My Literacy Question to Renuka Mayadev & Jane McCormick; Wisconsin Assembly District 77 Fall 2026 Candidates

Happy Thursday, Renuka & Jane:

Thank you for running!

I write with a question. Note that 37% of Wisconsin 4k to 3rd graders scored below the 25th percentile, Madison did worst: 43.7%, despite spending $26K per student – now $28K. The data is from the 2024-2025 early literacy screener provided by Districts to the Wisconsin DPI. www.sedso.io/maps/wi/

How will you vote, if presented with legislation to overturn Wisconsin Act 20’s provision that?

“Wisconsin Act 20 requires school boards to have adopted a written policy specifying criteria for promotion from third to fourth grade by July 1, 2025. Then, beginning Sept. 1, 2027, a school board may not promote a third grader to fourth grade unless the student satisfies the criteria in that district’s policy.”

https://wisconsinwatch.org/2026/09/wisconsin-reading-improvement-school-literacy-reforms-education-opinion/

Overturning attempts to address our long term, disastrous literacy results is not a new political tactic: Observe our 1998 – 2026 literacy history:

www.sedso.io/history/

You’ll note DPI (Evers) mulligans and the attempt to delete the early literacy teacher content knowledge requirement.

Thank you for taking the time to respond and best wishes,

Jim

Jane McCormick’s response:

Hi Jim,
We are on the same page. I wholly support not advancing any child to the fourth grade who cannot read at grade level. Doing so sets that child up for failure in every single class moving forward. Being able to read at or above grade level must be the standard. And phonics is the gold standard and should never have been abandoned. Educators who are too focused on ‘feelings’ have sunk the futures of thousands of children. This is an abomination.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with a kid being held back. Many have done it voluntarily in my lifetime. It also can become an excellent motivator at that age to help a child become more serious about the importance of reading and its far reaching implications if they do not.

You have my 1000% support.

Thank you for reaching out on this very important subject. Anything I can do to support this cause is extremely important to me and what motivated me to run in the first place.

Best regards,
Jane

Jane McCormick
Republican Candidate for Assembly – 77th District

Jane for Dane AD 77
PO Box 5165
3310 Lake Mendota Dr.
Madison, WI 53705
jane@janefordane.com
www.janefordane.com
(608) 286-2291‬

Renuka Mayadev

No response as of Friday evening, 18 September 2026

Websites: Jane Renuka