Adopting a technique used this year not only by President Reagan but by a fellow governor, Richard Celeste of Ohio, Governor Anthony S. Earl of Wisconsin invited to his state-of-the-state speech citizens that he said exemplify the spirit of the state.
Among those honored was Bobbye Pitts, principal of the Auer Elementary School in downtown Milwaukee.
“Because of people like Bobbye Pitts, Milwaukee center-city children are learning again,” the Governor said. “The committed principal, working with involved teachers and innovative classroom techniques, can make a difference.”
“The statistics tell the story,” he continued. “In 1978, just before new innovations were started, only 49 percent of the children in Ms. Pitts’s school were testing at the average or above-average range in reading. By 1985, 78 percent of the children were testing at the average or above range. The same is true in math scores.”
“These statistics,” said the Governor, “reflect a commitment not only to excellence in academics, but excellence in character.”
