We are disappointed to learn of Governor Tony Evers’ decision to veto Assembly Bill 1, which would have restored the high National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)- aligned standards—the nation’s report card—that the Governor first implemented during his tenure as State Superintendent.
Families in Milwaukee and across Wisconsin deserve honesty, transparency, and accountability. This never has been and never should have become a partisan fight. Holding high expectations for all of our students is a matter of right and wrong, not right and left. Assembly Bill 1 should not have been necessary, but it was an appropriate response in the wake of Jill Underly’s regretful and harmful decisions to lower the bar for students unilaterally.
We want to express our gratitude again to the bill’s authors, Senator John Jagler and Representative Bob Wittke, for believing in all of Wisconsin’s students and putting forward this common-sense bill. We also commend the members of the Legislature who voted for this bill.
Governor Evers was right this summer: lowering standards was a mistake. Wisconsin students – in Milwaukee and Superior – deserve high standards. The public agrees: in the most recent Marquette Law Poll, 60% of respondents said that current state expectations for students were too low.
In his veto message, Governor Evers clarifies that he believes the State Superintendent should make decisions around academic standards, who is accountable to Wisconsin residents. This Tuesday’s election is an accountability moment for our state.
With this veto, it is clear that the only path to restoring high expectations for our students is electing new leadership at the Department of Public Instruction. We have the collective opportunity to ensure better for our students on Tuesday, April 1.
