scholarly journals A Third Way: The Politics of School District Takeover and Turnaround in Lawrence, Massachusetts

2018 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 116-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beth E. Schueler

Purpose: School district superintendents say politics is the number one factor limiting their performance, yet research provides limited guidance on navigating the political dynamics of district improvement. State takeovers and district-wide turnaround efforts tend to involve particularly heated and polarized debates. Massachusetts’ 2012 takeover of the Lawrence Public Schools provides a rare case of state takeover and district turnaround that both resulted in substantial early academic improvements and generated limited controversy. Method: To describe the stakeholder response and learn why the reforms were not more contentious, I analyzed press coverage of the Lawrence schools from 2007 to 2015, public documents, and two secondary sources of survey data on parent and educator perceptions of the schools. I also interviewed turnaround and stakeholder group leaders at the state and district level regarding the first 3 years of reform. Findings: I find that the local Lawrence context and broader statewide accountability system help explain the stakeholder response. Furthermore, several features of the turnaround leaders’ approach improved the response and reflected a “third way” orientation to transcending polarizing political disagreement between educational reformers and traditionalists. Examples include leaders’ focus on differentiating district–school relations, diversifying school management, making strategic staffing decisions, boosting both academics and enrichment, and producing early results while minimizing disruption. Implications: The findings provide guidance for state-level leaders on developing accountability systems and selecting contexts that are ripe for reform. The results also provide lessons for district- and school-level leaders seeking to implement politically viable improvement of persistently low-performing educational systems.

2020 ◽  
Vol 122 (10) ◽  
pp. 1-32
Author(s):  
Sarah L. Woulfin

Background Instructional coaching has gained popularity as a reform instrument, yet it varies widely across contexts. This variability plays a role in weak implementation or even rejection of coaching within schools. Further, there are gaps in our understanding of how coaching is adopted and accepted in different educational systems. Purpose: This article uses concepts from organizational institutionalism to gauge the legitimacy and taken-for-grantedness of coaching in two charter-management organizations and one public school district. It surfaces the processes as well as the outcomes of the institutionalization of coaching. Research design I collected qualitative data for this study in three systems to draw out comparisons in the structures, practices, and norms regarding coaching: This included 38 interviews, over 20 observations, and over 30 documents. I coded and analyzed the interview, observation, and document data to answer questions about how and why coaching was institutionalized in each system. Findings My findings reveal that coaching was more highly institutionalized in the two charter-management organizations than in the public school district. In particular, coaching was deemed appropriate and desirable by most educators in the charter systems. Additionally, coaching was embedded in system-level policies and school-level routines in the charter systems. My findings also indicate that organizational structures, actors’ role definitions, and artifacts were associated with the institutionalization of coaching. Conclusions This study sheds light on how and why coaching, as a counternormative lever for instructional reform, is institutionalized in various educational systems. It points to the importance of system and school leaders’ routines for increasing the legitimacy and taken-for-grantedness of coaching.


2018 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
pp. 43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucy Barnard-Brak ◽  
Marcelo Schmidt ◽  
M. Hassan Almekdash

There is no national study examining the rate of enrollment of students with disabilities in charter schools. We examined whether students with disabilities were significantly less likely to enroll in charter schools as compared to non-charter public schools accounting for state level variation using data for the entire national population. We utilized data from the Civil Rights Data Collection under the U.S. Department of Education for the 2011-2012 and 2013-2014 academic years. These nationwide and contemporary data provided school-level numbers of students with disabilities receiving special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and charter school status. We performed hierarchical linear modeling to examine for differences in the percentages of students with disabilities under IDEA between charter and non-charter schools, which revealed significantly less students with disabilities enrolled in charter schools at the national and state level. Additionally, we identified and ranked states according to the degree of discrepancy in the percentages of students with disabilities under IDEA between charter and non-charter schools.


2018 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Diem ◽  
Carrie Sampson ◽  
Laura Gavornik Browning

Policymakers and educational leaders continue to use school district decentralization as a reform effort that attempts to shift power and authority from central office administration to school-level leadership. In 2015, the Nevada Legislature passed legislation to restructure the Clark County School District (CCSD), the state’s largest school district, with the intent of breaking it up into smaller districts but instead evolving to decentralization. In this article, we use case study methods to explore the events leading up to the reorganization of CCSD. We take a critical perspective on Kingdon’s multiple streams framework to analyze the reorganization efforts, focusing specifically on how Nevada’s political context provided a window of opportunity for the reorganization to occur. We also examine the extent to which equitable educational opportunity was a factor in these efforts. Our analysis of the reorganization of CCSD contributes to a wider understanding of state-level policy development and politics within contemporary educational contexts. In this case, we find that state-level policymakers successfully leveraged the opportunity to enact the power and authority necessary to significantly and rapidly impact the structure of one of the largest school districts in the United States.  


