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State leaders (from left) Elizabeth Burmaster,
Jessica Doyle, Roberta Gassman and Ken Munson participate in a
discussion during the WEAC Convention. |
Four state leaders participated in a panel discussion about Wisconsin's priorities for children, families, and education Friday (October 29, 2004) during a special session at the WEAC Convention.
State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster, Secretary Roberta Gassman of the Department of Workforce Development and Deputy Secretary Ken Munson of the Department of Health and Family Services took part in the session, "Building a State Infrastructure for Students." First Lady Jessica Doyle served as moderator.
The session focused on Gov. Jim Doyle's KidsFirst Initiative, which was created in 2004 by the Quality Counts for Kids Task Force. Burmaster, Gassman and Munson are task force members.
"KidsFirst is a set of initiatives to help improve Wisconsin kids' lives," Mrs. Doyle said. The initiative consists of four major components: early childhood education and support, strong families, safety, and health.
Ready for Success, the portion of the initiative that outlines the state's commitment to early childhood education and support, includes an early literacy program, seeks to expand 4-year-old kindergarten and the SAGE class-size reduction program, and studies ways to close the state's achievement gap between minority and white students with quality pre-kindergarten programs. "Early intervention means greater chances for success," Burmaster said.
Mrs. Doyle said providing children with the best start to their education is economically wise because for every $1 the state invests in education, it receives $7 in return.
Quality education helps prevent incarceration, Munson said. "We can pay for schools on the front end, or jail on the back end."
The strong families portion of the initiative deals with the state's ability to help families in need, Gassman said. It includes proposals to streamline state agencies' contact with families that use state benefits to provide better access and service, raise the minimum wage and keep fathers engaged in their children's lives.
Munson said the governor has an ambitious agenda for keeping children healthy and safe. That agenda includes family violence prevention programs, foster care reforms, mental and substance abuse counseling for families, health care coverage for low-income children, and quality dental care for students in need.
The health and safety portion of KidsFirst also includes truancy prevention, expansion of the school breakfast program, and programs to help families eat better and get adequate exercise, Burmaster said.
For more information about the KidsFirst Initiative, visit www.wisconsin.gov.
Posted November 1, 2004