Council of Urban Boards of Education: In September 1990, the council, a division of the National School Boards Association, unveiled six goals for improving urban schools. Its goals are to provide greater and more equitable funding for education; achieve racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic integration in metropolitan areas; promote excellence in urban districts; provide students with a multicultural education; strengthen the role of local school boards; and create greater public awareness about and confidence in the benefits of an urban education.
The council has developed a “special action network” to develop strategies and lobby for recommended programs.
Council of the Great City Schools:
In March 1990, the council adopted a set of six education goals for the nation’s 45 largest cities.
The goals state that, by the year 2000, urban students will increase their achievement levels at least to the national average; all urban children will start school ready to learn; urban schools will increase their graduation rates; urban schools will improve the quality of their teaching forces; urban schools will prepare urban children for college and the workforce; and urban schools will ensure a healthy and safe school environment.
In November 1990, the council approved a plan for achieving its goals, which it presented to the leaders of 80 national organizations at a summit in January 1991.
Plans to reconvene leaders from those groups to help develop concrete action plans for individual cities.