Department of Public Instruction

Bill Mandating Cursive Lessons Splits Party

Republicans push it, while Democrats, teachers union, school boards oppose it.

Senate Passes New Reading Test for Early Grades

Modeled on Mississippi plan. Democrats call it meaningless without more spending on education.

Teachers Union Tony Evers Fails Wisconsin Students

New DPI Data Reveals Extent of Learning Loss After Evers Kept Schools Shuttered

State Faces Wave of School Board Recalls

In Mequon-Thiensville and 10 other school districts. Only California has more.

New High School Marks Growth of Hmong Community

Governor, MPS Superintendent join trailblazing HAPA founder Chris Her-Xiong for ribbon cutting.

Public School Enrollment Didn’t Rebound After Pandemic Dropoff

Public school enrollment down, voucher and charter programs up.

Marquette hires Laiya Thomas as new director of Educational Opportunity Program

Critical Race Theory, Spending Fuel Mequon-Thiensville School Board Recall

Four board members face recall elections.

State Leads Nation in Calling Police on Native Students

Overall Wisconsin schools call police on students twice as often as other states.

WILL Works With Lawmakers to Advance Transparency Bills to Governor Evers

Bills shine light on public school spending, curriculum

GOP Bill Requires Parent Notification of Gender, Sexual Orientation Education

Bill covers any instruction on sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or gender expression.

Democrats Walk Out Of Assembly Committee

Citing COVID-19 risk and no Republicans wearing masks. 'This is so far from real democracy.'

Schools Without Masks Could Face Lawsuits, Lose Insurance

Insurers threatening to drop districts that fail to follow public-health mandates.

Why Is State Supreme Court So Angry?

Justices’ strange interpretation of watershed 1803 decision becomes a right-wing battering ram.

Keeping Kids Safe During Back to School

As cases rise, DHS and DPI urge districts and schools to follow COVID-19 guidance

Family Files Complaint For Discrimination Against Native Students

Family says Ashland School District enforced COVID-19 policies differently for Native compared to white students.

State Legislature Debates Anti-Racism, Anti-Sexism Education Bills

Critical Race Theory discussed during debate. One bill requires instruction materials be made public.

State Officials Recommending Masks for Schools

Delta variant causing uptick in cases. Officials say masking will reduce school transmission.

Milwaukee College Prep Sticks With MPS

Charter school group sued MPS, then decided to stay. It’s all about the money.

MPS Receives Urban Agriculture Grant

USDA grant program is providing MPS $50,000 to expand program at A.E. Burdick School.

What Is MPS Strategy For Stimulus Aid?

It's a huge opportunity to improve student achievement -- which is badly needed.

Student Poverty Data Flawed

Poor measures of student poverty complicate charter school debate.

Wisconsin Agricultural Education and Workforce Development Council Announces Membership, Sets Ambitious Goals

Evers Offers GOP a Second Chance to Fund Schools

Newly revised federal guidelines could take away pandemic aid to state unless education funding increased.

Whose Vision Will Prevail In Budget Battle?

Republicans got their way in budget rewrite, but Evers' vetoes loom.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee To Provide Free Summer Meals For Youth

Wisconsin to Issue Second Round of Benefits to Children Who Missed Free or Reduced Price School Meals Because of COVID-19 Pandemic

School P-EBT benefits to be released this weekend will cover the months of December 2020 through March 2021

UW Regents Elect First Native American President

Edmund Manydeeds is new president of UW System Board of Regents.

What Schools Learned From Virtual Education

Virtual techniques may become permanent part of educational approach for some schools.

Education Dept. Confirms, WI GOP Throwing Away $1.5 Billion in Federal Aid for Education

GOP Lawmakers Cut Evers’ Special Ed Funding Proposal

Republican state legislators reduce special education reimbursement in budget proposal.

State’s Schools Reassess Mask Mandates

As CDC loosens requirements, some districts stick with masks, some make it optional.

Private School Voucher Costs Rising

GOP-controlled Legislature backs further voucher expansion in biennial budget.

Underly Announces Transition Team

New state school superintendent promises “more offense, less defense."

About That Data on Charter Schools

Diving deeper into charter school data and polls of voters tells interesting story.

Are State’s Schools Rolling In Dough?

Republican legislators think Milwaukee Public Schools getting away with something.

Nonpartisan Races Getting Too Partisan

State superintendent race and school policies should not be so politicized.

The Paradox of Voucher Schools

They work better than MPS schools for minority students. Yet most Democrats oppose them.

New State COVID-19 Testing For Schools

Federally funded testing program for students and staff aims to ‘decrease disruptions in classrooms.'

Governor Evers, DHS Announce More Than $175 Million to Support COVID-19 Testing in Schools

MPS Is Just As Bad as Police Department

Both are racist systems and both need wholesale reform.

DPI Finds Burlington Schools Racially Biased

School system took discriminatory actions and tolerated racially hostile environment, ruling finds.

GOP Legislators Question Federal Pandemic Aid for MPS

MPS getting 36% of $2.2 billion for state schools under federal formula prioritizing high poverty districts.

Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin on Spring Election Wins

Underly Defeats Kerr In State Superintendent Race

Deborah Kerr conceded just after 9:30 p.m.

