Dear Friends,

One week after announcing our Empowering Parents Agenda, Democrats are making it clear they will do whatever they can to stop parents from having a say in their child's education. A Democrat member of the State Assembly said on social media that only wealthy people should have choices for their children's education. That's just wrong.

I believe every child deserves a chance to have a quality education, no matter where they live or how much their parents earn. There is a clear divide going on in our country right now. I am siding with parents and their kids. You can read more about my plan to do just that below.

As always, if you have any concerns or ideas on how to improve our great state, please do not hesitate to contact me by phone at 608-266-5830 or by email at Sen.Darling@legis.wisconsin.gov.

On, Wisconsin!
Assembly Committee Hears Education Reforms
On the same day an Assembly Democrat demeaned parental rights, the Assembly Committee on Education held a public hearing on parts of my Empowering Parents Agenda.

On Thursday, Democratic State Representative Lee Snodgrass deleted a tweet that said “If parents want to ‘have a say’ in their child’s education, they should home school or pay for the private school tuition out of their family budget."

It’s disappointing, but not surprising that democrats believe only rich parents should have educational options for their children. I introduced the Empowering Parents Agenda to re-establish parents as the ultimate decision-maker and to make sure every child in the state has access to a high-quality education regardless of income or zip code.

On Thursday, the Assembly Education Committee heard testimony on three bills that are part of that agenda.

  • Assembly Bill 963: Parental Bill of Rights - Establishes several parental rights relating to decisions regarding a child's religion, medical care, records, and education, and creates a cause of action for the violation of these rights. Allows a parent to bring a suit if those rights are violated.
  • Assembly Bill 964: Property Tax Credit after Virtual School - Increases the school property tax credit for residents of school districts that are closed to in-person instruction for more than 10 days of instruction during the second half of the 2021-22 school year. Many working families were left last minute to find options for their children, and this money will help offset some of those incurred costs. 
  • Assembly Bill 965: School Accountability Reports – Establishes uniform standards for school accountability reports. Our state’s educational accountability system relies heavily on the state school and district report card. This bill improves the accountability reports to provide a consistent assessment of student success. 

Also included in the Empowering Parents Agenda:

  • Senate Bill 963 Milwaukee Public School Reform – Establishes by 2024, MPS will be divided into smaller community districts that are more manageable and accountable to parents and their communities. The new community district boundaries will be developed by a commission made up of elected officials with a vested interest in the community, including the Mayor of Milwaukee, the Governor, and the State Superintendent.  
  • Senate Bill 965 High-Performing Charter Replication and Creation of Statewide Charter Board – Charter schools are public schools that operate with less red tape. This bill will streamline replication for the highest performing charter schools in our state and will increase opportunities for more students and families statewide.
  • Senate Bill 974 School Choice Expansion - Opens school choice to all Wisconsin families by removing state enrollment caps, family income limits, and grade entry points – marking the beginning of true school choice for all our students and families.

I welcome the debate from those who want to protect the status quo and support decades of failing students. The time is now to put children and families first because we can no longer afford to lose another generation of students. We are going to do what is right for kids, parents, and the future of Wisconsin.
More Election Reforms Approved
The media likes to dismiss the important work we are doing on improving the way our elections are run.

The truth is there were many serious problems with how the election was handled. The non-partisan Legislative Audit Bureau conducted a months-long, thorough review of the 2020 election. The report listed nearly 20 recommendations for law changes and 30 for administrative changes at the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC).

Those findings are incorporated in a series of bills that I co-authored with Senator Kathy Bernier of Lake Hallie. This week, the Senate Committee on Elections, Election Process Reform and Ethics approved those bills and two more that I authored.

The problems didn't end in 2020. Mequon City Clerk, Caroline Fuchs, uncovered a problem with current law. During a recent local election in Mequon, someone tried to register to vote. When that person was asked if they were a citizen, they said “no,” and were turned away. Our clerk was concerned that a less honest person would have been able to vote.

Representative Dan Knodl of Germantown and I authored Senate Bill 938 which requires DOT to indicate “Not Valid for Voting Purposes” on driver’s licenses issued to non-citizens. Current licenses for non-citizens aren’t that clear and might be missed by a near-sighted poll worker. It also requires WEC to confirm the citizenship status of an individual. The check must be carried out 60 days before absentee ballots are mailed out for statewide elections.

The committee also approved my bill that will help prevent WEC from bypassing the Legislature and changing our election laws. During the 2020 election, the Wisconsin Elections Commission made several changes to the way the state handles elections without approval from the Legislature. Those changes were made through what is called "guidance documents" rather than through administrative rules.

Senate Bill 943 will make WEC more accountable by requiring weekly reports to the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules of guidance given to clerks. JCRAR will be able to review that guidance and decide whether or not it should be promulgated as a rule and go through the already established rule process.

These bills are now available for a vote in the full State Senate.
Dismal Reading Scores
As a former teacher, I am extremely concerned about the significant drop in reading and English scores.

As I told the MacIver Institute, our state is facing an educational crisis. We have a reading and learning crisis and the only solution coming from Governor Evers and DPI is to study it more. I’m sick of studies. The shelves at DPI are stacked with studies. It’s time for action.

Sadly, every bold initiative we have proposed over the last couple of years has been met with strong opposition to protect the status quo. Our kids deserve better and I’m not giving up on them.
School Report Cards
The Department of Public Instruction's 2020-21 School Report Cards show the need for reforming education.

Many Wisconsin school districts slipped in the 2020-21 school year compared to 2018-19, according to report card data from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. The department changed the methodology for report cards this year, allowing schools to meet expectations with lower scores.

Click on the picture to see how your school district is performing.
Around the 8th...