superintendent, three names listed on the Feb. 18 primary ballot. The first is Jill Underly, incumbent. The other two, Jeff Wright and Brittany Kinser, are challenging Underly. So who are they?
Starting the candidate list is Brittany Kinser, described as an education leader and the current CEO of Kinser Consulting LLC. With teaching experience in both Chicago and Japan, Kinser joined Rocketship Public Schools as an Assistant Principal in California, also launching the ITT Math and Science Academy in Chicago. Kinser expresses commitment to ensuring students can read, write, and do math skillfully, as well as desiring to “restore high academic standards and make sure students have the skills they need for good jobs after graduation.” Kinser also professes a desire to partner with parents to champion their child’s education and ensure that ensure that funding reaches the classroom and rewards good teachers. Kinser wants to drive transparency, predictability and innovation at the State DPI. She herself does not have an educator license for Wisconsin, but this is not required for the state superintendent position. More information is available at kinserforkids.com
The next candidate, Dr. Jill Underly, is the incumbent, and seeks a second term after beating six challengers in the last election for state superintendent. Dr. Underly was inspired to become a teacher by Christa McAuliffe, chosen to be the first teacher in space before the Challenger Space Shuttle disaster. Underly, then an elementary student, was inspired by McAuliffe and went on to teach at a rural high school, where she taught U.S. History, Government, Sociology, and Midwestern History. Dr. Underly has since been an elementary school principal, taught high school and middle school, and been a school district and high school superintendent. She lists among accomplishments during her tenure the highest graduation rate in state history, listed as 90.5 percent on her campaign website. Also in accomplishments are passage of a bipartisan literacy bill to raise reading scores, securing federal grants to provide millions for mental health services in schools, support for educator and teacher recruitment and defending educator labor rights. Underly lives in Hollandale with her husband and two children, as well as several animals. More information is available at https://underlyforwi.com.
Challenging Underly and Kinser for a spot on the April ballot is Sauk Prairie School Superintendent Jeff Wright. A native of Stevens Point, Wright was raised by two teachers and saw the role they played in the community, deciding from this to be a teacher. Wright went on to attend and graduate from St. Olaf College and Harvard University, becoming a social studies teacher and high school principal and honored as one of Disney’s American Teacher Award honorees. More recently, Wright was named 2024 Administrator of the Year by the Wisconsin Rural Schools Alliance. Among goals as state superintendent, Wright would seek reform of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, citing leadership failures that have driven away long-time staff and strained relationships with the governor and legislature, and leaving Wisconsin schools without a clear vision for the future. Among goals cited by Wright are partnering with school districts to improve student growth, increasing support for public schools, and “ensuring the strongest cadre of educators.” More information is available at https://www.jeffwrightforwisconsin.com.
The primary is Feb. 18, with in-person voting already in progress. The top two vote getters for state superintendent will advance to the April ballot for election as state superintendent.