This is what the Schoolhouse of Tomorrow will look like in Wisconsin – and a rural community with limited resources is pioneering the way.
Let's visit some of my friends from Mosinee, who are learning French from a teacher in West Salem.
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Bon Soir Mosinee. (Three-way video exchange between governor, Mosinee students and French teacher Janice Nash in La Crosse.)
What's happening in Mosinee showcases just one of the spectacular benefits we are reaping from the groundbreaking TEACH Wisconsin initiative. In less than two years, we've gone from 25% of our school districts being wired to 75%. And we won't be satisfied until we reach 100 percent, so this budget will include another $175 million for TEACH.
Imagine just for a moment, the immense possibilities if all Wisconsin students could use this technology to learn French or German or Japanese. Not too far in the future, I can see a class of students in Mosinee helping a class of students in Paris learn English, while they in turn help Mosinee's children learn French. Now that's a meaningful cultural exchange.
To that end, I am proposing a $350,000 grant program to help every school district make foreign languages available to their elementary school students via the TEACH network. We must expose our children to foreign languages at the earliest years if we really want to prepare them for this global age.
Let's make the world an open book to our children.
Our education reforms and investments are making a profound change in urban education as well.
When we started the nation's first charter school program that included a university, technical college and city government, who would have thought it would spawn America's very first K-12 specialty school in science? Or that this Academy of Science would be in the heart of Milwaukee?
And surely many never thought our landmark school choice program would see the light of day. But finally, low-income parents in Milwaukee can freely send their children to the best school possible – no matter what its affiliation.
The aggressive competition generated by these innovations is starting to produce the change in Milwaukee Public Schools we hoped it would.
Last year, I stood here and challenged Milwaukee Public Schools to stand and deliver, or step aside.
Well, MPS certainly stood up. And they're finally taking steps to deliver for the children of Milwaukee. I thank MPS and congratulate them.
As the result of our challenge, MPS is now talking about how to improve dropout rates, attendance rates, graduation rates and reading scores. They are working more with parents and the community on ways to change for the better – rather than simply digging in their heals and defending the status quo.
In fact, MPS is even offering a guarantee that students will be able to read at the appropriate level for their grade, or they'll pay for a tutor. Now that's real progress.
There is still much, much work to do in Milwaukee. I will remain an ever-vigilant and willing partner – ready to step up with new initiatives to help these schools or use the bully pulpit to encourage change.
In fact, my budget will propose giving local school boards – in Milwaukee and across the state – the power to close failing schools. This just makes common sense.
Working together, Milwaukee won't lose another generation of children to poor schools.
Milwaukee and Mosinee – two communities that symbolize the hope and future of education in Wisconsin. And two communities that underscore our need to continue pursuing cutting-edge ways to make our schools even better.
Our schools are indeed great, but their potential is so much greater.
Therefore, we bring to you tonight another ambitious agenda to strengthen education in Wisconsin.
We start with our very youngest, making sure our children are ready to learn when they get to school.
Recent brain research confirms that the early childhood years – from birth to age 4 -- are crucial to child development.
Proper stimulation and nutrition in the earliest years of life make a profound and lasting impact on the growth of our children.
Therefore, we must help our most at-risk children get the help they need from birth, so they enter school with the capacity to succeed.
Our new Early Childhood Excellence Initiative calls for building at least five new high-tech, early learning centers for at-risk children 0-4 – at least two will be located in Milwaukee.
These centers would expose our youngest children to foreign languages, music, reading, computers and other technology – stimulating development and learning.
Consider the centers Incubators of the Imagination, nurturing better badger babies.
Let's also use $20 million to expand our half-day Head Start program to full-day and extend it to children age 0-4.
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The earlier we reach our most at-risk children, the better all of society will be in the long-run. We'll have better students and workers and fewer dropouts and prisoners.
Not only do we have to make sure our children are ready for the classroom, we must make sure our teachers are as well.
Therefore, working with Superintendent of Public Instruction John Benson, I am proposing a new graduated licensing system for teachers.
The initial teaching license would require all aspiring public school teachers in Wisconsin to take a national competency exam in the subject they will teach. If a prospective teacher doesn't pass the test, the University of Wisconsin school they attend must provide remedial assistance. They must also demonstrate competency in Wisconsin's Model Academic Standards and educational technology.
Teachers with an initial license can earn a professional license after three successful years in the classroom, fulfilling a professional development plan, and undergoing a peer review. My budget will include $2 million to double the peer review and mentoring program for teachers and $1.5 million for the Wisconsin Academy Staff Development initiative.
At the top of the licensing ladder is the Master License for teachers who earn National Board of Teaching Standards certification. To help teachers in this endeavor, the state should continue to pay $2,000 towards the cost of the test and a $2,500 bonus for every year a teacher is nationally certified.
This new licensing system will set a high bar for new teachers and reward those who further strengthen their skills. By doing so, we make sure the best and brightest are teaching our children.
Next, we must make sure those students sitting in our classrooms are engaged, making school relevant to their goals in life.
One way we do that is through a more seamless system of schools that prepare students for the career of their choice – such as the 2+2+2 program in Waukesha County.
Here's how it works: A junior at Sussex Hamilton High School enrolls in a two-year youth apprenticeship program in printing – attending school in the morning and working at Quad Graphics in the afternoon.
After graduation, the student spends two years at Waukesha County Technical College earning an associate degree in printing, also working at Quad Graphics to gain hands-on experience and earn money.
