Tipsheet

Tom Tiffany Calls on Tony Evers to Put Wisconsin Families First, Opt In to Federal Scholarship Program

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers has overseen the utter destruction of Wisconsin's public schools. Reading and math test scores have plummeted, Black students in Milwaukee Public Schools are testing at the bottom nationally, and a district is under investigation for systemic abuse of students.

Despite that, Evers and the Wisconsin Democrats are determined to destroy the state's school choice program and to keep Wisconsin's children trapped in failing, dangerous public schools. To do that, Evers vetoed legislation that would have given families access to $1,700 in federal tax credits for education. That bill also included provisions that would have improved classroom safety by supporting teachers and their ability to remove disruptive students from their classrooms.

Evers is an outlier on this. Fellow Democratic Governor Jared Polis in Colorado called opting into the federal program a "no-brainer."

Now, Rep. Tom Tiffany, who is running for Governor, is calling on Ever to opt in to this program.

Tiffany, who supported the federal creation of this program, was joined by several others, including Green Bay mom Colbey Decker and Waukesha School Board President Kelly Piacsek.

Tiffany pointed out that only 31 percent of Wisconsin fourth graders can read at grade level, and the funds would help with tutoring, summer school, and other programs.

"The Federal Scholarship Tax Credit could have helped fill those gaps. A dyslexic child in Milwaukee who needs help learning to read. This scholarship could have paid for tutoring," Tiffany said. "A public school student right here in Madison who needs an after-school program, this scholarship could help make that possible. A homeschool family in Wausau, trying to prepare for the SAT, this scholarship could have helped pay for that."

"But now, that opportunity is gone, all because Governor Evers, the so-called 'Education Governor,' chose not to opt-in. As Governor, I will fix this, because our kids need every tool, every resource, and every opportunity we can give them," Tiffany said.

Wisconsin students and families deserve better, and Democrats like Tony Evers will do everything they can to deny those families opportunities.