Bipartisan Cooperation Over State Literacy Program in Schools Quickly Turns to Political Battles and Lawsuits

Thursday, May 16th, 2024 -- 9:01 AM

(Corrinne Hess, Wisconsin Public Radio) In July, Democrats and Republicans celebrated when Gov. Tony Evers signed a sweeping literacy bill into law that promised to change how the state’s youngest children are taught to read. 

According to Corrinne Hess with Wisconsin Public Radio, the bipartisan idea, championed by dozens of other states, shifts students to phonics-based reading instruction for 4-year-old kindergarten through third grade.

Now, that bipartisan agreement focused on improving kids’ education has devolved into political battles and lawsuits focused on the governor’s use of his veto pen, and on money for reading programs controlled by the Legislature.

When the reading bill was approved, the Legislature approved a separate, nearly $50 million appropriations bill for implementation. That money would help school districts pay for the new curricula needed to change their reading programs, and for training for teachers who need to put the new rules into practice.

The disagreements began over how that money would be used, and who would decide how to use it. Wisconsin allows its governors to use partial vetoes on appropriations bills.

Evers’ use of that power in February, prompted a lawsuit last month from Legislative Republicans asking the $50 million be withheld from the state Department of Public Instruction.

This week, DPI and Evers filed a counter claim saying implementation of the reading bill for the 2024-25 school year will be impossible.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.