However, out of public view, their support was wavering. With help from the Minnesota Department of Education and Target, we have completed new videos that are in 7 languages: Hmong, Somali, Arabic, Karen, Dakota, English and Spanish. Despite Casselliuss public victories, though, BPS officials were alarmed by the mounting evidence that she was an ineffective administrator. 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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. Meg Woolhouse is GBH News' K-12 education reporter. She sees something and she does it. Casselliuss decisiveness and big ideas, however, sometimes ruffled the feathers of more traditional colleagues, Johnson says. Battenfeld: Boston parents and kids deserve a truthful accounting from Superintendent Brenda Cassellius Start the conversation BOSTON MA. Tanisha Sullivan, president of Bostons NAACP chapter and a member of the districts exam schools working group had called the move a historic and positive, transformative mark on our city.. Joe Nathan / It seemed, to some principals, like she was trying to fix the high schools with a magic wand. For this Herculean challenge, leadership will matter. Cassellius recently penned a column for The Washington Post about the teacher and staffing shortage plaguing the schools. In July 2020, they wrote Cassellius a letterwhich was leaked to the Boston Globeexcoriating her redesign proposal as a top-down exercise in poor planning that is divorced from any authentic analysis of data, lacks major details that must be thought through prior to implementation, [and] ignores years of studies about BPS high schools and the complex issues they face.. The warnings that a recession may occur continues but fears that it will happen in 2023 are fading. In the summer, McChrystal Group, a consultancy that has worked with the mayor at City Hall, began running Casselliuss weekly coronavirus update calls with principals. Without Charlene, I dont think Brenda would have survived., In the months that followed, Briner helped prop Cassellius up, sometimes almost literally. Brenda ignored all of that, a former official says. At the Joseph P. Tynan Elementary School in South Boston, she toured the hallways and classrooms with parents and their students, letting them know that she believed the school belonged to them. Santoro: Meg, it seems clear that parents want and actually need a level of stability considering the pandemic, the turnover of superintendents. She doesn't have heavy-duty system wide experience. 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. You have a vision, according to the official. This violates Students constitutional right to be free from racial and ethnic discrimination.. Unfortunately, Superintendent Cassellius did not meet it. Tell us what she really thinks of the joke of a school committee and the oversized influence of the powerful teachers union. Santoro: Peter, as we said at the top, the pandemic has not made the position of superintendent easy by any stretch. Brenda married her partner in life Jason Cassellius, they lived together and had three children, Christian Michel, Ani Grace and Charles Justice. The Boston Public School Committee is expected to sign a separation agreement Wednesday to give Cassellius at least $311,000, the Boston Herald reported. For some reason, I just felt like I was supposed to be here in Boston, she told me. She has a deep gift for connecting with children, says a current BPS official who is critical of her leadership. Kadzis: She would like the challenge and being head of school at Boston Latin School hasn't exactly been the bed of roses either. Dr. Cassellius wrote she will transition out of her role as superintendent at the end of the 2021/2022 school year. Her heart is in the right place and I believe deeply she is a good person, says a former BPS official. Yet even by the standards of a city that has had five superintendents in the past decade, Casselliuss first year and a half on the job since arriving from Minnesota, where she served as the commissioner of the Department of Education, has been tumultuous. In our conversations, Cassellius seemed to ask for two things: time and skepticism of her critics. While the nation tunes in tonight to hear the Joe Battenfeld is a veteran Herald political columnist and multimedia reporter. Boston Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius will resign at the end of the school year, bringing to an end a three-year tenure marked by COVID-19 upheaval and leaving Boston's new mayor with major decisions on the education and policing fronts. Cassellius often describes her plans for reform as bold, which is also a good descriptor of Cassellius herself. 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 . MCA Reading Test Vocabulary Flashcards Quizlet. COVID was an incredible challenge. When you are really smart and your mind is moving a lot, sometimes you have to take the time to pause and hear from others., Carol Johnson saw both promise and room for growth in Cassellius. Dr. Brenda Cassellius has spent three decades as an educator devoted to helping all children succeed and thrive. Instead, invitations will now be issued by weighing student performance, zip code and GPA or MCAS results, a change that was considered a historic win for underserved communities when it was approved. 