Gov. Tony Evers signed 2023 Wisconsin Act 20, known as the Right to Read Act, yesterday after weeks of tireless revisions from the Legislature.

It overhauls how teachers teach and students learn reading in grades K-3 in public, charter and choice schools. It promotes phonics; prohibits a teaching strategy called “3-cueing;” changes student assessments; requires more student interventions; establishes a literacy coaching program; and more. Most regulations begin in the 2024-25 school year.

From the beginning of its introduction, over a very short period of time, WCRIS proposed several fixes to the program as it quickly snaked through the state capitol halls in June. Often we were the lone private school voice urging caution. But our suggestions for voucher schools were not included in the final version that reached the governor’s desk. In fact, several “eleventh hour” fixes actually made it worse. Usually friendly legislators didn’t seem concerned with the initiative’s impact on K-8 voucher schools.

Evers said the act is “a step in the right direction,” but that there are several other factors contributing to students’ reading achievement, which he vowed to also address.

Now that the literacy initiative has become law, the DPI can begin its rule-making process, which will take months. WCRIS will be monitoring this process to try to ease this governmental overreach into our schools.

For now, please reference this June Current Events article for a summary of what provisions of the law apply to choice schools. How these provisions will specifically be implemented in schools is up to the DPI.

If your choice school is looking to purchase a new literacy curriculum, WCRIS recommends waiting until the DPI releases more information.

Modeled after Mississippi’s legislation that led to the “Mississippi Miracle,” Wisconsin now joins 31 states that have adopted a similar literacy initiative.

More Updates for Choice Schools

Choice high schools should anticipate new crime reporting requirements that were included in June’s colossal shared revenue bill to begin in the 2024-25 school year. The DPI has yet to issue guidance on the requirement. Read more here.

You can find the updated choice voucher amounts for next school year on the DPI’s website here under question #1.

Stay tuned to Current Events for more updates. In the meantime, please contact the WCRIS office with questions. We’re here to serve!