It’s a wide open race in Hal Watson’s district at River Falls! Vying in the February 16th primary to succeed the outgoing District 3 alderman who represents just north of Division Street in St. Croix County are four names: Alyssa Mueller; Eric Wanta; Matthew Berning; and Reuben Herfindahl. With four going into the February primary, just two can appear on the final April ballot. Who will they be? That’s for District 3 voters in the City of River Falls to decide.

Meanwhile, and not unlike the local alderperson race in District 3 of River Falls is the race for State Superintendent of Education, with seven names on the February 16th primary ballot, with not everyone able to able to the Spring ballot. The choice of who goes and/or who advances, meanwhile, is up to you and me.

With absentee ballots due by February 11 at your local clerk’s office and the in-person vote taking place February 16, upon which the lucky contestants for the April ballot will be chosen. So who are the seven candidates? Glad you asked. Each of the seven have tried to tell voters about themselves through various media, including campaign websites. From a present assistant superintendent of education to a high school physical science teacher from Fond du Lac who also lectures at UW-Oshkosh, the next prospective leaders of Wisconsin state education are each unique, and have different priorities. With a drawing of name slips in a semi-random selection process to choose candidate order, first up for the seven running is Shandowlyon Hendricks- Williams.

“Dr. Hendricks was born in Chicago, Illinois to Bishop Harry and First Lady Barbara Hendricks,” her candidate website for state superintendent reads at www.drhendricksforeducation.com.

With her family moving to Decatur, Illinois as an infant, she was negatively impacted when factories closed in the town, which relied on industrial and agricultural work for jobs. Her father was later appointed to pastor Church of the Living God when the family moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A mother of two, one with “multiple severe disabilities,” Hendricks-Williams attended college as a first-generation college student and has earned several degrees, including a doctorate degree in educational leadership from National Louis University. Her areas of specialization include K-12 Education, Instructional Leadership & Administration, while she holds lifetime licenses from the Wisconsin Department of Education include that of Special Education Teacher, Director of Curriculum & Instruction, Director of Student Services & Special Education, Principal, and District Administrator. Now an empty nester, Hendricks-Williams has two dogs named Burberry and Remy and is also said to enjoy baking cakes, gardening, and reading. Following Hendricks-Williams for state superintendent candidate profiles is Sheila Briggs.

“Together, we can create a better future for ALL of our kids,” her candidate website reads at www.briggsforkids.com. Now an assistant superintendent under Dr. Carol Stanford-Taylor at the Wisconsin Department of Education and backed with a steady list of endorsements from various individuals of many different paths, Brigg’s priorities are listed to include “the OUTCOMES we value for kids,” the ROLE of the teacher, and the STRUCTURE of the school.” Calling for mental health resources and wellfunded special education, Briggs calls for more teacher voice, and singles out ACT 10, which deprived public educators of the right to collectively bargain. Saying that “Wisconsin should not expand taxpayer-funded private school voucher programs,” but instead adequately fund its public schools, Briggs calls for a redesign to encourage innovation, along with stable funding sources and recognition of the unique needs of rural school districts. Following Briggs in the candidate update is Steve Krull.

“A chance for a better life,” the candidate website for Steve Krull as State Superintendent greets visitors at www.krullforschools.com. An Air Force veteran with wife Amanda and two kids, Krull “sees our public educational system crumbling in Wisconsin.” As supporting evidence for this assertion, Krull points to “a teacher shortage in the thousands,” but also “vastly different services depending on what district or school” that kids attend, along with “a student loan debt crisis.” After leaving the Air Force, Krull and his family moved to Wisconsin where the superintendent candidate enrolled at Cardinal Stritch University “to pursue teaching.” Along the way, he got to give kids something that he never experienced as a child, the gift of liking school. In addition, Steve’s individualized learning approach led kids to excel academically. Being promoted to an instructional coach and later serving as a Wisconsin DPI state exam reviewer, Dr. Krull holds his doctorate in Urban Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee as of 2016, a degree he earned while working full-time, according to his official campaign website. Following Krull in the race for State Superintendent is Joe Fenrick.

