Superintendent Election HQ 2021

Deb Kerr (left) and Jill Underly (right) will appear on the April 6 ballot for Wisconsin’s Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Deb Kerr & Jill Underly on April 6 ballot

Congratulations to Deb Kerr and Jill Underly for their Feb. 16 primary victories, emerging at the top of a strong field of dedicated educators and school leaders. Both of these candidates took the pledge to #VotePublic in our candidate survey, and we’ll be looking forward to digging deeper into what that commitment means to each of them as the race heats up and we learn more about where they stand and how they’ll lead. Stay tuned for details about our next candidate forum, where we’ll sit down with the two finalists for the state’s top education job and help you get to know them!

Click here to see their responses to our candidate survey:

Deborah Kerr – Wisconsin Public Education Network candidate survey
Jill Underly – Wisconsin Public Education Network candidate survey

Candidate websites and campaign contact info:

Deborah Kerr – info@kerr4kids.com.
Jill Underly – contact@underlyforwi.com

Forums and upcoming events:

Join us on March 11 for a conversation with the candidates!
Official registration (to get Zoom link) here: https://secure.everyaction.com/CxL0GpvxHEG3OSy-v25kbQ2

Submit YOUR questions to the candidates for consideration here (deadline: Feb 28): https://forms.gle/86DX8SQgbtF4RQ4w6

Facebook event: https://fb.me/e/4Hx2K4lvw

March 11, 6:30 pm: Wisconsin Public Education Network and the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin’s Conversation with the Candidates, moderated by Tony Chambers. Submit your questions for the candidates for consideration by Feb. 28 at https://forms.gle/AAVfLhxtLNrQUfXe8.
March 4, 4pm: Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition Candidate Forum: Hear from the candidates about how they plan to address the needs of students with disabilities, including students with mental health needs. You may request disability related accommodations when you register, or email info@disabilityvote.org.
March 19, 12:30: Wisconsin Policy Forum Friday Forum: State Superintendent Candidates

DID YOU KNOW? If you were signed up to receive absentee ballots through the year 2020, you need to sign up again for 2021! Absentee ballot requests must be made every year. Register and request your absentee ballot at MyVote.WI.gov for the 2021 elections.

Spring Election: April 6, 2021

The Wisconsin Public Education Network is dedicated to making sure voters are informed on the important issues over which the State Superintendent of Public Instruction presides and where the candidates stand on them.

WISCONSIN PUBLIC EDUCATION NETWORK and LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF WISCONSIN: State Superintendent Candidate Forum

All seven candidates for State Superintendent joined us on Jan. 7, 2021 for a fantastic two-hour, issue-oriented forum.

Watch our full video of the forum HERE, see it on the League of Women Voters of WI’s YouTube below (with caption capability), or access it on WisconsinEye.

Video Clips of Each Question and Answer at the Forum:

1. Candidate Introductions
2. What do you consider to be your greatest administrative strengths, and what are the areas you need to improve on?
3. If you could reopen schools to a “new normal” post-COVID, what would it look like?
4. How do you plan to make students feel safe in public schools, including Black students and students of color, LGBTQ+ students, and students with disabilities?
5. How will you lead efforts to balance requirements for federal accountability with support for districts to personalize learning that meets individual student needs?
6. How will you address the achievement gap [between students with disabilities–and especially students of color who have disabilities–and other students] in Wisconsin?
7. Why are you the candidate best suited to work with a legislature that may resist public education advocacy goals?
8. YES or NO: Do you support private voucher programs in Wisconsin? Do you support independent (non-district) charter schools in Wisconsin?
9. What will you do in your first 100 days at DPI, and why are you the best person for the job?

Meet the Candidates (click on a candidate’s name to view their website)

Sheila Briggs, briggsforkids@gmail.com
Joe Fenrick, fenrickforeducation@gmail.com
Troy Gunderson, troyforstatesup@gmail.com
Shandowlyon Hendricks-Williams, info@drhendricksforeducation.com
Deborah Kerr, info@kerr4kids.com
Steve Krull, info@krullforschools.com
Jill Underly, contact@underlyforwi.com

State Superintendent Race in the News:

WUWM: What Wisconsin Education Advocates Want to See in the Next State Superintendent
Wisconsin Democracy Campaign: State Superintendent Candidates Raise $200,000: Which candidates have raised the most and who are the top donors?
Cat Capellaro follows the money for Wisconsin Examiner: What you need to know about the candidates in the 7-way school superintendent primary
Cap Times (Scott Girard): A voter’s guide to the seven-person race for Wisconsin state superintendent

Wisconsin Eye Candidate Interviews:

Candidate Surveys & Questionnaires

Click here to see the FULL RESULTS of the Wisconsin Public Education Network and League of Women Voters of Wisconsin State Superintendent Candidate Survey, released Jan. 6, 2021. Individual answers are linked below, along with the full text of our candidate survey.

Candidates’ Individual Answers to the Wisconsin Public Education Network’s Candidate Survey:
Click on a candidate’s name to view their responses to the our candidate questionnaire: