visimoney
TLDR:
A Wisconsin teacher, Kerri Herrild, has been advocating for personal finance education for high school students for over two decades. Her efforts were rewarded when Governor Tony Evers signed a law requiring all high schoolers to take a personal finance course in order to graduate. Previously, Wisconsin had personal finance instruction, but it was up to each district to determine how it was taught. Herrild wanted all students to have a full course on personal finance to cover topics like taxes, retirement savings, and understanding pay stubs. With the new law, every high school student in Wisconsin will receive this important financial education.
In her personal finance elective course at De Pere High School, Herrild sees her students have “ah-ha” moments where they realize the practicality of what they’re learning. She believes that financial literacy is a social justice issue and that all students deserve to have access to this education.
For many years, Herrild attempted to get a personal finance requirement implemented in her district, but was unsuccessful. She then collaborated with Next Gen Personal Finance, an organization that aims to have every state require a personal finance course by 2030. In 2022, Herrild testified in front of the Assembly Committee on Education in support of the requirement. Although the bill ultimately didn’t progress, another bill was introduced in March and Herrild testified again, this time alongside her daughter.
In December, Governor Evers signed the requirement into law, making Wisconsin the 24th state to pass such a requirement. Herrild attended the bill’s signing, marking the end of her two-decade-long journey to make personal finance education a reality for all Wisconsin high school students.
