On April 15, 2026, the Assembly Committee on Government Operations, Accountability, and Transparency will hold an informational hearingon Department of Public Instruction policies, procedures, and compliance regarding open meetings laws and open records laws; standard-setting and benchmarking process for the Forward Exam.
Speakers:
- Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Dr. Jill Underly, State Superintendent of Public Instruction; Leadership and agency representatives as determined by DPI (Dr. Underly was Invited, but is unable to appear.)
- Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Andrew Hoyer-Booth, Legislative Liaison
- Institute for Reforming Government Jake Curtis, General Counsel and Director of Center for Investigative Oversight; Quinton Klabon, Senior Research Director
——-
So far, DPI has said.
They dragged their feet on fulfilling our open records request because:
1) They had staff vacancies in their legal department
2) The request was from an advocacy organization that has been critical of DPI
And…
IRG:
“DPI can’t continue to duck and hide when it comes to the 2024 conference that ultimately led to Superintendent Underly lowering Forward Exam cut scores. The fact that they sent two individuals to defend the process who weren’t DPI employees in 2024, and certainly didn’t attend the conference in question, is an insult to taxpayers,” said Jake Curtis, IRG General Counsel.
Department of Public Instruction Superintendent Jill Underly was invited by the committee but sent staff instead. Notably, the staff who testified on her behalf were not DPI employees at the time of the 2024 conference under question.
IRG announced on Tuesday that it filed a complaint to hold DPI accountable for its secret meeting that led to DPI lowering test score standards. Actions taken at illegal meetings are voidable under state law. If a court determines that DPI violated Wisconsin’s Open Meetings Law by conducting the meeting in secret, a judge could declare the newly adopted controversial testing standards invalid.
——-
more.
A Dane County Judge appointed by Governor Evers – Ben Jones – was previously a DPI attorney.
DPI notes & links.
Jill Underly.