HERB KOHL WAS 88.

>>> IN EDUCATION NEWS, THE TIME IS NOW TO BOOST SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING IN WISCONSIN.

THAT'S ACCORDING TO SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION, JOE UNDERLY, WHO, IN CALLING FOR AN INCREASE, CITES THE PROJECTED STATE BUDGET SURPLUS OF MORE THAN $7 BILLION.

SUPERINTENDENT UNDERLY JOINS US NOW.

THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEI NG HERE.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

THANK YOU.

>> SO YOU'RE CALLI NG FOR AN INCREASE TO THE SPECIAL EDUCATION REIMBURSEMENT RATE TO 60%, WHICH WOULD BE ABOUT A BILLION DOLLARS.

NOW, THIS WAS REJECTED BY THE REPUBLICAN LEGISLATURE IN THE BUDGET PROCESS.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO GO AROUND AGAIN ON THIS NOW?

>> BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT.

WE NEED TO FUND OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND ESPECIALLY EDUCATION.

REIMBURSEMENT RIGHT NOW IS SO LOW THAT SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE TO TRANSFER MONEY FROM THEIR GENERAL FUND IN ORDER TO PAY FOR THESE SERVICES, WHICH ARE REQUIRED BY LAW.

SO IF WE WERE TO INCREASE THE REIMBURSEMENT RATE, THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO TRANSFER AS MUCH MONEY AND WE'RE ALSO SERVING KIDS AND WE'RE ABLE TO THEN FUND THE OTHER PROGRAMS THAT SCHOOLS DESPERATELY NEED TO FUND.

>> THIS HAS BEEN THE C ASE FOR SO LONG.

>> YEAH, IT HAS, AND YOU SEE IT.

IT'S HAVING AN IMPACT.

I MEAN, IT'S BEEN HAVING AN IMPACT FOR DECADES.

BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF REFERENDUMS THAT SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE TO GO TO, IT'S BECAUSE THEY NEED THE FUNDING.

THEY'RE NOT GETTING REIMBURSED.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT THINGS THEY WANT TO DO, LIKE RAISE TEACHER SALARIES OR CREATE MUSIC PROGRAMS OR ART PROGRAMS OR INCLUDING THINGS LIKE JUST GENERAL MAINTENANCE ON THEIR BUILDINGS, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR THINGS TO CUT BECAUSE THEY CAN'T FUND THEIR PROGRAMS, AND IF WE WOULD REIMBURSE SPECIAL EDUCATION AT A HIGHER RATE, WE COULD DO THAT.

>> STANDARDIZED TESTS IN WISCONSIN TESTS SHOWED IMPROVEMENT OVER PANDEMIC SCORES BUT STILL NOT RECOVERED.

FEWER THAN HALF OF STUDENTS STATEWIDE PERFORMED AT OR ABOVE PROFICIENT IN MATH AND LANGUAGE, AND IN MILWAUKEE, THE NUMBERS ARE LOWER, IN THE TEENS.

WHAT SHOULD THESE SCORES LOOK LIKE?

>> YEAH.

SO WE WANT ALL KIDS TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

AN ASSESSMENT IS ONE WAY TO FIGURE OUT WHERE KIDS ARE AND WHAT KIDS NEED, BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT IT, YEAH, WE'RE NOT WHERE WEPT TO BE, AND SO HOW DO WE APPROACH THAT?

WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE KNOW IS THAT POVERTY HAS A LOT TO DO WITH HOW KIDS ARE GOING TO TEST.

AND SO THAT BEING SAID , ASSESSMENT IS JUST ONE PIECE OF DATA, BUT IF WE COULD LOOK AT FUNDING THINGS LIKE UNIVERSAL MEALS, MENTAL HEALTH, MAKING SURE ALL KIDS FEEL SAFE AND INCLUDED IN THEIR SCHOOLS, THEY'RE GOING TO LEARN BETTER.

>> ONE THING THAT STOOD OUT WAS THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS ABSENT FROM SCHOOL.

AGAIN, IN MILWAUKEE, 58% OF STUDENTS ABSENT 10% OF SCHOOL DAYS.

WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE?

>> YEAH, WE SEE DO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH CHRONIC TRUANCY AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S HAPPENING AT A NATIONAL LEVEL.

COMING OUT OF COVID, WE NOTICE THOSE RATES INCREASE, AND AGAIN, IT'S REALLY LOOKING AT WHAT ARE THE UNDERLYING CAUSES OF THIS.

