Introduction

The core of every great city is a well-educated population. A world-class educational system attracts residents and businesses to our community, and it provides our young people with the tools they need to compete in a rapidly advancing, ever-changing world. We owe our children the opportunity, the skills, and the knowledge to stand shoulder to shoulder with the most talented, well-rounded, and learned thinkers on the planet. If we are to make Salt Lake City one of the world’s great cities, we must aim for nothing short of a superior education system.

Establishing Salt Lake City’s educational prowess will occur through a strong partnership with the Salt Lake City School District and a specific focus on public education within Salt Lake City government. Building on the successes of family learning centers, medical clinics in some of our schools, and Youth City programs, Salt Lake City will embrace the diversity in our city and become known for educational excellence.

Salt Lake City must be a place where:

• Every student from every walk of life has the opportunity to envision and realize dreams
• Our teachers have the tools, the resources, and the flexibility to inspire our children to work hard and succeed
• Our school teachers and administrators are held to the very highest standards, ensuring that EVERY Salt Lake City public school provides students with the opportunity to achieve academic excellence
• The city’s policies regarding housing, public safety, transportation, and community development are coordinated with the objectives of the school district to ensure that we are using every available tool to enhance our children’s learning environment
• Our schools become the focal points and gathering places of our neighborhoods for children, lifelong learning, and a variety of community activities and services
• We celebrate and embrace the rich ethnic, racial, and economic diversity of our student population, and we welcome and learn from those who are new to our communities.

To build on our successes, Salt Lake City must connect our education system with city policy, civic life, the business community, the University of Utah, and other higher-education entities. We will do this through a groundbreaking commitment from Salt Lake City government.

The Becker for Mayor Education Initiatives

1. Mayor’s Office. Create a senior-level position within the Mayor’s Office called the Education Partnership Coordinator. This individual’s exclusive role will be to forge partnerships with Salt Lake City schools, help determine and coordinate Salt Lake City governmental policy and action, and work with the business community, state government, and higher education to match community resources with school needs. The mayor will also “go back to school,” periodically taking time to visit classrooms and teachers at work.

2. Mayor’s Monthly School Summit. I will arrange monthly roundtable meetings with high school and junior high school principals to better understand how city administration and policy can support their efforts in our schools.

3. Second-Language Proficiency. I will work with the school district to ensure that by the time every Salt Lake City student is 18 years old, he or she will be able to pass a basic proficiency exam in a second language. I will empower our rapidly growing refugee community to share the languages and cultures of their home countries, and involve them in our second-language proficiency program through an expanding dual-enrollment program that offers more language options each year.

4. Consensus Community Direction. I will work to move Salt Lake City to the forefront of public education in Utah and the Intermountain West. This will include meetings between the mayor, the city council, and the school board and superintendent as well as principals, teachers, and parents, to use creative approaches to address graduation rates, school events and calendaring, youth violence, the achievement gap, and how city programs and policies can better support our public schools.

5. City Government Efforts. Building on the YouthCity program, I will look to engage city departments in efforts to partner with schools to assist schools in achieving success. City employees will be rewarded for their ideas and volunteer participation in public schools. Approaches may include hosting and supporting read-a-thons, student art and music performances at city events and for local businesses, student achievement awards, honoring school staff, teachers and administrators, language and basic skills assistance, job shadowing, Youth City passes, and numerous other initiatives.

6. Business Partnerships. Whether offering computer equipment, direct participation in the classrooms, input on school programming, or financing specific projects, the city will build partnerships with local businesses to help provide opportunities for our children to learn and excel.

7. “Expanding Excellence in Education (E3).” Every great city provides numerous opportunities for learning outside the classroom. Salt Lake City is no exception. I will work with teachers and the school district to ensure that every Salt Lake City school student can benefit from the innumerable extracurricular learning opportunities the city provides. From studying the ecology of our magnificent surroundings to experiencing the many educational opportunities offered by our first-rate museums and cultural facilities, to studying the art and architecture of our city and learning from the many world-class researchers, trade professionals, and business people, I will make it my goal to ensure that every student is inspired by the finest of Salt Lake City’s unmatched offerings.

Conclusion

As mayor of Salt Lake City, I will provide the leadership, ingenuity, passion, and focused efforts needed to position Salt Lake City’s public schools among the best in the nation. When it comes to the education of our children, the development and growth of our community, and the long-term vitality of our city, we must set our sights high, and we must continue this emphasis for years – even generations – to come.

A superior public education system will equip our children with the tools they need to compete anywhere in the world, and will also attract to our city the jobs and businesses that will enable our children to enjoy fulfilling careers close to home. Strong public schools and broad educational opportunities are the backbone of a healthy, empowering, and sustainable city. Under my leadership, Salt Lake City’s public education system will flourish as never before and will help Salt Lake City join the ranks of the great American cities.