Tony Evers

Dr. Anthony "Tony" Evers (born November 5, 1951) is an American educator and the present Superintendent of Public Instruction of Wisconsin since 2009. Evers serves as President of the Council of Chief State School Officers and was Wisconsin's Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction from 2001 to 2009.

Born in Plymouth, Wisconsin in 1952, Evers received his bachelors (1974), masters (1978), and doctorate degrees (1986) from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Evers began his professional career as a teacher and media coordinator in the Tomah school district. In 1979 to 1980 he was principal of the Tomah elementary school, and from 1980 to 1984 he was principal at the high school. From 1984-1988 he was superintendent of the Oakfield school district, and from 1988-1992 he was superintendent of the Verona school district. From 1992 to 2001 he was administrator of Cooperative Education Service Agency in Oshkosh

Evers first ran for state superintendent in 1993 when he was defeated by John Benson. In 2001 he came in third in the primary to Elizabeth Burmaster. After her election, Burmaster appointed Evers Deputy Superintendent, a position he held until Burmaster was appointed president of Nicolet College.

State Superintendent

Evers then ran again in 2009, this time winning. He defeated Rose Fernandez in the general election. In April 2013, Evers defeated Don Pridemore and won reelection.

Funding Formula Proposal

For the past several state budget cycles, Evers has proposed the "Fair Funding for Our Future" school finance reform plan. The plan seeks to address some of the challenges with the current school funding system and proposes changes to ensure equity and transparency in the quality of our schools. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has never included Evers' plan in his proposed state budget, citing the cost.

Every Student Succeeds Act (Federal)

In March 2016, the US Department of Education announced that Evers had been selected to serve on the Negotiated Rulemaking Committee for Title 1, Part A of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The federal committee is charged with drafting proposed regulations for two areas of the ESSA.

Controversy

In 2009, Evers used government email accounts for fundraising purposes. He and another government employee were fined $250 each for soliciting campaign donations during work hours.

Dr. Evers is married to his high school sweetheart, Kathy. They are parents of three adult children, all public school graduates, and have six grandchildren.