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-- WITH PHOTO -- TO EDUCATION, AND NATIONAL EDITORS:
Cities Partner with U.S. Dept. of Education to Improve Schools Through
Early Childhood, Afterschool and Postsecondary Attainment Programs
WASHINGTON, March 10, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today at the
Congressional City Conference in Washington, the National League of
Cities (NLC) and the U.S. Department of Education announced the joint
signing of a "memo of understanding" (MOU) detailing a plan to
strengthen partnerships among federal and local governments, schools,
families and other organizations with the goal to advance learning,
enhance student engagement and improve schools. As part of the MOU,
NLC will hold community conversations in a number of cities across the
country this year to discuss strategies to meet three goals: early
childhood education, afterschool, and postsecondary attainment.
Community conversations will initially occur in 14 cities to bring
together local leaders, educators, families and community leaders to
discuss strategies for providing children with the foundational skills
needed to enter school ready to learn, access to high-quality
afterschool learning experiences and achieving postsecondary
attainment. The conversations will also focus on closing achievement
gaps (including for young men of color) and increasing student
outcomes, including non-academic outcomes, with specific focus on
social-emotional skills.
"We are proud to partner with the Department of Education in this
extremely important effort to provide better educational opportunities
to children nationwide," said NLC President Chris Coleman, Mayor of
Saint Paul, Minn. "This 'memo of understanding' expands a
local-federal partnership that is focused on supporting local efforts
to improve schools and close the achievement gap. Through our
'community conversations' with local leaders, families and community
organizations, we can formulate actionable strategies that improve
educational opportunities for all."
"We know strong schools are at the heart of strong communities," added
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. "That's why we're excited
about this new effort with the National League of Cities to help local
leaders form partnerships with families and educators, which will
better ensure that every child has the opportunity to access a
high-quality education, and, ultimately, that every American has the
chance to pursue their dreams."
Community Conversation Participating Cities & Mayors Avondale, Ariz. -
Mayor Marie Lopez Rogers* Berkeley, Calif. - Mayor Tom Bates Dayton,
Ohio - Mayor Nan Whaley* Gary, Ind. - Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson*
Hattiesburg, Miss. - Mayor Johnny Dupree* Kansas City, Mo. - Mayor Sly
James Louisville, Ky. - Mayor Greg Fischer Madison, Wis. - Mayor Paul
Soglin* Memphis, Tenn. - Mayor A C Wharton* Phoenix, Ariz. - Mayor
Greg Stanton Pittsburgh, Pa. - Mayor William Peduto* Saint Paul, Minn.
- Mayor Chris Coleman* Salt Lake City, Utah - Mayor Ralph Becker*
Savannah, Ga. - Mayor Edna Branch Jackson*
*Media Availability: These mayors will be attending the press
conference announcement and will be available for media interviews.
The joint announcement was made at NLC's annual Congressional City
Conference held at the Marriott Wardman Park March 8-12. More than
2,000 local elected officials and leaders convened for the conference
to focus on the federal policy issues that are important to local
governments.
The National League of Cities (NLC) is dedicated to helping city
leaders build better communities. NLC is a resource and advocate for
19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million
Americans.
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081022/NLCLOGO
SOURCE National League of Cities
-0- 03/10/2014
/CONTACT: Tom Martin, National League of Cities, 202-626-3186, martin@nlc.org
/Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081022/NLCLOGO
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
CO: National League of Cities
ST: District of Columbia
IN: EDU
SU: JVN EXE NPT CHI
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-- DC79921 --
0000 03/10/2014 14:30:00 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com
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