Every Child a Graduate

Every child must graduate ready for further education and the workforce. We must align our efforts so our students benefit from both college and career preparation, learning the skills and knowledge necessary to be contributing members of our communities.

To build on our long-standing commitment to public education, Wisconsin must recruit and retain quality educators, invest in innovation, ensure safe and respectful schools, advance accountability, and work toward fair and sustainable school funding.

• Recruit and Retain Quality Teachers. Strong teachers and school leaders are vital to the success of our students, schools, and communities. We need to recruit and retain talented educators for our children. Trained mentors are essential for our newest teachers and school leaders. We must expand incentives for our best educators to work in high-needs schools and engage in research and innovation. We should pilot new and innovative systems for educator compensation.
  
• Innovation that Works. Our students require strong libraries and access to up-to-date technology that reflects the information economy that is changing our lives and schools. For this we need multiple pathways to connect rigorous academic standards to real-world learning experiences, including on-line learning opportunities for all students. We must create the next generation of charter schools, schools that are of the highest quality and reach strong standards of accountability.
  
• Safe and Respectful Schools. Wisconsin parents want and expect their children to attend safe schools. Children learn best in positive, healthy, and successful learning environments. Investments in a safe and respectful school community include small class sizes, access to highly qualified counselors, anti-bullying programs, and systems that promote positive behaviors.
  
• Accountability for Results. We must create schools that are truly accountable to the parents, students, and citizens of every district in this state. We must develop multiple assessments that provide students and teachers with meaningful and timely information about student learning as measured against rigorous standards. A new generation accountability system recognizes progress in raising student achievement.
  
• Fair and Sustainable Funding. Our children, no matter where they live in Wisconsin, must have the same educational opportunities. Deferred maintenance, program and staffing cuts, delayed technology purchases, and higher student fees are becoming the norm instead of the exception. Child poverty continues to grow at a rapid rate. Moving beyond current challenges, we must agree on the building blocks of a sustainable funding future for our public schools and libraries. And, we must leverage available state funds and federal dollars to target schools that have the neediest children.
  

Last updated on 7/9/2009 8:59:39 AM