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. Was it the pandemic, which stalled Casselliuss agenda and turned her job into mission impossible? This didnt come entirely as a surprise. After completing the proposal, she walked into the mayors office with her pitch: Add an additional $100 million to BPSs budget. Cassellius made the announcement in a letter to parents, students and staff Monday. So I would say, keep an eye on Rachel Skerritt. 2018 Columns / She did not say why she is leaving. The discovery of a gun at a South Boston school on Friday along with the vicious attack on a principal a few months ago showed the school system has a long way to go at protecting kids and teachers from violence. Photo By Matt Stone/ MediaNews Group/Boston Herald. But why stop there? Get all the latest from Sanditon on GBH Passport, How one Brookline studio helps artists with disabilities thrive. Cassellius insists she will still be that leader, as long as the city will let her. What are their intentions and motives? Run the recorder throughout the midday. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. Then, throughout the day, the students would shuttle between buildings on a train. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Cassellius came to Boston less than a year before the pandemic began,. 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.. 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. That was a marked departure for her and showed a little independence. People felt heard. There'll be other people considered. I was called everything from the N-word to mulatto, she says. 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. She said her Emerald Necklace concept wasnt a plan but a prop or visioning tool. The move would have rendered Cassellius virtually a figurehead, still nominally in control of the district, but with many core responsibilities removed from her portfolio. Strike a blow for transparency for once. The promotions left colleagues, and sometimes the promoted employees themselves, baffled. Her resignation. Oh, I want to come in on Thursday. She seems simultaneously energized and at ease at the school. She has said to me that she hires people based on familiarity and trust, says Edith Bazile, a former president of the Black Educators Alliance of Massachusetts who has worked closely with Cassellius on a volunteer basis. College campuses increasingly offer time off for mental health, but some are skeptical. Alexi Cohan is a general assignment reporter covering local news and government as well as health and medicine stories. She even briefly served as a classroom teacher in January when roughly 1,200 teachers and staff members called out sick during the omicron surge. A bitter irony of 2020 is that even if you believe, as Casselliuss critics do, that she mismanaged the coronavirus response, it is not clear how much it mattered. Shes had an extraordinarily difficult maiden year as superintendent, and I think shes performed remarkably well under the circumstances. But, he adds, There have been times when Brenda had such a bold vision that its overwhelming to people. Bill would see benefits restored by Seth Moulton bill, 98.5 employees had their sensitivity training after Tony Massarotti suspension, Mike Felger rants about people getting fired over a 'bad comment', Denver gang member gave 14-year-old permission to open fire on woman with AR-15 after fender-bender, DA alleges, In 4 years, Lori Lightfoot went from breakout political star to divisive mayor of a Chicago beset by pandemic and crime, Florida lawmakers to consider expansion of so-called dont say gay law, Drone crashes at Disneyland after hovering over visitors heads See video, Rapper Travis Scott wanted for assaulting Manhattan club sound engineer, destroying $12K in equipment. ", In a statement, the mayor said she was "grateful for the Superintendent's leadership, especially while navigating the COVID-19 pandemic.". 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. She even briefly served as a classroom teacher . Cassellius's name on the list is no surprise, since she has publicly shared her interest in the job. Parents Evaluation. We talked about that challenge routinely, he said. GRADE 3 READING Virginia Department of Education Home. As the students offered suggestionsfree menstrual products, cleaner bathrooms, improved ventilationCassellius had her executives take notes. 