ABSTRACT
Norman B. Rice, former mayor of Seattle from 1990 to 1998, has learned the value of civic engagement. A foundation of the Rice administration was the strategic involvement of the citizenry in policy development. Having gained a reputation for uniting opponents during his tenure on the Seattle City Council, Rice faced the most divisive of issues during his first few months as mayor. The faith of the community in the Seattle schools was all but lost prior to the 1990 mayoral election. Race, economic status, and disputes over financing disillusioned citizens as the special interest groups and political players remained irresolute. What was missing from the debate was quality education for Seattle’s children, without which the community would not grow and develop. After campaigning a platform of unity and promised solutions for the struggling school district, Rice convened the Seattle Education Summit to counter those divisions and use community values and priorities to craft proposed solutions.
