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Reorganization Plan
for the
Boston Public Schools
February 1996
SIGUT RUS S PATRIEST
Reorganization Plan
BOSTONIA ACGIMINE DONATA CONDITA.D.
for the
Boston Public Schools
Boston School Committee
Robert Gittens, Chairperson
Elizabeth Reilinger, Vice-Chairperson
Members
Felix Arroyo
John Gould
Alfreda Harris
Edwin Melendez
William Spring
Thomas W. Payzant, Superintendent
February 1996
Reorganization Plan for the
BOSTONIA CONDITA.D 1830.
Boston Public Schools
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
T
he Reorganization Plan for the Boston Public Schools describes
in detail a complete structural redirection of the Boston school
department-from a rigidly defined pyramid of command and control
to a streamlined, customer-service oriented organization where the
layer of administration between school-based leadership and the
Superintendent has been eliminated. In the new organization, all
services are clearly connected and accountable to one another, and the
focus in every department and for every employee will be to support
teaching and learning in the schools.
The purpose of the reorganization is to improve teaching and learning
for all students in each of the system's 117 schools. The new plan
strikes a balance between central direction and local school autonomy
for decision-making. Accountability is shared from the top down and
Boston School Committee
the bottom up. The plan is premised upon a clearly spelled out vision
Robert Gittens, Chairperson
of excellence with a set of guiding principles for an effective
Elizabeth Reilinger,
organization. Attention to the shared and unique needs of students
Vice-Chairperson
will become the organizational norm.
Members
In this model the system retains and strengthens its commitment to
Felix Arroyo
School-Based Management/Shared Decision-Making. School-Site
John Gould
Councils will have greater flexibility in making determinations in the
Alfreda Harris
use of resources and will now have a central support structure
Edwin Melendez
William Spring
designed to be more responsive to their needs.
A new team approach to managing the school department creates a
Thomas W. Payzant,
clear structure of support between central office and the schools. The
Superintendent
Reorganization Plan specifies the organizational connections as well
as responsibilities of each department, eliminating fragmentation and
duplication of administrative functions. The driving organizational
concept is teams-flexible, collegial units with a focus on customer
service to schools and with accountability shared from the top down
February 1996
and bottom up.
Boston Public Schools Reorganization Plan
Page 2
February 1996
KEY FEATURES
Schools Become Central to the Organization of the School System.
This reorganization is a radical departure for the Boston Public Schools. Reorganization efforts
in the past have used the existing structure as their starting point, sought budgetary economies
where possible, and for the most part redeployed staff into essentially the same roles and
departments. In marked contrast, this plan starts with a different set of assumptions: that the
primary point of operation for the school system is at the school site, not the central office; that
school-based staff must have a major stake in the decision-making process for the system as a
whole as well as their schools; and that all staff exist to support schools in their instructional
mission.
The Superintendent and Principals/Headmasters Lead the School System.
With the elimination of the Level Offices, the Superintendent and the city's principals and
headmasters become the educational leaders of Boston, with no administrative layer or
bureaucratic procedures separating them. To that end, principals and headmasters will
comprise half the members of the school system's senior decision-making body, the
Superintendent's Leadership Team, reversing decades of representation through level
administrators. The components of the organization have been redesigned to eliminate barriers,
facilitate communication, and enable principals and headmasters to be the true educational
leaders in their schools.
Clusters of Schools Provide a Structure for a Seamless Kindergarten Through Grade 12 Network.
The focal point for the entire organization becomes the ten "clusters" of 10 to 12 elementary,
middle, and high schools in geographic proximity. Within this cluster model, principals and
headmasters will be able to share ideas, collectively solve problems, coordinate curriculum
initiatives from kindergarten through grade 12, and identify obstacles to improving school
performance. Level Offices will be eliminated.
Each cluster will have a principal or headmaster from one of the schools in its cluster serving as
Cluster Leader while they run their schools. These ten Cluster Leaders will sit on the
Superintendent's Leadership Team and will share in all decision-making for the Boston Public
Schools. With this reorganization, principals and headmasters have nearly a majority voice on
the senior administrative team for the school department.
