This May, The Broad Residency Class of 2006-2008 graduated in Santa Fe, NM.  The graduation weekend consisted of professional development sessions, guest speakers, team building exercises and a graduation ceremony. Professional development session topics included district communications, Resident capstone presentations, and leadership and reform strategies in urban education.  Notable presenters included Nora Carr, chief communications officer, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and Michael Bennet, superintendent of the Denver Public Schools. Highlights of the session included the downtown Santa Fe scavenger hunt, game night, karaoke and the Resident facilitated “Eli Broad High School Prom” themed graduation dinner and ceremony. The festivities included year book signing, a prom court, prom queen and king, photographs and memorable speeches.

Over the past two years, the Residents in this class have worked in a variety of functions ranging from district turnaround strategy to school level rotations to finance in several school districts and charter management organizations (CMOs) across the country. Every single member of The Broad Residency Class of 2006-2008 will remain in K-12 education. Currently 92% are working in districts or CMOs. The Broad Center would like to congratulate The Broad Residency Class of 2006-2008 and wish them the best of luck as they continue their careers in education reform.

Broad Academy Fellow in Action: Jean-Claude Brizard

“It is about every child. I am working towards ensuring that every child in Rochester has access to world class content taught by teachers in schools led by world class leaders,” said Jean-Claude Brizard, superintendent of Rochester City School District. Brizard graduated from the 2007 Broad Superintendents Academy and was appointed Superintendent of Rochester City School District in November 2007.

Prior to joining Rochester City School District, Brizard served as Senior Executive for Policy and Sustainability for the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE). He also served the NYCDOE as Regional Superintendent, Region 6 as well as Executive Director for secondary schools. Brizard served in New York City’s public schools for over 21 years in various capacities including Local Instructional Superintendent, principal and teacher.

With his on the ground experience, Brizard understands education but never imagined himself as a superintendent. In fact, he wanted to be a college professor. Even recently he was unsure of his ultimate career goal, but that changed a couple of years ago after joining the Academy. “After the first Broad Academy training session, I could see doing nothing else,” said Brizard. “I fell in love.”

It is this love that prompted Brizard to seek out the superintendency in Rochester. With this new role comes a new perspective on school districts. As a regional Superintendent in NYC, Brizard dealt mainly with academics and safety but as superintendent, he is responsible for the entire district. Though the increased responsibility can seem overwhelming at times, Brizard feels well-prepared for the challenge. “Broad taught me how to see and deal with the totality of a district,” he said. “I learned about budgeting and transportation. I learned that the back office operations need to exist to support teaching and learning and that has to be transparent for teachers and principals. I learned how to find the right people and ask the right questions to make sure what they do is done well.” Brizard’s prior experience in New York coupled with his recent experience as a Broad Academy Fellow allows him to have a handle on every part of Rochester City School District; he is able to go down into the weeds and come back up to 10,000 feet.

By the numbers, Rochester has $680 million operating budget, 58 schools, 34,000 students and 6,000 employees. When Brizard started as superintendent, he noticed that Rochester’s biggest challenge was talent - finding and hiring people who understand the root of the problems in Rochester’s schools and will work endlessly to correct them. He also noticed elementary schools had made strong gains while high school results were dismal and that there was an enormous amount of suspensions (11,000 in 2007) with several students being sent home for 180 days or 3 months.

How is Brizard addressing these issues? In the short time Brizard has been at Rochester, he has set several challenging goals while keeping in mind three core values, achievement, equity and accountability. The first three steps of Brizard’s plan are evaluating staff in the central office and in all schools, increasing the graduation rate and improving safety and security for the students.

Brizard is already seeing results; nearly half of Rochester’s public high school students, 48%, graduated on time in 2007. This is a jump from the 39% who graduated in 2006. Brizard isn’t the only person who has noticed these results; the support from the Rochester community has been tremendous. There was a 98% approval rating on the reform plan presented this spring.

Brizard is also making sure he has a strong leadership team in place to take on his ambitious goals. He has appointed two new Deputy Superintendents, one to focus on teaching and learning and one on administration. New Deputy Superintendent, John Scanlan (a retired U.S. Navy Captain), is also a graduate of The Broad Superintendents Academy. “One of the benefits of (the) Academy is the network,” said Brizard. “Being in a cohort with people from different professional backgrounds is in itself genius…. When you sit in a cohort with people from different backgrounds, people focus on what they know, their experiences and expertise. Listening to these individuals gave me a new perspective in the areas I need to focus on. It has changed my perspective on hiring especially for the role John Scanlan assumed. We wanted someone who was business savvy, who understood operations and could make it work and who understood the core of our business. We found that and more in John Scanlan.”

While Brizard knows there is a long way to go, he is proud of Rochester’s improvements and is confident in their success. Brizard truly sees the importance of this work. “It’s the young people and they are the future,” said Brizard. “The best part is walking into a school and seeing teachers in action, seeing kids learning, seeing people believe that this is something we can make happen.”

Brizard’s advice for anyone who wants to be a Superintendent? “Ask questions and talk to people who are doing the work,” said Brizard. “If you can get into Broad, that is the way to go.”

Making a Difference in Chicago Public Schools: Broad Resident Melissa Zaikos

While most people in Harvard M.B.A. Melissa Zaikos’ shoes would have been satisfied to stay in their job as a successful Deloitte management consultant, Zaikos instead chose to go against the industry grain. “I wanted something that was more meaningful, a social cause that had the most potential to make a change,” said Zaikos. “I wanted to make a difference. Education is the one social cause that I believe treats the issue, not the symptoms.” In 2003, she packed up her management skills and experience and brought them to Chicago Public Schools (CPS) through The Broad Residency to develop initiatives and programs to keep students in school.

Zaikos, a native of Naperville, Illinois, currently manages 120 schools with 40,000 students through the Autonomous Management and Performance Schools (AMPS) program, which was designed to create a unique management structure for schools that would encourage innovation and reduce bureaucracy. Under her leadership, AMPS schools have taken ownership of their professional development, gained flexibility in staffing, and created networks to cooperate on tough issues.  Her portfolio began with 80 schools and she has grown it to 120 as other schools clamored to join the program. 

The principals involved in the AMPS program are satisfied with the progress being made. “They love it,” said Zaikos. “One of our veteran principals told me I am bridging the gap between principals and the central office.”

In addition, Zaikos led the efforts to secure the largest grant ever given by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation directly to a public school district ($21.3 million) for an initiative to develop and implement a high school reform plan that provides all students with a high-quality education to prepare them for college and work. This initiative is being recognized and praised nationally. For this initiative, she also led multi-million dollar negotiations with seven different providers to develop and implement new curricular for CPS.

Zaikos has been at the forefront of recruiting business talent to CPS to contribute to improving Chicago’s schools. She and another Broad Resident, Tyra Newell, developed a nationally recognized, competitive internship program for M.B.A. students to help make the district more efficient and effective. As one of the first Broad Residents, she has encouraged other business professionals to join CPS which has led to CPS having the most Broad Residents (16) of any district in the country.

What keeps her going? “Making improvements, “ said Zaikos, “making the job easier and better for principals so teachers have more time to focus on teaching and learning.”

Zaikos’s achievements in strengthening Chicago’s schools, her leadership city-wide and her commitment to the belief that all Chicago students should have the opportunity to succeed have and will continue to benefit many generations of Chicagoans to come.

Broad Academy Fellows and Broad Residents on the Move

The Broad Center would like to congratulate the following Fellows and Residents who have recently been promoted or changed positions and wish them the best of luck in their new roles. Stay tuned next quarter for additional updates on promotions and role transitions.

Broad Fellows

Class of 2005

In May 2008, Jose Torres was appointed Superintendent of School District U-46 in Elgin, Illinois, the second largest district in the state, with over 40,000 students in 53 schools. Previously, Dr. Torres served as Area Instructional Officer in Chicago Public Schools, the largest district in Illinois, with more than 630 schools and over 430,000 students.

Class of 2006

In July 2008, Yvonne Brandon was appointed Interim Superintendent of Richmond Public Schools, Virginia, a district serving over 50,000 students in over 50 schools. Prior to this role, Dr. Brandon served as Deputy Superintendent in the Richmond district.

Class of 2007

In May 2008, Alan Ingram was appointed Superintendent of Springfield Public Schools, Massachusetts, a district serving nearly 26,000 students in 47 schools. Previously, Dr. Ingram served as Chief Accountability Officer for Oklahoma City Public Schools, a district serving over 38,000 students in 80 schools.

To learn more about Broad Academy Fellows, please visit www.broadacademy.org.

Broad Residents

Class of 2004-06

Monica Santana Rosen was promoted to the Talent Management Officer in Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and is focused on hiring, retaining, supporting, and developing great principals and central office leaders. Previously, Rosen served as the Director of Human Resources Service Center for CPS.

Class of 2005-07

Recy Dunn was named Director of Early Childhood Education for the New York City Department of Education. Prior to this, Dunn served as Program Officer in the Deputy Superintendent’s Office for Prince George’s County Public Schools.

Veenu Verma was promoted to Human Resources Employee Services Officer for Chicago Public Schools. Prior to this, Verma served as a Human Resources Project Manager for CPS.

Class of 2006-08

Margaret Angell was selected as a White House Fellow. She completed her Residency in Boston Public Schools (BPS) focusing on early childhood education.

Doug Jaffe is now Executive Director School Performance Evaluation for the New York City Department of Education. Previously he worked as Director of Sustainability, Office of Portfolio Development.

Jonathan Klein has joined the Rogers Family Foundation as Chief Program Officer. He completed his Residency with Oakland Unified School District as Special Assistant to the State Administrator focusing on communications.

James Masias was hired as Chief Financial Officer for San Diego City Schools. For the last year, he has been Director of Finance for Denver Public Schools but started his Residency in San Diego.

Joyce Walker is now Special Assistant to the Chief Academic Officer in Baltimore. Previously, Walker was Special Assistant to the Superintendent for Planning & Performance Management in Durham Public Schools.

Ann Waterman is now the Executive Director of Excel Charter Academy, a highly regarded charter school within Boston Public Schools. Prior to this, Waterman was Assistant Director of Food Services for BPS.

Panya Lei Yarber is now Director of the Rice Education Entrepreneurship Program. She completed her Residency in Houston Independent School District.

Class of 2007-09

Bill Horwath was recently promoted to Acting Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources of Boston Public Schools. Previously, he served as Director of Staffing for BPS.

To learn more about Broad Residents, please visit www.broadresidency.org.

Education Reform: Learn More

Broad Residency: Utilizing Business Pros to Improve Public Education Hispanic Business Magazine June 20, 2008 As public school officials grapple with crowded classrooms, high dropout rates, teacher shortages and low test scores, a privately funded program is aiming to improve education by bringing best business practices into urban school districts across the country. Monica Santana Rosen: employee services officer, Human Resources, Chicago Public School System Latino Leader April 2008 Monica Santana Rosen is a big believer in education, but what makes her a leader is the fad that this concern goes way beyond the way she is raising her son, beyond the education system in her community, and even beyond the school district of Chicago, where she heads the Human Resources department that supports the 44,000 public school teachers and workers that lead hundreds of thousands of students every day.

He’s the Other Tom Brady The Providence Journal July 15, 2008 Thomas M. Brady, the incoming superintendent of the city’s 23,800-pupil school district, arrives with an impressive resumé: a 25-year career in the Army; interim superintendent of Philadelphia, the eighth-largest school district in the nation; and, before that, chief operating officer of the Washington, D.C., district. School Superintendent Reflects on First Year Seattle Post Intelligencer July 9, 2008 Goodloe-Johnson took the helm of Seattle schools a year ago Wednesday. A year later, Goodloe-Johnson has earned respect for her no-nonsense style, her willingness to publicly acknowledge problems and her vision for turning Seattle Public Schools into one of the nation's best districts. Teacher Bonuses Get Unions' Blessing The Washington Post June 25, 2008 Pr. George's Offers Rewards of Up to $10,000 Linked to Test Scores, Evaluations: One of the most ambitious pay-for-performance initiatives in Washington area schools is drawing strong teacher interest and local union support even though many national labor leaders have long asserted that it is unfair to link teachers' paychecks directly to their students' test scores. HISD Students Score Record Highs On TAKS Click2Houston.com May 30, 2008 Houston Independent School District students scored record highs on the latest round of TAKS tests, KPRC Local 2, Your Education Station, reported Friday. Students approved in math and science at every grade level. Officials said 84 percent of schools improved in social studies, 79 percent improved in science, 70 percent improved in math, 61 percent improved in reading and 60 percent improved in writing.

The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation announced in June it has awarded $1 million in college scholarships to 128 graduating high school seniors whose school districts were recognized last year as the most improved urban school districts in the country. To read the full press release, please visit http://www.broadfoundation.org/med-news/2008TBPScholarRelease.pdf The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation and the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation have awarded $6 million in grants to Prince George’s County Public Schools to support the transformation to a “Performance Management” culture in the district. To read the full press release, please visit http://www.broadfoundation.org/med-news/2008-0617DellBroadInvestinPGCPS.pdf Improving public education is the most important issue facing America because an educated workforce ensures a healthy economy and generates the resources and intellectual capital to solve the country's energy, security and healthcare challenges, Eli Broad said at Sen. Barack Obama's American Competitiveness Summit held June 26 in Pittsburgh. Broad presented a six-point plan to dramatically improve America's public schools, including more learning time, better teaching by recruiting qualified math and science instructors and financial incentives for the best teachers, and American standards to ensure that all students -- regardless of where they live -- receive the same skills and knowledge that prepare them for college, careers and life.  To read Broad's opening remarks, please visit http://www.broadfoundation.org/med-speeches/index.shtml. Other panelists included American Online co-founder Steve Case; General Motors CEO G. Richard Wagoner, Jr.; Andy Stern, president of the Service Employees International Union; Susan Hockfield, president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; John Surma, CEO of United States Steel Corporation; Vinod Khosla, co-founder of SunMicrosystems; Federico Pena, former U.S. Secretary of transportation and former U.S. secretary of energy; Geoffrey Canada, CEO of the Harlem Children's Zone; and Susan Castillo, superintendent of public instruction for the Oregon Department of Education.

Events This Quarter

The Broad Residency, a leadership development program that immediately puts participants in full-time managerial positions in urban school systems, will begin recruiting for the 2009-2011 class in September 2008. Please visit www.broadresidency.org to learn about recruiting locations and dates. If you are interested in applying, please submit your resume on www.broadresidency.org beginning in September.

The Broad Residency plans to attend the National Black MBA Association 30th Annual Conference & Exposition as an exhibitor. If you are planning to attend, please stop by our booth at the Career Fair to learn more about The Broad Residency.

National Black MBA Association
30th Annual Conference & Exposition
Washington D.C. Convention Center, Washington, DC
September 17-20, 2008
www.nbmbaa.org

The Broad Superintendents Academy

The Broad Superintendents Academy, an executive training program that identifies and prepares prominent leaders – executives with experience successfully leading large organizations and a passion for public service – then places them in urban school districts to dramatically improve the quality of education for America’s students, is now recruiting for the 2009 Academy. If you are interested in learning more, please visit www.broadacademy.org. If you are interested in applying, please submit your resume as an MS Word document to academy@broadcenter.org by 5pm PST on Sunday, July 20, 2007. If you know of a talented leader who might be interested in the Academy, please provide us with their information by completing this form on our website.

The Broad Center

The Broad Center for the Management of School Systems is a non-profit organization that seeks to raise student achievement by recruiting, training and supporting executive leadership talent from across America to become the next generation of urban school district leaders. Established in 2001and funded by The Broad Foundation, The Broad Center identifies talented leaders from education, business, the military, non-profit organizations and government backgrounds who have the passion, knowledge and skills to take on executive leadership roles in urban education. The Broad Center operates both The Broad Residency and The Broad Superintendents Academy, a ten-month executive management program to train working CEOs and other top executives to lead urban public school systems. For more information about The Broad Center, go to www.broadcenter.org.

The Broad Foundation

The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation is a national venture philanthropy established by entrepreneur and philanthropist Eli Broad to advance entrepreneurship for the public good in education, science and the arts. The Broad Foundation’s education work is focused on dramatically improving urban K-12 public education through better governance, management, labor relations and competition. The Broad Foundation’s Internet address is www.broadfoundation.org.