School success
The Washington Post today writes about the steady upward trend of Boston schools, despite the usual urban demographic challenges, under the leadership of a former Clinton administration official.
Boston has relied on private contributors to finance some of the superintendents ideas (as opposed to their own pet projects, as LR has done). This part of his program caught our attention:
One of the most critical uses for external money was for bringing up teacher standards. "At the heart of reform, you have to have a clear understanding of what the kids are supposed to know and good professional development to bring teachers in alignment with the plan," said Ellen Guiney, executive director of the Boston Plan for Excellence, a local education foundation that played a significant role in shaping the changes.
Payzant was able to remove school principals from collective bargaining his first year on the job, which gave him the ability to fire poor performers. Although the teachers union has resisted certain changes, Payzant has been able to negotiate some discretion in hiring teachers at low-performing schools.
A "teacher residency" program was established to offer applicants another path to certification. Today, teachers work with professional "coaches" in schools, some of whom are volunteers from local colleges, and must attend summer orientation. Three years ago, Payzant also started a "principals institute" to home-grow administrators.
"I do not know of any school district that has as comprehensive a professional development and support system," said Irwin Blumer, a professor at Boston College, which supports the system with academic expertise and hands-on work with school administrators.
Comments
But...do their football teams win? Or, at least, develop talent for a state university?
Posted by: zelda | May 9, 2006 07:58 AM
Are Boston's principals and other administrative personnel chosen from the ranks of high school coaches? You wouldn't believe the sudden push by coaches in a local school district to gain administrative credentials when the long time superintendent started talking about retirement.
Of course, it's getting better here. Now you find more and more women coaches graduating into administration.
Maybe the science teachers will be next.
On second thought, scratch that. We can't afford to lose their classroom skills.
Posted by: Doigotta | May 9, 2006 08:43 AM
"Maybe the science teachers will be next. On second thought, scratch that. We can't afford to lose their classroom skills.
Posted by: Doigotta | May 9, 2006 08:43 AM"
As a retired science teacher, I know that I hated anything to do with the paperwork that the school adminstration could come up with. Not sure any coaach has the skills to be the principal but that is okay as they soon become the superintendent.
The point that Brooks needs to take to heart in the LRSD is that their management needs to be trained. Maybe they came to their positions under prior management but since the management changes every 3 years and staff works there for 30 years, they will out live his time here after he moves on to the next "big challenge" with a golden parachute.
Trained staff know how to document performance. They know how to change their approach to fit the application rather than charging ahead on projects. They may even learn to listen. If they haven't been in a classroom in 10 years, don't assume that these are the same kids that you taught previously.
Give your principals (and assistant principals if they have potential) the skills they need to do their jobs and THEN GET OUT OF THE WAY and let them do it.
Posted by: Fed Up to Here | May 9, 2006 12:43 PM
During the same time period, proficiency in language arts among fourth-graders went from 4 percent to 25 percent. Eighth-grade math performance has gone from 11 percent proficient in 1998 to 17 percent proficient today.
Wow the Clinton years were good to the Public Schools in Boston
Posted by: frank | May 9, 2006 04:08 PM
I just read an article that mentions that South Carolina, a state somewhat similar to Arkansas, has 85 school districts.
Posted by: Pavel | May 10, 2006 02:32 PM
hmmm
Posted by: Anonymous | May 18, 2006 04:52 PM