WC Wisconsin News

School District of La Crosse Superintendent Dr. Aaron Engel provided insights into his recent meeting with Dr. Jill Underly, the Wisconsin State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Engel, in a conversation with radio station WIZM, said that his meeting with Dr. Underly was part of her efforts to celebrate Career and Technical Education (CTE) month. According to Engel, Dr. Underly spent the first half of February traveling across Wisconsin as part of this initiative. He further explained her responsibilities within the state's public school system.

"Dr. Underly is responsible for leading education in the state of Wisconsin as an elected official and she runs the Department of Public Instruction," Engel said. "The Department of Public Instruction sets guidelines and standards for all schools and libraries in the state. (They’re) responsible for taking a lot of federal funds and guidelines, distributing them, and monitoring them for the state as well."

Engel noted uncertainty about her itinerary following their meeting but mentioned that she visited La Crosse to emphasize career tech programs. "Schools offering CTE programs aren’t just teaching technical skills; they’re fueling students’ imaginations, inspiring future careers, and helping equip them with real-world experience," Underly wrote in an op-ed. She highlighted that Wisconsin is one of six states not allocating funds to establish CTE programs in public schools, according to a 2022 report by Advance CTE.

A news release revealed that Dr. Underly proposes a $60 million investment to expand student programming through her biennial budget request. She said that while some schools have invested in CTE programs, others lack resources necessary for offering such classes. "The gap in access to CTE programming is a significant issue, one that prevents many students from exploring potential career paths and building the technical skills needed to thrive in today’s workforce," she said.