Some promising preliminary data from year 1 of the expanded School Improvement Grant (SIG) program, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said yesterday. The percentage of students meeting reading or math standards increased in about 60% of SIG schools, with about one-quarter making double-digit gains in math, one-fifth in reading. The good news is that, thanks to…
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Mass Insight president and founder Bill Guenther responds to this week’s series from Mike Contompasis, former Boston Public Schools superintendent, on how Boston’s district reform should have been bolder. Districts Have One More Chance to Take Bolder Action and Share Success With the Best Charters The Strategy: Community Clusters with Accountable Units Bold district superintendents,…
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Mass Insight president and founder Bill Guenther responds to this week’s series from Mike Contompasis, former Boston Public Schools superintendent, on how Boston’s district reform should have been bolder. Part 1 Joel Klein in New York City. Michael Barber in Great Britain. Mike Contompasis in Boston. Three very successful leaders of large school systems. And…
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The next shoe dropped in Detroit yesterday when the state-authorized Education Achievement Authority announced that 15 schools, all in Detroit, will undergo turnaround. The 6 high schools and 9 elementary and middle schools will have more autonomy over hiring and programming, a longer school day and year, and more capacity (with 200 new Teach for…
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In this three-part series, STG Senior Field Consultant Michael Contompasis reflects on Boston Public Schools’ many accomplishments as well as how, in retrospect, district leaders could have been bolder. Part 3 of 3 In his state of the city this year, the mayor made his third attempt to change the student assignment system. Boston is…
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In this three-part series, STG Senior Field Consultant Michael Contompasis reflects on Boston Public Schools’ many accomplishments as well as how, in retrospect, district leaders could have been bolder. Part 2 of 3 We could have worked harder on the systems pieces, to break down the silos, rebuild the culture and structure of central office…
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Michael Contompasis, STG’s Senior Field Consultant, played a central role in the far-reaching school reforms in Boston Public Schools led by Superintendent Tom Payzant from 1995 to 2006. Contompasis served as the district’s Chief Operating Officer from 1998 through 2005 before becoming superintendent for two years. Before moving to a district leadership role, Mike was…
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On January 23, 2012, guest-blogging for Rick Hess, Neerav Kingsland (New Schools for New Orleans) offered a provocative challenge to urban superintendents: relinquish control of schools in order to create more charter school districts. Over the next week, he and Mass Insight’s Bill Guenther exchanged emails —Bill making the case that school turnaround offers a…
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Interesting, succinct summary of the Portfolio School Districts Project’s latest meeting, organized by Paul Hill’s, now Robin Lake’s, Center for Reinventing Public Education. Big takeaways: the importance of having a “portfolio mindset,” of innovating from the school level up, and of working together, traditional districts and public charters, as part of the same urban portfolio.…
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No child should have to attend a school that for years has failed to improve student outcomes. Fortunately, most of the country seems to agree on this, and lately I spend far less time convincing folks that something has to change. Unfortunately, there’s not a ton of agreement about what exactly should change, and in…
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We’re past the halfway point of the expanded $3.5 billion School Improvement Grant (SIG) program for school turnaround — a good time to take a thoughtful look at what’s working, what’s not, and what’s possible. To that end, today we kick off a multi-month Turnaround Forum — a series of issue briefs, blogs, and email…
read moreOur blog features commentary and insights from our staff and, from time-to-time, special guest bloggers about school improvement practices and policies that are changing student lives and changing schools. Contact jschneider@massinsight.org for more information.