UPDATED Tuesday, February 24, 2009 --- 2:15 p.m.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Tony Evers says Gov. Jim Doyle has endorsed him in the race for state schools superintendent.

Evers has been deputy state superintendent since 2001 and has 34 years of experience in professional education. He is vying for the state's top education job against virtual schools advocate Rose Fernandez.

Evers issued a statement Tuesday quoting Doyle as saying Evers is the clear choice in the April 7 election.

Fernandez campaign manager Brian Fraley says such an early endorsement from the governor shows Evers believes Fernandez is a serious contender. He says Fernandez is building a coalition of supporters and her campaign has momentum.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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UPDATED Wednesday, January 21, 2009 --- 8:30 a.m.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- A second candidate for state school superintendent believes that the state law effectively limiting teacher pay increases needs to remain in place.

Rose Fernandez said Tuesday that she supports keeping the so-called "qualified economic offer" in place as long as it allows for merit pay. She hadn't taken a position earlier.

Another candidate, Van Mobley, also wants to keep the QEO. Three others want to repeal it. They are Tony Evers, Lowell Holtz and Todd Price.

The 16-year-old QEO prevents teachers' unions from going to arbitration as long as they are offered 3.8 percent increases in salary and benefits.

Gov. Jim Doyle and the powerful state teachers' union support repealing it.

The primary election for the superintendent position is Feb. 17.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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UPDATED Friday, January 9, 2009 --- 12:15 p.m.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Two candidates for Wisconsin's state superintendent who did not turn in enough valid signatures earlier this week have fixed enough problems to qualify for the ballot.

Beloit schools superintendent Lowell Holtz and National-Louis University professor Todd Price went over the required 2,000 signature mark late Thursday. They had until the end of Friday to fix problems reviewers found with their signatures.

Government Accountability Board spokesman Kyle Richmond says problems that were fixed included such things as missing or wrong dates and incorrect addresses.

The other candidates are current deputy superintendent Tony Evers, virtual schools advocate Rose Fernandez and Concordia University professor Van Mobley.

The primary is Feb. 17.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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UPDATED Friday, January 9, 2009 --- 6:25 a.m.

BELOIT, Wis. (AP) -- A changing calendar can mean trouble when you're running for political office.

Take Lowell Holtz, who's seeking the job of Wisconsin superintendent of public instruction.

Holtz said he fell short on his nomination petitions because some signers wrote the date as 2008, even though they signed on Jan. 4, 2009.

Those signatures got bounced by the Government Accountability Board, which oversees state elections. The board said three candidates turned in the required 2,000 valid signatures by Tuesday's deadline, but Holtz and another candidate didn't. Holtz was credited with just 1,930.

The two were given until 5 p.m. Friday to make corrections.

Holtz, who heads the Beloit school system as superintendent, said he got those who used the wrong year to correct the mistake, and he fully expects to be on the ballot.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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UPDATED Wednesday, January 7, 2009 --- 2:40 p.m.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Two candidates for state superintendent did not turn in enough valid signatures by Tuesday's deadline to be placed on the ballot.

Beloit schools superintendent Lowell Holtz and National-Louis University professor Todd Price failed to get the 2,000 valid signatures needed to make it on the ballot.

Three other candidates met the requirement.

Government Accountability Board staff determined that Holtz turned in only 1,930 valid signatures and Price had just 1,884 that were valid.

The candidates have until 5 p.m. Friday to rectify any problems that the board's staff found with the signatures in the hope of hitting the 2,000 mark.

The other candidates are current deputy superintendent Tony Evers, virtual schools advocate Rose Fernandez and Concordia University professor Van Mobley.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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UPDATED Tuesday, January 6, 2009 --- 5:45 p.m.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Five candidates seeking to become state superintendent of public instruction filed signatures by Tuesday's deadline to appear on the ballot.

Those with at least 2,000 valid signatures will face each other in a Feb. 17 primary. The top two vote-getters advance to the general election April 7.

The candidates are current deputy superintendent Tony Evers, Beloit superintendent Lowell Holtz, Concordia University professor Van Mobley, National-Louis University professor Todd Price and virtual schools advocate Rose Fernandez.

The winner will serve a four-year term starting in July. The position pays $122,000 a year.

The current superintendent, Libby Burmaster, decided against seeking a third term.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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Posted Sunday, January 4, 2009 --- 12:30 p.m.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Five people are vying to become the next Secretary of Education in Wisconsin, a position that will help shape education policy in the state for the next four years.

The five come from a variety of backgrounds.

They are current deputy Tony Evers, Beloit Superintendent Lowell Holtz, National-Louis University professor Todd Price, Concordia University professor Van Mobley and Wisconsin Coalition of Virtual School Families president Rose Fernandez.

Tuesday is the deadline for those who want to run for the position — and other posts up in the spring election — to file signatures with the state. The field will be narrowed to two in a Feb. 17 primary. The election is April 7 and the winner takes over July 1 for Libby Burmaster, who decided against seeking a third term.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.