2016 ◽  
Vol 93 (2) ◽  
pp. 4-16
Author(s):  
Brian Kovalesky

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, during the height of protests and actions by civil rights activists around de facto school segregation in the Los Angeles area, the residents of a group of small cities just southeast of the City of Los Angeles fought to break away from the Los Angeles City Schools and create a new, independent school district—one that would help preserve racially segregated schools in the area. The “Four Cities” coalition was comprised of residents of the majority white, working-class cities of Vernon, Maywood, Huntington Park, and Bell—all of which had joined the Los Angeles City Schools in the 1920s and 1930s rather than continue to operate local districts. The coalition later expanded to include residents of the cities of South Gate, Cudahy, and some unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County, although Vernon was eventually excluded. The Four Cities coalition petitioned for the new district in response to a planned merger of the Los Angeles City Schools—until this time comprised of separate elementary and high school districts—into the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The coalition's strategy was to utilize a provision of the district unification process that allowed citizens to petition for reconfiguration or redrawing of boundaries. Unification was encouraged by the California State Board of Education and legislature in order to combine the administrative functions of separate primary and secondary school districts—the dominant model up to this time—to better serve the state's rapidly growing population of children and their educational needs, and was being deliberated in communities across the state and throughout Los Angeles County. The debates at the time over school district unification in the Greater Los Angeles area, like the one over the Four Cities proposal, were inextricably tied to larger issues, such as taxation, control of community institutions, the size and role of state and county government, and racial segregation. At the same time that civil rights activists in the area and the state government alike were articulating a vision of public schools that was more inclusive and demanded larger-scale, consolidated administration, the unification process reveals an often-overlooked grassroots activism among residents of the majority white, working-class cities surrounding Los Angeles that put forward a vision of exclusionary, smaller-scale school districts based on notions of local control and what they termed “community identity.”


2020 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 98-110
Author(s):  
Erin Curtin

This article provides an analysis of Tennessee’s newly signed Education Savings Account policy, a school choice initiative. The policy provides vouchers, in the form of a debit card, to students in grades K-12 who are at or below 200% of the federal poverty line and are zoned to attend a Nashville, Shelby County, or Achievement School District school. Using the Policy Window Framework the author uncovers that the policy was created in a federal and state-level political convergence, which attempted to place equity at the forefront of the issue. However, using Levin's Comprehensive Education Privatization Framework, we can see that neoliberal ideals of choice and efficiency conquer equity in the finalized policy. The author predicts the outcomes of this new policy using this framework in tandem with 3 case studies: Louisiana Scholarship Program, DC Opportunity Scholarship Program, and Tennessee’s Individualized Education Accounts.


