MAYOR MORRISSEY TO BE KEYNOTE SPEAKER AT MAYOR’S LUNCHEON ON CHARTER SCHOOL EDUCATION ROCKFORD, IL. – On Tuesday, July 14, 2009, Rockford Mayor Larry Morrissey will be the keynote speaker at the Illinois Mayors for Higher Achievement Luncheon, hosted by Illinois Network of Charter Schools and the City of Joliet. The topic for the forum is "Charter Public Schools’ Role in Public Education". Mayor Morrissey’s commitment to enriching the educational choices in Rockford played a strong role in the recent selection of charter schools in District 205. "There is no single issue more important to our long-term health and vitality of our community than our schools. Mayors must lead and we must re-engage with school districts, colleges, and universities to build a culture of life-long learning in our cities," Mayor Morrissey stated in a recent speech on charter schools. The Mayor’s keynote speech will focus on the strategic role his office played in building a public private partnership in the creation of the Rockford Charter School Initiative (RCSI), which operated under the umbrella of the Community Education Partnership (CEP) in the Mayor’s Office. The grassroots efforts put forth by the RCSI is credited for placing Rockford second only to Chicago in the number of charters awarded to school districts in the State of Illinois. Mayor Morrissey will also provide Tuesday’s guests with an overview of the next steps the Mayor’s Office will take to facilitate improvements in the school district. "I will continue to ask the question, 'who owns the schools?' The answer is all of us. It is not just District 205 and not to the exclusion of city government. We must do all that we can to create an environment that fosters strong schools and a dedication to improving our school system". Invitations for the luncheon were extended to Mayors and community leaders across the state of Illinois. The forum was designed to provide the opportunity to gain a better understand of what charter public schools can bring to a community and the importance of supporting efforts to bring charters to their city or suburb.

Paid for by Citizens for Morrissey

Paid for by Citizens for Morrissey. A copy of our report filed with the State Board of Elections and the Winnebago County Clerk is available (or will be) for purchase from the State Board of Elections, Springfield, Illinois,and from the Winnebago County Clerk, Rockford, Illinois. If you do not wish to receive email updates in the future, please Click Here This is an automatic e-mail. Please do not reply.