Education and Workforce Training Recommendations
Unity Council Recommendations
Recommendations
Education and Workforce Training Recommendations
Concern or Issue
• Connectivity quality is now an essential need for any student to be successful . Families with low resources or in an area with bad connectivity will have limitations in their educational reach and workforce
• Accessibility or low awareness on additional educational assistance , knowledge / training , professional development , local work opportunities , and community involvement
• Limited participation from high-poverty schools in after school programming , parent preparation courses , and workforce training
Recommendation
Medium term
• Increase bandwidth in certain areas of the city to provide children with all the proper connectivity resources that will enable them to use technology for their studies
• Increase free public WIFI hot spots throughout Arlington
• Compliment the technology device initiatives already taking place in AISD
Short term
• Community-Outreach-Networking-Empowerment-Communication-Tool ( CONECT )
• Centralized repository that will help build stronger neighborhoods by connecting families , organizations and education institution ; easily accessible resources that will empower students and parents
• Providing and helping post grad students easily identify internships & job opportunities help keep local college grads here in Arlington
Short term
• “ Education & Workforce Training Fair ” – establish 2 days / year where city hosts a fair that will leverage and promote available programming and training provided by school districts
• These fairs would be hosted in city parks or schools in high poverty areas
• Lack of diversity in curriculum and cultural-based learning Long term
• Diversify lesson plans and curriculum to be inclusive of relevant culture and identity
• Discussion based learning
• Semester survey for student feedback on structure and curriculum of the class
• Microaggressions demonstrated teachers to students and student to student
• Limited resources to provide students with nontraditional counseling resources ( grades , college prep , etc .) and enable current counselors to be 100 % dedicated to sustaining the mental stability of the students and identifying root causes to issues that could be preventing students from achieving educational success
• 1 counselor per every 300 students is unacceptable statistic
• Limited resources in high poverty high schools for higher education preparedness , support through college testing and application
Medium term
• Require diversity training for students and teachers
• Establish organized conversations with students – peer learning . Focusing on : - Identity - Stereotyping - Bias - Privilege - System of Oppression
Medium term
• Hire additional guidance counselor resources for school districts . That can cover the following social problems : - Drug Abuse - Teen Pregnancy - Mental Health - Family Wellbeing - Racial Injustice
• Hire additional college advisor support for school districts to improve the student to counselor resource ratio
• Opportunity for local contract employment , internships for college students , and community volunteers
• Develop in conjunction with High School Outreach programs currently in place at local Universities
Unity Council Report 129