Literacy Initiative

Executive Summary

The Education Committee is a standing committee of the UJCC. Our mission is to leverage the power of partnerships with businesses, government, and education for the purpose of increasing the value of education in Service Planning Area Six by creating a culture where dropping out of school is no longer an option and higher educational attainment becomes a priority in our community.

Businesses, local government, education, and their partners believe in the strength of an educated workforce. Studies consistently demonstrate that individuals who are better educated are more prepared to withstand economic downturns, increase their earnings potential over their lifetimes, and are more productive in the workplace.

There is and has to be a collaborative effort to join forces to seek solutions to educational issues as citizens recognize that public officials alone cannot solve the crisis in public schools. Citizens, businesses, community-based organizations, clergy, faith-based, and government (multiple organizations) must form partnerships to address educational reform.

The UJCC Education Committee proposes the following:

• Transition to smaller more effective education system
• Equalize the funding for students (not districts) to fund every child with a "scholarship" between ($7,000 - $8,500 indexed for inflation) redeemable at any accredited school
• Convert public schools that are not performing into an Independent Charter School
• Replace State Education Mandates with a system of annual, uniform, content-specific tests that show progress
• Organize alignment of support behind these programs: parents, teachers, administrators, local and state school boards, superintendents, academics, colleges, vocational/career

We must not think we have "solved" the problem nor did everything we could. We must think long-term and may need to elevate education to "crisis" if necessary to make a change.

These are just some reforms and they are dramatic, but they are dramatically positive for most of our low performing schools. The positive benefits could include:

• Substantial relief for taxpayers
• Increased local/parent control of schools
• Increased innovation in education
• Increased revenues for state and local governments.

The following "on-going" activities are proposed in collaboration with schools/districts, clergy, community-based organizations, etc to ensure a successful implementation for students, young adults and family:

1. The American Youth Leadership Commission (Youth-focused Literacy "Education" Community Development Project intended to support the vision of UJCC Literacy Education Committee
2. Blueprint for Workplace Success Curriculum (to connect with what is being taught in classrooms and what is required in the workplace)
3. Health & Wellness Home Economic Literacy Education (First Lady Michelle Obama's announcement of a major initiative against childhood obesity, "Let's Move"- a youth-led service initiative focused on the growing epidemic)
4. Falcons Youth and Family Services Vision (the local Falcons have ongoing programs supporting SPA 6 community outreach activities and services to restore hope, dreams, aspirations, character, community values)
5. Career Guidance (courses of study organized around different sets of occupation. Thus students interested in becoming a doctor or nurse can choose a career major in health or replace some general high school elective course specifically geared toward health care. In addition, schools partner with businesses and other local institutions to provide students with a chance to get " hand-on" real-world working experience in the field of their choice) This connects essential academic learning with acquisition of job-related skills in a powerful combination that improves students' odds for career success.
6. GITC.Net (e-Learning, computer-based learning course of study that enables students to put reading, math and computer acquired skills to immediate use and compete in a global market place)
7. California State University African America Initiative (males) -(program focuses on supporting STEM education and provide the skills needed for students to succeed in the global economy also increases college and career readiness)

In conclusion, our children deserve a better education. This education initiative increases options for students while increasing opportunities for every citizen in the SPA 6 arena, not just those with children in school. In order for this initiative to succeed funds must be put in place. The legislature will act if people demand it. A united effort to build grass roots support for UJCC Education Literacy initiative success can result in critically needed improvements in our educational system. Working together we can make Education Matters a reality.

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Education and Literacy Committee Roster

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