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TO: Mayor Thomas J. Weisner
FROM: Rick Guzman, Assistant Chief of Staff
Carie Anne Ergo, Chief Management Officer
DATE: October 2, 2015
SUBJECT:
A Resolution approving a Professional Services Agreement with Dr. Kathryn Birkett in support of Aurora’s Pathways to Prosperity initiative.
PURPOSE:
Dr. Birkett’s has been contracted to assist in the development of a business plan for the establishment of a Technical Training Center in Aurora. The City seeks approval to continue these services through 2017.
BACKGROUND:
In 2011, the Pathways to Prosperity Project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education released a report, Pathways to Prosperity: Meeting the Challenge of Preparing Young Americans for the 21st Century. The report challenged this nation’s excessive focus on the four-year college pathway. The report presented the need to create additional pathways that combine rigorous academics with strong technical education to equip the majority of young people with the skills and credentials to succeed in our increasingly challenging labor market.
In 2012, a group of committed Aurora leaders in business and education along with
State of Illinois partners engaged Jobs for the Future and the Harvard Graduate School of Education to assess our community’s readiness and help to pursue opportunities for collective action.
In 2013, the group shared its recently completed research on the Aurora region’s assets and challenges. This report identified that jobs in the Aurora area are most abundant in the health care and manufacturing industries, as well as in information technology (IT). It recommended that Aurora focus on creating new educational Pathways for students by combining rigorous academics with strong technical education to equip young people with the skills and credentials to succeed in these areas. The report identified the possibility of a future technical center to facilitate Pathways focused education in Aurora.
In 2014, the City of Aurora, Aurora Regional Chamber of Commerce, Aurora East School District 131, Aurora West School District 129, Indian Prairie School District 204, Oswego Community School District 308, and Waubonsee Community College, all signed a Statement of Agreement “to join together to leverage all available local, state, and national resources within the community to develop career pathways for the students in all partner school districts in the areas of Health Sciences, Information Technologies, and Manufacturing by the 2015-16 school year and continue to grow additional Pathways for its students in the years beyond.”
The City partnered with the Aurora Area Chamber of Commerce providing grant funding to facilitate the development of Pathways curriculum in conjunction area businesses and Waubonsee Community College within each of the partner districts. This led to Pathways courses being identified and offered at each of the partner districts in all three Pathways at the beginning of the 2015 school year. Additionally, since 2012 there has been a substantial increase in the number of dual credit course available to Aurora students. This group is now in the process of completing a guiding document to continue to move this important work forward.
DISCUSSION:
Currently, students in Illinois’ second largest city must commute between 1-2 hours daily to access the kind of technical training and certificate programs needed to access the jobs of our current and future economy. As such, the development of a Technical Training Center in Aurora has long been a part of the vision for Aurora’s Pathways to Prosperity initiative.
Earlier this year, residents of West Aurora School District 129 passed a capital funding referendum, which identified funding for a Technical Training Center as one its key components. District 129 has been a leader in the Pathways to Prosperity initiative since the original partnership with the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Jobs For the Future and District 129 has once again stepped up to help move this part of the initiative forward.
District 129 has expressed a willingness to explore partnership options that would make a future Technical Training Center accessible to Aurora students beyond District 129. Making the center accessible to students across school district boundaries will take careful, strategic planning plus resource identification and perhaps even legislative changes. Dr. Birkett was brought on board to assist in facilitating this process.
As the former Superintendent of School District 204, Dr. Kathryn Birkett is uniquely positioned to assist the collaborative. Her proven track-record in educational excellence, experience in Aurora and knowledge of the community landscape will be invaluable in quickly moving this process forward.
The primary deliverables of this contract shall be an Implementation Plan to operationalize the future Aurora Regional Pathways Technical Training Center. Such plan shall include-but may not be limited to: (a) staffing and teacher certification; (b) dual-credit provision; (c) local employer participation; (d) certificate/credential offerings; and (e) issues of initial and ongoing curriculum sourcing/development.
IMPACT STATEMENT:
The cost of consulting services is $87.50 per hour and are expected to continue at approximately 20 hours per week, as needed through 2017. Funding in an amount of $150,000 has been provided in account No. 215-1351-419.53-34 (Gaming Fund) to support Aurora’s Pathways to Prosperity Initiative.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Approval of the resolution is recommended.
cc: Alderman O’Connor, Chairman
Alderman Mervine
Alderman Bohman
Alderman Mesiacos, Alternate
CITY OF AURORA, ILLINOIS
RESOLUTION NO. _________
DATE OF PASSAGE ________________
title
A Resolution Approving a Professional Services Agreement with Dr. Kathryn Birkett in support of Aurora's Pathways to Prosperity initiative.
body
WHEREAS, the City of Aurora has a population of more than 25,000 persons and is, therefore, a home rule unit under subsection (a) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution of 1970; and
WHEREAS, subject to said Section, a home rule unit may exercise any power and perform any function pertaining to its government and affairs for the protection of the public health, safety, morals, and welfare; and
WHEREAS, the Aurora Regional Pathways to Prosperity Initiative remains a priority of the City of Aurora and the Aurora City Council; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Kathryn Birkett is uniquely positioned in the community bringing her experience with the Aurora Regional Pathways initiative as the former Superintendent of the largest school district located within the City of Aurora; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Birkett’s services have thus far more than met expectations; and
WHEREAS, the cost of consulting services is $87.50 per hour and are expected to continue at approximately 20 hours per week, as needed through 2017; and
WHEREAS, the City Council authorizes funding in an amount of $150,000 in account No. 215-1351-419.53-34 (Gaming Fund) annually to support Aurora’s Pathways to Prosperity Initiative;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Aurora, Illinois, as follows: the Professional Services Agreement between the City of Aurora and Dr. Kathryn Birkett is hereby approved.