Superintendent Establishes Leadership Team and Simplifies Central Organization
Overall leadership for the Boston Public Schools will be provided by the Superintendent's
Leadership Team:
the Superintendent
10 principals/headmasters who also serve as Cluster Leaders
Teaching & Learning Support Services Team Leader
Boston Public Schools Reorganization Plan
Page 3
February 1996
Student Support Services Team Leader
Parent Support Services Team Leader
Operations Support Services Team Leader
Human Resources Team Leader
Chief Financial Officer.
The Deputy Superintendent, Chief of Staff, and Director of Communications will complete the
membership of the Leadership Team.
New Customer Service Orientation Will Ensure Prompt Response to Schools and Other
Constituents
With this reorganization, a major new focus of all teams, units, and staff will be on customer
service, with a special emphasis on responding to parents' needs. Customer service extends as
well to serving and supporting schools and fellow employees.
Central Support Teams Assist Schools in Achieving Excellence
The Reorganization Plan describes six central support teams, the collective mission of which is
to support the educational leadership of the school system.
Teaching & Learning Support Services includes unit teams for Curriculum & Instructional
Practices, Comprehensive School Planning, the Center for Leadership Development,
Bilingual Education, Special Education, Instructional Technology & Library Media, School-
to-Career, and Vocational Technical Education.
One of the responsibilities of this team is to ensure the full utilization of the Center for
Leadership Development to help schools prepare for higher academic standards and assist
them in customizing professional development services for their staff. The Curriculum and
Instructional Practices Unit Team will design the new Citywide Learning Standards-
curriculum and frameworks with high expectations for all students in kindergarten through
grade 12. For the first time, responsibility for instructional technology is placed in one
location-Instructional Technology & Library Media Unit Team.
Student Support Services includes Counseling Services, Health Services, Adult Education,
Alternative Education, Athletics, Comprehensive Health Education, and Hearings/Appeals
and Attendance. With the establishment of the Student Support Services Team, the Boston
Public Schools will be able to identify, coordinate, and manage social services and other
resources to help schools in their efforts to support students and their families.
Parent Support Services will be responsible for providing information for parents,
managing the Parent Information Centers, working with parent organizations, and helping
Boston Public Schools Reorganization Plan
Page 4
February 1996
schools establish parent centers at each site. Before school opens in September, for example,
a Parent Information Center will be opened on the first floor of the central office at Court
Street with full services for parents.
Operations Support Services includes Information Services, Implementation, Food Service,
Facilities/Planning and Engineering, Business Services, School Safety Services, and Blue
Ribbon Commission Plan Implementation. The focus of this Team is customer service-to
provide timely response to school needs and other requests for information, and in many
cases to do so within 24 hours.
Human Resources includes Staffing, Employee Relations, and Records Management. This
Team will use state-of-the-art technology to improve services to employees, new applicants,
and others. In addition, a primary purpose will be to attract the best and the brightest
teachers, principals, and staff to the system-and support and retain them.
Finance and Budget will align resources with educational priorities, which represents a
significant departure from "business as usual" in the school system, and work with the
Superintendent to meet fiduciary responsibilities.
In addition, two new offices have been established in the Reorganization Plan:
the Office of Communications, responsible for internal and external communications
including an active and productive working relationship with the media and with schools,
parents, and the community as a whole; and
the Development Office, responsible for developing new resources, grants, and gift
opportunities for the Boston Public Schools.
The mission, staffing, lines of communication, and responsibility for each of these teams are
detailed in the Reorganization Plan.
The organizational structure is the foundation that will enable the Boston Public Schools to reach its
goals. Educators, students, parents, and community will build together on this foundation to
improve teaching and learning for all students in the Boston Public Schools.
Reorganization Plan for the
BOSTONIA CONDITA.D 1830.
Boston Public Schools
INTRODUCTION
T
his is a plan for the reorganization of the Boston Public Schools.
Its overall purpose is to improve teaching and learning for all
students in each of the system's 117 schools. It is philosophically
grounded in strong customer service whereby the primary role of the
central administration is to support the schools. It is based on guiding
principles which define expectations for the school system and for the
employees and students who are responsible for meeting them. This
plan strikes a balance between central direction and local school
autonomy for decision making. Accountability is shared from the top
down and bottom up. Hierarchy will be minimized and teamwork
accentuated.
