It's the time of year when we look back at the past year and make resolutions for the new one. It's no different at The Urban Child Institute, as we step back to consider what has been done for children's brain development in 2011 and what our plans will be for 2012.
There are frequent conversations in Memphis about what our city brand should be. Some people suggest that it should be about transportation, other say logistics, and some say our river heritage. Those are important assets of Memphis, but they are things. They don't really speak directly to our community values and who we are as a people.
We are now officially in the campaign season for the City of Memphis. We hope that our children, especially the youngest ones, aren’t overlooked as they often are in the blizzard of questionnaires sent to candidates by politically active groups and in the campaign speeches by candidates.
It's a fundamental principle of business - and life - that the best action is the one taken when it delivers the best result. That's not what we're doing when it comes to investing in educating the children of our community.
Among the many challenges and opportunities that I will confront as mayor of Shelby County, one of the most important for the long-term growth and livelihood of this community is promoting the success of our youngest citizens. Many decisions made at all levels of county government have an impact on children, and we need to be cognizant of that impact and ensure that it is positive.
