Lieutenant Governor Candidate Kurt Kober
We’re told all our lives that there are rules we have to follow. Wait your turn. Don’t raise your voice. Fall in line.
I’m Kurt Kober and I’m running for lieutenant governor because I believe it’s time to break some of those rules. For too long the rules have helped the privileged few in power and left too many Wisconsinites behind. It’s time for politicians to stop playing political games instead of taking care of their constituents. It’s time for new thinking, it’s time for new ideas. It’s time to change the way we look at our politics because we deserve a system that works for everyone.
That means making sure every Wisconsinite has access to a good education, no matter where you live. Public education is what shaped my life. From Wilson Elementary School, where my dad, a city bus driver, drove me to school each morning, to University of Wisconsin Green Bay, where I met my wife Abby—Wisconsin public schools have made me who I am today. My graduate degree from the University of Wisconsin Madison launched me into my career. My third-grade teacher, my high school art program, my first college economics class—these are people and experiences that allowed me to think differently, and gave me the skills to grasp the opportunities I had.
My public school story should be the rule, not the exception. Because the truth is, today, those in power are causing our education system to fail the next generation. The status quo has stripped away funding from our preschools to our UW System. It has pushed our students into overcrowded classrooms with underpaid teachers. and forced standardized testing. We all know that education can be a great equalizer, but only if access to that education is equal. It’s time to rewrite the rules to bring that equality into our education.
I’ve spent the last few years talking with teachers, school board members, and most importantly, families, to form a plan of action to bring back our public education. I’ve spent my career helping companies, schools, and organizations who needed to change outdated rules, and I’ve gotten results. I have formed my campaign to find solutions to real problems, not play political games, and I’ll start on day one. On my first day in office, I will call for a research committee to study the benefits of free early childhood education. Free early childhood education isn’t just good for the children, it’s good for the parents who are able to work more, and save more. I will also work to change our assessment process in schools. Huge standardized tests do not accurately represent our student’s successes, and it’s time we stop forcing our teachers to prioritize grades on a test over authentic learning. Finally, I will work with our governor to make sure public money is being fairly spent on all of our public schools, not just the highest performing suburban schools. I want every parent to feel confident about sending their child to the closest public school, and in order to do that, we need to invest in them.
I am a proud product of Wisconsin public schools, and I want the next generation to be able to look back and say they are too. I want them to know the rules worked for them, not against them. But in order to do that, we need to make some changes. When we vote, we can make those changes. When you vote you call the shots. You say I have options. You’re saying: I should be able to drink the water coming out of my faucet. I should be able to find meaningful work. I should be able to afford health care. My child’s education matters. I should be able to thrive in Wisconsin.
My name is Kurt Kober and I’m running for lieutenant governor to make sure the rules work for you. And if they don’t? Well, it’s time to break a few rules.