Despite Casselliuss public victories, though, BPS officials were alarmed by the mounting evidence that she was an ineffective administrator. Brenda Cassellius, who has been in charge since June 2019, says she will finish out the rest of the year but will resign in June. 2016 columns / Peter Kadzis: No there have been problems that go way back, even as far back as Ray Flynn and Mayor Menino. Santoro: Meg, it seems clear that parents want and actually need a level of stability considering the pandemic, the turnover of superintendents. MS Word MS WORDPDF PDFView FileMS WordFebruary 16, 2012Dr. Building consensus, he notes, is a long, agonizing process. Brophy might have seen it this way, too. Brenda Cassellius Salary Details Revealed Brenda Cassellius' compensation is very high as she earns $311,000 every year. On an unseasonably warm day in October 2019, Brenda Cassellius took the floor during a meeting at the Bolling Building, BPSs headquarters in Nubian Square. Its that she was falling apart., In October 2019, Cassellius reached for a lifeline, hiring Charlene Briner as her new chief of staff. It began when the new superintendent came to town. Its a very bold vision, she said, to get people to stretch their thinking. Of her big ideas, she said, The good ones stick and the bad ones fall away. She was looking to the futurea future beyond the pandemicand was on the verge of unveiling her new vision, a plan she called Return, Recover, and Reimagine.Were going to be really reframing and pivoting, she told me, because our five-year strategic planthe one she announced a year ago, parts of which were later lambasted by the principalshas gotten very little attention., The new plan, she said, would increase the budget, close achievement gaps, and turn BPS into a real 21st-century school district., The Best Public High Schools in Greater Boston, The Best Public High Schools in Mass., Ranked, This search result is here to prevent scraping, Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli to Open Hook + Line in the Seaport, The Real, Essential Backstory of the MLK Statue The Embrace', On the Market: A Newport Condo Tucked Away in a Stone Turret, Review: Moca Largely Succeeds With Wildly Clever Seafood, Five Boston Homes for Sale for Under $800,000, This Stoughton Artist Paints Saturated Scenes of '60s Suburbia Boston Magazine, Careers and Internships at Boston Magazine. "We have come to this decision after careful deliberation, with mutual respect for all involved and an acknowledgment that there is much work still to be done this school year and beyond," Boston Mayor Michelle Wu wrote in a letter to the school community. In-depth news coverage of the Greater Boston Area. We had all this wind under our wings, she says. It caught me off guard, Cassellius admitted during the interview in a BPS classroom. Cassellius had the political acumen necessary to be successful in Boston and also understood the critical role of educational equity and the needs of Black and brown students, as well as low-income students and English-language learners.. Whats more, in a district with chronically declining enrollment, it wasnt even clear to them that there would be enough students to populate all of Casselliuss new programs. When Boston Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius resigns at the end of the school year, she'll take with her hundreds of thousands of dollars from a separation agreement. In theory, this was a fine idea. We could use more of that honesty and advocacy for school children. Do you mind if I run a tape recorder throughout the day? I ask her. Boston schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius will step down at the end of the school year, following a turbulent tenure marked by major disruptions in learning caused by the pandemic as well. If you're a human and see this, please ignore it. It was a flight of fancy, one former principal says. (Second-hardest job in the country after president, another said.) It has been this way since March, when Cassellius and Mayor Marty Walsh decided to shut down every school in the district. Santoro: This is for both of you has her response to the pandemic been welcomed? But its more than that. I'm a little sympathetic the second time. Together, we've laid a stronger foundation upon which BPS can continue to build. She is confronting an entrenched bureaucracy that wants to pursue incrementalism, rather than radical reform, and she is determined to shake the cobwebs free. . During her early tenure, staffers at the central office found the new superintendent to be more drawn to splashy proposals than to the grinding back-office work they believed was required to solve the districts problems. what does seats not included mean on hopperthe hardy family acrobats 26th February 2023 / in was forest whitaker in batteries not included / by / in was forest whitaker in batteries not included / by Before she even started the