Republican candidate for governor Tom Tiffany says he’ll make Wisconsin schools more accountable by giving parents and teachers more rights.
Tiffany spent Thursday crossing the state, with stops in Green Bay and Franklin, to announce his education platform, which includes restricting transgender students from participating in sports and allowing parents, not students, to decide which names and pronouns students use in school.
Tiffany says he and Democratic opponent David Crowley have a clear contrast in how they’ll approach education, one day after going head-to-head with Crowley during the race’s only debate, where education took center stage.
Understanding Wisconsin, Together.
WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” newsletter keeps you connected to the state you love without feeling overwhelmed. No paywall. No agenda. No corporate filter.
“Every child deserves a safe classroom. Every teacher deserves the authority to maintain order, and every parent deserves to know what is happening in their child’s school,” Tiffany said in Green Bay on Thursday afternoon. “That is the foundation of my Parents and Teachers’ Bill of Rights.”
Crowley’s plan for education includes universal early childhood education and closing the special education reimbursement gap. In a statement, Crowley said Tiffany “won’t keep our kids safe — whether it’s in our schools or on the field. He voted for the largest funding cut to public education in (Wisconsin) history and is so extreme he’s even tried abolishing the Department of Education.”
On Thursday, Tiffany referenced the New Richmond School District, which has been embroiled in a federal lawsuit over its transgender student policies.
The Republican-led Legislature has attempted to pass parental bill of rights policies in previous legislative sessions, but Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has vetoed the bills.
In his veto message, Evers stated lawmakers should focus on properly funding behavioral and mental health support services rather than imposing unfunded mandates from Madison. He said struggling students and teachers need direct school investments and resources rather than punitive or rigid state-imposed rules.
State Rep. Joy Goeben, R-Hobart, sponsored the bills and spoke Thursday at Tiffany’s event.
“Parents are their children’s primary advocates, and they should be empowered to make informed decisions about their children’s well-being,” Goeben said. “Protecting our children has never been more important. Our kids are facing serious challenges, from harmful online content to anxiety and depression. Parents cannot protect their children if they are kept in the dark.”
Wendy Peterson, a parent from the Winneconne Community School District, also spoke. Winneconne’s longtime superintendent Peggy Larson was forced to retire this month after being accused of violating federal privacy laws related to Peterson and her 18-year-old son.
Peterson’s son wanted to use female names and pronouns. Wendy Peterson refused and said the school district still allowed it.
“Parental rights matter,” she said Thursday. “We need to keep fighting for them. We need to vote for Tom. He will help us get that through.”
Tiffany said once parents have rights, schools can be held accountable. He said his plan would be to have letter grades A through F for schools based on performance.
“Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction says 94 percent of our school districts are meeting or exceeding expectations, yet only 31 percent of Wisconsin’s fourth-graders can read proficiently,” Tiffany said. “How can we say 94 percent of our school districts are meeting expectations when fewer than one-third of our fourth graders are reading at the proficient level?”
Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2026, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.
Source: www.wpr.org
