6 | JUNE 2018
theVoice
A FEW WORDS FROM RPS 205 SUPERINTENDENT
Rockford Promise exceeds its goal
Incentivizing graduates to pursue careers here Rockford has made a lot of progress in a short period of time. The key to continuing that progress — and to our community’s long-term success — is to increase our educational attainment level. Mayor Tom McNamara underscored that point in his State of the City address last month, which he delivered at Eisenhower Middle School.
These location-based scholarships and pathwaybased scholarships incentivize people to live in our community and attend our schools. Fortunately, we have a head start on the work. The senior class in the Rockford Public Schools this year included 42 students who won scholarships through new initiatives. These scholarships are not through the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois or other traditional award granters. They are location-based or pathway-based. Students earn them because they live in Rockford or because they will pursue a career path to benefit our city. Rockford Promise, the locationbased scholarship organization, last fall set a goal of awarding 20 scholarships to Rockford Public Schools students to continue their education at Rock Valley College or Rockford University. As spring approached, it became clear Rockford Promise had not only met its goal but exceeded it. A total of 22 students will attend RU or RVC on scholarship next school year. One of the scholarships even has the name of a RPS 205 graduate attached. Cole Bathje, a graduate of East High School, funded an entire Promise scholarship with a successful benefit concert. The concert was his senior Capstone project.
Keeping Graduates in Rockford To these 22 incredible opportunities, the school district and Rockford University have added 20 more. Education Pathway scholarships are given to seniors who pledge to stay in Rockford, attend RU and pursue a teaching career. They not only studentteach in the district — once they graduate, they become priority hires in RPS 205. Once hired, they may earn a master’s degree in urban education at RU for free.
Dr. Ehren Jarrett Superintendent RPS 205
Qualified students reap the benefits of a $140,000 education for as little as $20,000. These initiatives build on the strong framework of other programs, such as Engineering Our Future. The partnership between Northern Illinois University and RVC allows local students to receive a bachelor’s degree in engineering and technology without leaving the RVC campus. The price tag is less than $40,000. These location-based scholarships and pathway-based scholarships incentivize people to live in our community and attend our schools. They are great deals for students, but the community is getting the better part of the bargain. We connect students while still in high school with post-secondary internships, post-secondary academic experiences and — ultimately — job placements. The same model is being replicated with a police and fire pathway in the district; a partnership between Alignment Rockford and the City of Rockford. It’s a powerful two-pronged approach to attracting and retaining talent. We invest in students based on the careers we need. We invest in people who choose to live and stay in the community, who buy homes and drive economic growth. This is not just a dream. Its foundation is already being built. Its builders are 18-year-old students like Cole Bathje. Its builders are the benefactors and board members of Rockford Promise. Its builders are the businesses, organizations and partners of RPS 205 who support students to create the workforce of the future. The mayor has called on the business and philanthropic community to fully fund Rockford Promise by 2025 so every graduate of the Rockford Public Schools has access to community college and four-year programs in Illinois, tuitionfree. Meanwhile, the district is working on its own on-ramp so students are ready for college or prepared for career certifications. The pathway is clear. The location is right. The mayor and I are all in. Won’t you join us? Dr. Ehren Jarrett is superintendent of Rockford Public Schools. The views expressed are those of Dr. Jarrett’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.