Then, the student moves smoothly on to the UW-Stout for two years, earning a bachelor's degree in communications arts while still plying their trade at the company. And all credits are transferable from one degree to the next – it's literally seamless.
In fact, Stout plans to open a facility in Waukesha County expressly for this program.
In the end, two years in high school plus two years in technical college plus two years in a university equals a lifetime of success in a high-demand printing career – all without leaving their hometown or their job at Quad Graphics.
To help this program along, my budget will include $500,000 for Waukesha Tech to purchase and install new equipment for this printing program. And it will provide more than $750,000 for UW-Stout, including $50,000 for collaboration efforts on 2+2+2.
This is what our education system should look like in the 21st century. Let's tear down those walls that separate our schools and universities. Give students the education they need for the jobs of tomorrow.
We started talking about education tonight with our newborns, so let's end with our adults. Join me in helping low-income adults learn to read through a new $4 million literacy initiative targeted at low-income families.
In America's Education State, everyone should be able to read. Let's make it happen.
From babies to boomers, we are once again making education the No. 1 priority in Wisconsin. There's no smarter way to prepare our people for the frontiers of possibility.
So On Wisconsin -- with world-class schools for the pioneers of a new century.
W-2/Child Care
We must lift our people not only with education, but with meaningful work.
Wisconsin – the Great Reformer – changed the face of America with its W-2 program.
Today, just 9,200 individuals remain on cash W-2 – tomorrow, 9,200 more success stories.
We take great encouragement from our recent study showing that nearly 85 percent of former W-2 recipients are working or have worked since leaving the program. To those who aren't working – come back and we'll help you find a job.
Ladies and gentlemen, W-2 Works. Take it from Michelle Crawford, one of Wisconsin's bold pioneers on the path from welfare to work. Thanks to W-2, Michelle is off welfare after 10 years and working as a machine operator at Engineered Plastics in Menomonee Falls.
She's proudly providing for her family like never before. Michelle would like to tell you about W-2 in her own words.
Michelle Crawford:
Thank you. My name is Michelle Crawford and I'm living proof that W-2 makes a positive difference in people's lives.
Today, I am working as a machine operator, providing for my family, buying them things I could never afford before.
But it wasn't always that way. I thought I would always be on welfare. I was always down on myself, thinking I would never accomplish anything.
When my welfare caseworker asked if I knew about W2, I didn't want to join because I had children at home to take care of. I was scared and nervous, but I knew I had to try this.
At first, they had me doing housekeeping and cleaning and I thought to myself – "I do this at home – what am I doing here!"
But I started volunteering to do more when others didn't show up for work. And I wondered what was back in the factory.
I always wanted to be a machinist – my dad was one. So when my boss, Dave, asked if I'd like to try it – I took a chance.
And it was hard. I learned about the machines using a CD rom and I had to do homework.
I took the first test and passed – then I took the second test and passed. Dave then called me for an interview – and he even offered to drive me there. I thought to myself – "Please don't let me mess this up…this is a real job."
I was so proud when I got the job. Now I tell my kids that this is what happens when you do your homework.
My kids see a difference in me. They see their mother making it. W2 gave me a chance and I feel good about myself – so thank you to everyone involved.
I especially want to thank my employers who are here tonight for believing in me. And I ask others to take a chance on W-2 workers. We won't let you down.
Thank you Governor.
Governor Thompson:
And her children are with us tonight too – I hope you are proud of your mom!
To the men and women participating in W-2, the message from your fellow workers is simple: You can do it. And we will help you.
Tonight, we seek to build upon our W-2 successes.
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My budget will propose allocating another $30 million to assist those entering the workforce to stay there and climb the economic ladder. All W-2 agencies would work with participants for 6 full months after an individual gets a job.
And let's help W-2 workers better meet the challenges of finding quality care for their children while they work. I propose that we:
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Expand eligibility for child care subsidies from 165 percent to 185 percent above the poverty line – a commitment of $2 million.
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Drop the assets limit for child care eligibility purposes.
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Provide child care assistance for families with disabled children between the ages of 13 to 18 – a $4 million commitment.
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Reduce the maximum co-payment for child care from 16 percent to 12 percent of a person's gross income -- a $7.5 million investment.
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And create get-well havens for sick children while their parents work. A $2 million investment will help W-2 agencies develop alternatives for sick children, such as child care pools or separate sick rooms at job centers and day cares.
Caring for a sick child should not put a mother's job at risk, and a working mother should not have to worry whether her sick child is getting quality care.
In addition, we should help steer at-risk children away from a life of trouble through new partnerships with our communities to provide safer neighborhoods and homes. Let's:
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Provide $150,000 for one-time grants to 25 communities for their own initiatives to bring fathers back into the family through our fatherhood initiative.
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Help needy children find stable homes with $170,000 for a statewide media campaign to recruit more foster families.
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Enlist the help of faith-based organizations, such as Faith Works in Milwaukee, to help us combat the devastation of broken families by fighting the ills of drug abuse.
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Help drug-addicted and alcoholic parents become clean and sober through a new million-dollar rehabilitation program.
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And provide $20 million in community youth grants for after-school programs for at-risk children. Neighborhood groups can tap into this money to provide programs that keep children away from crime, provide extra help with school, or prepare them for the workforce. The Safe and Sound program and the Good Samaritan Project in Milwaukee serve as models for this initiative.
With your help, we can make sure On Wisconsin means on to a higher quality of life for low-income children and families.
