Jill Underly was recently te-elected as State Superintendent of Schools in Wisconsin. She is an active member of the Netwotk for Public Education and attended its last two meetings. She released the following statement after two courts hacked away at Trump’s threat to withhold funds from schools that taught diversity, equity, and inclusion
MADISON, Wis. (WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION PRESS RELEASE) – State Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly today issued a statement following two federal court rulings that limit the Trump administration’s ability to withhold critical school funding over an unclear certification form and process.
“Our top priority in Wisconsin is our kids and making sure every student has the support they need to succeed. The past few weeks, school leaders have been scrambling to understand what the impact of the U.S. Department of Education’s order could be for their federal funds, forcing them to take their eye off what matters most.
“Today, two separate courts reached a similar conclusion: the USDE’s new certification process is likely unlawful and unconstitutionally vague. That is a welcome development for our schools and communities who, working in partnership with parents and families, are best positioned to make decisions for their communities – not Washington, D.C.
“We are closely reviewing today’s rulings and will continue to stand up for Wisconsin schools, and most importantly, our kids.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Bravo, Superintendent Underly!!!! More leaders like you!!!!
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My son-in-law is a green card holding Mexican truck driver that makes frequent deliveries throughout the Midwest. He has been subjected to a number of racist insults and rude comments recently by those emboldened by the orange menace. He was even handcuffed and later released for no reason by police in Illinois. He has nothing but positive feedback about the open-minded, tolerant people he has encountered in Wisconsin. While it’s not always fair to generalize, it is good to know that there are some fair-minded people around that can treat Latinos with accents with respect.
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I’m sending part of the letter that I got from Senator Jim Banks [R-IN]. He explains why it was important to close down the Department of Education. Banks doesn’t know anything about educating students but he praises everything that Trump does.
Indiana would not spend money for education wisely. Public schools are underfunded while tax money is going to private charters, home schooling, virtual schools and vouchers that help the wealthy send their children to private schools. [Trump was NOT elected with a mandate to reform the federal government.] Teachers are NOT teaching anti-American programs. DEI isn’t anti-American.
Thank you for contacting me regarding the Department of Education. I appreciate your feedback.
President Trump was elected with a mandate to reform our federal government agencies and make the bureaucracy accountable. Federal bureaucrats have controlled American education for too long, and they have failed our students. The Department of Education has existed for 45 years, and its annual budget now exceeds $100 billion, yet our students’ test scores are near historic lows. The National Assessment of Educational Progress shows that 4th and 8th graders have made no progress, overall, in their reading or math performance since 2021. Meanwhile, the average Department of Education employee’s salary exceeds $126,000—twice as much as an experienced teacher in Indiana earns.
Eliminating the Department of Education and directing more education funding to the states is an important step to reduce waste and increase local control of education. Parents, teachers, and school boards are much more attuned to their students’ needs than bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. Similarly, the roughly 4,400 Education Department officials’ salaries would be better spent directly in the classroom. I wholeheartedly support President Trump sending those dollars back to the states. It not only gets federal bureaucrats out of the way, it prevents taxpayer funds from being squandered on anti-American programs. For instance, a December 2024 report by Parents Defending Education found that, under the Biden administration, the Department of Education spent $1 billion on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programming in public schools.
I was proud to cosponsor the Returning Education to Our States Act, introduced by Sen. Mike Rounds, which would fully and permanently implement President Trump’s March 20, 2025 Executive Order, “Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities.” The legislation would block grant the maximum amount of education funding possible to the states while streamlining essential Department of Education functions and transferring them to other federal agencies. Specifically, the bill would make the Department of Justice responsible for enforcing civil rights laws, the Department of the Treasury responsible for administering student loans, the Department of Interior responsible for managing Native American education programs, the Department of Labor responsible for all career and technical education programs, and the Department of Health and Human Services responsible for supporting students with disabilities.
I am committed to working with my colleagues on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to enact this policy. It is a sensible solution to wind down the Department of Education in an orderly fashion.
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