Washington, DC
March 16, 2012

Villaraigosa/Bloomberg/Emanuel/Duncan – Our Schoolchildren

On March 2, Conference President Antonio Villaraigosa joined with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel at American University here in Washington for a national forum on public schools in our cities. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan was with the mayors. During the second part of the forum, the mayors were joined by Los Angeles, Chicago and New York City school superintendents. NBC national correspondent Andrea Mitchell moderated a dynamic session with the mayors of the top three cities by population. These three mayors have 2.5 million children in school. That is more than 44 states of the USA. Each mayor brought his own approach and professional and political experience.

Secretary Duncan brought great news announcing that large school districts will now be able to compete with states for the Obama Administration’s “Race to the Top” education department grants.

As President of the Conference of Mayors, LA Mayor Villaraigosa praised Secretary Arnie Duncan’s decision to recognize that this Secretary has the courage to stand up to an antique structure of education monies going to state houses.

Secretary Duncan said, “All these mayors have showed amazing courage. This is probably the toughest issue they work on, all kinds of bruises and bumps along the way; what we have here are people who get the urgency that nothing is more important. We want to hear what the challenges are. It’s my job to listen. Whatever I can do, whatever my team can do… these are my customers.”

Secretary Duncan’s words and actions are pro-mayor, pro-city, unlike many out-of-touch Education Secretaries in the past that we have lived with since the department was created. He cites the mayors for their courage. We cite Secretary Duncan for his courage. We must support him for his leadership and support of mayors and city public schools.

Chicago Mayor Emanuel talked about Chicago’s decision to give principals report cards. Since the decision to go public, Chicago has experienced an increase in enrolment in training programs for principals.

Mayor Bloomberg came on strong advocating testing. “We have a saying, ‘In God We Trust,’ everyone else has to bring data.” He pushed hard on this issue: “If the test is can you read, yes, you should find out if they can read by testing them.” He went further, saying, “I know of nobody in this room that doesn’t get tested. You go to American University, you get tested.” He looked over at Andrea Mitchell and said, “You get tested by something called ratings. We get tested at the polls and with the press every single day. This argument that we shouldn’t find out whether we are doing a good job is ridiculous.”

You had to be impressed by our three largest city mayors. There they were – alone, and then with their school chiefs talking about our most treasured resource, our children, our future.

This national conversation about our school children and public education is what we need in the current Presidential debates this year.

I continue to be amazed at the vivid contrast when I see and hear mayors talking about the national and local issues that so many Americans find challenging every day and we hear nothing in the current Presidential debates about the real people issues. Let’s hope it gets better. The American people want more of the Villaraigosa/Bloomberg/Emanuel brand of discourse. It’s real. People get it. Thanks to our three mayors of the largest great American cities who continue to stand up, speak out, and even more important, act boldly as advocates for our school children.

It was a grand evening here in Washington at the splendid Mellon Auditorium at the American Architectural Foundation’s Accent on Architecture Black Tie Gala, at which Charleston Mayor Joe Riley, Ron Bogle of AAF and I presented the Riley Award for Leadership in Urban Design to Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter.

The award is well earned for Mayor Nutter’s leadership in the adoption and implementation of the comprehensive Philadelphia 2035 planning design, the Green Works Philadelphia 2009 initiative to make Philadelphia the greenest city in the USA, the Delaware River, Waterfront, the North Broad Street Project creating $500 million in new development by Philadelphia Ballet, Temple University and other developers, and the Philadelphia Best of Green Schools recognition in 2011.

Mayor Nutter is leading the way by proving that design matters. We commend and salute Mayor Nutter for his vision and leadership. It was a proud moment for me to be part of recognizing our Vice President and our mayor of the great city of Philadelphia. We want to hear and learn more about Philadelphia, and believe me, the good news is you will because Mayor Nutter becomes our President at our 80th Annual Meeting in Orlando coming up in June.

From May 2 to 4, all mayors are urged to be in New Orleans. Host Mayor Mitch Landrieu is hosting, in partnership with the United States Conference of Mayors, the 2012 World Cultural Economic Forum. WCEF will bring together USA mayors as well as mayors from across the world as they come together for discussion and “takeaway” best practices for increasing the impact their individual city’s cultural economy. Topics in three unique sessions are: The Cultural Economy, An Engine for Prosperous Cities, Supporting a Creative Workforce and using culture as a tool for increased quality of life and quality of place.

This World Forum takes place at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in New Orleans during the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, known commonly to music lovers as “JazzFest.”

Conference President Villaraigosa, Host Mayor Landrieu and I look forward to seeing you in New Orleans May 2 to 4. For registration information contact Sarah Robertson at wcef@nola.org.