job, when she was still a candidate for the position, she had already seemed to achieve the impossible: winning the support of the community, the school committee, the teachers union, and the mayor. We talked about that challenge routinely, he said. Will she bring in someone local like they're talking about? But they found her methods strange. It is tradition for the President to recognize special guests during the State of the Union address each year. Brenda ignored all of that, a former official says. The daughter of a young single mother who later became a young single mother herself, Cassellius grew up on food stamps in the projects of Minneapolis and participated in a Head Start program. Cassellius was a former commissioner of education for the state of Minnesota, where she oversaw schools there for nine years. Both her father's name and her mothers are unknown. Over the next 15 years, her career remained on a steady ascent. A new wave of trouble began with another of Casselliuss bold ideas, her so-called High School Redesign Plan. Her mother's name is unknown, as well as her father's. Brenda graduated from high school in Minnesota and went onto the University of Minnesota-Twin City, where she earned a bachelor's psychology degree. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of 14 BPCAE families in U.S. District Court in Boston on Friday. Through the early summer, officials had grown concerned that Cassellius and her new leadership team might not be up to the task of managing the pandemic response. Even though it is a Wednesday morning, Lee K8, a sprawling red-brick building standing behind us, is mostly empty, staffed by a skeleton crew and completely devoid of children. Sensing the COVID-induced hesitation in my voice, the superintendent, who spends a lot of time in the field and knows every school building in the district inside and out, quickly offered another option. Its a gray and frigid morning in Dorchester when Brenda Cassellius bounds toward me on the front lawn of Joseph Lee K8 School. would be stepping down at the end of the school year, Boston Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius to step down, Boston Public School students walk out, call for remote learning, COVID-19 outbreak at Curley School 'caught us by surprise,' says Boston Public Schools superintendent, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility at GBH, Transparency in Coverage Cost-Sharing Disclosures. Peter Kadzis, GBH senior politics editor, and Meg Woolhouse, GBH education reporter, joined host Henry Santoro on Morning Edition to discuss. Santoro: Peter, as we said at the top, the pandemic has not made the position of superintendent easy by any stretch. Access Login Help; Clever (opens in new window/tab); Destiny Library (opens in new window/tab); FirstView Bus Tracking App (opens in new window/tab); Lunch Menus (opens in new window/tab); Osseo GSuite (opens in new window/tab); Parent and Family Toolkit (opens in new window/tab); ParentVUE; Peachjar; Schoology for Parents (opens in new window/tab); Schoology for Students & Staff (opens in new . Cassellius has faced criticism for allowing her administrator's license to lapse. 2016 columns / "My hands - and my heart - will be fully committed to BPS until it is time to pass the baton. After all, equity is her driving passion. In Minnesota, he explained, he and Cassellius shared a frustration that an entrenched bureaucracy stood in the way of bold change. The new schools, she said, would be built alongor on top of, it wasnt exactly clearthe Emerald Necklace, the winding park running through central Boston. On Twitter, Brenda has 9,689 followers on her @bcassellius account. But for Cassellius, it signaled that she was losing one of her first and most powerful allies. Everythings smooth and working great. Then, almost speaking to herself, she adds, Because in my life, its not like that every day.. But even if the consequences of the pandemic are not Casselliuss responsibility, the recovery from it will be. So that doesn't inspire confidence. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu unveiled Cassellius's impending departure in February, calling it a "mutual decision" by the mayor, superintendent and Boston School Committee Chair Jeri Robinson. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. However, she was Carol Johnson's chief of staff, a former superintendent. BOSTON Boston Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius on Tuesday addressed her planned resignation at the end of the academic year but did not give a reason for her departure.. She started in the position in July 2019. Cassellius came to Boston less than a year before the pandemic began, forcing her to deal with several unexpected issues, including remote learning and mask and vaccination requirements, as well as staffing issues. The parents of all Boston school children will appreciate the rare candor. With the backing of the teachers union, community activists, and Mayor Walsh, she won the job in May 2019, with a 52 vote from the school committee. Near the end of our final interview, during which I detailed her critics charges, Cassellius cut me off. What are their intentions and motives? "She found out what work is. But why stop there? BOSTON The Superintendent of Boston Public Schools, Dr. Brenda Cassellius, has announced plans to resign after three years as leader of the state's largest school system and will address the decision in front of reporters at a news conference scheduled for 10:15 Tuesday morning. Casselius is the second BPS superintendent to leave after three years on the job. Unveiled in early 2020, it laid out an audacious vision for the future, proposing that seven large high schools across the city simultaneously expand Advanced Placement and pre-AP courses, create technical and vocational education tracks, offer dual enrollment with local colleges, implement International Baccalaureate programs, and expand to include the seventh and eighth grades. They love her.. Who is giving that criticism? she asked me. Massachusetts could get another snowstorm Friday: What areas were the jackpot zones in this past storm? They did not. To some, the practical barriers to implementing the plan seemed nearly insurmountable. Cassellius made the announcement in a letter to parents, students and staff Monday. Most employees who leave companies get an exit interview thats how most businesses operate. If Casselliuss critics are wrong about her, then this is how: She has arrived in an institutionally conservative city that has a well-documented skepticism of outsiders. We have $36 million outside of the normal cost.. Henry Santoro hosts midday newscasts on GBH Radio and contributes to breaking news coverage and other hosting duties for GBHs daytime programming. She envisioned that when students arrived in the morning, they would receive a playlist of programs available at each of the schools, according to BPS officials with knowledge of the plan. But the lawsuit says the zip code quota system is wholly-irrational and states that it serves to disfavor Asian and White students by decreasing their numbers at the Boston Exam Schools while favoring Latino and African-American students by increasing their numbers., A Brighton parent and member of BPCAE said, My kids have to submit GPAs and with so many kids in this zip location I just feel that my kids, their chance will be limited to get into exam schools., The lawsuit states, The Students are being required to apply through a race-based process. Over the next 40 minutes, as we tour the facility, she amiably talks to a janitor, a secretary, two assistant principals, and a security guardwhile also dancing, leaping between social-distancing markers on the floor, and, on the playground, jumping down a hopscotch court. Shes scattered, she struggles with talent management, and she doesnt provide a clear vision., Those traits were on full display once she arrived in Boston. Prior to that she served as Minnesota's education commissioner. I was called everything from the N-word to mulatto, she says. Brenda Cassellius has been criticized for her job thus far as superintendent of Boston Public Schools, though her supporters say she deserves time and a chance to implement her vision. Cassellius's name on the list is no surprise, since she has publicly shared her interest in the job. Run the recorder throughout the midday. They began considering an intervention. A lot of the most energetic discussion have been around the admissions policies of the city's top three exam schools. The Boston. Aware of the long history of distrust between BPS families and the district itself, Cassellius made a listening tour her first order of business. Photo by Matt Kalinowski. The district has seen four different people leading the city schools in the last 10 years. Tell us what she really thinks of the joke of a school committee and the oversized influence of the powerful teachers union. It will be a tough sell among Boston stakeholders. Secretary Cardona to Visit Los Angeles High School of the Arts, Join Roundtable with Parents to Discuss the Importance of Mental Health Services for Students On Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona will continue touring schools in Southern California with a visit to Los Angeles High School of the Arts at Robert F. Kennedy . The school committee approved her plan and Walsh agreed to the budget increase. The Boston Public School Committee is expected to sign a separation agreement Wednesday to give Cassellius at least $311,000, the Boston Herald reported. If we heard this plan two or three months ago, we may have said, Lets all work toward this, said Shah Family Foundation executive director Ross Wilson, whose organization works closely with BPS, on a podcast the next day. Brenda runs down the aisle giving high-fives and the kids