Wisconsin schools superintendent candidates clash on major issues

Erin Richards:

In the race to head the state Department of Public Instruction - overseeing 870,000 public school students in Wisconsin - the incumbent superintendent and longtime public schools employee is facing a challenge from a Republican lawmaker who supports leaner government and private school vouchers.

The election Tuesday will pit Tony Evers, the incumbent superintendent of public instruction, against Republican Rep. Don Pridemore from Erin in Washington County.

Officially, the state superintendent is a nonpartisan office. But Evers, 61, has historically won support from Democrats and teachers unions. He was opposed to Gov. Scott Walker's legislation that rolled back collective bargaining, and he signed the petition to recall Walker.

Pridemore, 66, wants to see more local control and believes teachers unions have monopolized education. He favored Walker's Act 10 legislation and has called for an audit of the Department of Public Instruction.

So where do the candidates stand on many of the state's other hot-button education issues?

Posted by Jim Zellmer at March 28, 2013 2:36 AM
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