MADISON — State Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly today issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Department of Education announcing its next steps in its “plan” to dismantle critical functions of the federal department.
“The U.S. Department of Education was created to level the playing field for all children — to ensure students in every ZIP code have access to high-quality public education; to safeguard civil rights; to support students with disabilities through IDEA; to provide Title I funding to schools serving children from low-income families; and to expand access to postsecondary education. These responsibilities are not abstract. They are foundational to the success and wellbeing of millions of students and families across our country.
“Shifting responsibilities into new federal bureaucracies is the opposite of ‘returning education to the states.’ It does not put students first, it undermines the ability of local communities to make decisions that best serve their kids, and it leaves educators, families, and children to wonder what comes next for their local schools.
“States were not engaged in this process, and this is not what we have asked for — or what our students need. Rather than creating uncertainty, the federal government should focus on policies that support schools: providing greater flexibility and reducing unnecessary standardized testing, renewing the focus on public education, and establishing consistent, reliable processes and rules for federal programs and funding.
“Children deserve federal and state governments that stand with them, not policies and decisions that starve schools of resources and create chaos and uncertainty in our classrooms.”
An official photo of Dr. Underly is available on the DPI’s website.
