Partisan infighting taking a toll on Wisconsin kids' ability to learn to read
This is the first of two columns on reading initiatives in Wisconsin.
What's a higher priority, fighting over partisan control within the state Capitol or helping Wisconsin's children learn to read?
The fight over partisan controls is well on its way to being the winner as gridlock within the Capitol is making it likely that $49 million of already-approved money for reading instruction continues to be held up.
If the battle between Republicans and Democrats cannot be resolved before June 30, the $49 million will be returned unspent to state coffers, with growing chances that no comparable amount will be approved for the two-year budget cycle that will begin July 1.
The impact already has been to greatly crimp the reading initiative approved in 2023 by the Republican-controlled legislature and Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. If nothing further happens during the current budget period or in the period beginning in July, it will amount to a major retreat from a statewide initiative to promote the phonics-oriented 'science of reading.' Some elements of what was called for in the 2023 law known as Act 20 will probably continue, but a larger-scale commitment will have yielded almost nothing at the state level.
The deadlock over the reading money comes at a time when reading scores across Wisconsin have been a source of concern, especially when it comes to low-income and Black and Hispanic students. The gaps between higher-income students and lower-income students when it comes to reading success have grown since the COVID pandemic began in 2020. And recently released reading scores for fourth- and eighth-graders nationwide found that the gaps between white students and Black students in Wisconsin were the largest of any state, as has been the case for many years.
Act 20 approved $50 million to be spent to help school districts statewide launch or increase 'science of reading' efforts. The money was to go to support three dozen reading coaches to work with educators across the state and to support some of the cost of new curriculum materials being purchased by schools.
The law made Wisconsin one of about 40 states nationwide that took action in recent years to promote a shift away from reading instruction often labeled 'balanced literacy' toward instruction that is best known for its emphasis on phonics. In short, balanced literacy relies, in large part, on teaching reading to early-grade students through learning to recognize words, including use of context and visual clues. Critics say that approach has failed many students and that the more structured 'science of reading' approach that includes teaching students to sound out letters and combine them into words has more support from research.
Of the $50 million, less than $1 million was released by the Legislature's joint finance committee to be used to create a reading office within the state Department of Public Instruction and to support efforts such as a special council that recommended curriculums that met the standards of Act 20. The remaining $49-plus million was to be used to directly help teachers and students.
In short, in action on a separate law, Evers used a partial veto that affected who could control release of the $49 million, the joint finance committee or DPI. Democrats have argued that Evers' action was within his powers as governor; Republicans have argued that Evers broke a deal with them over how the money would be controlled. A Dane County judge ruled that Evers' action was within his powers but did not order the reading money to be released. The Wisconsin Supreme Court has agreed to bypass an appeals court and take the case up this spring. But a decision may not come before the clock runs out on spending the money during the current budget cycle. And no one involved in the dispute has budged.
State Rep. Joel Kitchens (R-Sturgeon Bay) is chair of the Assembly education committee and has been Act 20's leading supporter. Kitchens said in recent months that he was aiming for action in the Capitol that would release the $49 million. But he has not been successful in getting agreement on that, and he said Feb. 19 that it is now likely the money won't be spent.
'It's a long shot that it (the dispute) will be settled during this biennium,' he said in an interview, referring to the June 30 end of the current budget cycle.
He said he continued to regard reading as 'the most important thing in education,' and that he is not giving up on the fight to implement the science of reading approach statewide. 'Unfortunately, it got caught up in politics,' Kitchens said.
He said that brings into doubt whether money for reform in reading instruction will be included in the 2025-27 state budget, which is now in its formative stages. In his budget address last week, Evers called for including $80 million to support the reading effort over those two years. But Kitchens said Republicans may not agree to including money in the budget if Evers wins control through court action of how it will be spent
'How do we do that after how he acted last time?' Kitchens said. 'If you can't negotiate with somebody in good faith, I don't know how anything happens.' He added, 'I'm not giving up on it, but it's going to be very difficult.'
In a statement, Jill Underly, the state superintendent of public instruction, said, 'Schools committed to transformational literacy initiatives with the understanding that the legislature would contribute $50 million to support those efforts. Now, nearly two years after Act 20 was signed, Wisconsin students have yet to see a single cent of this promised funding. Meanwhile, our schools have made substantial investments to meet their obligations. This delay is an outright betrayal of our students and a failure of leadership. Legislative leaders have let down both our children and our schools. I don't want to hear another elected official complaining about literacy outcomes — they have no one to blame but themselves.'
