MADISON – Before lobbyist Brittany Kinser was working to funnel public school dollars into private institutions, she spent ten years in leadership at Rocketship Charter Schools—a private school network exposed for a widespread cheating scandal and abusive classroom practices.
From 2012 to 2022, Kinser was at Rocketship, a private school system that was caught in an NPR investigation for systemic academic fraud (NPR). At Rocketship, teacher pay was tied directly to student test scores, creating a high-pressure environment where cheating wasn’t just tolerated—it was company policy.
The NPR investigation revealed that Rocketship leadership pushed teachers to illegally retest students multiple times to inflate scores, regardless of whether students had actually improved. One former teacher admitted, “They would have me retest students even though higher-ups would say don’t.” Another called the practice “alarming,” but Rocketship leaders encouraged it anyway.
Under Rocketship’s model, which Kinser spent a decade helping manage:
- Teachers were forced to focus on manipulating test scores rather than meaningful instruction.
- Students were subjected to excessive standardized testing and hours of silent, computer-based learning.
- Kids were denied bathroom breaks, leading to health issues like urinary tract infections.
One former Rocketship teacher said “Everyone wants to get higher and higher percentages, and fudge the data, more or less.” Another said “I’ve never had second-graders pee their pants except for at Rocketship.” And a third former employee said “It was very unsafe.”
Is this Kinser’s vision for education—a system where cheating was rewarded, student well-being was ignored, and test scores mattered more than real learning?
And when she left Rocketship, she took this failed model into her work as a lobbyist, pushing policies that drain public school funding and funnel it into unaccountable private institutions.
Jorna Taylor, campaign manager for Underly for Wisconsin, responded to the Rocketship Cheating Scandal revelations:
“Wisconsin families deserve to know the truth about Brittany Kinser’s background. She didn’t spend her career supporting teachers or students—she spent it managing a school system that pressured teachers to cheat, forced kids into hours of silent computer drills, and treated students like test score machines instead of children. And now, she wants to bring that same toxic approach to all of Wisconsin’s public schools.”
“Public education should be about real learning, critical thinking, and supporting the whole child. But Kinser’s model? It’s all about desperately manipulating numbers to make schools look good on paper while ignoring the real needs of students.”
These aren’t just low standards—this is no standard at all. A system where cheating is encouraged and teachers are financially rewarded for it isn’t education—it’s fraud.
While Kinser has spent her career trying to tear down public education, Jill Underly has been fighting to build it up.
As State Superintendent, Jill Underly has pushed for real investments in Wisconsin’s public schools, pushing for investments in schools that will reduce class sizes, expand mental health support for students, and strengthen career and technical education programs. Jill Underly knows Wisconsin students deserve real opportunities, not cooked numbers and fake success stories.
The choice in this election is clear. Wisconsin students deserve a leader who puts real learning over fraudulent test scores. They deserve Jill Underly.