The central office will set expectations and priorities for the school
system and provide support and technical assistance as each school
Boston School Committee
determines the best way to meet system-wide goals. The organization
Robert Gittens, Chairperson
will be streamlined to make efficient use of resources, to facilitate
Elizabeth Reilinger,
effective two-way communication and to focus on responsive
Vice-Chairperson
customer service. The organizational structure is the foundation that
will enable the Boston Public Schools to reach its goals. Educators,
Members
students, parents, and community will build on this foundation to
Felix Arroyo
improve teaching and learning for all students in the Boston Public
John Gould
Schools.
Alfreda Harris
Edwin Melendez
VISION OF EXCELLENCE
William Spring
The vision of the Boston Public Schools is to enable all students to
learn at high levels. This vision requires:
Thomas W. Payzant,
setting clear expectations for what students are to know and be
Superintendent
able to do in elementary, middle, and high school;
providing excellent and equitable opportunities for children to
meet these expectations;
enhancing the capacity of all employees to support the
improvement of teaching and learning;
February 1996
Boston Public Schools Reorganization Plan
Page 7
February 1996
collaborating with parents, business, universities, community-based organizations, and
government to offer services that strengthen and support children's learning;
holding all employees and collaborators accountable for results for student success; and
helping students to recognize their responsibility for learning and to understand that the
challenges of the twenty-first century will require greater effort than ever imagined.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR AN EFFECTIVE ORGANIZATION
To enable all students to achieve at high levels, the Boston Public Schools must create an
organization that will enable all employees to support teaching and learning in more strategic and
effective ways. This plan is based upon the following interrelated guiding principles:
Instructional leaders at the school level and at the system-wide level must work in close
concert to improve teaching and learning. The key instructional leaders in the Boston Public
Schools, those who must address all the needs and the full potential of every child for whom
they are responsible, are the Superintendent and the principals/headmasters of the schools.
Decentralizing the organization will enable the Superintendent and principals/headmasters
to work together in a new and different manner on behalf of better teaching and higher
student achievement. Change will take place through:
1.) elimination of the elementary, middle, and high school offices, including the
assistant superintendents and their staffs;
2.) direct contact between the Superintendent and principals/headmasters by including
ten on the Superintendent's Leadership Team;
3.) the establishment of central support teams to coordinate services for schools;
4.) enhanced School-Based Management and Shared Decision-Making;
5.) focus on improved instruction and student success; and
6.) a change in the role of central administration from directive to one that is supportive
and customer service oriented.
All central support teams will focus on providing comprehensive, high-quality, and
responsive service and support to the schools. Streamlining the organization in this manner
will enable all personnel to concentrate on school improvement.
Attention to the shared and unique needs of students will become the organizational norm.
This will require the incorporation of special education, bilingual education, vocational
education, instructional technology, and school-to-career into the common core of learning
for Boston's students.
A multi-layered command-and-control structure will be replaced by a service-and-support
structure which values two-way communication, responsiveness, and accountability.
Boston Public Schools Reorganization Plan
Page 8
February 1996
There will be a new emphasis on curriculum standards, effective instructional practice,
multiple forms of assessment, professional development, parent involvement, and
community and business partnerships.
The system will be organized into ten clusters of ten to twelve schools each that span the
spectrum of kindergarten through grade 12. Geographic proximity of schools in the cluster
will facilitate the sharing of best practices, resources, and information and will ease the
transition of students from elementary school to middle school to high school. Schools will
be able to reflect upon and improve their own plans and practices with greater
understanding because they will gain, through clusters, a sense of the whole system and
how the parts fit together.
THE ORGANIZATION
OVERVIEW
The current organization is hierarchical and multi-layered (Chart 1). Separate offices for elementary,
middle, and high schools create levels between the Superintendent, the Deputy Superintendent,
and the schools. Communications moves vertically, but not horizontally in the organization.
The new organization will support the schools and teaching and learning. Chart 2 illustrates that
ten clusters of 10-12 elementary, middle, and high schools in geographic proximity are the focus.
Each cluster will have a principal or headmaster from one of the schools in the cluster as leader. The
elementary, middle, and high school level offices will be eliminated. There will be no organizational
layer between the Superintendent and the principals and headmasters. Communications will move
from the bottom up and across the organization as well as from the top down. The central office
staff will work in teams to provide help and support for the schools.