Author(s):  
SM Abdul Quddus

Globalization started sometime ago and is an ongoing process. It is a diverse phenomenon, which has had tremendous impact on all aspects of human life. The spread of the culture of globalization can predominantly be attributed to the usage of modern electronic media such as the internet. As Islam is a global phenomenon, it becomes apparent that its principles should be held in the esteem befitting its status and not disregarded as irrelevant. Religious people of all age categories must agree to adapt their traditions to deal with the challenges of modernity. The end goal of globalization is thus to assess and integrate common ground into the world views of Islamic versus Western values rather than provoke bi-polarization and discord. As globalization in its current iteration predominantly stems from the influences of the West, it is paramount to scrutinize the differences in the Muslim interpretation of globalization in relation to its modern incarnation, to explore its differing definitions, the fluctuating goals of the educational systems, the sidelining of local traditions and languages, factors derived from the advent of “brain-drain” from certain nations, appropriate Muslim actions in response to globalization, and finally onto the question, how public sector management should be reformed in line with the reality of globalization and Islamic philosophy of government and administration in the contemporary era? However, following the example of the Western capitalist models and excluding religious public sector reform has produced varied reactions in MMCs. Such reactions include widespread social alienation and accelerated unhappiness and promotion of restless competition rather than cooperation. All these realities raise some unavoidable questions and debates that need to be properly addressed both from theoretical and practical perspectives. A refocused attention at the philosophy of public sector governance in light of the role of religion on the globalized and technology-driven world is an important endeavor to undertake. Thus the main objective of this paper is to explore an administrative model for public sector governance that will fulfil the socio-economic, technological and spiritual needs of a society. Data for this paper is collected mainly from secondary sources i.e. content analysis. ‘Islamic administrative model’ as suggested by Al-Buraey are used as the theoretical underpinning for this study. Keywords: Globalization, Heartware and software, Islam, New Public management, Islamic administrative model. Abstrak Globalisasi telah berlaku sejak dahulu lagi dan ia adalah proses yang berlaku secara berterusan. Ia adalah fenomena yang pelbagai, yang memberi kesan besar kepada manusia dari pelbagai aspek. Penyebaran globalisasi budaya di dominasi besar oleh penggunaan media elektronik moden seperti Internet. Oleh kerana Islam adalah fenomena global, jelaslah bahawa prinsipnya harus dipegang dengan harga yang sesuai dengan statusnya dan tidak sepatutnya dianggap sebagai tidak relevan. Orang yang beragama dari setiap lapisan umur mesti mengekalkan adat mereka walaupun mendepani arus kemodenan yang mencabar. Matlamat terulung globalisasi adalah untuk menilai dan mengintegrasikan titik persamaan tentang pandangan dunia pada nilai murni Islam atau nilai murni barat dan bukannya mencetuskan polarisasi dan perpecahan. Oleh kerana globalisasi pada hari ini didominasi sepenuhnya dari pengaruh Barat, adalah sangat penting untuk meneliti perbezaan dari sudut tafsiran Muslim juga tentang globalisasi berhubung dengan penjelmaan modennya, untuk meneroka definisi yang berbeza, matlamat yang berubah-ubah dalam sistem pendidikan, mengetepikan tradisi dan bahasa tempatan, faktor-faktor yang diperoleh daripada kemunculan "keberanian otak" dari negara-negara tertentu, tindakan Islam yang sesuai sebagai tindak balas kepada globalisasi, dan akhirnya kepada persoalan, bagaimana pengurusan sektor awam perlu diperbaharui selaras dengan realiti globalisasi dan falsafah Islam kerajaan dan pentadbiran dalam era kontemporari? Walaubagaimanapun, menuruti contoh model kapitalis barat dan meminggirkan sektor awam agama telah menghasilkan pelbagai tindak balas dalam MMCs. Reaksi sedemikian merangkumi pengasingan sosial yang meluas dan meningkatkan jurang ketidakpuasan dan menggalakkan persaingan yang tidak sihat berbanding untuk kerjasama. Kesemua realiti ini menimbulkan beberapa persoalan dan perdebatan yang tidak dapat dielakkan yang perlu ditangani dengan baik dari perspektif teori dan praktikal. Penelitian semula pada falsafah tadbir urus sektor awam yang dibantu oleh peranan agama terhadap dunia global yang serba berasaskan teknologi merupakan usaha penting untuk dilaksanakan. Oleh itu objektif utama penulisan ini adalah untuk meneroka model pentadbiran untuk tadbir urus sektor awam  yang akan memenuhi sosioekonomi, teknologi dan keperluan rohani daripada masyarakat. Data dari kertas ini dah dikumpulkan terutamanya dari sumber kedua iaitu analisis kandungan. ‘Model pentadbiran Islam’ seperti yang dicadangkan ole Al-Buraey dah digunakan sebagai asas teori bagi kajian ini. Kata Kunci:  Globalisasi, perkakasan dan perisian, Islam, Pengurusan Awam Baru, Model Pentadbiran Islam.  


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Cassata ◽  
Elaine Allensworth

Abstract Background The Common Core Standards for Mathematics and Next Generation Science Standards were adopted by states with the goal of preparing students with knowledge and skills needed for college, careers, and citizenry. Adopting these standards necessitated considerable changes in instructional practice. While teacher leadership is known to be important for instructional change, there is little research that articulates the processes through which that influence occurs, and how contextual factors constrain or support those processes. This paper provides a case study of efforts in the Chicago Public Schools to promote widespread instructional change around standards reform through a teacher leader model using retrospective from 2013 to 2017 interviews with 16 math and science teacher leaders serving grades 6–12, along with quantitative analysis of district-wide data showing patterns of change and professional learning. It builds off prior research to articulate a framework of how teacher leaders promote instructional change. Findings There were five patterns of teacher leader action: inspiring others, sharing with colleagues, working in collaboration, advocating for change, and providing individual support, and an interplay between teacher actions and school-level contextual factors, with some contextual factors more important than others for different types of actions. In particular, sharing and collaborative work were facilitated in schools with designated collaboration time, trusting relationships, and colleagues who were also trained and knowledgeable about the new standards. The degree of collective efficacy the teacher leaders felt seemed to be driven mostly by the presence of other knowledgeable change agents in the school. Conclusions and implications The study adds to the existing literature on teacher leadership by articulating the mechanisms through which teachers exert influence around instructional improvement of their school peers and providing examples of each. Further, the study illustrates how these mechanisms are facilitated or constrained by the larger school context. Together, the articulation of mechanisms and contexts, along with illustrative examples, provides a guide for supporting instructional change through teacher leadership in schools and districts.


