Wisconsin Senate Votes to Mandate Kindergarten

The Wisconsin Senate voted yesterday (Tu) to make kids finish kindergarten before they can go to first grade. It’s optional now. But senators voted 17-to-15 to make it mandatory. The bill now goes to Governor Jim Doyle, after the Assembly passed the same requirement last week. All the yes votes came from Democrats. Republicans all voted no. The bill’s supporters say too many parents consider kindergarten to be like day care centers – and they’ll send their kids only when they feel like it, causing disruptions for both students and their teachers. But the bill’s opponents asked why the Legislature should mandate good attendance for kindergarteners because their parents make poor choices.