New school superintendent, new beginning

The last two Milwaukee superintendents were plucked from the principal ranks without much experience in the central administration. Such selections made sense in a decentralized system. We wanted a principal’s perspective at the top.

But halfway through his tenure as superintendent, William Andrekopoulos concluded that decentralization wasn’t working all that well. While he tried to make some adjustments, he wasn’t trained to operate in a centralized manner. Never having worked outside of Milwaukee, he knew only one school system.

So it should not come as a surprise that the school board has looked outside the system for a superintendent specifically trained to run a big operation.

Milwaukee’s new superintendent, Gregory Thornton, has a reputation for turning around troubled school districts. He was offered Philadelphia’s superintendent position but turned it down because its board would offer him only a one-year contract. Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell quickly appointed Thornton to head the troubled Chester Upland District, which had been placed under state control.

Here are my priorities for Superintendent Thornton:

Decide what functions should be centralized and what functions should be left to individual schools. The organizational structure in central administration needs an overhaul. Everything can’t come to the superintendent for approval. We need a deputy superintendent who can break barriers between departments.

Everything costs money. We must do more with less. Show courage but also listen with a heart.

Our human resources department is a mess. We must integrate hiring, firing, mentoring, and training into one department.

Transparency is a must; no decisions made in backrooms. Right now even the elected school board members sometimes can’t find out what is going on.

All schools must be great, not just a few. We can’t have some schools with experienced teachers and handpicked students while other schools limp along with inexperienced teachers and classrooms packed with the most difficult students. Can we bring up the bottom schools without pulling down top-performing schools?

My list might be a little different from yours. I get to see some things other people don’t. Yet I need to know what you think the priorities should be. With a new superintendent, we have a chance at a new beginning.

Terry Falk is the Milwaukee Public Schools Director for the Eighth District, which includes Bay View. He can be reached at (414) 510-9173 or falktf@milwaukee.k12.wi.us.

Copyright 2010 by Bay View Compass. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.