SAINT PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
The Travelers Companies, Inc. will collaborate with Saint Paul Public
Schools (SPPS) to advance public education reform, officials announced
this morning at Highland Park Senior High School. Through grants to SPPS
and other strategic service providers for this effort, Travelers will
support a few key initiatives that, when combined, will represent
approximately $1.4 million. Travelers will back SPPS initiatives that
aggressively reduce the achievement gap and measurably increase academic
and career success for underrepresented students.
The announcement is the first of several expected in the coming weeks
from Strategic Priority Partners who were named during Saint Paul Public
Schools Superintendent Meria Carstarphen's State of the District
address. The Travelers support will promote college readiness and access
for underrepresented students and leadership development for school
principals.
"This partnership ushers in a new era for how our corporations and
businesses work with and support critical initiatives in Saint Paul
Public Schools," Carstarphen said. "Collaborations like the partnership
with Travelers will move us toward long-term solutions."
"We believe in Superintendent Carstarphen's improvement plan and we
intend to support it with our dollars and our large base of employee
volunteers," said Andy Bessette, executive vice president and Chief
Administrative Officer. "Our goal is to help build a sustainable system
that will ensure a quality education for future generations."
A majority of the funds are expected to be dedicated to expanding the
successful Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program,
which is now incorporated into 11 secondary schools. AVID gives
traditionally underrepresented students the skills, preparation and
encouragement needed to successfully continue their education after high
school.
The project will train approximately 750 teachers elementary teachers
and 112 secondary teachers to help expand the program over the next five
years. It is expected that the project to expand AVID will ultimately
serve a total of 5,640 elementary and 800 secondary students annually.
Support from Travelers also will fund systemic leadership development
and principal leadership development efforts focused on student
achievement and strategic planning. Funding will support efforts such as
principal leadership development programming based on the nationally
recognized National Institute for School Leadership model.
The goal of the AVID expansion to elementary students is to increase
student performance, attendance and other academic indicators while
decreasing gaps in attendance rates. Travelers' direct support of SPPS
and the AVID program goes to the company's goal of working to effect
meaningful change.
"The students we're helping are our future workforce," Bessette said.
"The quality of life in our communities, and the health of our business,
depends on an educated population."
"In the challenging financial times facing the country, state and SPPS,
it is creative and pro-active collaborations like the partnership with
Travelers which will ensure that SPPS is strong and focused for years to
come," Carstarphen said.
"This is about working together to close achievement gaps and ensuring
that our students can truly graduate to something great," she said.
"That is the epitome of shared accountability and bringing belief into
action."
NOTE TO EDITORS AND PRODUCERS: For more information about SPPS, please
go to the District's home webpage, www.spps.org.
For more information about The Travelers Companies, Inc., please go to www.travelers.com.
Source: Travelers Companies, Inc.
Contact: Saint Paul Public Schools
Office of Community Relations
Howie Padilla, 651-767-8104
Cell:612-251-5714
or
Travelers Corporate Communications
Erin Haberman, 860-277-3617
Cell: 860-305-9130