April 6, 2009

“I fundamentally believe mayors should be in control of their school systems,” proclaimed U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan in his keynote address at the U.S. Conference of Mayor’s National Forum on Education in Washington (DC) on March 31, sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

As the former School Superintendent of the Chicago Public School System, he asserted that strong leadership is needed to carry out education reform in urban centers. Duncan said mayoral control provides the strong leadership and stability needed to overhaul urban schools, as high turnover among school superintendents hampers real progress.

Mayors run the schools in fewer than a dozen big cities, with only seven fully controlling management and operations. That includes Chicago, where Duncan headed the school system until he joined the Obama administration. At the Forum, Duncan promised to help more mayors make the case for control. “At the end of my tenure, if only seven mayors are in control, I think I will have failed,” he said.

He offered to do whatever he can to help them. “I’ll come to your cities,” Duncan said. “I’ll meet with your editorial boards. I’ll talk with your business communities. I will be there.”

Prior to his appointment as Secretary of Education, Duncan was the longest'serving urban school superintendent in the United States. He expressed irritation that the average tenure of a school superintendent is 2.4 years. “What business would run that way?” asked Duncan. “With that kind of leadership schools are set up to fail,” he said.

Of the $5 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) State Fiscal Stabilization Funds reserved for the Secretary of Education’s discretionary use, $4.35 billion is set aside for the “Race to the Top” initiative. This grant program supports states that make substantial progress in the following key reform efforts: rigorous college' and career'ready standards and assessments, pre'K–16 education systems with comprehensive data systems, equitable distribution and support for building effective teaching staff across all districts, and supporting positive interventions in lowest'performing schools. Duncan told the mayors and school superintendents at the Forum that competition for the money would be stiff, but states wouldn’t even be considered “if you’re not part of the discussion and very much at the table.”

To further support school districts and non'profits with a strong track record of results, Duncan has also set aside $650 million for the “Invest in What Works and Innovation” fund. Applications for these competitive grants will be posted “expeditiously.” The "Race to the Top" grants will be made in two rounds: fall 2009 and spring 2010.

Stamford (CT) Mayor Dannel Malloy, Vice Chair for Education of the Conference of Mayors Jobs, Education and the Workforce Standing Committee, moderated the morning session of the Forum. “Make sure you address our state legislatures the way you have addressed us because at the state capitol building it’s just not getting through. You really need to get the message out for us,” he told Duncan.

In his remarks at the Forum, Senator Michael Bennet (CO) commended mayors for taking education on as an issue. “Your voices can make an enormous change,” he said. Bennet served for two years as Chief of Staff for Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper. He was appointed Superintendent of Denver Public Schools in 2005, where he served until his appointment by Colorado Governor Bill Ritter to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar on January 20.

Bennet clearly identified with the mayors in attendance. “I remember when [Mayor Hickenlooper] was first running for mayor, we didn’t know what to say about education,” he said. Bennet explained that Hickenlooper made a commitment to visit a new school every week and has continued to fulfill that promise.

While new to the Senate, Bennet is ready to take on the politics of the past and is prepared for a bold new approach to see real education reform. He concluded that the orthodoxies of both parties have greatly contributed to this problem. However, he is confident that this country is finally in a position to make change. According to Bennet, “Only nine percent of current ninth graders will graduate from a four'year college. We haven’t done anything to change these odds.”

Bennet thanked the mayors for making education a priority. “I worked in the mayor’s office and know your work is the toughest job there is,” he said. “When you come to my office you are pushing on an open door.”

Senator Patty Murray (WA) and Congressman Chaka Fattah (PA) also welcomed additional participation by mayors in education to support federal efforts to improve student achievement. Murray, Chair of the Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee’s Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety, stressed the importance of building partnerships across sectors in her remarks to the mayors. Creating incentives to bring leaders together for program planning at the community level – particularly through workforce development and financial literacy opportunities in schools – will ensure more comprehensive and collaborative reforms. “It is important that we get a chance to learn from you,” she said.

