January 23, 2006	Volume 5, Number 3

On the Road

On January 16, State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster participated in Wisconsin's 26th annual tribute honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The event featured guest speaker Tony Brown of the PBS series Tony Brown's Journal. Guests included Attorney Fred Gray, who represented both Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during the Civil Rights Era; Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle and other state officials; and a program of music featuring jazz saxophonist Kirk Whalum, Highway To Heaven, the Lighthouse Singers, and the UW-Madison Gospel Choir.

Burmaster attended Governor Doyle’s annual State of the State Address in Madison on the evening of January 17. Following the address, she commented on the governor’s proposals affecting education. “The New Wisconsin Promise is our commitment to raise achievement for all students and close the achievement gap,” the state superintendent said in a statement. ”Building on our promise, Governor Jim Doyle’s proposed new financial aid package absolutely provides hope and vision to all eighth-grade students, before they start high school, that academic success brings college within reach. This proposal encourages our students to engage in their own learning and focus on their postsecondary schooling. The governor’s proposal allows children in middle school to imagine that their dreams can be fulfilled. It also encourages high-schoolers to do well and make the right choices, while reassuring their families that college will be affordable.”

On January 18-19, Burmaster addressed the annual joint convention of the Wisconsin Associations of School Boards, School District Administrators, and School Business Officials in Milwaukee and participated in awards ceremonies honoring retiring educators. “You have some of the toughest jobs in the state, yet you consistently succeed in bringing local communities together around our shared responsibility to provide a quality education for our children,” Burmaster told the group. “The leadership you provide has lifted our schools to national prominence in student achievement, and lifted our children toward their hopes and dreams of a bright future.” A photo gallery of the convention award winners is available.

The state superintendent chaired a meeting of the National Center for Learning and Citizenship (NCLC) board of directors in Scottsdale, AZ January 19-20. NCLC’s mission is to promote, support, and reward citizenship education with a global perspective, arts education, and service-learning as essential components of America’s education system. The group helps educators identify, develop, and implement policy options to ensure that students have the opportunity for lifelong engagement in their communities from the local to the international level. The board discussed the NCLC strategic plan, professional development, and heard a presentation on assessing the civic competencies of high school students. Wisconsin has been involved with NCLC since its inception, and the State Superintendent’s Learning Lab for Citizenship and Service-Learning provides leadership for the NCLC agenda in Wisconsin.

Last updated on 1/23/2006