State Rep. Joe Sanfelippo, R-New Berlin, introduced a proposal Monday that would enable Gov. Scott Walker to appoint the superintendent of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction with consent of the state Senate.
Current superintendent Tony Evers, one of the only Democrats to have a statewide office, entered his position through an election of Wisconsin voters, but Sanfelippo asserted in his proposal that the process should change.
“[This procedure] needs to be improved and the only way we can do that is by holding DPI more accountable, and with an appointed superintendent, we can do exactly that,” Sanfelippo said.
According to the New Berlin Republican, Wisconsin is one of only 12 states in the country that elects its head of public schools on partisan or nonpartisan ballots, which Sanfelippo has said is one of the driving forces of the movement.
Despite a powerful Republican push, many have opposed the recent proposal. State Rep. Sondy Pope, D-Cross Plains, released a statement arguing against the motion.
“Wisconsin has been renowned for some of the highest performing public schools in the nation,” Pope said in the statement. “Sanfelippo’s resolution seeks to undermine that history in an effort to score political points to the detriment of our state's students.”
In order for the proposal to pass, it must be adopted by two successive legislatures, and will also need to be ratified by voters in a referendum.