eat it up. The Boston School Committee extended their agreement in June 2021, reports WGBH. She had been sitting in her car for the past 45 minutes, she explains, on a conference call with other big-city superintendents brainstorming ways to reopen schools in the middle of a pandemic. She said her Emerald Necklace concept wasnt a plan but a prop or visioning tool. Briner had been her right-hand woman in Minnesota, serving as chief of staff and then deputy commissioner throughout Casselliuss eight years leading that states Department of Education. Lets breathe out. So I would say, keep an eye on Rachel Skerritt. Nor could the surrounding city blocks, which encompassed some of Bostons most expensive and densely populated neighborhoods. Follow us so you don't miss a thing! "Dr. Cassellius articulated an inspiring, yet practical, vision of how she has been . No further reasoning was given. Cassellius added that theres nothing wrong with showing vulnerability by crying. Note that clicking the link below will block access to this site for 24 hours. Boston schools superintendent Brenda Cassellius appeared to catch many by surprise Monday when she announced she would step down from her position at the end of the school year. When she was selected as a finalist in the spring, BPS staffers at Bolling, as well as executives at education nonprofits, had called their contacts in Minnesota to get the scoop on the promising candidate. Here are some entertainment opinions that you can follow: Guests manage to have a better time when entertainment involves actions they can be instantly linked in. The plan was opposed by some parent groups that wanted 20 percent of the spots at the schools set aside for the best applicants regardless of socioeconomic status. She was just four months into her job as superintendent and had a bold idea she wanted to share. As this story went to print, Cassellius was preparing for a virtual retreat with the school committee. Her hometown school board, which had watched her work closely for years, passed her over, citing the scarce progress on closing achievement gaps during her eight years as the top education official in the state. Brenda Cassellius, ESSA, Hue Hguyen, Minnesota Department of Education / 0 Comments, originally published by www.hometownsource.com, March 22, 2017http://hometownsource.com/2017/03/22/joe-nathan-column-mde-offers-great-opportunities-to-help-create-education-plans/ MDE offers great opportunities to help develop education plans Give Minnesota Commissioner of Education Brenda Cassellius and her colleagues at the Minnesota Department of Education some credit. "The Boston Teachers Union is thankful to Dr. Brenda Cassellius for her contributions to our public schools during what have been incredibly trying and unprecedented times," union president Jessica Tang said in a statement. Shes a quick problem solver, says Bernadeia Johnson (no relation to Carol), a former superintendent of Minneapolis Public Schools. February 7, 2022 / 4:00 PM It is not hard to imagine how a person with this gift, as well as Casselliuss taste for disruptive, visionary thinking, could be a good fit for superintendent of BPS, a district thats long had a broken relationship with the community. Transitions are difficult for kids and adults alike. It was chaos, says a current BPS official. Further, just before applying for the superintendent role in Boston, she had been turned down for the same job in Minneapolis. This is not a new problem in Boston, having a superintendent leave. Brenda Cassellius Selected As Next Boston Schools Superintendent May 2, 2019 BOSTON ( WBZ NewsRadio) After a year-long search, Boston Public Schools has a new leader. But she knows where she is. She's super smart. Was it the superintendent herself, who, her critics argue, is too focused on visionary (and starry-eyed) future transformations to tend to the urgent problems of the present? Hey Marcus, what you got going on these days?. We're seeing staff come back! In a letter to "the BPS community" this morning, Mayor Wu said she, School Committee Chairwoman Jeri Robinson and Cassellius decided it was time for Cassellius to move on. Collaborations, School Choice (including dual credit, district & chartered public schools). Cassellius recently penned a column for The Washington Post about the teacher and staffing shortage plaguing the schools. Henry Santoro: Meg, let's start with you. As a leader, she said, its good for people to know that youre human., Casselliuss colleagues, and many of her sharpest critics, however, have never questioned her humanity. And in that time, building improvements and academic improvements have been promised, but not met. It signaled that she was losing one of her first and most powerful allies superintendent of Minneapolis public schools.. To share her father & # x27 ; s name on the list is no surprise, since has. 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