Boston Public Schools
School Committee
Organization Chart
CHART 1
Current September 11, 1995
Superintendent
Ombudsman
Executive Staff
School Based Mgt
Legal Services
Equity
Implementation
Center for
Accountability/
Planning, Research,
Leadership
Internal Auditing
and Development
Development
Deputy Superintendent
Asst. Supt./
Asst. Supt./
Asst. Supt./
High Schools
Middle Schools
Elem. Schools
Human
Chief Academic
Vocational Ed.
Chief Financial
Tech./Information
Resources
Officer
Officer
Services
Recruitment
Curriculum
SPED
Food Serv.
Technology
Stud. Assign.
East Zone
Chapter I
Office
Tchr. Place.
Facilities/P&E
Adult Ed.
High School
Information
Bilingual
Record Mgt.
Zone Office
North Zone
Systems
Content
Office
Evaluation
Specialists
School Safety
Ext. Liaison
Stud. Supp.
Tech./Libr.
Services
West Zone
Office
School Serv.
Business Off.
Transportation
High
Madison
Middle
Pre. & Elem.
Records
Schools
Park HS
Schools
Schools
Budget/Grants
CHART 2
ADMINISTRATIVE REORGANIZATION CHART/FEBRUARY 14, 1996
SCHOOLS
STUDENTS
SITE COUNCILS
CLUSTERS
SUPERINTENDENT
HE
TEACHING'&
STUDENT
LEARNING
SUPPORT
SUPPORT
SERVICES
SERVICES
PARENT
OPERATIONS
SUPPORT
SUPPORT
SERVICES
SERVICES
HUMAN
FINANCE
RESOURCES
AND
BUDGET
Boston Public Schools Reorganization Plan
Page 11
February 1996
LEADERSHIP TEAM
The Superintendent, Deputy Superintendent, Chief of Staff, Director of Communications, and ten
Cluster Leaders will work as a team and with the team leaders of the other central support teams:
Teaching & Learning Support Services
Student Support Services
Parent Support Services
Operations Support Services
Human Resources
Finance & Budget.
Each team will carry out functions to support the work of the schools. The Superintendent's
Leadership Team will be the decision-making group that facilitates comprehensive system-wide
thinking, planning, and implementation to reach Boston Public Schools goals (Chart 3). Members
will include ten Cluster Leaders, Teaching & Learning Support Services Team Leader, Operations
Support Services Team Leader, Student Support Services Team Leader, Parent Support Services
Team Leader, Finance & Budget Chief Financial Officer, Human Resources Team Leader, Director of
Communications, Chief of Staff, Deputy Superintendent, and Superintendent.
The Leadership Team will model the behavior for the organization by judging every decision it
makes based on the impact it will have on teaching and learning and student success. This team
must convey by its actions the values embedded in the guiding principles of the organization,
policies that focus on teaching and learning and that drive whole school reform and improvement,
commitment to the priorities it sets, and accountability for results. The Leadership Team must
demonstrate its understanding of both the difficulty and value of organizational change. Rethinking
roles and relationships is necessary and hard work. In organizational change, the past and the
future co-exist. There is tension and ambiguity as the old ways of working disappear and new ways
emerge. Tension and ambiguity cannot be ignored but they can be managed by the Leadership
Team.
OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT
The Office of the Superintendent will consist of:
Superintendent
Deputy Superintendent
Chief of Staff
Individual contributors in the areas of Communications, Internal Auditing, Equity, and the Boston
Compact (ex officio)
Teams in the areas of Research, Assessment, and Evaluation, Development, and Legal Services
Taken collectively, the members of the Office of the Superintendent will shape policy, engage in
strategic planning, develop organizational capacity for high performance and continuous
SUPERINTENDENT'S LEADERSHIP TEAM
CHART 3
COMMUNICATIONS
DIRECTOR
FINANCE AND
CLUSTER LEADERS
BUDGET
(10)
TEAM LEADER
TEACHING &
SUPERINTENDENT
HUMAN
LEARNING
DEPUTY SUPT.
RESOURCES
SUPPORT SERVICES
CHIEF OF STAFF
TEAM LEADER
TEAM LEADER
OPERATIONS
STUDENT SUPPORT
SUPPORT SERVICES
SERVICES
TEAM LEADER
TEAM LEADER
PARENT SUPPORT
SERVICES
TEAM LEADER
Boston Public Schools Reorganization Plan
Page 13
February 1996
improvement, and assess organizational effectiveness, all in support of teaching and learning
(Chart 4). The specific functions of the individuals and teams are described below.
