Mayor Jeri Muoio of West Palm Beach Wants to Make Public Education a Priority
West Palm Beach, Florida (PRWEB) March 08, 2015 -- In her State of the City Address on January 20, 2015, Muoio said: “My passion for improving education has never wavered, and I am committed to improving the future of our Florida schools.... The future of our children and the performance of our schools touch everything important to us.”
As her current term as mayor comes to an end and Election Day draws near, she has plans to work with the School District of Palm Beach County to improve student performance at currently low-performing city schools in the north end through new innovative programs.
The Partnership Schools initiative, an effort to bring the city, schools and the private sector together will bring a preschool program to Northmore Elementary School at 4111 N. Terrace Drive in West Palm Beach. A consulting firm will look at the school’s reading program and curriculum, and work with the staff on professional development, building capacity of teachers. If the pilot program is successful, more schools will be able to benefit in the future.
“When we challenge students and expect excellence, we can help these young people realize their full potential and become responsible, contributing members of society,” said Muoio.
Mayor Jeri Muoio also supports:
- Reading readiness programs for preschoolers and story hours at the West Palm Beach Mandel Library and local childcare centers
- Establishing teen reading areas at the city library with age-specific librarians
- Operating after-school homework assistance programs at city recreational centers
- Expanding physical education (PE) opportunities for students by sharing city park space with local schools
Mayor Muoio currently opposes privately run charter schools, and believes her constituents do, as well.
“The public made it clear that a city charter school wasn’t the right path for our city,” she said. “Before becoming…mayor…I spent a lifetime fighting for better education for our children.”
Her mayoral opponent, Commissioner Kimberly Mitchell, who has been sitting on the commission since 2002, has long attempted to establish a private charter school.
“I care about education and am committed to promoting a partnership that won’t drain school funds or cut school district jobs,” Muoio said.
The mayor began her career as a school psychologist and later became an administrator, working for many years as a school district leader. She promoted education reform in urban schools while living and working in Massachusetts.
She was elected Mayor of West Palm Beach in March 2011. Muoio was appointed to the West Palm Beach City Commission in 2006 and re-elected twice by voters as commissioner, in 2007 and 2009.
Geraldine “Jeri” Muoio holds a doctorate in academic administration from Syracuse University and a master’s degree from the State University of New York (S.U.N.Y.) Oswego. She lives in West Palm Beach with her husband, Charles. They are the parents of a daughter and the grandparents of three.
The City of West Palm Beach General Election will be held on Tuesday, March 10, 2015. A Run-off Election, if necessary, will be held on Tuesday, March 24, 2015, between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
For more information about us, please visit http://jerimuoio.com/.
Rick Asnani, Cornerstone Solutions & Communications, http://www.cornerstonesolutionsteam.com, +1 (561) 689-9787, [email protected]
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