Wisconsin Democrats Celebrate Underly as Newly Elected State Superintendent of Public Instruction

Democrats Continue To Build Momentum, Organizing Infrastructure Leading Into 2022 Midterm Elections

Meet the District 5 School Board Candidates

Alex Brower and Jilly Gokalgandhi compete to replace outgoing school board director Larry Miller.

Kerr Supports Voucher Program, Decentralizing DPI

State superintendent candidate Kerr has been an ardent supporter of reopening schools.

Underly Running on Education Equity, Ending Vouchers

As a candidate for state superintendent, Underly has backing of state teachers union.

Reconsidering ACT Tests, School Report Cards

Questions after pandemic. Fears that schools serving poor students may get punished.

The Adults are Failing the Kids

Kerr, Underly Strike Sparks In Debate

Candidates for state school superintendent reveal very different views on voucher schools, other issues.

34 State Legislators Endorse Jill Underly for State Superintendent

Wisconsin to Issue Benefits to Children Missing Free or Reduced Price School Meals Because of COVID-19 Pandemic

DHS is working in partnership with the Department of Public Instruction, the Department of Children and Families, and schools across the state to implement the program for the 2020-2021 school year

Kerr: Open Schools and Get DPI Out of Madison

Get our kids back to school and get DPI back to working for families

Evers Proposes COVID-19 Child Care Aid

Spending $132 million in federal funds for this requires GOP legislators' approval.

Wisconsin Supreme Court to Hear Arguments in WILL Religious Liberty Lawsuit

Senate Debates High School Sports Eligibility

Should virtual and charter school students be able to participate in district school’s extracurriculars?

The Hammer of Student Testing

Republican legislators may use tests as a way to force schools to reopen.

Wisconsin Democrats Endorse Dr. Jill Underly for State Superintendent

It’s Kerr and Underly for State Superintendent

Field of seven candidates narrow to two, with Underly the anti-voucher school candidate.

GOP Plan Puts Students, Teachers At Risk?

Legislators require federal education aid to be used to push in-school instruction.

State Superintendent Candidates Make Their Pitch

With eyes on Tuesday’s election, 7 views of the Wisconsin’s education future.

Federal COVID-19 Aid Funneled to In-Person Schools

State GOP lawmakers' plan penalizes school districts that provided virtual instruction.

7 Seek State School Superintendent Job

Who are they and what are the key issues in the February primary race?

Giving Schools a Shot in the Arm

Vaccinating teachers would enable schools to reopen. But it’s not that simple.

WEAC Educators Recommend Jill Underly for State Superintendent

MPS Finalizes Reopening Plans

Schools will bring students back in phases.

School Boards Debate Racial Mascots

Tough talk, but Wisconsin Association of School Boards passes watered down resolution.

Pandemic Worsens State’s Broadband Gap

Rural areas and urban poor left out. Evers calls 2021 the "Year of Broadband Access."

The Campaign to Save Snow Days

Will virtual classes replace snow days where kids got a break from school? Not all officials agree.

State Superintendent Candidates Raise $200,000

Which candidates have raised the most and who are the top donors?

Over 50% of State’s Schools Use Restraints on Students

Elementary students and students with disabilities restrained and secluded the most.

Republicans Dare Evers to Veto Bill

Their COVID-19 bill includes immunity from liability for businesses violating pandemic restrictions.

State Superintendent Candidates Debate

Seven candidates include teachers, principals, superintendents and policy experts.

Gov. Evers, DCF Announce Wisconsin Awarded $30 Million Federal Grant for Early Care and Education

Dr. Hendricks Unveils Student Bill of Rights

Evers Reflects on Year of Pandemic, Protests

Proud of his administration’s response to COVID-19, “we turned that around a little bit.”

Dr. Shandowlyon Hendricks Declares Candidacy for WI State Superintendent

School Nurses Step Up During Pandemic

300 in public school districts play a role in tracking, teaching about disease.

DPI budget proposal provides support “our kids deserve” say public education advocates

AFP-WI Urges Governor Evers to Reject DPI’s Budget Request

MPS Faces Exodus of Younger Students

District’s kindergarten and pre-K enrollment down by 1,544 students.

Public School Enrollment Drops 3%

Drop is likely due to pandemic.

More than $14 million approved for transportation alternatives

Teachers ‘At The End of Their Rope’, Union Leader Says

Calls for no in-person classes unless communities meet benchmarks set by health experts.

School Districts Battle Over In-Person Classes

Parents push for this as health officials, teachers say state’s spiking pandemic makes this unsafe.

The Pandemic is Disrupting Childhood

Seclusion and major changes to daily life can have effects on mental health.

Judge Rules DPI Violated State Law in Release of 2019 School Choice Data

WILL sued after DPI selectively released data in violation of state law

“A Chance for a Better Life”

State Supreme Court Is Radically Activist

Record shows many examples of grabbing cases before lower courts rule.

ACLU of Wisconsin Stresses Need for Equity, Safety Amid Pandemic During Upcoming School Year

Evers Says No Statewide School Re-Opening Plan

School districts will be responsible for decisions about re-opening.

First Lady Evers Announces the Wisconsin 19th Amendment Celebration Committee’s New “Women Who Inspire” Nominee

Committee celebrates Deanna Singh, Brookfield

How Will Schools Use CARES Funding?

The pandemic is proving very expensive for schools.

What To Expect with MPS Reopening

Answers to questions about testing, childcare and sick leave for teachers.

Gov. Evers Announces K-12 Schools Eligible for $46.6 Million