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RESOLUTION NO. 47 OF 2012
Adopting a Philosophy Statement on Education
WHEREAS, the Salt Lake City Council wishes to adopt a Philosophy Statement on Education; and
WHEREAS, a Philosophy Statement is a document that expresses an aspirational vision of the City’s future, the values that underlie the vision, and the legislative tasks and projects the Council may undertake to realize the vision; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has studied the Philosophy Statement on Education and has determined that adopting this resolution is in the best interest of the City.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of Salt Lake City, Utah that the Philosophy Statement on Education, as shown in the attached Exhibit “A”, is hereby adopted.
Passed by the City Council of Salt Lake City, Utah, this 27th day of November, 2012.
Council Philosophy Statement
Priority: Education
Vision
Education is a central building block of strong and stable neighborhoods. The City values education, at all levels, in order to sustain the City’s position as the Capital City and center for commerce, supported by strong, stable and vibrant neighborhoods. Education plays a crucial role in providing opportunities for members of the community. The City benefits economically and culturally from educated, lifelong learners who become active, engaged, and positive members of the community.
Values
•We value schools and recognize their importance within the existing residential fabric of the neighborhoods within our City.
•We value the need for a partnership between the community, parents, students and educators to foster a learning process that is authentic, interactive, inclusive, continuous, and empowers students to become active and engaged members of the community.
•We value a model of education that cultivates a college, career, and civic-ready environment in Salt Lake City by relying on investment from a variety of sources, and building on resources of family, government, and public and higher education.
•We value the full spectrum of education, from pre-school to higher education, as well as other forms of vocational and professional development and apprenticeship programs. We believe in supporting members of the community in educational pursuits from infancy to adulthood and providing a variety of opportunities for different skill sets.
•We value excellence at every level of our education system and opportunities for every child, regardless of socioeconomic status, from early learning through post-secondary education. We believe that this is key to close the attainment gap and fight systemic poverty in our communities.
•We value educational institutions as centers of innovation for our community, and as central building blocks for neighborhood identity.
•We support collaboration between Salt Lake City government and educational institutions to enhance and improve the delivery of City services to residents, visitors and workers in the Capital City.
•We value providing access for children of all ages to participate in recreational sports, as physical activity is a key component of academic development and promotes healthy, active lifestyles.
•We value partnering with the SLC School District to maximize limited resources and over-crowded City facilities. Utilizing school facilities that may not otherwise be in use at night or on weekends provides greater access to communities for recreational activities.
•We value partnering with various local organizations to provide children of all ages access to and participation in the cultural arts.
•We support opportunities for educational growth that bridge the high school-to expert-gap by supporting business-labor apprenticeship programs that provide skills and opportunity to members of our community.
•We value closing the gender achievement gap that exists in higher education in the state, and support programs that would help reduce this gap, including improved counseling services for women, higher education mentoring programs and flexible course offerings and schedules.
•We recognize the value and role of sex education.
•We support the creation and maintenance of safe and reliable routes for a variety of means of transportation, to all levels of educational institutions.
•We recognize our responsibility as a municipal government to partner with educational institutions to provide services such as public safety and quality transportation infrastructure to these institutions.
•We recognize the important contributions that city facilities can provide in fostering educational opportunities for all ages.
•We value the safety and welfare of all students and support the partnering of SLC City government, SLC School District and various local organizations to prevent bullying in our community.