State superintendent visits schools, participates in supply drive alongside the Elementary Teacher of the Year and Badger Girl State Superintendent
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MADISON — State Superintendent Carolyn Stanford Taylor visited the Middleton and Jefferson school districts today, welcoming educators to another year of helping students thrive.
At West Elementary School in Jefferson, Stanford Taylor was joined by Wisconsin’s 2020 Elementary Teacher of the Year, Chelsea Miller, who teaches at West and Sullivan elementary schools in the district, and the current Badger Girls State Superintendent, Anna Kallsen, a student in the district.
“Please don’t forget how important you are to the lives of your students,” Stanford Taylor told educators. “A classroom discussion, words of support, or a moment of kindness might just be the interaction that changes the course of a student’s life.”
At West, the state superintendent participated in gathering supplies for a clothing and school supply drive organized by the student council. The most recent data reported to the Department of Public Instruction shows that 40.9 percent of students in Jefferson School District are economically disadvantaged, a rate very close to the statewide average, 40.7 percent.
“Many families are doing the best they can to provide their children the same opportunities as their peers, and yet need extra support to realize that goal,” Miller said. “Doing everything we can to give every student the chance to participate and succeed is part of what it means to be an educator.”
Earlier in the day, Stanford Taylor visited with educators at the Middleton Cross Plains School District Welcome Back Event.
Although most Wisconsin students return to school the week following Labor Day, educators return to their buildings earlier. They are preparing the environment for students, by organizing classrooms, engaging in professional development, and collaboratively planning.
