Thread by @benwikler

ALERT: The first statewide election since Biden became president is coming up in—you guessed it!—Wisconsin. This April 6, WI voters choose the state’s next head of public schools. @WisDems just endorsed Jill Underly, who’s up against a Scott Walker ally. Here’s why it matters: 1/

In WI, the state Superintendent of the Department of Public Instruction is a statewide office elected in the spring of off-years. The last person elected: none other than now-Governor Tony Evers. The primary was yesterday, and the two final candidates are Jill Underly & Deb Kerr.

Most people aren't tuned into this race. But it’s time to focus on it. Voucher school advocates certainly are. Right-wing billionaire Arther Dantchik‚ a Betsy DeVos ally, is the biggest donor in the race—& helped make Kerr the top-raising primary candidate.madison.com/wsj/news/local…

And Dantchick isn’t the only enemy of public schools backing Kerr. She’s been endorsed by school voucher activists and Betsy DeVos fans George and Susan Mitchell, who have pushed to privatize education for years.
rightwisconsin.com/2021/02/03/deb…

Kerr called Act 10—which cut investments in teacher pensions and insurance coverage—“the gift that keeps on giving.” She hosted Scott Walker at a press conference in her district that was attended by Robin Vos. No wonder Walker endorsed Kerr on Election Day.

(A quick refresher: Act 10, passed a decade ago despite a historic public uprising of working families across Wisconsin, was Scott Walker’s ruthless divide-and-conquer bill to gut public employees’ bargaining rights and demonize teachers in particular.)
wkow.com/2021/02/11/sca…

This is officially a nonpartisan election. But Scott Walker and right-wing mega-donors aren’t sitting on the sidelines. And neither are the @WisDems.

We’re listening to our grassroots, and hearing overwhelming support for @underlyforwi—public school champion in the race.

Jill Underly, whom you should follow at @UnderlyForWI, has advanced the cause of public education, from Pre-K to college, for more than two decades—and is the only candidate who’s worked in urban, rural, and suburban districts.

Underly has a progressive platform to prioritize early childhood education & access to universal 4K. She wants to invest in our teachers & ensure we retain them, expand mental health support, & lift up all kids, regardless of race or zip code. Learn more:underlyforwi.com/issues/

Over the past two years, the Department of Public Instruction had a $15 billion budget. It’s the biggest source of education funding in the state. Who leads it matters. The person in charge should be a lifelong champion of public schools. That’s Jill Underly.

Ten years after Act 10, with a public educator for a governor who wakes up every day thinking about what's best for kids, let’s elect a Superintendent of Public Instruction who shares the values of the vast majority of Wisconsinites.

Let’s use these next 48 days to organize. We’ll be mobilizing neighbor to neighbor teams all over the state to remind voters to re-register for absentee ballots—and to make sure they know about Jill Underly. Sign up for our next Weekend of Action here: secure.ngpvan.com/p/eh27mPeAy0yB…

What can you do to ensure that Jill Underly wins? Tell all your friends and family about her. Share this endorsement announcement. Retweet, post on Facebook, share Instagram stories, create TikToks. Help us get the word out! The stakes are high.