This isn’t complicated. If we fail to educate our children, we abdicate our responsibility to our community’s future. Even though, as a Mayor, I have nothing officially to do with schools, I know that you can’t have a great city without great schools. Today, local superintendents, from five districts and Sacramento County, joined me to unite around the common vision of making Sacramento a city that is known for great schools.
At our meeting, I was honored to announce the formation of a new non-profit agency devoted to quality education in the City of Sacramento, STAND UP.
The goal is simple: Sacramento deserves to stand tall among cities boasting the finest public education systems in the U.S.
STAND UP will help us get there. The program is based on five pillars: accountability, school choice, human capital, parent participation and resource development.
Starting with an after-school program in Oak Park, I have been searching for ways to improve our education system in Sacramento for two decades. If necessary, I will devote the rest of my life to this quest.
The pillars of STAND UP are built on my experiences, with the knowledge that basic, time-tested ideals and goals will make the difference.
Accountability is crucial. But our state and federal education accountability mechanisms are complex and confusing. We must simplify to help parents understand how their schools are performing.
STAND UP will give schools an “A-F” grade, and help spread the word about schools that are top achievers.
Attracting quality teachers is another critical element. STAND UP will work to recruit the best teachers in America and incentivize achievers with performance compensation.
Our children are not all alike, and parents must have choices about public education. STAND UP will encourage the development of a portfolio of schools and programs to fit individual students.
And parents must be involved. Sacramento has more than 90,000 parents. Their collective wisdom can greatly enhance the educational experience. Presently, parents are the most underutilized resource in our schools.
Then there is money. None of this would be possible without the support of the Broad Foundation. Specifically, the Broad Foundation has committed $500,000 to launch the non-profit organization, $250,000 in year one and an additional $250,000 once $500,000 in matching funds have been secured. The generous grant from the Broad Foundation will be a catalyst for significant educational improvement and local investment.
Ultimately, STAND UP is about our students, our schools and our future. What good are we if we don’t provide the best possible education for our children?
18 Comments
Add Comment