By Mayor Denis Law and Dr. Mary Alice Heuschel

Attracting new employers and economic development to Renton has been a priority of our city for many years. We also recognize that education is a critical workforce development issue – these two priorities go hand in hand in creating a better future for children and our community. The No. 1 goal of the Renton School District is to increase student achievement.

We have a lot of which to be proud. Just recently Renton’s school board was recognized as a Board of Distinction by the Washington State School Directors Association and we were honored with the Superintendent of the Year for Washington State by the Washington Association of School Administrators.

Through collaboration and building strong partnerships, we are making real and important gains in supporting learning in the classroom and across the Renton School District. However, student achievement in our region still lags behind.

That’s why we strongly support a groundbreaking, community-wide, regional effort under way to address this gap in achievement and raise up our students and our schools. The Road Map for Education Results is working to double the number of students in South Seattle and South King County to be on track to graduate from college or earn a career credential by 2020.

The Road Map aims to make improvements everywhere along a student’s path – beginning with early learning, and on to effective kindergarten preparation, support and success in the primary and secondary years, and increasing college enrollment and achievement.

The Puget Sound region is importing highly educated workers from around the globe, yet we are struggling to provide solid education and support systems to shape the future of our own children and communities. The cumulative effect on our community is devastating. Lack of educational success in high school and a lack of post-secondary education or training can result in a lifetime of missed opportunities and stagnant wages.

Hundreds of organizations and individuals are participating in and contributing to the Road Map Project. The broad coalition of community groups, school districts, educators and government officials are working together in the communities and districts of Auburn, Burien, Des Moines, Federal Way, Kent, Renton, SeaTac, South Seattle, Tukwila and unincorporated South King County.

The Road Map project is not attempting to reinvent the wheel. The effort is to identify programs and innovations that are already making a positive difference and to build on those successes by strengthening and broadening them.

This is an exciting time bringing multiple communities and groups together to help our children take great strides forward. We can only do this by working together, and we need your help and support.

There are many ways you can get involved, including an opportunity to attend a community conference to launch the Road Map Project for Education Results on Dec. 9. We encourage you to participate and get involved.

To learn more about the project and the conference, please visit www.ccedresults.org

Denis Law is the mayor of Renton. Dr. Mary Alice Heuschel is the superintendent of the Renton School District