“Bringing a Teacher’s Perspective to Madison,” the website for Joe Fenrick as State Superintendent reads at fenrickforeducation.com. A father with four children, Joe Fenrick is a science teacher at Fond du Lac high school and occasional Geology lecturer at UW-Oshkosh. Among his platform as listed are the planks “teaching, not testing,” budgets that are “transparent, predictable, and fair so every child has a chance to succeed.” On that note, Fenrick’s website includes a small piece entitled “What My Daughter Taught Me About Testing,” in which test anxiety is front and center, along with the observation that, “as a high school educator, I see the stress and anxiety in my students” and their general lack of enthusiasm for another test due to being tested so often. Saying that the money spent on testing could better go to reducing class size, fully funding special education, and adding “additional support for reading at elementary schools,” Fenrick pledges that if elected “I would do everything in my power to reduce the amount of standardized tests that our children take,” instead focusing on curriculum development. Next up for candidate profiles is Jill Underly.

“Dr. Jill Underly is a licensed superintendent and has worked as a teacher and administrator in the public school systems since 1999,” the candidate information at underlyforwi.com reads in part. Underly knew she wanted to be a teacher “way back in 1986, when she was in the 3rd grade.” Inspired by Christa McAuliffe, a teacher chosen to participate in the ill-fated Space Shuttle Challenger mission, Underly’s first teaching job “was at a large comprehensive rural high school where she taught U. S. History, Government, Sociology, and Midwestern History.” She also taught alongside the English Language Learner teacher and has been a sports coach in her educational career. Married to husband John, Dr. Under has two children in middle school and lives on a small farm in southwestern Wisconsin, where they have a hobby farm of sorts. Underly’s most recent post is as School District Administrator for the Pecatonica Area School District. Contestant number six in our profile re-hash is Troy Gunderson.

“Students ready for Learning. Teachers ready for teaching. Future ready graduates.” So announces the website for Troy Gunderson as State School Superintendent at www.troyforstatesup. com. A native of Colfax, Wisconsin and former Superintendent at West Salem, Gunderson announced his state superintendent aspirations back in September, when there were just two others in the race. With 35 years of experience in public education after graduating from the University of Minnesota, Gunderson served seven years as a classroom teacher at Melrose-Mindoro High School and 16 years as high school principal, going on to serve one year at Princeton, Wisconsin and another 12 years as school superintendent of the Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau School Distirct in Galesville, Wisconsin. Married to a retired middle school science teacher, Gunderson has two adult children, Kelsey and Kirsten, both graduates of West Salem High School and UW-Madison.

“I stand here today as the product of public education,” Gunderson says in the “Meet Troy” section of his campaign site bio. “I received an outstanding educational experience as a child growing up in rural Wisconsin,” going on to say that his wife, mother, and father-in-law “all enjoyed successful careers as public school teachers. Chalking up his “personal and professional growth” to the opportunities afforded with public education, Gunderson closes out to say, “It is now time to give something back. Let’s get ready.” Following Gunderson as the last state superintendent candidate in this our short list of candidate profile is Deborah Kerr.

“We will, Together, Champion Education for All Kids,” Kerr makes known at her candidate website at kerr4kids.com. Among the key priorities on her non-partisan campaign platform are to “Ensure success for all students through Equity with Excellence;” “Innovate and Personalize Learning for all students;” “Engage families and communities as partners;” and last but not least, to “Lead with strength and respect, and Honor all Stakeholders.” Among the ways she proposes to personalize education (to cite just two examples) are to “Eliminate the digital divide and access to robust internet, especially in rural areas and underrepresented community,” along with a desire to “Foster and celebrate innovations in our Wisconsin schools.”

With absentee ballots due by February 11 and the election itself on February 16, these are the candidates for Wisconsin state superintendent. Read, research, and choose accordingly—if you choose to vote.