On the Road

On September 7, Burmaster welcomed AmeriCorps members and VISTA volunteers and their supervisors, and expressed her appreciation for their work. “What an inspiration it is for me to be with you today as you begin a new year of service to engage partners for student success,” said Burmaster. “I commend you for your commitment to serve, knowing that you do so not just to “do good,” but to share in the lives of the people and the community in which you will work.”

On September 11, State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster attended a remembrance ceremony at the State Capitol for the victims of September 11, 2001. The observance, sponsored by the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) and hosted by Andrew Schuster, Director of WDVA's Office of Public Affairs, featured presentations by Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton, Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin, State Public Defender Nicholas Chiarkas, WDVA Deputy Secretary William Kloster, and Chief Philip Stittleburg, Chairman of the Wisconsin National Volunteer Fire Council.

The state superintendent was guest speaker at the September meeting of the Oregon Town and Country Women’s Club on September 12. The group works to improve the quality of life in the Oregon area. The club gives awards to high school students who want to develop their artistic talents or work on a project that will improve life in the greater community. Awards are based on student interviews and on their interest and enthusiasm. The group also has contributed to the Oregon Library, the Fitchburg and Oregon senior centers, the Oregon food bank, and other charitable causes.

“Your group represents the force that creates true quality of life in our communities: the basic value of every man and woman to serve other people,” Burmaster told the audience. “To serve others, to interact with others in a positive way, is a basic human value that must be taught at home, reinforced in our schools, and modeled in our communities. A public education system isn’t worth a great deal if it teaches a young person how to make a living, but not how to make a life. Character of the heart, participation in civic life, and understanding one’s role in the family and community are keys to being a well educated person.”

Burmaster attended the Truancy III Summit at Wingspread Conference Center on September 13. The summit, organized to develop further efforts to increase school attendance in Racine, was attended by educators, elected officials, and civic, law enforcement, and business leaders from the Racine community.

“According to the Wisconsin Information System for Successful Schools, Racine has reduced its habitual truancy rate by nearly half in the past year,” Burmaster reported. “Racine’s Habitual Truancy rate dropped from 18.1 percent to 9.7 percent, which is about the average rate for the whole state. That means in Racine there were 1,787 fewer students reported as habitual truants in the 2004-05 school year compared to the prior year. Clearly what you all are doing is working. More students are attending school.”

On September 14, Burmaster attended a meeting of her Learning Lab on Service-Learning & Citizenship. The group has reviewed the history of service-learning in the state and recommended that a strategic plan be developed to foster leadership in civic education; create a Professional Development Plan related to teacher standards; pursue funding for higher education scholarships to teachers attending universities that teach service-learning; and formalize a common framework for implementation of high quality service-learning programs.

Later that day, the state superintendent held the final meeting in a series of listening sessions on re-authorization of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law. Over the last several months, Burmaster has held a series of meetings on NCLB in Wisconsin. The meetings have brought together educators, parents, civic leaders, school administrators, early childhood and community leaders, school board members, and others, and have provided a wealth of data and information from the field. The goal of the meetings was to gather ideas that would make NCLB more effective at increasing achievement and closing the achievement gap and allow our state to better support and improve schools identified for improvement.

On September 15, Burmaster attended a PK-16 Leadership Council principals meeting at UW-Madison. The Wisconsin PK-16 Leadership Council is comprised of leaders from the state's PK-12 schools, the University of Wisconsin System, the Wisconsin Technical College System, and the state's private colleges and universities. The council works with leaders in business, industry, and government to create the best educational opportunities for all Wisconsin students.

Last updated on 9/18/2006