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. Working with educators, parents, business people, students, policy-makers and other concerned people throughout the United States. She came under fire from some parents and teachers for her efforts to reopen the schools for in-person last fall. Working with educators, parents, business people, students, policy-makers and other concerned people throughout the United States. Boston Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius will step down from her position as the district's chief executive in June a decision that Mayor Michelle Wu described on Monday as. Series III Reading. For the next hour, she listened warmly and keenly to the advice of her most important constituentsstudents. The Boston School Committee announced last week that Dr. Brenda Cassellius will serve as Boston's next superintendent. If you're a human and see this, please ignore it. The people I spoke to who had no inside knowledge. Briner stood close to her and said, Lets breathe in. Do you mind if I run a tape recorder throughout the day? I ask her. And now I know its for getting us through this pandemic. Her confidence, and her self-belief, paid off. She asked me what I would do if I was superintendent. Meanwhile, she funneled what she had learned on her listening tour into a strategic vision plan that laid out a roadmap for BPSs next five years. 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. According to a person who spoke with him multiple times in August, the COO said, in colorful language, that Casselliuss teams preparations were so far behind schedule that it would require drastic measures to open school buildings in time. Henry Santoro hosts midday newscasts on GBH Radio and contributes to breaking news coverage and other hosting duties for GBHs daytime programming. The tour earned her a lot of goodwill. When I asked Mayor Walsh about this effort, he said it would be false to characterize the role explored over the summer as a checkmate to Brenda. However, he said that as of December, Cassellius was seeking to hire a new operations director. However, on Tuesday Dr. Cassellius sent her letter of resignation to Mayor Michelle Wu and Boston School Committee Chair Jeri Robinson. Login or Sign-up to show all important data, death records and obituaries absolutely for free! She has previously served as an assistant superintendent at North St. Paul, Maplewood, Oakdale School District and Saint Paul Public Schools. Zip codes are allocated spots at the schools based on the number of students living in the area and family income. But its more than that. The plan, which was pursued without Casselliuss knowledge, was never consummated. But if I were a betting man, I might put some money on Rachel Skerritt. CSC Projects: Completed and Current: 2022, Dramatically Reducing Minnesota Student/Family Homelessness, Promoting/Encouraging Greater Use of Service-Learning, Increasing College Readiness 2015-present, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) (English y Espaol), Map of MN Higher Ed Dual Credit Policies & PSEO Sites, Student Voices Real Dual Credit Students, New High School/Higher Ed. But she knows where she is. The Boston School Committee has voted to confirm Brenda Cassellius a career educator who rose from paraprofessional to state commissioner, mostly in Minnesota as the next superintendent of. 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. Kadzis: Henry, let me make an educated guess, and this is based on calling around yesterday and talking to people. Per her contract, Casselius must be paid a years base salary, or the rest of what she would have been paid, had she stayed until 2023, whichever is less. She came under fire from some parents and teachers for her efforts to reopen the schools for in-person last fall. She has taken charge of a flailing school district and recognized the need for bold and uncomfortable changes. Superintendent Brenda Cassellius said she supported the change because it is easy to understand, maintains academic rigor, and increases the opportunity for disadvantaged students. Cambridge's public school superintendent left last summer, and Boston is now in a similar position. "I don't have any further thoughts on that at this time," she said. When I told Josh Collins, Casselliuss former spokesman at the Minnesota Department of Education, about Casselliuss troubles in Boston, he said some of the dynamics sounded familiar. She's super smart. Midday, I say. So what went wrong? 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. Theyve held more than 100 meetings around the state since January 2016 on one of the most important issues facing Minnesota: [], Joe Nathan / Henry Santoro: Meg, let's start with you. Cassellius had been on the job less than a year when schools closed, but I don't think Cassellius' response helped build trust among parents in the district. But plans and strategies have to be tethered to reality, says one former BPS official, and that just doesnt include an imaginary train taking kids around a city to schools that dont exist.. She walked into the mayors office, asked for $100 million, and got it. Some zip codes, such as Chinatown, Beacon Hill and West Roxbury will have less exam school seats while other neighborhoods that are typically disadvantaged such as Dorchester and Mattapan, will get more. What they heard was troubling: Cassellius lacked strong executive leadership and strategic planning skills. Santoro: This is for both of you has her response to the pandemic been welcomed? You know what would be kind of cool, Nate, is having a youth portion of the presentation. Kuder said he loved the idea. There have even been rumblings that she may not last much longer in her position. