This September, I delivered my State of Education address in the Wisconsin State Capitol. I talked about the incredible teaching happening in our classrooms to prepare the future leaders of this state, and I shared some of the inspiring insights I have learned from our students. I focused on the critical moment in which we find ourselves: a moment when we can choose hope, or we can choose destruction in the way we support our children, their schools, and our communities. I choose hope. And I want you to be part of creating and continuing that hope, together, as a part of our community engagement and strategic planning.
That’s why I’m inviting you — the people of our great state — to a conversation about the future of public education in Wisconsin. When we announced the launch of our strategic planning process in August, we showed our belief in the importance of parental engagement, in community input, and in civil discourse, just as we did with our release of the Department of Public Instruction’s nonpartisan civics scope and sequence. Civil discourse is what I believe in, what is being taught in classrooms, and what parents in all corners of Wisconsin are teaching their children. Meaningful parental and community engagement is what we at the DPI are encouraging through our strategic planning survey, and in-person and virtual engagement sessions. Authentic engagement in education is the best way to serve our kids — not legislative mandates.
