It’s never been more important to ensure kids across Wisconsin have access to quality public schools.
It’s never been more important to ensure kids across Wisconsin have access to quality public schools. That’s why I’m proud of the investments we’ve made to improve school quality, create better outcomes for students, and follow through on my commitment to public education in Wisconsin.
As governor, I’ve made it a priority to do the right thing for our kids because that’s what’s best for our state.
Under my leadership, Wisconsin has met the state’s commitment to public education funding for the first time in twenty years – a fact not often covered by the conflict-driven mass media. And, importantly, our education system is now ranked in the top ten in the country after falling to eighteenth under the Walker-Kleefisch administration.
Before becoming governor, I spent most of my life in education. As a science teacher, high school principal, and school superintendent, I’ve witnessed the power of a quality education firsthand. Although I have a different job title now, I still carry the lessons I learned as an educator.
Every student deserves access to a great education and I have a plan to invest in our young people right here in Wisconsin. Every single kid in our state deserves access to a quality public education, no matter their zip code. An investment in our kids is an investment in our future. It strengthens our economy through workforce development, attracts new jobs, and builds new industries in our state.
That’s why I prioritized education in my 2021 budget with a historic increase in funding to improve school quality. We restored our two-thirds funding commitment and provided $685 million in additional aid to public education over the next two years, supporting schools and students in every corner of the state.
But our commitment to education isn’t simply about providing much-needed funding, it’s about improving outcomes and opportunities for our students. When I took office, our public school system had dropped to 18th in the nation – that’s not good enough. Today, Wisconsin has improved to 8th best and we have a better graduation and literacy rate than many of our neighboring states.
But I know we can do even better. More resources for students means smaller class sizes, updated school technology, improved school safety, better mental health programs, and more to ensure every kid, regardless of their zip code, could have access to a quality education.
As governor, I’ll never play politics with our kids’ education. I’ll do the right thing to improve school and teacher quality because a great public education system leads to a strong and thriving economy. A great public education system creates jobs and workers to fill those jobs. And a great public education system keeps people in Wisconsin and attracts more workers to our state.
As governor, I will always do what’s right to make sure that Wisconsin’s public education system remains one of the best in the country.
Tony Evers is the Governor of the State of Wisconsin. Learn more about him and his plans for the state at www.TonyEvers.com