More: DPI Superintendent Jill Underly seeks release of funding for state literacy program
Kitchen said the good news is that a significant number of school districts around the state — although there is no count of how many — have made moves to implement 'science of reading' approaches. 'The districts I talk to are doing very well and are happy with the results they're getting,' Kitchens said. 'They obviously would like (financial) support,' he added. The law, he said, 'is still having an impact, but it's not happening as quickly as we would like.'
Act 20 included provisions that have been moving forward at local school levels. They include screening of kindergarten through third-grade students to identify those who need extra help learning to read and providing individualized plans for helping those students. Also, an independent council created under Act 20 examined curriculum options for schools and recommended a handful of programs that meet the standards set in the law. Some school districts are moving to adopt curriculums from that list, even without the state aid that was expected to underwrite some of the cost.
More: Wisconsin politicians wrangle over new recommended reading curriculum list
More: Nearly half of Green Bay Schools' K-3 students are 'at risk' of not meeting reading goals, district says
Jeanne Schopf, president of The Reading League Wisconsin, which advocates for 'science of reading' instruction, was critical in a recent interview of the leadership in state government on reading issues. 'This is very critical to the future of our children and our state,' she said. 'Our challenge in Wisconsin is having leaders who are leading this in a unified way.'
Schopf said, 'Act 20 is just a piece of paper until it is fully implemented as designed.'
Kitchens said, 'There are kids who are not going to learn to read because of this screwing around.'
Next: A look at what is happening in some schools and school districts that are adopting science of reading plans.
Alan J. Borsuk is senior fellow in law and public policy at Marquette Law School. Reach him at alan.borsuk@marquette.edu.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Lawmakers are withholding $49 million intended to help reading efforts
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

24 minutes ago
US Rep. LaMonica McIver indicted on federal charges from skirmish at New Jersey immigration center
TRENTON, N.J. -- U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver was indicted Tuesday on federal charges alleging she assaulted and interfered with immigration officers outside a New Jersey detention center while Newark's mayor was being arrested after he tried to join a congressional oversight visit at the facility. Acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba announced the grand jury indictment in a post on X. 'While people are free to express their views for or against particular policies, they must not do so in a manner that endangers law enforcement and the communities those officers serve,' Habba said. In a statement, McIver said the charges amounted to the Trump administration trying to scare her. 'The facts of this case will prove I was simply doing my job and will expose these proceedings for what they are: a brazen attempt at political intimidation,' she said. McIver, a Democrat, was charged in a complaint by Habba last month with two assault charges stemming from the May 9 visit to Newark's Delaney Hall — a 1,000-bed, privately owned facility that Immigration and Customs Enforcement uses as a detention center. The indictment includes three counts of assaulting, resisting, impeding and interfering with federal officials. Habba said two of the counts carry a maximum sentence of up to eight years in prison. A third has a maximum sentence of one year. McIver's lawyer, former U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Paul Fishman, said in a statement that they would challenge the allegations 'head-on' in court. 'The legal process will expose this prosecution for what it truly is -- political retaliation against a dedicated public servant who refuses to shy away from her oversight responsibilities,' Fishman said. The indictment is the latest development in a legal-political drama that has seen President Donald Trump's administration take Democratic officials from New Jersey's largest city to court, tapping into the president's immigration crackdown and Democrats' efforts to respond. The prosecution of McIver is a rare federal criminal case against a sitting member of Congress for allegations other than fraud or corruption. At the same visit that resulted in McIver's charges, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested on a trespassing charge, which was later dropped. Baraka is suing Habba over what he said was a malicious prosecution. A nearly two-minute clip released by the Homeland Security Department shows McIver on the facility side of a chain-link fence just before the arrest of the mayor on the street side of the fence, where other people had been protesting. She and uniformed officials go through the gate, and she joins others shouting that they should circle the mayor. The video shows McIver in a tightly packed group of people and officers. At one point, her left elbow and then her right elbow push into an officer wearing a dark face covering and an olive green uniform emblazoned with the word 'Police' on it. It isn't clear from police bodycam video whether that contact was intentional, incidental or a result of jostling in the chaotic scene. The complaint says she 'slammed' her forearm into an agent then tried to restrain the agent by grabbing him. The indictment says she placed her arms around the mayor to block his arrest and repeats the charges that she slammed her forearm into an agent and grabbed the agent. New Jersey Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman and Rob Menendez had joined McIver at the detention center that day. They and other Democrats have criticized the arrest and disputed the charges as well. By law, members of Congress are authorized to go into federal immigration facilities as part of their oversight powers, even without notice. Congress passed a 2019 appropriations bill that spelled out the authority. McIver, 38, first came to Congress in September in a special election after the death of Rep. Donald Payne Jr. left a vacancy in the 10th District. She was then elected to a full term in November. A Newark native, she served as the president of the Newark City Council from 2022 to 2024 and worked in the city's public schools before that.
