Wis. Governor, Chief Spar Over Standards

When Gov. Tommy G. Thompson of Wisconsin gives his State of the State Address this week, the decibel level in the debate over statewide academic standards may be turned up a notch or two.

And the arguing could get even louder next month when a primary election has the man responsible for the standards, state schools chief John T. Benson, opposed by six people who think they can do his job better than he can.

The Republican governor is expected to use his speech to try to show up an ongoing standards-writing effort by one of his favorite targets, Mr. Benson and the state education department that he heads. Mr. Thompson may propose his own...