Repost: K-12 Education and Future of the Cities

"The quality of schools affects urban economic vitality, whether by making a difference in attracting talent and retaining families or by being the determining factor of workforce readiness. Education has become a priority issue for nearly all [political leaders]." In this briefing paper (PDF) for the Fall 2003 National Meeting of CEOS for Cities, Curtis Johnson leads a wide-ranging plenary discussion that examines the best practices of cross-sector leaders and experts working to create new schools while striving to fix the ones we have.

I would like to go a step further. Give the control back to the community. Democracy typically falls cripple when the person(s) making decisions about the quality of our lives are so remote from our lives that they frankly lack the power to be effective. This applies to every corner of urban society, but we see the deepest scars in our educational system.

The urban landscape needs your attention. The American metropolis will continue to grow, expand and evolve. Think forward... what will your city look like in 50 years? And who will dictate its changing face?
Go here to learn more: http://www.americancity.org/