EVERY SITUATION IS GOING TO BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT, EVERY KID IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT.

EVERY SITUATION FOR THEM IS GOING TO BE NOT THE SAME.

SO WE NEED TO LOOK AT WHAT SUPPORTS DO THEY NEED IN ORDER TO BE ENGAGED IN SCHOOL.

AGAIN, IT'S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE.

RIGHT?

IT'S LOOKING TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE THERE, THAT THEY'RE ENGAGED, THAT THEY FEEL SAFE, THEY FEEL INCLUDED, THINGS LIKE MEALS, THINGS LIKE CONNECTING WITH STAFF MEMBERS, MAKING IT SEEM THAT -- MAKING IT SO THAT KIDS FEEL SAFE AND WANT TO BE IN SCHOOL IS VERY IMPORTANT.

>> DO WE HAVE A SPECIAL KIND OF EFFORTS AROUND THIS?

>> YEAH.

D.P.I.

HAS BEEN WORKING ON A CROSS-AGENCY COLLABORATIVE IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE.

WE HAVE FUNDED A PROGRAM CALLED THE GRADUATION ALLIANCE FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS SO THAT THEY CAN, WITHOUT CHARGE, ACCESS THE INFORMATION AND SUPPORTS AND PLANS FOR KIDS WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM.

>> WHAT'S THE ST ATUS ON THE SHORTAGE OF TEACHERS AND TEACHER TURNOVER?

>> YEAH.

SO THAT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE A PROBLEM.

WE KNOW THAT, RIGHT NOW, IT'S NOT SO MUCH THAT WE DON'T HAVE PEOPLE WHO DON'T WANT TO GO INTO TEACHING; IT'S PEOPLE STAYING IN TEACHING.

SO AFTER FIVE YEARS, WE ONLY ARE RETAINING ABOUT TWO-THIRDS OF THOSE TEACHERS AND WE HAVE TO, AGAIN, LOOK AT THE UNDERLYING CAUSES.

A LOT OF IT HAS TO DO WITH THE POLITICS THAT HAVE BEEN INFUSED IN EDUCATION, LOOKS AT RESPECT FOR TEACHER AND THE LACK THEREOF FOR TEACHERS.

IT'S ALSO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PAY FOR TEACHERS AND THE FACT THAT THEIR SKILLS ARE TRANSFERABLE TO OTHER INDUSTRIES AND ULTIMATELY WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT WORK-LIFE BALANCE, BECAUSE WHEN WE TALK TO TEACHERS AND THEY TELL US WHY THEY'RE LEAVING, IT'S BECAUSE IT'S AN IMPOSSIBLE JOB.

>> AS A MEMBER OF THE UW BOARD OF REGENTS, YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO BE PRESENT FOR THE VOTE THAT EVENTUALLY RESULTED IN DEI PROGRAMS BEING CUT IN EXCHANGE FOR UNIVERSITY SALARY INCREASES AND OTHER FUNDING.

HOW WOULD YOU HAVE VOTED?

>> I WOULD HAVE VOTED AGAINST IT, AGAINST CUTTING DEI POSITIONS.

MY RECORD HAS BE EN VERY CLEAR.

AGAIN, I'M DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION AS A FUNDAMENTAL TENET OF EDUCATION AND I AM ALWAYS GOING TO FIGHT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS.

>> FINALLY, WITH THE PASSING OF FORMER WISCONSIN SENATOR HERB KOHL, YOU REMEMBERED HIM AS A CHAMPION FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION IN SCHOOL KIDS.

HOW SO?

>> HE WAS THE BEST FRIEND THAT PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAD IN WISCONSIN.

HE FUNDED COUNTLESS PROGRAMS, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT SCHOLARSHIPS FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS AND PRINCIPALS.

THERE WAS A I REMEMBER A BANQUET WHERE HE ALWAYS, WHEN I WAS THERE, HE WOULD ALWAYS GO UP TO AND CONGRATULATE EVERY KID AND EVERY PARENT FOR THEIR SCHOLARSHIPS AND HE FUNDED BACK-TO-SCHOOL WISH LISTS FOR TEACHERS.

I MEAN, WE OWE SO MUCH IN THE STATE TO HERB KOHL WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLIC EDUCATION.

TO PUBLIC EDUCATION.