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The Daily OrangeOtis Jennings | Conservative moves past loss in primaries, pledges to improve city schools
By Rebecca Kheel
Posted: 11/3/09, 2:16 AM EST Section: News
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"The greatest gift that our country gives us is the gift of education," said Jennings, the Conservative party candidate for mayor of Syracuse.
Now, as an adult, Jennings is taking that devotion to education and incorporating it into his mayoral campaign as his top priority if elected.
In the mayoral race, Jennings has dealt with the problems of running as a third party candidate. In today's general election, Jennings faces two opponents: Stephanie Miner, the Democratic and Working Families party candidate, and Steve Kimatian, the Republican nominee.
If elected, Jennings would become the first black mayor of Syracuse.
Jennings has lectured in every Syracuse high school, middle school and elementary school, he said. Improving education is the key to economic development of the city, Jennings said. The Syracuse City School District currently has an approximate 50 percent graduation rate, which Jennings said deters families from moving into the area.
"You need to get people to move into the city - middle class families," Jennings said. "The number one reason why families move into an area is because of the schools and the housing."
To raise the graduation rate, Jennings said he plans to enforce stricter truancy policies. He said he would create after-school programs from 3 to 8 p.m. for students to participate in while their parents are at work. He pledged to visit the schools once a week to work directly with them to improve education, too.
Jennings has been connected with the school system for a large part of his professional career. He worked as Special Program Director for the Second Opportunity School and the Syracuse Truancy Outreach Program for the Syracuse City School District, according to his Web site.
Kevin Zuk, a junior information management and technology major at Syracuse University, saw Jennings speak at his high school, Cicero-North Syracuse High School, about managing finances.
Zuk now supports Jennings' campaign, even though as a Cicero resident, he cannot vote in Tuesday's election. Zuk said he knows Jennings is qualified to be mayor.
"I still use the stuff he told us," Zuk said. "I think it's important to work with the youth because those are going to be the future residents and what better way to inform future generations than come into schools and teach kids important things like finance?"
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