09-24-1997 Council Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

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H E A L T H Y Y O U T H / H E A L T H Y C I T I E S Cities and Schools Education is central to every city's quality of life and economy. Although most municipalities have very little jurisdiction over the public schools, mayors and city councils recognize that it is in their best interest to work with schools to strengthen the education of their youth. ducat on must be seen as much more than what happens in school rooms between 8 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. It starts in the very early years of life and extends throughout adulthood. Education in a healthy com- munity includes a continuum of life -long learning, each phase of which brings many benefits to the community. Municipal governments have the opportunity to play sig- nificant roles in every aspect of this continuum, from participating in helping children enter kin- dergarten ready to succeed, to achieving success in school and graduating, to making a successful transition to the world of higher education and the adult world of work, family, and commu- nity, and beyond. Holmes Braddock, long -time member of the Dade County Board of Education and former President of the National School Boards Asso- ciation, states that the most important thing cit- ies can do to help children achieve better in school is to "help that child get ready to go to school so that the edu- cators can do their job. If we had kids come to school basically healthy and well- nourished, from crime -free and clean neighborhoods, they would be much more ready to learn." While municipalities may not be directly in- volved in schooling, they have a major and direct role in ensuring that schools understand their role and are ac- tively involved in building the learning community. By John E. Kyle What can cities do? There are many examples of excellent individual city programs that exemplify how municipalities can play a role in furthering educational out- comes for their communities and work produc- tively with their schools to achieve their goals. As concern for the state of our children —our future work force — mounts, cities are realizing that isolated efforts and good intentions must be transformed into more institutional and holistic approaches. In some large urban cities, local and state concern for improving the public educa- tion system has translated into broad new au- thority for the mayor to administer and reform the schools. That is not likely to be the solution in most cities. Instead, changes in federal and state responsibilities will likely place further pressure on local governments to respond locally with new and creative collaborative arrange- ments. There are three basic arenas in which cities can play important roles in improving educa- tional opportunities and student achievement: within city hall, in the community, and in partnership with the school district. All three are necessary as- pects of a holistic ap- proach that reaches beyond "projectitis" —the dreaded disease that creates isolated quick fix projects instead of lasting, institutional responses. Within city hall. Local officials can make the most direct impact by ensuring that the culture within A U G U S T 19 9 7 Page 81