Madison, WI—Representative Jerry O’Connor (R-Fond du Lac) released the following statement after Governor Evers vetoed Assembly Bill 1, which would restore the educational standards that State Superintendent Jill Underly rigged for her own political gain:
“Ensuring high standards for our schools should not be a partisan issue. Scholastic standards should never be adjusted to serve political or electoral purposes, but that’s exactly what has happened under Governor Evers and State Superintendent Underly. I agree with my legislative colleagues who say that Evers’ veto of AB 1 today ‘proves he doesn’t want to help students learn how to read’ and that “he wants to ensure the education establishment stays in power at the cost of student achievement.’
This veto is especially shameful and hypocritical for Evers, who declared this to be the ‘Year of the Kid’ not two months ago. Now, to cover up the truth of his party’s failed education policies, Evers abandoned Wisconsin students.
AB 1 required that school and school district accountability reports use the same score ranges for the performance categories as used by the DPI for the 2019-20 school year. Consistent, reliable data and information give parents, policymakers, and educators a better picture of what works, what doesn’t, and where to apply public funds to best help our kids learn and succeed. Until today, Gov. Evers shared this view, calling Underly’s radical decision a ‘mistake’ and saying, ‘It’s hard to compare year-to-year if one year you’re doing something completely different.’ Now, he flip-flops in order to bail out the Underly campaign.
The NAEP was first established in 1969, and had been in place during Evers’ time as state superintendent. Yet, after the 2024 scores showed only 31% of 4th graders in WI were reading at grade level, Underly rigged the test, changing Forward exam scores to make it look like 51% of students were reading at grade level. With today’s veto, Gov. Evers blessed State Superintendent Underly’s rigged tests, making him a co-conspirator in deceiving Wisconsin parents and students about the their administrations’ failed record in education.
So much for our self-proclaimed ‘Education Governor.”
