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Boston Mayor Menino: Education Top Priority for Cities By Joan Crigger "Education is the top priority today," stated Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino as he opened the Task Force on Public Schools at the Annual Conference of Mayors in Seattle. Menino went on to say that as the two presidential candidates move their campaigns toward the November elections, it is imperative that each candidate share his definitive education policy with mayors. "Issues including controlling truancy, ending social promotions and reducing the number of dropouts are merely a few of the issues that are important to mayors," Menino said. Menino introduced Michael Cohen, Assistant Secretary of Education for Elementary and Secondary Education at the U. S. Department of Education, who opened his remarks saying, "There has been real progress is education," especially in the following areas: • ending low expectations of poorer, more diverse students and providing them with challenging standards; • real gains in student achievement – from 1992 to 1996 reading and math scores for nine-year olds increased by one whole year; • expanded public school choice through charter schools; • access to technology – an increase from three percent to 65 percent in the number of computers in classrooms; • increased school safety despite some horrible tragedies – schools are still the safest places for our children; and • increased scores in national AP exams. Despite these gains, we still have more distance to go," Cohen said, and then outlined the current focus of the Department of Education which includes: • 21st Century Learning Communities (after-school programs) – the President’s budget included a request of $1 billion for FY2001. Cohen then shared a new report that was just published by Mayor Menino. Schools Alone Are Not Enough provides the latest report on after-school programs in Boston; • School Construction and Renovation – the President proposed $1.3 billion for grants and loans. There is currently compromise legislation supported by Representative Nancy Johnson (CT) and Charles Rangle (NY) that has a good possibility for passage in the House. Menino asked mayors to support a new resolution that will be offered in the Jobs, Education and the Workforce Committee during the Conference. • Class Size Reduction – the President included a proposal for year three of this legislation to provide 100,000 teachers over five years. Clinton indicated that he would not sign any appropriations measure that did not include funds to reduce class size. • Intervention in low performing schools – the President proposed $250 million to address this problem in different ways including $45 million to create small learning academies, and Gear Up, which partners high poverty schools with institutes of higher education. Menino reminded Assistant Secretary Cohen that mayors are the ones who understand local needs and the Department needs to be aware that funds that go to states are often lost. Akron Mayor Donald Plusquellic then asked Cohen if any of these funds would be available before the elections in November. Cohen said, "No," because federal education funding is "forward funded" which means that these funds are for next year. Following Cohen’s presentation, Tom Vander Ark, Executive Director of Education at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, shared some of the Foundation’s activities with the mayors. Vander Ark, a former school superintendent, said, "Our most important job is helping all kids to achieve. Our schools are not designed to help. Our high schools don’t work when 20 percent, 30 percent and 40 percent of our kids do not finish high school. They (kids) are doomed to a life of poverty." Vander Ark believes that what is needed are small, focused schools with great leaders in teachers and principals. He then described two particular programs from the Foundation: • grants to every state for leadership for teachers and training principals; • grants to schools to support redesigning schools to create smaller schools within schools. Philadelphia Mayor John Street asked Vander Ark to describe exactly what he meant by smaller schools within schools. Vander Ark explained that large comprehensive high schools should be closed and then rehabilitated into smaller and more intimate schools — all within the same structure and with individual budgets. He indicated that the Foundation had been involved in doing this in a school in Midtown Manhattan and were involved to do the same in other schools. Beverly Hills Mayor Vicki Reynolds said there were lots of things mayors could do even when they do not control their own school systems but not affecting class size. In California this is a serious issue because there are not enough qualified teachers for smaller classrooms. There is also a serious problem of uncredentialed teachers. Assistant Secretary Cohen said that the Department of Education had looked at the situation in California and were recommending a phase-in for smaller classrooms. The Department had determined that they needed to allow some flexibility such as only lowering class size for reading, and recruiting teacher interns before they are certified. Much discussion followed and the meeting closed with a recommendation to meet with Education Secretary Richard Riley and for mayors to continue to lobby for education issues.     
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