Election season can be exhausting for voters. With many candidates running for a vast array of positions, it makes sense that Wisconsin residents seek defining measurements by which to evaluate their selections for state office. But identifying these measures can be a difficult task in and of itself. Should voters look at personal experience? Primary performance? Political endorsements from relevant groups?

Thankfully, there is one pending election decision where voters can relax about choosing a specific criterion because the choice will be the same no matter what the chosen evaluating factor. The race is for the State School Superintendent and the overwhelming choice is Elizabeth Burmaster. But don’t take my word for it.

Burmaster’s experience speaks for itself. She has spent decades working as a public educator, first in the classroom as a music and drama teacher, then as principal of Hawthorne Elementary School and Madison’s West High School, which she left to run for her current state position in 2001.

Since then, Wisconsin’s incumbent superintendent has regularly supported education programs that serve students’ best interests. She supports SAGE, a program that works to lower class size and encourages community involvement with schools in order to improve student achievement by the third grade. She argues for state funding for bilingual programs special education which would take the financial burden off taxpayers but still guarantees the continuation of these essential programs. Her faith and pride in the public school system are evident as she opposes the expanded use of private school vouchers, accurately arguing that they drain funding away from public schools and ultimately impair flexibility and effectiveness in education.

If Burmaster’s record and platform don’t speak to you, maybe her supporters will. She won 62 percent of the vote during February’s primary and boasts the backing of the Wisconsin Education Association Council and the Wisconsin chapter of the American Federation of Teachers. Jessica Doyle, wife of Governor Doyle and former teacher, also endorses Burmaster.

Perhaps embittered by the superintendent’s monopoly of support, challenger Representative Gregg Underheim criticizes Burmaster’s ties to the union and Governor’s office, saying she is too close to maintain an objective and independent voice. However, it seems to me that a superintendent should share close political relationships with this group and government office in order to preserve the means and connections necessary to argue for education programs, spending and innovation.

With education costs and budget constraints rising simultaneously, unapologetic advocacy on behalf of education is absolutely essential, and Burmaster is obviously the qualified choice for this task. The incumbent superintendent told the Wisconsin State Journal that “the superintendent of public instruction needs to serve as the chief advocate for the state’s public schools, not someone looking for ways to cut their state aid.”

Unfortunately, the latter objective appears to be the main focus of Representative Underheim’s campaign. His proposals demonstrate his preoccupation with bottom-line budget politics: cuts in special education and bilingual education, replacing teachers with technology and expanding the use of private school vouchers. Underheim argues “taxpayers are under pressure because schools can’t keep their spending under control.” His ill-conceived solution is to rip spending decisions out of the hands of local school districts, or better yet, eliminate it all together — as demonstrated by his support for cutting $400 million from public school funding. This is absolutely unacceptable for Wisconsin students, teachers and administrators, who deserve a superintendent devoted to the preservation of education, not its economic minimization.

With the state’s educational future at stake, University of Wisconsin students must vote this Tuesday to ensure that Burmaster will return to the State Superintendent’s office. As the only elected member of the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents and the Wisconsin Technical College System Board, the State Superintendent occupies a special place on these influential bodies, and the position must therefore be filled by someone whose primary concern is education quality, not bottom-line costs.

Most students have unknowingly benefited from Elizabeth Burmaster’s enthusiasm, focus and advocacy during their time at UW — its time to repay the favor and vote for her in this week’s election.

Sarah Howard ([email protected]) is a sophomore majoring in political science.