Dane County Executive and Madison School District Superintendent Announce Innovative Pilot Program to Address Disparities

March 24, 2015
Stephanie Miller, (608) 267-8823
County Executive

                           Program will help teens get driver’s licenses

MADISON- Today, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi and Madison Metropolitan School District Superintendent  Jennifer Cheatham announced a partnership with the local Cooperative Educational Services Agency (CESA), Dane County, and MMSD to give more teens access to a driver’s licenses who wouldn’t be able to afford one otherwise as part of County Executive Parisi’s new initiative Access to Opportunity.

“My top priority as County Executive is to work with our entire community to ensure that every single resident has access to opportunity which is why I recently launched my Access to Opportunity initiative.”  said  Joe Parisi Dane County Executive. “The ability to obtain a driver’s license is a major barrier to employment. I am proud to announce this pilot program that will help more kids get their driver’s license.”

Access to Opportunity was launched three weeks ago to break down barriers to opportunity to success that too many face in our community. The most reliable vehicle out of poverty and toward upward mobility is accessing and maintaining family sustaining employment.  The driver’s license pilot program being announced today will support our residents in obtaining a driver’s license which is a significant barrier for disadvantaged youth in Dane County.

“As a school district, we are on a mission to close the gaps in opportunity that lead to disparities in achievement,” Superintendent Jennifer Cheatham said. “As we do that work in school, we know our youth also need to be supported in our community, and I want to thank County Executive Parisi for finding ways to increase access to opportunity for our students.”

The pilot program which will begin this summer at Madison East and Madison Memorial will allow teenagers that otherwise wouldn’t have been able to afford driver’s education the chance to take driver’s education through the school district in partnership with Dane County and CESA.

For more information on Access to Opportunity you can go to: https://opportunity.countyofdane.com/

 

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