Fresno leaders continue to search for a silver bullet to make California's fifth-largest city shine.
And they just keep shooting themselves in the foot.
Bill McEwen
opinion
Over the past 30 years, local governments and nonprofits have spent billions of dollars solving challenges such as gangs, blight, low-wage jobs, and affordable housing.
Unfortunately, their efforts are directed almost entirely at treating the symptoms of Fresno's most obvious deficiencies. The idea is that large public school systems are underperforming and, over time, have become disconnected from the communities in which they serve.
The day Fresno Unified achieves its long-held goal of producing young people who are ready to succeed in the workforce, college, or both, many of the challenges that plague us will disappear. Probably.
Fresno Unified can't do this alone. Nor should they be expected to do so.
Over the past few months, the district has screened two great documentaries for the public that explain how to improve literacy skills. Too many Fresno Unified students fail to meet even the basic standards of reading comprehension, the foundation of success. Still, both documentaries drew sparse audiences rather than packed venues.
Only 10 members of the public came to see “Hopeville” at Roosevelt High School Tuesday night. Fresno Unified Board President Susan Whitlap was the sole board member. Superintendent Bob Nelson was a cabinet-level administrator there, but he quit before the screening was over.
Mayor Dyer should take the lead.
So how can district leaders better connect with families and share the transformative potential of a first-class education? Heaven knows they've tried something like Parent University's .
My answer: Our trusted leaders need to be committed to transforming Fresno into America's Education City.
And Mayor Jerry Dyer should be at the forefront.
He won re-election with 80% of the vote, earning him the bully pulpit and mandate.
Yes, he has a busy schedule. But more than three-quarters of Fresno Unified's black students and more than two-thirds of its Hispanic students fail to meet state standards for English language arts, making his “One-His Fresno” The slogan rings hollow.
Is Fresno really one? Should we ignore the fact that nearly 9 out of 10 black students and nearly 8 out of 10 Hispanic students do not meet standards in math?
It's a crisis. It's a problem Mr. Dyer must address with relentless urgency in a city where residents decades ago empowered the city's top executive with the title of “strong mayor.”
defend education
Dyer's mission need not be political. Instead, he should be the number one champion in the district and in education.
We need to talk to families in all parts of the city about the importance of education. He is familiar with the many great opportunities Fresno Unified offers, including dual enrollment, career technical education, dual language immersion, preschool, and transitional kindergarten, and believes that children should take advantage of these programs. you should tell your parents.
More than that, he should tell his children, worthy These programs are just as entitled to a top-notch education.
It should also talk about hard work, discipline, reaching for the stars, and the importance of young mothers and fathers reading to their children.
If he wants to further his political ambitions, he could become a national spokesperson for the following beliefs: Literacy is a civil right.
The mayor is dynamic and speaks one-on-one to the camera. With a little preparation and study, you can sell your education better than any superintendent Fresno Unified hires.
Building healthy communities starts with education
City councilors can make education a regular part of their district meetings with constituents. And we can shine a spotlight on students who have overcome long odds to achieve success and lift them up as heroes in their communities.
Recently, Sandra Celedon, one of Fresno's most powerful community activists, joined in calling for Fresno Unified to conduct an extensive search for its next superintendent. She said she was speaking as a parent of a student in the district.
But her group, Building Healthy Communities, has the potential to create a major movement, with a focus on educational equity for students, especially in low-performing schools.
Think about it, Fresno.
Mayor Dyer, you too.
Will you work to transform Fresno into Education City USA?