09-24-1997 Council Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

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city hall places a high priority on children, and focuses on the opportunities for educational en- hancement in most city functions. As former Minneapolis Mayor Don Fraser suggests, "Bringing about a change in the culture of city hall is crucial, and is the first step in changing the culture of the larger community." There are many aspects of local governing where this is possible, including city budgeting and policy - making, economic development and redevelop- ment, public safety, and youth participation and leadership development. Within the community. Ensuring that stu- dents of all ages have the supports and opportu- nities they need to succeed in school is a com- munity-wide responsibility. Enriching before - and after - school care for young children, pro- viding mentors, tutoring, job training, commu- nity service opportunities, and chances to ex- plore potential career paths, are all necessary to the development of capable, competent young people. Municipal government neither can nor should provide all of these services, but it plays an important role as a funder, convenor or bro- ker, helping to make sure that such programs exist and are accessible to every student in the city. Collaborative relationships between cities and schools. In many communities, cities and school districts are forming partnerships to move be- yond jointly sponsoring individual programs. They are collaborating on planning and budget- ing to help them meet long -term goals for their community. Three approaches that help to in- "Supporting education is not a program. It is a process of committing municipal government to the ownership of education as a life-long process important to the success of communities." —"@e Chang Role of Local &oremment in Education, "RLC, 1994 stitutionalize this work include meetings be- tween the elected leadership of the city and schools, jointly sponsored community-based planning, and creation of school -based commu- nity centers. These approaches are not mutually exclusive, and, in fact, may be most successful if used together. While the National League of Cities and other national organizations advocate for cities to partner with their schools in order to achieve better outcomes for children, the relationship is not always easy or natural. The inherent diffi- culties in forging such partnerships stein from differences in governance, financing, bound- aries, or focus and direction. Partners for children and families The need for municipal officials to participate in bringing together the forces that can support young people and improve their education is clear. The trend in education is to consider youth holistically. This requires bringing schools and the community together. Whether it is working together for more joint use facili- ties, to revitalize the inner city, promote eco- nomic development, or enhance the quality of programs for youth in the community, it is time to ask "why not" more often when cities and schools consider working together. t John E. Kyle is program director of the National League of Cities Children & Families in Cities Pro- gram. Information in this article will soon be pub- lished as an NLC New Directions brief L E S S O N S L E A R N E D F R O M C I T Y - S C H O O L C O L L A B O R A T I O N City officials report several lessons they..bave learned tbat may be helpful in easing the development; of city and school partnershij,s: 1. A: great deal of patience and understanding is:needed -to overcome mistrust: between cities and school. systems :It - takes time and .a <conunon goal torstrengthen goodfaith. ' 2. Accepting differences in organization ancLmanagement, and learning to work together . despite.the differences is critical for success. 3. Although, change often comes from -the implemented at the school building level. 1 op iitinustilie; 4. Create win -win situations.:Allsides atall evelsmus see they benefits:of working together. 12 5..Build.arbroad base iof support so there is an automatic :and divergent group that will advocate for financial and 'political support. . Start with a positive attitude based on the belief that the major playersin both city government and%school ;systems understand they have a responsibility to serve outh and that they.want to help. "Thermore that cost:shanng can be, figured- out, /the- fur theralong the'process will be— recognizing ttiatgetting there isidifficult. ,. Page 82 AUGUST 1997