On the Road

On September 26, State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster attended as one of the sponsors of the Early Childhood Business Summit in Milwaukee. The summit was held to build support among Wisconsin businesses and foundations for high quality early education, and its vital role in the economic well-being of our communities and state. Extensive national research and studies have found that one of the best ways for our state and nation to remain economically competitive is to invest in early childhood education.

Governor Jim Doyle and CEO Jeffrey Joerres of Manpower, Inc. welcomed summit participants. National and state business leaders addressed the meeting, including Charles Kolb, President of the Committee for Economic Development, and Dan Pedersen, President of the Buffett Early Childhood Fund. A panel of experts, led by Robert Dugger, Tudor Investment Corporation and current co-chair of the Committee for Economic Development’s Invest in Kids Working Group, provided perspectives on the importance of early childhood education. Helen Johnson-Leipold concluded the summit by encouraging business leadership and advocacy for quality early education.

Burmaster welcomed Japanese teachers to Madison on September 26. The eight teachers are in Wisconsin on a three-month assignment from the Japanese Ministry of Education.

The state superintendent attended a meeting of the Alliance for Attendance at the Menomonee Indian School District in Keshena on September 27, and heard updates from school and community leaders regarding activities of the Alliance. The meeting featured reports from committees for bridges out of poverty, truancy reduction, and gang diversion. The committees highlighted their efforts to increase attendance in the district.

Burmaster visited Kindergarten classrooms prior to the meeting, and presented a Friends of Education Award to the Veterans of the Menomonee Nation. The award was presented to the community-based organization in recognition of their efforts to serve as role models by working in schools, sharing experiences and teaching students, leading special programs, and providing scholarships and financial support to students.

Veterans of the Menomonee Nation receive a Friend of Education Award from State superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster

The state superintendent welcomed participants to a data ambassador workshop at the UW-Madison September 28. The workshop was a follow up to the Data Summit held in January. “We know that data-informed decisions can improve instruction if we create school cultures where there is the belief that good data are an integral part of teaching, learning, and managing the school environment,” said Burmaster. “Our efforts to use accurate and timely information to inform instruction are a priority. We must evolve beyond assumptions and speculation into an arena of data-informed decisions that support the most important work in our country: The academic success of each of our students.”

On September 28, Burmaster hosted events in Madison and Watertown announcing continuous school improvement grants for their respective school districts. On September 29, she held a similar event at Oshkosh North High School. These school improvement grants are funded through the federal Title I program. Similar events have been, or will soon be held in other school districts around the state (see separate story in this issue).

Later that day, the state superintendent spoke at the fall conference of the Wisconsin Association of School Business Officials (WASBO) in Elkhart Lake. Burmaster reviewed her 2007-09 education budget and detailed some of her specific proposals. “While our educational environment continues to change, we must always remember our shared values and responsibilities to each of the 880,000 children educated each day,” Burmaster concluded. “What you do has an impact on each and every child that steps onto their bus, their school grounds, and into their classrooms throughout the year.”

Last updated on 10/2/2006