State Superintendent's Web Message Archive

Quality education will prepare students for the future

With the start of the 2007-08 school year upon us, our success and future depends on the education our students receive in our public schools.

Never before has so much been expected and needed from the young people attending our PK-12 schools. To be successful in this 21st century, our students must know how to work cooperatively and collaboratively to discover solutions to problems we have not yet seen. They must have unparalleled skill in adapting to change, rock-solid understanding of responsibility and ethical behavior, and a superb ability to think critically and creatively.

We must provide a rigorous and relevant curriculum. The education our students receive must ensure that they learn to embrace diversity, both in their own communities and in our interconnected world. Our students must be able to function in different languages and in different cultures.

Our New Wisconsin Promise ensures a quality education for every child. That quality must be grounded in traditional core subjects like mathematics and reading, which align with workplace and postsecondary expectations. However, a quality education also must be one that expands beyond the reaches of one's own experience, beyond the familiar to include financial and civic literacy, the arts, and a full spectrum of 21st century skills.

These are high expectations for our students. Providing a quality public education is a foundation of our democracy and will contribute to the future strength and security of our state and nation. As the 2007-08 school year begins, I call on parents and families, business and civic leaders, and communities throughout the state to support PK-12 public education. With public support for public education, we will deliver on the promise of a quality education for every child.

August 27, 2007 -- Return to message archive index

For questions about this information, contact Debra A. Bougie (608) 266-1598

Last updated on 2/26/2008 10:38:36 AM