March 27, 2006	Volume 5, Number 10

On the Road

On March 21, State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster met with her Parent Leadership Corps in Madison to discuss changes in the No Child Left Behind law, and to receive updates on the State Data Summit for Successful Schools, the Alliance for Attendance, the VISTA family-school-community partnership project, and Early and Ongoing Collaboration and Assistance.

That evening Burmaster, along with First Lady Jessica Doyle, hosted a reception at the Executive Residence for Wisconsin teachers who were recently awarded National Board Certification. The state superintendent congratulated them on their achievement. “Your exceptional professional development supports our New Wisconsin Promise to close the achievement gap by ensuring a quality educator in every classroom,” said Burmaster. “In your classrooms, with every child, you truly hold the power to shape the future. The future of our state will be determined by how we educate the children of our great communities. And, the future of our state will be determined by how we recruit, retain, and respect the people involved with the education of those children.”

Last year 62 Wisconsin teachers earned certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. There are now 329 national board-certified teachers in Wisconsin. Research demonstrates that students have higher achievement gains when they are taught by National Board Certified teachers. Photographs of the event are available in the DPI photo gallery.

On March 23, Burmaster welcomed more than 120 educators to the annual Small Schools Conference in Wisconsin Rapids, sponsored by the Department of Public Instruction (DPI), the Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators (WASDA), and the Wisconsin Association of School Boards (WASB). The theme of this year’s conference was Small Schools: Meeting the Challenge.

Small schools and school districts are the norm in much of Wisconsin. Their needs are unique in that they are required to meet the same responsibilities as larger school districts, with fewer resources. Recognition of this unique challenge led WASDA, WASB, and the DPI to develop a conference where the challenges and successes of small districts can be addressed.

Burmaster spoke at a banquet to honor inductees and salute the area graduates in teacher education at the twenty-first annual Southeastern Wisconsin Educators' Hall of Fame Awards in Kenosha on March 24. Inductees are selected from the many outstanding candidates nominated by educators and others in Racine and Kenosha counties. A friend of education, who has shown community leadership and support of education, was also recognized. Inductees are chosen by a committee representing education at all levels and in all geographic areas of the counties.

“Tonight, we honor the educators who let their courage sing—the educators who, everyday in their classrooms and schools, are addressing the social, economic, and educational inequalities of our multiracial society through their commitment to our children,” said Burmaster. “Let the commitment in your soul that has led you to come together around quality public education be renewed and invigorated with this recognition celebration.”

The event is sponsored by the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, Carthage College, and the S.C. Johnson Corporation.

Last updated on 3/27/2006