Underly announces re-election campaign – Monroe Times

HOLLANDALE — Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Jill Underly announced this week that she will seek reelection in the April 2025 general election.

Underly was elected state superintendent in 2021, after serving as superintendent of the Pecatonica district in Blanchardville. She was previously a principal and teacher, and has also worked as a state consultant to Title I schools in Milwaukee and across the state, and as a university educational consultant.

“As head of the Department of Public Instruction, I have been committed to meeting the needs of every child, every day,” said Dr. Underly. “All children belong in our schools and deserve the support and resources they need to succeed. We must also support our hard-working professional educators, as well as all the support staff and administrators who make Wisconsin schools work.”

Dr Underly stressed that she had fought for more resources for underfunded schools and highlighted the recent survey into youth risk behaviours, saying she was working to support children who are facing unprecedented mental health challenges, while also stressing the need to improve nutrition in our schools.

She also stressed that her work on literacy was an important priority.

“I helped reform the teaching of reading and writing to improve educational outcomes. Every child must learn to read so they can read to learn,” she said.

Dr. Underly also spoke about the politicization of schools and denounced efforts to turn schools into political battlegrounds.

“I fought for kids and their teachers to be themselves in school, and I fought for them to see themselves represented in their curriculum and in their libraries,” said Dr. Underly. “In this campaign, and in a second term as superintendent, I want to make sure we continue to make the investments we need for our kids, as well as continue to look at how we evolve education to meet the challenges of the future.”

In her announcement, Underly stressed the need to engage in this fall’s election, but said she was eager to make her announcement because organizing for the spring must also begin now.

“This campaign will be led by the people,” Dr. Underly said.

Dr. Underly lives in rural Hollandale with her husband and two children, as well as too many animals to count.