Vol, 6, No. 27: September 17, 2007		Get SEAchange by email

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1. On the road

On Monday, September 10, State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster visited the Wisconsin School for the Deaf (WSD) in Delavan. The school operates under the direction of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and has provided educational services for deaf and hard of hearing students since its founding by the Wisconsin State Legislature in 1852. During her visit, Burmaster presented a plaque to Gerry Shipman, spouse of the late John Shipman, who administered the school from July 1974 to July 1992. A formal ceremony in October will celebrate the naming of the Shipman Administration Building in honor of the long-time superintendent's contributions to the WSD.

On September 12, the State Superintendent delivered a keynote address to the Girl Scouts Alliance--a group of leaders and volunteers from the state's 16 Girl Scout Councils. The Alliance was observing their Legislative Day events at the state capitol. Burmaster noted in her remarks that "for 95 years, girl scouts have been 'making the world a better place' through sisterhood." She told attendees that with one out of every six girls in Wisconsin belonging to the organization, "you have a major impact on the formation and development of girls across our state."

On September 13, Burmaster welcomed the Parent Leadership Corps to a meeting at the Department of Public Instruction offices in Madison. The Parent Leadership Corps is a group of 20 parents, appointed by State Superintendent Burmaster, that shares parent perspectives on education issues. The group also seeks out successful practices of family-school-community partnerships within the state and nation, shares information on positive programs and resources, and help parents network with each other to initiate school-wide student achievement projects.

Later that morning, the State Superintendent gave testimony to the Education Committee of the Wisconsin State Senate as part of a hearing on proposed reauthorization of the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law. Burmaster told lawmakers that while the education community shares the aims and goals of NCLB, there are adjustments needed to help the law achieve its desired effect on educational outcomes.

September 13 also saw Burmaster leading a Back-to-School rally for DPI staff, featuring music from the Wauwatosa East High School Jazz Ensemble I. In the afternoon, the State Superintendent convened a regular meeting of DPI Team Directors and Assistant Directors to discuss current departmental and educational issues.

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Last updated on 9/18/2007