ELECTIONS

DPI race between Tony Evers, Lowell Holtz centers on future of education in Wisconsin

Annysa Johnson
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Incumbent state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers will defend his seat in the April 4 election against voucher advocate Lowell Holtz.

Wisconsin's race for superintendent of public instruction features two longtime educators with distinctly different world views in a contest that will shape the state's educational landscape over the next four years.

A staunch advocate of public schools, Tony Evers will defend his seat in the April 4 election against school choice proponent Lowell Holtz.

Holtz, who retired last year from the Whitnall School District, argues that Evers has done little to move the needle on Wisconsin students' academic performance and closing achievement gaps, particularly between black and white students.

"Wisconsin is the worst in the nation for achievement gaps and graduation gaps," said Holtz, who believes public charter and private voucher schools could do a better job than some public schools. "We're leaving a generation of students behind."

Evers says Wisconsin schools have raised standards, increased graduation rates and expanded career and technical education programs during his tenure. He characterized Holtz as a political opportunist who would expand the state's voucher program at the expense of public schools and shepherd in the massive cuts proposed by President Donald Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos that would eliminate before- and after-school programs, teacher training grants and a host of other programs that benefit Wisconsin students.

"That's a questionable place for a state superintendent to be," Evers said.

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A Plymouth native, Evers, 65, worked as a teacher, principal and deputy superintendent at the State Department of Public Instruction before assuming the top post in 2009. Holtz, 59, worked as a parochial school teacher, police officer and principal, and has served as superintendent in the Whitnall and Beloit school districts. He ran unsuccessfully for superintendent in 2009, coming in last in a five-way primary race with about 9% of the vote.

If he earns a third term, Evers said he would continue to push for more state funding for public schools — he is seeking $707 million over the next two years. He wants to expand mental health services for students, continue efforts to close achievement gaps and take steps to address the teacher shortage.

Holtz said his first priority would be school safety, and he touts a program he instituted in Beloit in which he hired retired police officers to patrol the halls. He would eliminate the Common Core standards, urge lawmakers to adopt a new statewide test that is not tied to the standards, and create a teacher bill of rights that eliminates what he calls burdensome administrative tasks.

The state's top education post, which pays $120,111 annually, is officially nonpartisan. However, Evers is supported largely by Democrats and organized labor, including teachers unions; and Holtz by Republicans and school choice advocates.

While Evers had the financial edge as of the last ethics filing, raising more than $245,000 to Holtz's $54,000, Holtz drew a surge in donations after the Feb. 7 primary — more than $60,000 in the first week. And that is likely to continue as conservatives look to topple one of the last remaining liberal-leaning statewide elected officials in Wisconsin.

Where they stand

The candidates' views differ on a number of fronts, including:

  • Student achievement: Holtz says student achievement has stagnated or fallen under Evers. He points to Milwaukee Public Schools' report cards, saying the district scores declined by 4% in overall student achievement and 13% in closing achievement gaps between the 2012-'13 and 2015-'16 school years. Evers agrees the state is not where it needs to be on student achievement but says it has made progress and that things are not as dire as critics assert. He said proficiency scores on state assessments have fallen in part because Wisconsin raised standards and cut scores in 2011-'12, to bring them in line with national assessments.
  • Common Core: Holtz, who previously supported Common Core, has vowed to eliminate the standards and let school districts select their own. He says districts were effectively strong-armed into adopting the standards because the state test is tied to them. Evers said standards are a local decision but that he supports Common Core. In addition, he said, parents expect some degree of uniformity in standards from district to district.
  • School choice: Evers said DPI must work to ensure all students receive a quality education. But he would continue to oppose the expansion of taxpayer-funded vouchers for public schools, saying they erode resources for public schools. Holtz supports the continued expansion of charter and voucher schools, saying families deserve alternatives when public schools fail them.
  • Trump's proposed education budget: Evers said the budget would do "significant damage to schools across the state," slashing after-school programs, teacher training and more. Holtz said he is encouraged by the $1.5 billion boost for school choice programs but has concerns about the teacher-training cuts.

Evers and the liberal group One Wisconsin Now have hammered Holtz over a proposal he floated to then-candidate John Humphries in the run-up to the February primary, in which Humphries was knocked out of the race. The pitch called for Humphries or Holtz, if one of them won, to hire the other at a salary of $150,000 a year, provide a driver, and give him authority over the state's five largest districts, including Milwaukee, with the ability to break them up or remove their boards if necessary.

One Wisconsin filed a complaint with the state Election Commission, alleging it was a bribe to entice Humphries to drop out of the race. But the commission unanimously rejected it. Evers mines the controversy in his first election ad, which features him driving himself around the state.

Evers also has called for an investigation into Holtz for allegedly conducting campaign business during work time while at the Whitnall district. And One Wisconsin Now has raised questions about nepotism related to the Beloit district's hiring of Holtz's wife when he was superintendent there.

Holtz said his wife worked at Beloit as a consultant through CESA but withdrew her name from consideration for a full-time job after questions of nepotism arose.

Holtz points out that Evers was fined $250 during his 2009 campaign for sending an email to a state employee on the recipient's work account.