On Monday, Nan Whaley was sworn in as the new mayor for the city of Dayton. In her first address to the city, the former city commissioner focused on the importance of education. Whaley told a large crowd at the Dayton Convention Center that well-educated young people are key to improving the city’s housing and job markets.
“The fact that almost half of Dayton’s third graders are at risk of not being promoted to fourth grade under Ohio’s new Third Grade Reading Guarantee is an undeniable wake-up call," said Whaley.
Starting this school year, all Ohio third graders will have to pass a state reading test to move on to the fourth grade. Whaley says that all Dayton schools need to perform better.
“This is a crisis, not just for these children and their families, and not just for Dayton schools," she added. "This is a crisis for our entire community.”
In her "Road Map for Growing the New Dayton" Whaley says she supports the "Learn to Earn" initiative to "increase the percentage of adults in the Dayton Region with a college or post-secondary degree to 60% by 2025."
Whaley steps into the mayor’s office after serving 13 years as a city commissioner.
Jeffery Mims was also sworn in Monday for his first term on the city commission, and commissioner Joey Williams was sworn in for his fourth consecutive term.
