The News: The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) issued a statement in response to Governor Evers’ veto of AB 614 / SB 611, known as the Teacher Bill of Rights. The bill would have strengthened teachers’ authority to manage their classrooms, required parental notification when serious classroom incidents occur, and established clearer accountability so teachers can focus on teaching.  

The Quote: WILL Associate Counsel, Lauren Greuel, stated, “Wisconsin faces declining academic achievement and a growing teacher shortage, and classroom behavior is a key factor to both problems. This legislation would have provided needed clarity and support for teachers to effectively manage their classrooms. It’s disappointing that Governor Evers vetoed bipartisan legislation aimed at addressing these challenges. Make no mistake, ignoring this critical problem will only worsen the crisis in our classrooms.” 

Background: The Teacher Bill of Rights responds to years of feedback from Wisconsin educators who report inconsistent discipline policies, and that lack of administrative support has made it harder to maintain safe, productive classrooms. Current data show that nearly half of Wisconsin teachers report that classroom conduct rules are enforced only sometimes or never, and more than one in four report fear for their physical safety at school. 

This bill would have directly addressed these concerns by: 

  • Strengthening Teachers’ Authority: Clarifying and reinforcing when teachers may remove disruptive or violent students to protect classroom safety and ensure instruction can continue. 
  • Creating Clear Classroom Re-Entry Plans: Requiring clear procedures so students are not automatically returned to a classroom without a plan to address the underlying behavior. 
  • Mandating Parental Notification: Ensuring parents are notified when a student is removed from class or witnesses a serious incident. 
  • Empowering Parents: Providing a limited enforcement mechanism for parents if school districts fail to comply with these transparency standards. 

Governor Evers’ Veto Message: Governor Evers’ veto message makes clear that he is not standing with teachers and students. His message sidesteps what educators are experiencing every day: classrooms that are too often disruptive and at times unsafe. When that behavior is tolerated, every student’s ability to learn suffers. Invoking “mental health” misses the point. It does not excuse a failure to address serious misconduct. And this was not an “unfunded mandate.” The bill asked for basic, common-sense steps, like having a plan before returning a disruptive student to class and informing parents of major incidents. This legislation was about restoring order so teachers can teach and students can learn. This veto is a missed opportunity to support both. 

What’s Next: WILL continues to push for reform in our classrooms. We recently launched a storytelling effort to talk about classroom behavior, and a documentary about classroom safety will be released later this spring.

Read and share the press release online.