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Why ABC News Anchor Terry Moran Got Fired
Wondering why ABC News fired longtime correspondent Terry Moran? A recent social media post sparked controversy and led to swift action from the network. The situation drew reactions from political figures and raised questions about journalistic standards. Here's what led to Moran's firing and what ABC News said about the decision. ABC News fired Terry Moran after he posted a social media message criticizing Stephen Miller, President Donald Trump's deputy chief of staff for policy. On June 10, 2025, ABC News confirmed it would not renew Moran's contract, stating his post was 'a clear violation of ABC News policies.' In a now-deleted June 8 post on X, Moran called Miller 'a man who is richly endowed with the capacity for hatred' and described Trump as a 'world-class hater' who uses hatred for self-glorification. ABC News responded by suspending Moran and later announced his departure, citing a breach of its standards for 'objectivity, fairness and professionalism.' A spokesperson told USA TODAY, 'We are at the end of our agreement with Terry Moran and based on his recent post… we have made the decision to not renew.' The network emphasized that its reporters must adhere to editorial guidelines that prohibit subjective personal attacks. The post sparked a backlash from senior Republicans. Vice President JD Vance called Moran's remarks 'an absolutely vile smear.' White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described the post as 'unhinged and unacceptable' and said the White House had contacted ABC about the matter. According to The Washington Post, Moran was initially suspended 'pending further evaluation' of whether his post violated neutrality standards. ABC News insiders expressed frustration over Moran's actions. Some said his post harmed the network's credibility, especially after recent efforts to rebuild relations with the Trump administration. Moran, 65, joined ABC in 1997 and served as co-anchor of Nightline and senior national correspondent. He had recently interviewed Trump in April 2025. While he deleted the post, Moran has not issued a public statement since his dismissal. The post Why ABC News Anchor Terry Moran Got Fired appeared first on - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Hochul met with chorus of boos at Belmont Stakes while presenting winner's trophy: video
Gov. Kathy Hochul was met with a chorus of boos Saturday as she made an appearance at the 157th Belmont Stakes in Saratoga Springs – with one observer on hand calling the moment 'awkward.' Video obtained by The Post shows people in the crowd jeering the New York Democrat as she presented the trophy to the winning team of the race, Sovereignty. Harry Tutunjian, a former Troy mayor who was at the race, told The Post he wasn't surprised by the icy reception for Hochul. 'Her popularity is not good, especially in upstate New York,' said the ex-pol, who recorded the moment on his phone. 'The boos were for her, but the minute the trophy was hoisted in the air the place started cheering,' Tutunjian, a Republican, added. 'It was not because they were unhappy with the winner, or the trainer or the jockey. They were unhappy with the governor.' An attendee, who was in the grandstand at the finish line when Hochul presented the trophy, also noticed the lack of support for the Democrat. 'When Hochul was introduced, there was a smattering of boos. I didn't hear a single person clap,' the horse racing fan said. 'It was awkward.' The governor's office declined comment. Hochul had said in a social media post it was her honor to present the winner's trophy this year. 'The Belmont Stakes is a New York tradition, and we're keeping that tradition going in Saratoga while the new Belmont Park is under construction,' she wrote on Saturday. The state and New York Racing Association are currently redeveloping Belmont Park to the tune of a $455 million capital construction project. Hochul announced last week the park in Elmont on Long Island has been selected to host the 2027 Breeders' Cup World Championships.