Lessons for fixing schools

Historically, state education departments have been unsuccessful at intervening in local school districts and “turning around” students’ academic performance. One exception is the takeover by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) of the Lawrence, Massachusetts, public school system. I served as Massachusetts’ secretary of education during the early phases of that takeover.

Here are some lessons I drew from the Lawrence experience that may well be applicable to Rhode Island's efforts in the Providence public schools:

 -Authority matters: The Massachusetts Legislature gave substantial powers to the commissioner of education, granting the receiver the full powers of both the superintendent and the school board and enabling him to assume “full managerial and operational control” and to permit a wide range of interventions, including “a new curriculum, expanded school days, changes to the collective bargaining agreement, teacher dismissal, or a requirement for all teachers and the principal to reapply for their jobs."

This authority considerably strengthened his hand in all kinds of negotiations with various constituencies. The fact that he was highly restrained in using his authority earned him a reputation for fairness and effectiveness. Rhode Island policymakers must guarantee that Commissioner Angelica Infante-Green has the power she needs to make change happen.

 -Resources and capacity matter: The Rhode Island Department of Education needs capacity: expertise, people and financial resources to take extraordinary steps. Both the city and RIDE will need the financing to quickly grow their capacity.

 -Leadership matters: The choice of a CEO for the district is the single most important decision in the process. Jeff Riley, now education commissioner in Massachusetts, was an ideal choice in Lawrence because of his experience as a change agent in the role of teacher, principal and central office administrator. Riley was highly regarded as a leader in the field, and a good listener and collaborator, someone who would bring understanding and urgency to the work, wield authority with restraint and collaborate effectively with a wide range of partners.

 -Support and engagement matter: The elected leaders of Lawrence welcomed state intervention and provided strong backing throughout the process. Community, state and national partners came to the table and offered their help. Providence has likewise largely welcomed state intervention. Sustaining such support is a vital ingredient in successful turnaround work.

 Parents and community groups need to have their views considered as part of both planning and implementation. Transformation should be done with the community, not to it.

 -Strategy matters: State and local leaders should agree on some evidence-based strategies to improve the safety and learning of students. Strategies should be clear, coherent and targeted. There ought to be measurable indicators of progress and success.

 -Teachers matter: Teachers and education leaders are the front line of any effort to transform education. Their views are essential to developing effective practices. Unions representing teachers must be consulted but must be willing to be flexible, just as administrators will need to abandon inefficient rules and procedures. The old ways of doing business were failing children. Adults need to rise above this history and reinvent education in Providence.

 -A holistic approach matters: Students spend 80% of their waking hours and all the rest of their lives outside of school. School alone cannot create a level playing field between the economically disadvantaged and the affluent. The entire ecosystem of children’s lives must be addressed, including, but not limited to, safety, nutrition, and physical and mental health, as well as early learning and enrichment opportunities.

 I have had the opportunity to work with Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza and the Children’s Cabinet through Harvard’s By All Means initiative. I have witnessed Providence’s commitment to directing attention, resources and services to address the wide-ranging, holistic needs of Providence’s most disadvantaged children.

 -An exit strategy matters: Once the school system is substantially improved, control of the system should be returned to city officials in Providence.

 Done thoughtfully, the Providence turnaround work will result in lasting improvement in the school district, the community and the lives of the city’s children.

 Paul Reville is the Francis Keppel Professor of Practice at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He is the founding director of the Education Redesign Lab and a former Massachusetts secretary of education.