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DRAFT – Working Document
Education That Works:
Ideas for Sacramento
Former Sacramento Mayor Joe Serna, Jr. was well
known for saying that you simply cannot have a great
city without great schools. That is the reason the late
Mayor put his political career on the line to support an
education reform movement in the Sacramento City
Unified School District. Fourteen years later, while
some progress has been made, much work remains to
be done before we can say that all of our schools are
serving children well.
While all five school districts in Sacramento—Natomas,
Elk Grove, Robla, Sacramento City, and Twin Rivers—
have made gains over the past decade, far too many
Sacramento youth either do not graduate from high
school or graduate without the necessary skills to be
successful in post-secondary education and careers. A
recent study by the California Dropout Research Project
using data gathered by the California Department of
Education estimated that more than 2,200 middle and
high school student dropped out of Sacramento schools
in one year.
For this reason, Mayor Kevin Johnson has made
supporting education reform and increasing academic
success for Sacramento youth a centerpiece of his work
as the city’s leader. The ability to chart a course for
school
reform,
find
the resources and support
necessary for the changes, and then execute the plan
will require strong leadership, the development of civic
capacity and political will. While this is no easy task, the
commitment has to be made.
Sacramento should be among the nation’s leading cities
in pushing education reforms to improve student
opportunity and academic achievement. As the capital
of California, the city is in a unique position to be at the
of school reform and pave the way for the rest of the
state and country. Mayor Johnson’s goal for school
reform is clear: All city schools will have a strong
instructional program, be able to attract and retain the
best educators, and provide a broa