State Superintendent of Public Instruction Elizabeth Burmaster will not be running for re-election this spring, opening up her seat for a real showdown. Given the track record of Wisconsin conservatives in the spring elections the last two election cycles, next April's elections for State Superintendent and State Supreme Court Justice could ease the pain of November's losses.
The un-conservative candidate (and Burmaster's handpicked replacement) has already declared, Deputy Superintendent Tony Evers. Evers will likely have the backing of the teachers unions in Wisconsin. He is known for his hostility to virtual schools and for his advocacy of ever increasing state spending on schools.
Conservatives should look to promoting and endorsing a reform-agenda, fiscally responsible candidate capable of running a strong state-wide campaign. A solid campaign by someone willing to take on the education establishment would have a real chance of winning in the spring, and education reform activists would finally have a real advocate at the state level.
