Letter to the Editor: Education, Race and Fair Elections

Recently, Rep. Kitchens wrote about three current issues: education, race and fair elections (Dec. 11, 2020 e-update). We thank him for his communications. 

The first issue – the importance to our children of resuming in-person education – is an issue almost all of us support. Kitchens’ post also includes his acknowledgment of the huge educational-achievement gap between children of color and the rest. On this point, Wisconsin is the worst in the country. 

Further, he points out the cost to our society if this achievement gap is allowed to continue. This is the kind of outspoken leadership Wisconsin needs concerning an array of racial-injustice issues that permeate Wisconsin’s society. I urge Rep. Kitchens – with his background and experience – to go beyond recognition to solutions.

He also writes that in-person instruction must be done safely and that individual districts may experience circumstances unique to their district. Therefore, local school districts should be making decisions about in-person education. 

“They know their situations the best, and I trust that they will act accordingly,” he wrote. 

The current proposed COVID-19 relief legislation drafted by the Republican Assembly leadership contains language that would usurp these local-control decisions. I urge Kitchens to lead an effort to remove that item: one of several contentious items that are holding up the badly needed COVID-19 relief legislation.

Finally, he is “committed to upholding the Constitution and fighting for fair elections.” In Wisconsin, fighting for fair elections begins with drawing fair legislative-district maps, based on “fair maps” principles: an issue Kitchens supported during his reelection campaign.

We urge him to reintroduce legislation that will accomplish this, noting that all of these issues – fighting racial injustice, maintaining local control of education, and fair maps – will require our representative to challenge the authoritarian voices of Republican leadership.

Norman Wilsman

Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin