Mayor Bloomberg has chosen Cathie Black to be the new chancellor of schools in New York City. Black, the president of Hearst Magazines is a "world class manager", according to Bloomberg.
The decision announced yesterday, however, has left many people scratching their heads. For all of her accomplishments, Black has no experience in education. None.
In fact, there is little to indicate that she has even spent much time in a public school. She herself went to Catholic schools on the South Side of Chicago and her children attend boarding schools in Connecticut. Her predecessor Joel Klein also chosen by Bloomberg did not have direct education experience either, but he had worked for the government as an anit-trust lawyer and was a product of the NYC public school system
In her public debut yesterday, Black acknowledged that she had a lot to learn and had limited experience with unions.
So, the big question is, can someone with no education experience lead something as complex as a school system? Or do the skills one acquires in business and management easily transferable to educational systems? Do students/families equal customers, do profit and loss statments equal test scores and graduation rates?
Do you think Norwalk would benefit with someone in central office who comes from outside of education and has a pure business background?
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
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Yes, Norwalk would benefit. Relative to education, there needs to be consideration of creative and innovative ideas. The process can begin by hiring someone outside of education who can examine, assess, and critically think about how education can be improved in Norwalk, NYC or any other city. Someone from outside the education field can perhaps bring a fresh and new approach to educating students and leading the administration. Sometimes, educators or anyone who has expertise in a certain field, can bring preconceived notions relative to how things should be developed, created, and implemented. I say cheers to Mayor Bloomberg for thinking creatively.
ReplyDeleteI'm in total agreement with the above poster
ReplyDeleteWhy not try it?
ReplyDeleteLeadership is the key to anybody in that job. You certainly don't have to be an educator to be an effective leader. Most in education tend to manage rather than lead--it is the nature of the beast. It is interesting that Bloomberg characterized her as a "manager". Time will tell if she is an effective leader like Klein. In total agreement with above posters. One caveat, however. NYC has a very different way of choosing schools leadership. Not to mention the school system is like a city in itself. Norwalk is much more "manageable", and it will be difficult to get out of the educator-as-super mindset. People from different walks of life become great teachers in second careers. I would like to see schools choose principals from alternative fields, as it has been my experience that good(and bad) teachers don't necessarily make good principals. It is all about effective leadership.
ReplyDeleteAt least someone from the business sector would have some experience with accountablility and consequences for inaction.
ReplyDelete2 words. He11 YES!
ReplyDeleteThe learning curve is enormous. A superintendent has to hit the ground running. Our 'products' are children! That's very different from what the business sector produces. A business executive can mold products to his/her liking, but children are a different story. Will an executive from a different world recognize what teaching methods to support? What special education requirements are necessary, legally? What math program to back? How to improve test scores? How to close the gap? So many questions with which an executive has absolutely no experience? I have my doubts!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. Good professional skills and smarts go a long way. A public education outsider might spot strengths and weaknesses in our administrative staff that central office personnel either may not see, or are not willing to acknowledge.
ReplyDeleteA business approach might also help us shake up the few schools in our district where administrators work against parents and teachers rather than with them.
Bottom line, parents want their children to learn. If someone with business expertise can help us make that happen, I say go for it.
Why not put me in charge of the Mayo Clinic? Don't worry about the fact that I have no medical background. Just consider my fresh perspective on things and my knowledge of how to work with people.
ReplyDeleteSome of the postings above betray that old way of thinking that "anyone can teach" and, by extension, anyone can run a school or a school system.
The post above misses the point. The question proposed by Ms. Noor is whether Norwalk would benefit from "someone" working in the central offices who comes from outside.
ReplyDeleteEffective charter schools blend business practices with instruction done by certified, professional teachers. Why should public school administrations be afraid of doing the same?
Marrying business efficiency and accountability on the administrative end with educational expertise in the classroom is a win-win.
Let's bring in one of the Wall Streeters who nearly brought down the economy. Schools require money and there must be good business practices, but that is why there is a finance director. The superintendent needs to understand educational issues in order to set priorities and to make appropriate decisions. With a superintendent who lacks the background, who would be feeding him/her the necessary information? Might it be the same people who have been perpetuating the problems of the NPS for years? You bet it would.
ReplyDeleteOn a different note: BoE members, I have often criticized you for your personnel decisions and for your failure to address the failures of some administrators at the central office and in the schools, but so far, I think you made a very wise choice in hiring Susan Marks. I know there was pressure to hire from within, but that would have been a mistake.