District Administration - May 2011 - (Page 76)

Army Strong, Superintendent Savvy Contention Within Tata says he didn’t come to Wake County with a blueprint for reform but started with a 90-day “plan of entry,” which included asking principals for anonymous In late January, Tata and a Lacy Elementary School kindergarten teacher discuss what her students advice, holding one-on-one conversa- are learning. As part of his scheduled visits to the district’s schools, he also asks if she’s getting the tions with board members, and sponsor- support and supplies she needs to be successful. ing department audits conducted by the Broad Academy. schools. “I respectfully urge school boards tricts. How do we turn this into a posiWithin five weeks, he formed a com- across America to fully consider the conse- tive instead of a negative, which it has mittee to study perhaps the most heated quences before taking such action,” Dun- become?” The student assignment issue and the issue: the policy for assigning and busing can wrote in a newspaper commentary. school board’s handling of it sparked both students to schools. Wake County, since “This is no time to go backward.” 2000, had tried to ensure diversity in the Wake County, for the first time, a complaint from the NAACP, which schools by assigning students based on became a majority-minority school dis- argued minority students would be hurt their socioeconomic status. trict this year. Of its 143,000 students, just by the policy change, and an investigation Last year, controversy over the pol- under 50 percent are white and the rest are by the accreditation agency AdvancED. In March, the agency sent a harshly icy peaked, and a newly elected board minorities. The district’s enrollment has scrapped it, arguing that shuffling students skyrocketed over the last decade, as 50,000 worded report to the district, putting its high schools on “accredited warned” hadn’t led to enough progress in student new students have been added. performance. U.S. Education Secretary “The real issue here in Wake County status because it questioned the board’s Arne Duncan blasted the change, arguing is high growth,” Tata says. “We have the ability to lead, noting that some board CEHS FastTrack 4.75x4.75:CEHS FastTrack 4.75x4.75 Page 1 it would lead back to racially segregated opposite problem10/12/09 of8:34 AMdis- members had rushed to change the stuof a lot school dent assignment policy without sufficient data. “Since December 1, 2009, the actions and decisions of the Wake County Board of Education have resulted in creating a climate of uncertainty, suspicion, and mistrust throughout the community,” the report states. Seton Hall University’s nationally recognized, accelerated doctoral program will allow you to complete your studies in just 10 weekends and AdvancED gave Wake County eight two, four-week sessions over two years. In fact, more than 300 K-12 months to develop a fair student assignadministrators in 28 states and six foreign countries have already ment system and to improve school board successfully earned their degrees and achieved career advancement. governance such as how agendas are set Now accepting applications for the April 2012 cohort. April 2011 and policies are adopted. The report Loans are available to cover the entire cost of the program accused the new board majority of adding regardless of financial need. significant items to the agenda at the last minute and without public comment. “Combined with superior teaching, strong curriculum, and an emphasis on Tata didn’t flinch at the report. contemporary issues, the Seton Hall experience will permit you to forge ties with a premier institution and create lasting personal and professional “I welcome this input as I continue relationships with colleagues from all over the world.” my listening tour of Wake County,” he Sandra DeLuca, Ed.D. ’09 said in a news release. “We are already Director of Guidance attacking many of these recommendaMetuchen Schools, NJ tions and intend to aggressively impleFor more information, call 1-800-313-9833, e-mail ment all of them.” execedd@shu.edu or go to www.shu.edu/go/execedd He noted that the board recently voted unanimously on a new vision expressing their belief that all children, 400 South Orange Avenue South Orange, NJ 07079 regardless of their circumstances, can be www.shu.edu high achieving. Another problem for the district, A FAST TRACK TO A TRADITIONAL ED.D. FAST TRACK 76 May 2011 District Administration http://www.shu.edu/go/execedd http://www.shu.edu http://www.shu.edu

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - May 2011

District Administration - May 2011
Contents
From the Editor
News Update
Conversations
Administrator Profile
District Profile
The Cradle-to-Career Solution
Turnaround Principals
Starving for Recess
Army Strong, Superintendent Savvy
Budgeting Based on Student Needs
Research Center
Books
Product Focus
Products
Superintendent's Insights
Crisis Response
Going Mobile
Professional Opinion

District Administration - May 2011