IRG: The Real State of Education

Wisconsin Students are Left Behind Despite Record Investment in Schools

Delafield, Wis. – The Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) released the following statement outlining the real State of Education in Wisconsin ahead of Superintendent of Public Instruction Jill Underly’s annual State of Education Address.

THE REAL STATE OF EDUCATION: 

• Stalling school performance despite record investment: For two budgets in a row, Wisconsin made record investments in K-12 education. Wisconsin ranks 34th in early reading, adjusted for demographics. 20 years ago, Wisconsin ranked 33rd. This lack of urgency is seen even today at DPI, which has not enforced Act 20’s July 1, 2025, deadline for retraining teachers.
• Untraceable student achievement: While Wisconsin stalls, other states are racing ahead. Instead of working to improve student achievement, DPI has covered up faltering student success by lowering test score standards. These changed standards make it nearly impossible to track student achievement over time. 
• Ongoing teacher shortage: After record state investments in education and an infusion of COVID dollars, schools employ more staff than any time in Wisconsin history. Yet, public schools still lack classroom teachers in specialized areas. Private schools are closing statewide because they cannot find teachers. Unfortunately, solutions like teacher apprenticeships were stripped from the 2025-2027 state budget.
• Fighting over literacy instead of improving outcomes for our kids: DPI fought with the Legislature for a whole year over funding new reading improvements. The law told DPI to copy how the best states solved literacy struggles, but DPI wanted to go rogue, and wound up losing at the WI Supreme Court. 1 year later, Superintendent Underly is obstructing critical literacy funding for private schools. 
• Letting partisanship stand in the way of achievement: Gov. Evers recently announced that he will not opt in to a federal tax credit scholarship program that will give tax credits to organizations that award scholarships for private and public schools. Evers said opting in would be “catastrophic” for public schools, even though public schools are included in the program.

THE QUOTE: 

“The real state of education in Wisconsin is that the education bureaucracy keeps blocking progress, and it’s students and taxpayers who are paying the price” said Quinton Klabon, Senior Research Director at the Institute for Reforming Government. “After consecutive years of record-breaking investment, parents, and taxpayers deserve results, not excuses.” 

WHY IT MATTERS: 

The state of education in Wisconsin determines our future. When Wisconsin students continue to fall behind, families, employers, and higher education will continue to falter. To build stronger communities, a more competitive economy, and opportunities for every child, we cannot let bureaucracy lower standards and stand in the way of student achievement.