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Superintendent Brenda Cassellius held a press conference Tuesday, a day after announcing Cassellius resignation. Will new reporting & school support systems help students? Brenda Cassellius Salary Details Revealed Brenda Cassellius' compensation is very high as she earns $311,000 every year. Josh Collins, Education Evolving, Education Minnesota, EdVisions Schools, Friendship Academy of the Arts, Jensen family, Julene Oxton, Kenneth Eban, Larry Pogemiller, Lars Esdal, Lisa Snyder, Lynn Nordgren, MAAP STARS Conference, Minnesota Association of Alternative Programs, Minnesota Office of Higher Education, Nell Collier, Patti Haasch, Rep Roz Peterson, Rep. Carlos Mariani, Rep. Jenifer Loon, Rep. Linda Slocum, Rep. Sondra Erickson, Sam Fredrickson, Sandy Connoly, Sen. Greg Clausen, Steve Allen, Students for Education Reform-Minnesota, Westra family / 1 Comment, This column originally was published by a series of ECM/Sun/Current Newspapers in late November, 2017 Thanks to passionate, practical families, students and educators Joe Nathan One of Americas finest traditions encourages us to pause late in the year, regardless of current controversies, to offer thanks. Over the next 15 years, her career remained on a steady ascent. The district has seen four different people leading the city schools in the last 10 years. Even though the July intervention did not come to fruition, Walsh still took measures to bolster the central office. Previous superintendents had done deep dives into the details of how the district ran. 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. Current and former BPS officials came to believe that the root causes of Casselliuss scattershot ideas were her lack of attention to detail and short attention span. Peter Kadzis, GBH senior politics editor, and Meg Woolhouse, GBH education reporter, joined host Henry Santoro on Morning Edition to discuss. Back in the cafeteria, before we leave, she nods with approval as an administrator explains the schools grocery-distribution system. That's not out-front administration. Thanks to passionate, practical parents, students and educators, Minnesota Association of Alternative Programs, MDE offers great opportunities to help develop education plans, School Safety Technical Assistance Center, US Department of Education Office of Safe and Healthy Students, Massive misunderstanding or classic bait and switch. And my hunch is . Cassellius, the former Minnesota Commissioner of Education, was selected superintendent in 2019 by the Boston School Committee. On Twitter, Brenda has 9,689 followers on her @bcassellius account. BOSTON (CBS) - Boston Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Brenda Cassellius is resigning at the end of the school year. Big changes and bold visions were called for. 2016 columns / If she appeared harried outside, coming off her meetings and calls, she is now something much closer to jubilant. She is confronting an entrenched bureaucracy that wants to pursue incrementalism, rather than radical reform, and she is determined to shake the cobwebs free. I dont want this to come off negative, she told me in our first interview, but I think theres almost a sense of pride in that Bostonians say theyre hard on people, just like in Minnesota we have Minnesota Nice., Paul Reville, who served as secretary of education under Deval Patrick and is a supporter of Cassellius, says Cassellius needs to be given time. . School officials under Walsh tightly controlled the search process when Cassellius was hired and now the school committee says it wont divulge details of the separation agreement until next month. Brenda CasselliusCommissionerMinnesota Department of Education1500 Highway 36 WestRoseville, Minnesota . And in that time, building improvements and academic improvements have been promised, but not met. You can do this. 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. Meg Woolhouse: Well, Henry, I think there's a lot of optimism around Wu she's a mother of two young kids who are in the schools in Boston, and I think people feel like she might be able to fix what's broken at BPS. Do the windows open at the central office? I asked. The windows open there. Before her aide could object, she was off. According to five current and former BPS officials, she often appeared to make snap decisions, seemingly without contemplating their ramifications. Cassellius made the announcement in a letter to parents, students and. In Minnesota, he explained, he and Cassellius shared a frustration that an entrenched bureaucracy stood in the way of bold change. The BPS officials listening to this concept were stunned. There was a moment when I thought, Maybe shes this madcap genius, the former official says. Both her father's name and her mothers are unknown. Near the end of our final interview, during which I detailed her critics charges, Cassellius cut me off. Charlene has a way of coaching Brenda, says the former Minnesota Department of Education official. Can Wu deliver? The problem was the timeline: She wanted it done now, before the new school year began the following month.
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