Tony Evers, DPI Candidate, 2009

On April 7, Wisconsin voters will elect a new State Superintendent of Public Instruction, responsible for administering Wisconsin’s world-class public education system. As Superintendent, I will work closely with business leaders to ensure we are readying tomorrow’s workforce.

Wisconsin’s public schools and libraries are the cornerstones of democracy and the engines of our economy. Wisconsin has the best schools in the nation – my wife Kathy, my three children, and I are the products of our public schools.

We’ve made great progress, expanding 4-year-old kindergarten, having more students take Advanced Placement courses, and becoming a national leader in charter school growth. We’ve kept class sizes small and our ACT scores rank among the best in the nation.

In my 34 years of service in public education, we’ve developed a fantastic system in Wisconsin, but I’m running because I think there is room for improvement. When it comes to our children and our schools, the work is never done.

There are tremendous opportunities for change in our schools, and I have the experience to make those changes. By bringing all parties to the table, and taking decisive action, we will improve our schools. I have a proven track record of supporting charter schools and fighting for what works.

With unprecedented new federal investment in education, we must address the challenge of widening achievement gaps and reform school funding. We must embrace new technology while remembering traditional schools will still serve most Wisconsin kids. I will be a superintendent who thoroughly understands the subtleties and complexities of these issues. There is too much at stake for anything less.

I have been a public school parent and teacher, principal, and superintendent. I’ve lived and worked from Plymouth to Tomah, Madison to Oakfield, Verona to Oshkosh. I’m committed to ensuring Wisconsin continues to have a great quality of life – where business can grow, people can find quality jobs, and parents can trust their schools are safe.

Our public schools rank very highly. But we have challenges, especially in Milwaukee. The success of Milwaukee’s schools is absolutely vital for our shared prosperity. I know there are stories of individual success coming from students in Milwaukee, but graduation rates, truancy rates, and lower test scores are all problems that the next Superintendent must address. I have a record of change through collaboration, and I will work tirelessly for Milwaukee schoolchildren. Big changes do not happen overnight, and will require the involvement of every stakeholder in Milwaukee’s future.

The goal for every student in Wisconsin – wherever they live and whatever their family background - should be to graduate from high school career- and college-ready, with a diploma that reflects the 21st Century skills needed to succeed. The state needs to support innovative solutions and have stronger technology, science, engineering, mathematics and workforce development programs. We also need to give every student a seamless transition to post-secondary learning, which means making good opportunities – especially technical training - available to individual students earlier.

We need to recruit and retain the best teachers for our classrooms; after parents, teachers are the most important variable in student achievement. We must adequately compensate teachers, provide new teachers with mentors, and have a solid system of professional development. And we must reward the best teachers.

Also, our statewide funding system must be fair and sustainable. Every Wisconsin student must have the opportunity to succeed. We must confront our funding challenges in a way that stops pitting taxpayer vs. student, and ensures our investments work. But we also must expect more of our schools, and have parents, students, taxpayers, administrators, and business and community leaders all working together to make our system work better, rather than demonizing one group or another. My opponent has relied on the tired rhetoric of the past, rather than looking ahead to how we truly succeed in the future.

These times call for an experienced, visionary educator. We cannot expect someone who is an advocate for far less than one percent of public school children to lead that system. We are in perilous economic times, and strong public education is the lever to turn our economy around. My 34-year record of working to build strong schools and implement reform means I will hit the ground running as Superintendent.

My granddaughter Tessa entered kindergarten this year in Watertown, the birthplace of kindergarten. When she finishes high school, I want her to view the world with the same sense of opportunity Kathy and our children had after our time in public schools.

I’d appreciate your support on April 7.