When states take over school districts, much depends on degree of local buy-in |
On Board Online • June 13, 2016
By Gayle Simidian
Research Analyst
You catch more flies with honey than vinegar - or so goes the old proverb. A new NYSSBA report finds the same applies to what kind of leadership seems most promising when state governments take control of school districts.
Although state laws give broad powers to individuals charged with turning around low-performing public schools, a NYSSBA review of takeovers in two states suggests that collaboration works much better than unilateral decision-making.
Leaders of state-run school districts who build positive relationships with teacher unions and get input from community members before making major decisions are more apt to foster successful school outcomes, according to NYSSBA's new report, State Takeover of Public Schools: Lessons from the School of Hard Knocks.
The report focuses in part on state receivership in Lawrence Public Schools in Lawrence, Mass. In 2015, Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration asked the Board of Regents to look at Lawrence as a possible model for receivership in New York.
One of America's early industrial centers, Lawrence suffered a major decline when many textile mills were torn down in the 1950s. Located 30 miles north of Boston, it had an influx of immigrants from the Dominican Republic and migrants from Puerto Rico in the 1960s.
While urban blight persists, Lawrence's downtown has seen commercial activity increase in recent years due to the opening of businesses run by Hispanics. The student population is 91 percent Hispanic, and the percentage qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch is also 91 percent.
The school district has a long history of management problems, including a school committee member and then-superintendent Wilfredo Laboy filing assault charges against each other following a dispute in 2005. After a trial in 2012, Laboy was found guilty of embezzlement and sentenced to perform 600 hours of community service. He had school employees collect his trash from his home and dump it in school dumpsters, among other things.
Massachusetts assigned Jeffrey C. Riley, a top administrator in Boston Public Schools, to be receiver in Lawrence. Riley decided to forgo his vested powers to modify a teacher contract independently. He was able to negotiate a new contract with the Lawrence Teachers' Union that all parties embraced.
The contract is full of opportunities for teachers to become school leaders. For example, the new contract offers professional development and additional pay to teachers who take on leadership roles in their schools or throughout the district. About 90 percent of the district's teachers feel supported, according to a survey. That's above the Massachusetts average of 84 percent.
The NYSSBA report also examines the history of Tennessee's state-run district, known as the Achievement School District (ASD). It's composed of lower-performing school districts throughout the state. Chris Barbic, who served as ASD superintendent for four years, led with what might be described as a swoop-in-and-take-over approach. For example, at a meeting in one community, ASD leaders abruptly announced a plan to put a school under charter management.
Many community members disagreed with this decision and accused Barbic of keeping local voices out of planning. For instance, community members complained that they were denied input into the process of pairing charter operators with ASD-designated schools.
Joshua Glazer, an education professor at George Washington University, said the lack of community buy-in for the ASD "really had a negative backlash." In fact, some charter operators withdrew their applications to manage ASD schools.
In addition to the case studies, the NYSSBA report includes feedback from two New York superintendent receivers and a school board member about how the receivership process is unfolding in New York State.
To view NYSSBA's full report, go to goo.gl/guLuB5 .