WADE.
>> Frederica: THIS WEEK, THE
STATE'S SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC
INSTRUCTION, JILL UNDERLY,
DELIVERED THE ANNUAL STATE OF
EDUCATION ADDRESS.
>> WE CAN FIND INCREDIBLE
EXAMPLES OF SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL
LEARNING AND COMMUNITY BUILDING
INTEGRATED IN OUR CLASSROOMS ALL
ACROSS WISCONSIN.
[APPLAUSE]
AND THAT'S WONDERFUL AND
ABSOLUTELY NEEDED.
IT'S ABSOLUTELY STRENGTHENS THE
EMOTIONAL HEALTH OF OUR
STUDENTS.
WE ALSO NEED TO SUPPORT OUR
STUDENTS EVEN MORE WITH ACCESS
TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, AND
THAT NEED FROM COMMUNITY AND FOR
COMMUNITY AND FOR MENTAL HEALTH
SERVICES HAS ALWAYS BEEN THERE,
AND IT'S BECOME EVEN MORE
APPARENT AND IMPORTANT AS WE
MOVE THROUGH THE COVID-19
PANDEMIC.
IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT CRITICS
WILL LATCH ON TO TEST SCORES
WHEN THERE'S SO MANY OTHER
NEEDS, AND SO MANY OTHER THINGS
THAT WE SHOULD TAKE PRECEDENCE
IN A ONCE IN LIFETIME OR ONCE IN
A CENTURY PANDEMIC.
THE PAST FEW YEARS WERE
INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT CONDITIONS
TO LEARN, BUT ALSO TO LIVE AND
TO THRIVE, AND THE TEST SCORES
SHOWED US EXACTLY WHAT WE KNEW
THEY WOULD.
THAT KIDS, FAMILY, ADULTS,
REALLY EVERYONE, WAS IMPACTED
DIFFERENTLY, AND OUR MOST
VULNERABLE STUDENTS AND FAMILIES
WERE IMPACTED THE MOST.
COVID-19 HAS ASKED A LOT OF OUR
KIDS, AND IT'S ASKED A LOT OF
OUR EDUCATORS, AND I BELIEVE IN
THE RESILIENCE OF OUR STUDENTS
AND OF OUR SCHOOLS, AND I ALSO
WISH THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO BE
RESILIENT.
>> Frederica: THE CHAIR OF THE
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE WAS
QUICK TO CRITICIZE THE ADDRESS
AND THE SUPERINTENDENT.
SENATOR ALBERTA DARLING, SAID
THEY REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE
FAILURE.
UNDER HER WATCH, TOO MANY
CHILDREN IN OUR SCHOOLS ARE
FAILING.
THERE WAS NOT A SINGLE
ACKNOWLEDGMENT, SHE SAID, THAT
LESS THAN ONE-THIRD OF STUDENTS