An educated population is essential to building a vibrant city. Our strategy for shaping life-long learning in Brockton includes focused attention on more intimate, community-based initiatives to place Brockton's school system at the top. Examples include the creation of small schools nested throughout the city and out-of-school programs for every child in Brockton. In addition, education must be supported across the life span to make our city more competitive. Growth industries will only come to Brockton if we have a workforce of all ages that can read, write, and are technologically competent.

While Brockton's educational system has improved in recent years, it continues to fail a large segment of our population. Taxpayers that we've spoken to are extremely concerned that 30 percent of our children drop out of school before receiving a high-school diploma -- approximately 300 kids a year. In addition, educators and community leaders have expressed serious concerns that there are more than 1,500 residents who sit on a waiting list each year to register for adult education classes. Despite these and other alarming statistics, the current administration has neglected to devise a comprehensive strategy to construct a cross-generational workforce that is highly educated.

Jass Stewart's education plan outlines a systematic approach to teaching and learning where every individual has the opportunity to access the tools of learning and obtain the skills and support they need to succeed in life and give back to Brockton.

Increasing parent and community involvement in our schools
Active parental and community involvement is important to the success of our children's education. Jass Stewart is committed to overcoming the obstacles that can affect the ability of parents to engage in their child's education. Hurdles in parental involvement include language barriers, lack of knowledge of the school system, lack of transportation, and employment obligations. To empower parents and the community to participate, we promote the creation of smaller schools to increase community "ownership" in education. We seek to create, in each school, a welcoming atmosphere for parents, establish a work release/school visitation program with area businesses, and bolster the capacity and accessibility of parent groups in our schools. In addition, we will work to ensure that every adult has the opportunity to learn English, thereby assisting the integration of new immigrant populations into Brockton's workforce and civic life, as well as enabling families to assist in their children's education.

Creating a culture of classroom achievement for every student
A quality school education relies heavily on a culture centered on academic excellence and high teaching expectations. A focus on academic achievement helps young people develop their potential and compete in the broader educational system. Jass Stewart will support the creation of the Student Leadership Institute, a component of the New Leadership Fund (see "Accountability: Returning Our Government to the People). At the high-school level, the Institute will identify traditional and nontraditional student leaders and put them through a rigorous, dynamic curriculum that instills the value of learning so that they, in turn, reach out to their peers to build respect for educational excellence. The work of the Student Leadership Institute will be complemented by an aggressive initiative throughout the school system, pushing for increased academic achievement for all our students -- from increased AP class offerings to tours of college campus at a young age.

Increasing the number of minority educators to serve as role models for all of Brockton's children
Brockton has among the highest racial and ethnic diversity of any school system in the country. More than 40 different languages are spoken by students in the Brockton Public Schools. This, in itself, indicates a challenge in dealing with issues of cultural diversity. As older teachers in the system retire, we must seize the opportunity to diversify the pool of public school teachers and faculty to more fully reflect the racial and ethnic diversity of the student body. Jass Stewart' will work to develop a community-based strategy to identify, recruit, and retain excellent teachers of underrepresented communities who will serve as role models not only for minority children, but for all children who look to educators for guidance and as community leaders.

Providing teachers with the tools and resources to do what they do best -- teach
Without question, our public school educators are not paid enough. Unfortunately, our society demonstrates what is valued and what is not by how much a person is compensated. Our young people are fully aware of this fact. One of our first steps in providing teachers with adequate resources to teach is developing a short- and long-term strategy to increase teacher pay and benefits. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that Brockton has the best compensated teachers in Massachusetts. However, successful teaching isn't achieved through financial benefits alone. The quality of teaching is a function of a teacher's qualifications, class size, the school environment, as well as a student's preparedness, support, and encouragement at home. We plan to improve the teaching and learning environment in our schools and to provide support to our students in out-of-school settings. With all of these efforts in tow, we will focus on structured and systemic approaches to improving teacher expectations for the achievement of all students. In addition, we will work to reduce the ratio of students to educators through parent and community volunteerism in the classroom. As we support academic rigor, we will simultaneously focus special attention on policies and programs to improve discipline and safety in our schools.

Outlining an out-of-school "Agenda for Brockton's Youth"
In over 125 years, Brockton has never followed a roadmap guiding our community towards a unified effort on behalf of our children's academic success. Jass Stewart will bring together teachers, parents, community members, experts, and students to establish baseline expectations and measuring points for our children's progress. These goals will span the life of each child, from childcare and elementary education to college acceptance rates. With milestones in place, we will outline ways to connect every Brockton youth in need with an adult mentor, establish after-school and work-based learning programs for all our children, and build a robust scholarship fund for Brockton high-school students that provides substantial aid to those who have been accepted to college.

Implementing a technology strategy that improves teaching and learning
Computer literacy has become fundamental to the education process. It is a prerequisite for employment in practically any field, particularly because it improves our ability to access information. As a tool for teaching and learning, Jass Stewart will focus on the use of technology and distance learning to enhance the classroom experience, allowing teachers and students access to a wealth of information. To leverage technology in the classroom, we will make it a top priority for Brockton's government, local businesses, and community partners to come together to support the training of teachers and to increase the access to computers for all students.