Name: Bice: Superintendent candidate Jill Underly accused of 'hypocrisy' for sending her children to private school
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Bice: Superintendent candidate Jill Underly accused of 'hypocrisy' for sending her children to private school

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Milwaukee Journal SentinelNo one has been a bigger promoter of public schools during the race for state school superintendent than Jill Underly.&nbsp;That was, no doubt, a large part of the reason that Underly, the&nbsp;Pecatonica school superintendent, has won the endorsement of state and local teachers unions.But back when it was her decision to send her two children to school when she lived in Madison, Underly went private.&nbsp;Her campaign has confirmed that she paid to send her kids to St. James Catholic School&nbsp;in downtown Madison during the 2013-'14 and 2014-'15 terms&nbsp;rather than Aldo&nbsp;Leopold Elementary, a low-performing neighborhood school on the city's southwest side.Underly's son and daughter then switched to the Pecatonica School District when she became its superintendent in 2015.&nbsp;This surprising disclosure prompted sharp criticism from her opponent, Deb Kerr, and other supporters of school choice. Underly opposes the use of tax dollars to pay for vouchers so parents can send their children to private schools.&nbsp;"Not the first hyperbolic school choice opponent to not recognize their own mountain-sized hypocrisy," said&nbsp;Jim Bender, a lobbyist for School Choice Wisconsin.&nbsp;Kerr, the former superintendent for the Brown Deer School District, noted that Underly was sending her children to a parochial school when working at the state Department of Public Instruction, a job she held for five years.&nbsp;"While Jill and her DPI co-workers were trying to stop the expansion of school choice statewide, Jill was utilizing the resources of a private school," Kerr said in an email.&nbsp;"She chose the convenience of the school’s proximity to her DPI job, the academic resources, and faith-based curriculum for her family. These same decision points should be given to our poor kids."RELATED:Underly dismissed any suggestion that there was something improper about her sending her children to private school.&nbsp;Kerr and Underly square off in the April 6 general election.&nbsp;According to her campaign, Underly and her husband decided not to send their children to Leopold Elementary, near where they lived, based on their child-care needs.Specifically, they wanted a school that offered full-day&nbsp;kindergarten&nbsp;programs for 4-year-olds (4K) and 5-year-olds (5K). Their two children were 4 and 5 at the time. But Leopold offered only a half-day 4K program.&nbsp;By contrast, St. James Catholic School had not only full-day programs for both ages but also an after-school program for children. St. James is also just minutes away from where Underly was working in downtown Madison.&nbsp;"Like most families, my husband and I have balanced our careers, our child care needs, our transportation needs, and our kids’ schools," Underly said.&nbsp;"I was happy to have my very young children in Catholic school in my own parish when they were in kindergarten, and our district didn’t then offer all-day pre-K, and then their needs were better met by public schools as they became elementary-aged."Bender, the lobbyist for School Choice Wisconsin, pointed out Underly avoided sending her children to a low-achieving elementary school when she decided they would not attend Leopold.&nbsp;According to the latest state report card, Leopold received a score of 67.8 out of 100, meaning it is just "meeting expectations." It received only three out of five stars. On student achievement, the school scored 35 out of 100.&nbsp;Leopold is an economically and racially diverse school.Nearly two-thirds of the students are listed as "economically disadvantaged," meaning they qualify for free and reduced lunch. Hispanics made up 38% of the student body, African Americans 27.5% and whites 23.7%.&nbsp;RELATED:"For whatever reason, Leopold did not work for her family," Bender said. "Her actions, however, are those of privilege, made worse by her opposition to extending those opportunities to others."Kerr agreed: "I support the liberty of all Wisconsin families, including Jill, to send their kids to the school which is best for them.”The state report card does not provide data for private schools that aren't part of&nbsp;the state's voucher program. St. James' website says 58% of its students are white and 42%&nbsp;minorities.&nbsp;The Pecatonica School District, where Underly's children now attend, is more than 99% white. The district scored a 73 out of 100, meaning it "exceeds expectations."Both of Underly's children are now in middle school.&nbsp;In her statement, Underly said the real issue is not school choice but providing a quality education to children at an early age. She vowed to make that available to all families in the state, if elected.&nbsp;"That’s why I’ve led my district to offer full-day pre-K&nbsp;as well as child care to all our families," Underly said. "As state superintendent, it’ll be my priority to do the same for all kids statewide."Contact Daniel Bice at (414) 313-6684 or&nbsp;dbice@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanielBice&nbsp;or on Facebook at&nbsp;fb.me/daniel.bice.

Milwaukee Journal SentinelNo one has been a bigger promoter of public schools during the race for state school superintendent than Jill Underly.&nbsp;That was, no doubt, a large part of the reason that Underly, the&nbsp;Pecatonica school superintendent, has won the endorsement of state and local teachers unions.But back when it was her decision to send her two children to school when she lived in Madison, Underly went private.&nbsp;Her campaign has confirmed that she paid to send her kids to St. James Catholic School&nbsp;in downtown Madison during the 2013-'14 and 2014-'15...

Bice: Superintendent candidate Jill Underly accused of 'hypocrisy' for sending her children to private school

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