JOBS, EDUCATION AND THE WORKFORCE

PUBLIC EDUCATION: THE CORNERSTONE OF OUR FUTURE

WHEREAS, Mayors recognize the importance of a quality public education system to their cities and the global economy; and

WHEREAS, the economic vitality of a city is linked to the performance of its schools and well-educated workers contribute to the economic development potential of a city; and

WHEREAS, the definition of education can no longer be thought of as solely what occurs in the classroom but rather what happens before, during and after school and is on-going throughout life; and

WHEREAS, mayoral involvement in educational partnerships can produce significant improvements in local schools; and

WHEREAS, all mayors, regardless of the level of control over the school system they possess according to local needs and structures, should play a leading role in the community calling for greater accountability and results; and

WHEREAS, the President has proclaimed and it has been recognized nationally that innovative ideas developed at the local level have the potential to transform education; and

WHEREAS, The U.S. Conference of Mayors believes the following to be true:

• Mayors are uniquely positioned to establish quality education as the highest priority of a city;
• Mayors should encourage the adoption of greater accountability for school reform;
• Academic standards must not be compromised by allowing student promotion where appropriate achievement is not attained;
• All students should read at grade level by the completion of third grade;
• Educational technology must be an integral part of a student’s education and technology must be made readily available to needier school districts;
• Children should be provided with a safe, healthy and productive environment before school, and during the hours of 2:00 p.m.- 6:00 p.m., when children are at greatest risk;
• Teacher training, including support to address the complex issues facing students, is a critical element of successful public education;
• Providing a safe and conducive area for learning by addressing safety and construction needs must be a priority for public schools;
• Businesses should be public school partners, fully investing in all areas of public education from technology and teacher training to sponsoring mentoring and career to work initiatives;
• Youth should be given a voice and actively engaged in program design for education and out-of-school activities;
• Parents should play a pivotal role in their children’s education as it will have positive and lasting impacts on student achievement and social development;
• All stakeholders -- teachers, parents, local, state and federal officials and others must be held accountable for the success of public education;
• Cities must be encouraged to think creatively about partners and the use of public schools to meet community needs. Universities, the corporate community and neighborhoods should be fully engaged in public education. And, school buildings should be used before and after school hours to meet community needs including health clinics, non-profit organizational meetings and/or police sub-stations,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors applauds in principle the President’s Education Initiatives which strengthen the foundation of education and directly address critical needs of America’s children and schools, which includes:

• School Modernization -- establishing and expanding tax incentives to help local and state school districts address school construction backlogs, which would subsidize a total of $9.7 billion in bond authority yearly in 1999 and 2000; and
• Class Size Reduction -- reducing class size to 18 nationally in grades one to three, and ensuring that students are taught by well-trained, qualified teachers by providing $1.1 billion in FY 1999 and $7.3 billion over five years to help communities and states recruit, train and hire an additional 100,000 teachers; and
• Urban Education Opportunity Zones -- providing support for school districts that are demonstrating improvements including standards-based reforms that raise students achievement, by granting $1.5 billion over five years to urban school districts to continue to improve student performance and lower dropout rates; and
• Expand After School Care -- expanding the 21st Century Learning Centers Act by providing $200 million in each fiscal year to help communities provide after-school programs; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors strongly urges Congress to be a full partner with cities and to pass these initiatives including after school, school construction, educational technology, educational opportunity zones, and reduction of class size; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors supports greater use of education block grants, particularly in low-income areas, which promote greater flexibility and control and are not used to reduce the current level of federal obligation and commitment to education; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors supports increased funding within the U.S. Department of Education to spur new partnerships among mayors, schools, businesses and the community through a Mayors’ Peer-to-Peer Exchange Program and other such initiatives to be undertaken through The U.S. Conference of Mayors; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors applauds the private sector for its current involvement in public education and challenges the business and philanthropic communities to participate in even more significant and enduring ways, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors will continue to work in collaboration with school superintendents, the business community, and other educational stakeholders in pursuing excellence in public education, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The United States Conference of Mayors will continue to support School-to-Career activities, working with the business community, as a vital part of education, particularly for those youth who will not pursue an advanced post-secondary degree.