Phoenix, AZ, Dec. 11, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Mayors from across the state met last week in Phoenix to discuss the impact of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in Arizona. Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton hosted the Arizona Mayors Education Roundtable at Phoenix City Hall.

“Our students deserve an excellent education and every opportunity to be prepared for college and careers despite their income and zip code,” said Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton. “Phoenix strives to be the best partner for public schools. The Arizona Mayors Education Roundtable brings together city and educational leaders to have critical conversations to improve education for every child in Arizona.”

Bob Wise, former governor of West Virginia and now president of the Alliance for Excellent Education, led a discussion with the mayors and 14 school district superintendents invited by them to attend the Roundtable meeting. They discussed what ESSA means for state and school district policies, as well as what city leaders should know and understand about the law.

Arizona’s ESSA plan was approved by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos in September. Among the plan’s policy goals for Arizona is assuring the ability for high schools to earn additional accountability points for preparing students to be college- and career-ready, including students performing well in career and technical education courses, passing college-level courses, and earning an industry credential or completing a work-based internship.

ESSA is the most recent version of the federal government’s comprehensive K-12 education law. Passed into law by Congress in December 2015, it replaced No Child Left Behind as the primary federal legislation addressing America’s public education system.

About the Arizona Mayors Education Roundtable

The Arizona Mayors Education Roundtable, a WestEd initiative, brings together 15 mayors from large and small cities and towns in Arizona, district superintendents, and their key staff to share data, evidence-based and promising practices, and programmatic strategies that can help address local challenges affecting students’ educational and career success. The Roundtable is convened by WestEd and funded with core support by Helios Education Foundation and additional support by the Arizona Community Foundation, and the GradNation State Activation initiative, a collaboration between America’s Promise Alliance and Pearson. 

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0d120543-070e-49da-a698-c58b01375d83

CONTACT: Maura Keaney
Collaborative Communications Group
[email protected]