Laws ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 19
Author(s):  
Charles J. Russo

Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District was a watershed moment involving the First Amendment free speech rights of students in American public schools. In Tinker, the Supreme Court affirmed that absent a reasonable forecast of material and substantial disruption, educators could not discipline students who wore black arm bands to school protesting American military action in Viet Nam. Not surprisingly, litigation continues on the boundaries of student speech, coupled with the extent to which educators can limit expression on the internet, especially social media. As the Justices finally entered the fray over cyber speech, this three-part article begins by reviewing Tinker and other Supreme Court precedent on student expressive activity plus illustrative lower court cases before examining Levy v. Mahanoy Area School District. In Levy, the Court will consider whether educators could discipline a cheerleader, a student engaged in an extracurricular activity, who violated team rules by posting inappropriate off-campus messages on Snapchat. The article then offers policy suggestions for lawyers and educators when working with speech codes applicable to student use of the internet and social media by pupils involved in extracurricular activities.


2011 ◽  
Vol 113 (4) ◽  
pp. 735-754 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamel K. Donnor

Background By a 5–4 margin, the U.S. Supreme Court in Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1 declared that voluntary public school integration programs were unconstitutional. Citing the prospective harm that students and their families might incur from being denied admission to the high school of their choice, the Supreme Court declared that the plaintiffs, Parents Involved in Community Schools (PICS), had a valid claim of injury by asserting a interest in not being forced to compete for seats at certain high schools in a system that uses race as a deciding factor in many of its admissions decisions. Purpose The goal of the article is to discuss how conceptions of harm and fairness as articulated in Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1 privilege the self-interests of White students and families over the educational needs of students of color. Research Design This article is a document analysis. Conclusions By referencing the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision of 1954 (Brown I) to buttress its decision, the U.S. Supreme Court has determined that programmatic efforts to ensure students of color access to quality learning environments are inherently ominous. The dilemma moving forward for policy makers and scholars concerned with the educational advancement of students of color is not to develop new ways to integrate America's public schools or reconcile the gaps in the Supreme Court's logic, but rather to craft programs and policies for students of color around the human development and workforce needs of the global economy.


Author(s):  
Agnieszka Świętek ◽  
Wiktor Osuch

Education in regional geography in Poland takes place at public schools from the earliest educational stages and is compulsory until young people reach the age of adulthood. Reforms of the Polish education system, resulting in changes in the core curriculum of general education, likewise resulted in changes in the concept of education in the field of regional geography. The subject of the authors’ article is education in regional geography in the Polish education system at various educational stages. The authors’ analysis has two research goals. The first concerns changes in the education of regional geography at Polish schools; here the analysis and evaluation of the current content of education in the field of regional geography are offered. The second one is the study of the model of regional geography education in geographical studies in Poland on the example of the geographyat the Pedagogical University of Cracow. Although elements of education about one’s own region already appear in a kindergarten, they are most strongly implemented at a primary school in the form of educational paths, e.g. “Regional education – cultural heritage in the region”, and at a lower-secondary school (gymnasium) during geography classes. Owing to the current education reform, liquidating gymnasium (a lower secondary school level) and re-introducing the division of public schools into an 8-year primary school and a longer secondary school, the concept of education in regional education has inevitably changed. Currently, it is implemented in accordance with a multidisciplinary model of education consisting in weaving the content of regional education into the core curricula of various school subjects, and thus building the image of the whole region by means of viewing from different perspectives and inevitable cooperation of teachers of diverse subjects. Invariably, however, content in the field of regional geography is carried out at a primary and secondary school during geography classes. At university level, selected students – in geographical studies – receive a regional geography training. As an appropriate example one can offer A. Świętek’s original classes in “Regional Education” for geography students of a teaching specialty consisting of students designing and completing an educational trail in the area of Nowa Huta in Cracow.


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