Dept. of Public Instruction: State Superintendent Dr. Underly to call for urgent action to fix Wisconsin’s school funding system

Event takes place today at noon at the Wisconsin State Capitol; livestream available via WisconsinEye 

MADISON — In her sixth State of Education Address this afternoon, State Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly will celebrate public schools’ foundational role in building strong communities and engaged citizens, while calling on Wisconsinites to come together to help protect and strengthen public education for future generations.

The 2026 State of Education Address will take place beginning at noon today at the Wisconsin State Capitol Rotunda. The event is open to the public and will also be livestreamed on WisconsinEye. It will include student performances and a celebration of the 2026-27 Wisconsin Teachers of the Year.  

In honor of America’s 250th anniversary, Dr. Underly will highlight the defining role public education plays in sustaining democracy. Using Wisconsin as an example, she will underscore how the state’s strong legacy of public education, rooted in the ideals of its founders, has helped shape the prosperity of the state.

“Our founders understood, nearly 250 years ago, that public education is the infrastructure for democracy,” Dr. Underly is expected to say. “Wisconsin was built on a deep tradition of patriotism, civic duty, and public purpose.”   

During the speech, Dr. Underly will also warn of the consequences of years of underfunding public schools, which is forcing districts to cut programs, increase class sizes, or ask communities to raise taxes.  

“Our schools are not the problem,” Dr. Underly is expected to say. “Our teachers are not the problem. Our students are not the problem. The problem is that we have asked them to carry the weight of decades of political decisions—and then blamed them when the burden became too heavy.”   

Dr. Underly’s speech will end with an urgent call to fix the way public schools are funded—and with a call for Wisconsin to choose leaders who will protect public education and invest in the next generation.  

“Unfortunately, for far too long, too many lawmakers have not treated our schools—or the people who depend on them—with the urgency they deserve,” Dr. Underly is expected to say. “These are the people who have been entrusted with the stewardship of these public institutions—responsible for protecting them, just as past generations did for them.   

“We need people in positions of decision-making power who are pro-public school, pro-child, and pro-Wisconsin—full stop.”