District Administration - August 2009 - (Page 28)

Tell It to the Mayor mayor. That process made an immediate difference, says Elizabeth Reilinger, a 16-year veteran and past president of that seven-member committee. “What you have in D.C. or New York City, or what was attempted in Los Angeles, was more of a hostile takeover.” She observes that the takeover in Los Angeles was imposed by a state law later declared unconstitutional by California’s Supreme Court. Boston’s more democratic approach also extends to selecting school committee members. A group of nearly 25 community stakeholders submits three candidates for each open slot to the mayor, who makes the final choice. And there’s even an equitable sharing of responsibility among the mayor, the superintendent, and the school committee president. “You’ve got three people who can sit at the table and disagree and then come to some practical resolution to move forward,” Reilinger says. “When you don’t have a school board and just have the mayor, you lose the community.” —Anne Bryant, executive director, National School Boards Association The Pros and Cons Those who have studied mayoral control of public schools, Stanford education professor Michael Kirst among them, say the governance model offers possibilities that might not otherwise exist. “The mayor can give the system a jolt and shake it up in a way you can’t with two new school board members elected every year,” Kirst says. New York City’s Joel Klein adds that mayoral control contributes to the longevity of superintendents, and with positive results. “Where are the longest-serving superintendents?” Klein asks. “Tom Payzant spent 10 years in Boston. Arne Duncan was in Chicago for almost eight years. Before me, we used to change chancellors in New York City every two years, and you can’t have leadership that way.” But Anne Bryant, executive director of the National School Boards Association, says that judging by the attempts at mayoral control so far, she has plenty of doubts, especially since school boards become surrogates for the mayor controlling them and community input is largely left out. “It doesn’t get you what you ultimately need— a partnership between the school board and the mayor. Even Arne Duncan says it’s about partnership. When you don’t have a school board and just have the mayor, you lose the community. It’s happened in New York. It’s happening in D.C.” DA Ron Schachter is a contributing writer for District Administration. WHAT DOES IT TAKE to keep all students on the graduation path? Research shows that students can fall off the path to graduation as early as sixth grade. Students who do not succeed in ninth grade usually do not earn a high school diploma. Johns Hopkins University's Talent Development programs keep students on the graduation path. Comprehensive, research-based interventions promote student engagement, achievement, and advancement through the critical transitions of middle and high school: Early warning and intervention systems identify struggling students and target support Ninth-grade academies, career academies, and interdisciplinary teacher teams promote student engagement and teacher effectiveness Literacy instruction (grades 6-12), including college readiness (grades 11-12) and extrahelp literacy (grades 6-11) Algebra for All (grades 7-10) and extra-help mathematics (grades 6-11) Hands-on, minds-on science and U.S. history courses (grades 6-8) Freshman Seminar: study, social, and communication skills modules adaptable for advisories and alternative programs On-site professional development and peer coaching Talent Development enables students to graduate from high school ready for college and career. Learn more about how proven strategies and curricula can provide the right Staying on the Graduation Path program for the middle and high school students in your community: www.every1graduates.org/tdworks, 410-516-5191, or TDinfo@csos.jhu.edu. Talent Development Gets Results! www.every1graduates.org 28 August 2009 District Administration http://www.every1graduates.org/tdworks http://www.every1graduates.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - August 2009

District Administration - August 2009
Contents
From the Editor
Letters
News Update
Standards & Assessment
Stimulus Monitor
Admin Profile
District Profile
Tell It to the Mayor
Fighting Fraud in Schools
Recovery High Schools
Keeping the Community in the Know
How Well Does This Web Site Work?
Problem Solution
Tech Disruptions
New Products
Product Focus
Professional Opinion

District Administration - August 2009