Fattah outlined his efforts as Chair of the Congressional Urban Caucus to serve as the voice for major cities at the federal level. He, too, emphasized the need to connect federal efforts to those of city officials through a National Commission on the Opportunity to Learn. Fattah has called on President Obama to establish this Commission to address equity issues in education. Like Murray, he said Congressional members are eager to learn from mayors because they are at the front'lines of reform. “This is the time, and we look forward to future discussions on how we can work together to do what’s best for our students.”

Also at the Forum, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg delivered remarks on the need for a holistic approach to education. In a speech on the need for major health care reform, he connected the need for major school reform with the need for health care reform. “The kind of dramatic improvements in coverage and care that we desperately need will take a new approach – the same kind of comprehensive reforms that we’ve also got to bring about to fix our schools,” he said.

Describing public health as an essential part of a quality education, Bloomberg said, “In many ways, they mirror what ails our schools too: misplaced priorities, a lack of accountability, and intolerable outcomes. As big'city mayors, we know full well that good public schools and good public health go hand'in'hand. Children for whom every untreated earache and asthma attack can lead to long absences from school start their educational careers at an enormous disadvantage. And when parents get sick – and have to pay out of pocket for expensive treatment – the whole family suffers. So we’ve got to do more to keep our kids healthy – and their families – healthy.”

In the Mayors and Superintendents: Building a Successful Partnership panel, moderated by Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, mayors and superintendents discussed their collaborative efforts to build greater learning opportunities for students. Washington (DC) Mayor Adrian Fenty and District School Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee were among the panel speakers and stressed their strong partnership to serve at'risk students. Outlining their strategy to take control of the District’s schools, Fenty said he moved aside the local Board of Education when he took office and hired Rhee after getting a recommendation from New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein. “Get rid of the school board,” Fenty told the mayors. “Just do it. They have no purpose anymore.” While Fenty explained that the demands of his school district called for a superintendent who would take bold action in reform, Rhee said strong mayoral leadership was key. “The mayor’s willingness to tackle key issues head'on is the primary reason we’re able to see these reforms,” she said.

New Haven (CT) Mayor John DeStefano Jr. and Schools Superintendent Dr. Reginald Mayo emphasized the need for distinctive roles in education. “It is very important to have clear goals and clear roles … he has his side of the street, I have mine … in the middle of the road we have ‘customer goals’ – what we are delivering to the workforce,” DeStefano said.

Trenton (NJ) Mayor Douglas H. Palmer and Schools Superintendent Rodney Lofton discussed the importance of a shared vision for the school district. “If you cannot agree with the superintendent, do it behind closed doors. It’s critically important to have a real relationship with your superintendent in order to get things done … try to work together with a shared vision … be intimately involved in the process from the beginning,” Palmer told his colleagues.

The final panel, Best Practices: Preparing Students for High School and Beyond explored innovative programs on teacher quality, transitioning from high school to the workforce or higher education, and after'school programming. Oakland (CA) Mayor Ron Dellums presented on both his Effective Teachers for Oakland Taskforce and Teach Tomorrow Oakland programs. These programs recruit quality teachers and offer incentives to reduce high turnover rates. “With a high turnover, teachers never get to know their students deeply,” he said.

Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin prides herself on knowing her students deeply through the Mayor’s Youth Program. This program offers mentorship, guidance and resources to students pursuing higher education or careers after high school graduation. “There is no income limit, no SAT limits … we offer this program to students who walk in the door and that includes those whose parents work for the city … we do this to encourage city employment,” she explained. “Students want to pursue higher education, but don’t know how to connect the dots and don’t know what the resources are … we say tell us your hopes, fears, and aspirations.”

Providence Mayor David Cicilline, who served as afternoon moderator of the Forum, also spoke on the final panel, outlining the Providence After'School Alliance (PASA). PASA provides after'school tutoring, programming, and extra curricular activities, and is supported by the Wallace Foundation. “I found the key was working across sectors with the police chief, parks and recreation, non'profit and business communities around the table,” he told the mayors.

Recognizing the role mayors can play to influence learning opportunities, Alan Golston, U.S. Program Director for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, emphasized their “unmatched” ability to bring stakeholders and leaders together from across sectors. “We are all here today because we have a commitment to improving education in this country. When we’re talking about education, we’re talking about the economy,” he asserted.