Many constituents have identified education as one of the three top issues in Richmond. Despite the low rating given to the City Council and City management, the top concern of Richmond voters in 2004, according to a poll paid for by the City of Richmond, is not the budget debacle and its outcome. It is education, with 24% listing it as the top concern.

 

Many citizens have urged the Richmond City Council and WCCUSD Board to have monthly joint meetings to address common problems and work together on solutions.

 

Here is something that you may find interesting. UC Berkeley is starting up a Center for Cities and Schools that is seeking ideas for research and events on the connections between cities and schools. An example of a question that might be addressed is "How can cities and schools work together to plan for demographic and economic changes stemming from either new development and/or aging populations?”

 

See the event information below:

 

The Role of Public Education in Neighborhoods of Choice and Connection: A Symposium and Discussion sponsored by the newly forming Center for Cities and Schools

 

• Bruce Katz Vice President and Director of the Metropolitan Policy Program, Brookings Institution
• Arlene Ackerman Superintendent, San Francisco Unified School District

 

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22ND, 5:00-7:30pm UC Berkeley Women's Faculty Club

Reception to Follow

The Center for Cities and Schools is beginning a fall planning process and seeks to identify key issues for future events, projects, and research that will address the most pressing questions facing cities and public education systems today.  Katz will be presenting on his recent paper, Neighborhoods of Choice and Connection (http://www.brookings.org/metro/pubs/20040713_katz.pdf) and Ackerman will respond by discussing key priorities for urban districts such as San Francisco.  These talks will be followed by a short open dialogue to discuss and deepen our understanding of the role of public education in improving cities, and equally important, how cities can help improve our public education system.  As part of The Center for Cities and Schools Event Series Organized by the Institute of Urban and Regional Development's Center for Cities and Schools, UC Berkeley

For questions contact: Deb McKoy, Director (debmckoy@berkeley.edu) or Jeff Vincent, Research Associate (jvincent@berkeley.edu) Center for Cities and Schools 324 Wurster Hall 510.643.3105