Records show some candidates were hand-picked by 1776 Project PAC, a national conservative political group that spent more than $160,000 this spring on local public school board races.

The 19 plaintiffs, led by the Wisconsin PTA, are asking the Circuit Court of Eau Claire County to hold the Legislature accountable for "not meeting its constitutionally mandated obligation to provide all children with an equal opportunity for a sound basic education."

Only half of Wisconsin high school students feel a sense of belonging at school, with even lower rates among minority students, according to a state report. Fewer than half of girls, Spanish-speaking and Black students—and just 39% of lesbian, gay and bisexual students—feel accepted.

Under Milwaukee Public Schools' campaign, the first 90 retired teachers to be successfully placed in a school and continue to work for six months will be eligible for a $1,000 bonus. The offer is open to retirees from MPS or any other Wisconsin school district.

In recent years, Wisconsin high schools have seen a steady increase in enrollment in hands-on technical education courses, according to Perkins V data. That comes after years of declining enrollment nationwide in the 1990s and 2000s.

Milwaukee Public Schools will reassign 181 central office staff, including 40 teachers, to classrooms next year to boost academic outcomes. Superintendent Brenda Cassellius says the move targets "broken systems and structures."

Math scores for U.S. fourth and eighth graders declined significantly last school year, compared to 2019, according to the latest results from the National Center for Education Statistics, or NCES. Chronic absenteeism and pandemic shutdown are to blame, say Wisconsin and national educators.

Since adopting a phonics-based approach, educators at Wadewitz Elementary School in Racine, Wisconsin, have found they need dedicated coaches, funding and community stability to make the Science of Reading work.