Backers of two attempts to increase funding for Wisconsin public schools have found a very high-profile ally: Former Vice President Joe Biden.
The 2020 Democratic presidential candidate鈥檚 campaign announced Tuesday he backs two attempts to raise more tax revenue for schools through elections. One is a $87 million ballot measure in Milwaukee, and the other is a referendum in Racine that would raise an additional $1 billion for schools.
鈥淭hese are the ideas we鈥檒l build on in a Biden Administration 鈥攚e鈥檒l triple funding for Title I schools and give teachers a raise, and replace Betsy DeVos with a Secretary of Education who鈥檚 been in a public school classroom,鈥� the statement from Biden reads. 鈥淥ur students and 糖心动漫vlog deserve an advocate and champion in the White House.鈥� (.)
We flagged the potential importance of the referendum in Milwaukee鈥攖he site of the 2020 Democratic National Convention鈥攆or Education Week readers back in November. The Milwaukee teachers鈥� union has prioritized that referendum, but the election that will determine its fate is scheduled for April 7 and could be in jeopardy because of the spread of the coronavirus.
It鈥檚 not necessarily typical for a presidential candidate to get involved in this way in local ballot questions, even though the Milwaukee union will no doubt appreciate his support. However, 叠颈诲别苍鈥檚 remaining rival for the Democratic nomination, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, has also spoke up about and gotten involved in issues like last year and this year.
叠颈诲别苍鈥檚 has been a notable feature of education鈥檚 role in the 2020 campaign, and 叠颈诲别苍鈥檚 use of it hasn鈥檛 been unique. The Biden campaign told us that Biden is relying on his wife, Jill Biden, who鈥檚 been a college instructor, and his policy director Stef Feldman for education policy advice.
Photo: Former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at a rally for striking grocery workers in Boston last year. --Michael Dwyer/AP