The National League of Cities' (NLC) Institute for Youth, Education, and Families released this week the YEF Council Education playbook, a guide containing 27 suggestions for city leaders looking to improve education “for children and youth in their communities.”

"The YEF Council Education Playbook presents a host of practical, tested strategies that municipal leaders can adapt and use to drive local progress. The playbook outlines how city leaders can take steps to ensure that all children are ready for school, have access to expanded learning opportunities, and receive the extra help they need to succeed,” NLC said in a statement.

The playbook aims to help city leaders make cities across the country ideal learning communities for all children through its recommendations.

Recommendations include strengthening parent engagement, making it easier for drop-outs to re-enroll, and establishing college access centers among many others.

"Even though just a handful of mayors and city councils play a role in the governance of their public schools, every mayor, councilmember and city administrator can take concrete steps to strengthen foundations for early learning, provide more and better learning time, and help all children succeed,” said Clarence E. Anthony, CEO and executive director of National League of Cities (NLC) about the playbook.

NCL advocates for 19,000 of America’s cities and towns, representing over 2.8 million Americans in the process. It has created its playbook with examples from its City Practices Database, a searchable platform "of initiatives and projects on a variety of topics being implemented...in cities of all sizes.”

For more information about the playbook, see here.

Article by Nicole Gorman, Education World Contributor

4/1/2016