Sep. 3 —SUPERIOR — Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers visited Superior Middle School on Tuesday, Sept. 3, as part of his annual back-to-school tour. Eighth-graders Julia Matushak and Liam Davis led him through the school, from the kitchen to the classrooms.
The young guides said their initial nervousness disappeared as they walked through the school together.
The governor was “cool,” Liam said.
“He seems really nice, seems really genuine,” Julia said. “It was cool to be around people who had a really prominent voice.”
For Evers, a former physics teacher, school principal, district administrator and state inspector of schools, it was 48 years ago that he celebrated the first day of school.
“Everyone is happy and excited, but we also want to make sure people understand how important public schools are,” Evers said.
The governor began the day at a Milwaukee high school and visited an elementary school in Eau Claire before closing the day at Superior Middle School. He planned to visit schools in Madison, Oshkosh and Stevens Point on Wednesday.
“We were pretty lucky, I mean, out of all the places he went, he chose Superior Middle School. I think that’s pretty awesome,” said Amy Starzecki, Superior School district administrator.
Why was Superior chosen?
“First of all, I enjoy coming to Superior as often as I can,” said Evers.
According to Mayor Jim Paine, Evers visits the city at least twice a year, more often than previous governors.
“I just think it’s important for any governor and it’s important for me to understand the issues surrounding Superior,” Evers said. “It helps me be a better governor if I understand the larger cities in the state.”
His tour began in the kitchen, where he thanked the catering staff for the work they did.
“You see the children every day and you are important in their lives,” says Evers.
Tim Tomzak, school nutrition manager, said seeing the children is the best part of their day.
After touring the sixth- and seventh-grade hallways, Evers stopped by a few eighth-grade classrooms. In Jill Prescott-Moerke’s room, the students gave him a quick quiz.
“What do you think are the characteristics of a good leader?” Liam asked.
“No. 1, listen. No doubt about it,” Evers said, adding that good leaders must also care about people in order to respond to their needs.
The governor was surprised when another student asked who his role model was.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever been asked that question,” Evers said, before naming his wife, whom he has known since kindergarten.
“She’s a good listener and extremely kind,” he said.
The students asked him why he was running for governor.
“I just felt the state wasn’t doing enough for education, period. So I could do more for them by being governor,” Evers said.
What excites him most about his role is being able to step out of his office and connect with people across the state. The only way to do a good job as governor is to talk to people, whether that’s in schools or businesses, he told the eighth-graders.
Evers said the start of the school year is a happy, exciting time. But he also expressed disappointment that many school districts rely on local operational referendums to maintain staffing and programs.
“We need to look at this as an opportunity to rethink what we’re doing as a state when it comes to funding our schools,” Evers said. “It’s very simple: School districts should not have to go to a referendum to keep their lights on.”
Starzecki said 85 percent of Wisconsin school districts have asked taxpayers to support an operating referendum. The Superior School District will join them when it puts a five-year operating referendum on the ballot Nov. 5.
Starzecki appreciated Evers’ frequent trips to Douglas County. He celebrated the first day of school on
Noorderlicht Primary School in 2022
and at
Northwestern High School last fall.
“I think it’s really important that our students feel valued in the state of Wisconsin and that they see our leaders in the state of Wisconsin coming to Superior Middle School and spending time in their classroom,” Starzecki said.
When government officials visit schools, they let students know they are not second-class citizens, Paine adds.
“They really belong to this city and this state right now and they deserve to be part of its governance, so it’s important that they can talk to their governor about what they care about,” the mayor said.
