City’s Education Programs Showcased in Video Documentary "Partnering for Excellence in Schools" by the International City/County Management Association
The City of Delray Beach’s local government education programs have been featured in a video documentary “Partnering for Excellence in Schools,” which was produced by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) - a professional membership organization for City and County Managers around the country and world. The video highlights the City’s 20 year partnership with local elementary, middle and high schools as well as the School District of Palm Beach County. The five (5) minute documentary was presented at the September 20, 2011 City Commission meeting and was featured at this year’s 97th ICMA Annual Conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where more than 2,200 attendees had the opportunity to learn about the renaissance that our local schools experienced.
The documentary provides the viewer with an understanding of the deteriorated state that our City and schools were in during the late 1980’s. It was at this time that the community, along with the City, completed a strategic planning process (Vision 2000) and determined that the key to changing the City’s culture was dependent on the improvement of our schools. Our local schools were broken and their negative reputation kept families from making Delray Beach their home. As a result, the City (even with some perceived community concerns) became fully committed to investing staff time and financial resources to develop educational programs that would enhance the learning opportunities for children within the City of Delray Beach. These programs helped to repair and improve our educational system to the point that it is now known for its excellence.
The video outlines the City’s commitment over the years to raise the standard of education and invested over $10 million in local academic initiatives. Through its partnership with the County’s School District, Delray Beach has helped to develop, fund and staff numerous successful educational programs, including the Atlantic Community High School’s Construction and Criminal Justice academies and Carver Middle School’s morning program and Civics Education programs.
ICMA selected the City of Delray Beach as one of a limited number of cities to profile. This video documentary was completed with the intent of promoting City programs and achievements to help raise awareness of local government best practices. The City of Delray Beach’s video, “Partnering for Excellence in Schools,” was featured at ICMA’s 2011 Annual Conference and is posted on their website.
About the International City/County Management Association: Founded in 1914, ICMA, the International City/County Management Association, advances professional local government worldwide. Its mission and vision is to create excellence in local governance by developing and fostering professional management to build sustainable communities that improve people’s lives worldwide. ICMA provides member support; publications; data and information; peer and results-oriented assistance; and training and professional development to nearly 9,000 city, town, and county experts and other individuals and organizations throughout the world. For more information, visit www.icma.org.
