On the Road

On November 16, State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster welcomed school district administrators and school board members to the 22nd Small Schools Conference in Wisconsin Dells. The event was sponsored by the Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators, the Wisconsin Association of School Boards, and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

“We are part of Wisconsin’s long and proud progressive tradition of offering excellent public education to our children wherever they reside,” said Burmaster. “Our own families and our communities have benefited from the good rural schools, libraries, and higher education system in our state. To a very large degree, rural Wisconsin is the backbone of our state’s success. Our traditions, quality of life, and respect for natural resources have been preserved and strengthened throughout the rural communities of our state. As educational policy leaders, we must look to the unique characteristics and unique challenges of small districts, and in this budget year, we must join together to help small schools survive in challenging times.”

Later that morning, Burmaster delivered the plenary address at the Statewide Equity and Multicultural Education Conference, also in Wisconsin Dells, sponsored by the Wisconsin State Human Relations Association (WSHRA). Burmaster spoke to an audience of about 150 administrators, educators, equity coordinators, student teachers, high school diversity club advisors, representatives of community-based organizations, and students.

“WSHRA is a visionary organization,” Burmaster told the group. “Your work to recognize and value human diversity is so important today for all our children and families. The greatest gift we can give this generation is an educational system which values cultural pluralism as an asset in building community, and fosters respect for the rights of all human beings, for human dignity, and for the advancement of human rights. Thank you for all that you have done and continue to do.”

That afternoon, Burmaster spoke to community members, Madison area principals and teachers, and Latino community leaders at the UW-Madison Latino Community Forum at the Memorial Union. The state superintendent described her efforts to provide educational opportunities for all children, and state and local efforts to build bridges for students across all levels of education. “In our larger society, when we insist on a community agenda, invest more in the growing numbers of our children of poverty, reach across the racial divide, and build a politics based on lifting up all the children of this generation — not dividing them against each other — we will truly realize the potential of a public education system that can preserve our American democracy and ensure justice and compassion in civic life,” said Burmaster. Other speakers included UW Chancellor John Wiley, Athletic Director Barry Alvarez, State Representative Pedro Colon, and UW Regent Jesus Salas. The forum was sponsored by UW-Madison and the Latino Faculty and Staff Association.

The state superintendent attended the annual meeting and policy forum of the Council of Chief State School Officers in Little Rock, Arkansas, from November 17-20, where Burmaster assumed the CCSSO presidency.

“I am honored to be elected by my peers to take a leadership role in this dynamic and energetic group of education leaders,” Burmaster said. “The Council of Chief State School Officers provides a forum for the exchange of ideas and development of educational policy and programs that improve student achievement nationwide.”

Last updated on 11/20/2006