COMMUNICATIONS
The Office of Communications is responsible for managing internal and external communications
for the Boston Public Schools. The director works as part of the Leadership Team to develop
effective communications within the Boston Public Schools, with the media, and with a variety of
public constituencies. Toward that end, the office is responsible for planning and implementing
outreach efforts to enhance understanding of the school system and its commitment to improve
teaching and learning for all students.
The office will include a director, publications specialist, and staff assistant.
The Office of Communications will take lead responsibility for:
Designing and implementing an external communications plan. External communications
includes the development of professional and appropriately accessible relationships with
media outlets. This involves engaging in proactive media relations through the distribution
of press releases and press packets and the organization of press conferences and briefings.
In addition, the office will facilitate the Superintendent's contacts with editorial boards, the
drawing of media attention to stories about students, schools, staff, and the system as a
whole, and the use of non-English-language as well as English-language communications
vehicles. Additionally, external communications involves developing and managing the
implementation of a system-wide protocol for responding to media requests for interviews,
photo/video shoots, and the like.
Initiating logo and publications redesign so that all are easily recognized and user friendly.
Developing innovative public service campaigns.
Facilitating the planning and sponsorship of special events.
Designing an internal communications plan. Internal communications involves regular
communications with staff, parents, students, and organizational teams.
The Office of Communications will assist:
Schools, programs, and teams in implementing the internal communications plan, e.g., via
working with the Center for Leadership Development to provide media training to Cluster
Leaders or working with Human Resources to make appropriate use of non-BPS
communications vehicles developed by professional associations, unions, and the like.
Research, Assessment, and Evaluation in conducting surveys and focus groups of parents,
students, and staff regarding their satisfaction with internal communications.
OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT
CHART 4
DEPUTY
SUPERINTENDENT
GENERAL
CHIEF OF STAFF
COUNSEL
COMMUNICATIONS
DEVELOPMENT
OFFICE OF THE
SUPERINTENDENT
RESEARCH,
ASSESSMENT &
INTERNAL AUDITOR
EVALUATION
BOSTON COMPACT
EQUITY
Boston Public Schools Reorganization Plan
Page 15
February 1996
INTERNAL AUDITOR
The Internal Auditor has the responsibility for conducting independent reviews of programs and
practices within the Boston Public Schools to provide the Superintendent and School Committee
with reports and recommendations to improve operations, consistent with the goals of the school
system and standards of good management and fiduciary practices.
The office will include an auditor and clerical support.
The Internal Auditor will take lead responsibility for:
Periodic, in-depth reviews of expenditures of selected grants relative to grant entitlements.
Periodic, in-depth reviews of expenditures of selected GSP accounts of critical interest.
Periodic, in-depth review of service performance of the Operations Support Services Team.
EQUITY
The Boston Public Schools is committed to both equity and excellence. Standards of equity
including due process, access to opportunity, and fair treatment for employees and students are
monitored by this office. The Office of Equity will take a leadership role with equity issues.
The office will include a senior officer and clerical support.
Equity will take lead responsibility for:
Advising the Superintendent on equity issues.
Analyzing and reporting on staffing patterns.
Ensuring fair criteria and procedures are used to hire and evaluate personnel.
Assisting staff and students in addressing equity issues.
Representing the school department before the Massachusetts Commission on
Discrimination and the United States Office of Civil Rights.
Equity will assist:
Human Resources in developing and implementing personnel recruitment strategies and in
providing technical assistance to schools, teams, and others in selecting and evaluating
personnel.
Student Support Services in ensuring fair criteria and procedures for student hearings and
appeals.
Business Services in identifying minority and women vendors.
Center for Leadership Development in designing a plan for enhancing the leadership
capacity of minorities and women historically under-represented in the ranks of lead
teachers, department heads, assistant principals, principals, headmasters, and team leaders.
Boston Public Schools Reorganization Plan
Page 16
February 1996
BOSTON COMPACT
Boston is fortunate to have a strong tradition of vigorous business and higher education support for
public education. The liaison with the Boston Compact provides an opportunity for connecting the
school system with important partners, supporting open communications, and providing a process
for addressing the critical issues facing the public schools with the business community and
institutions of higher education.
The office will include the Executive Director of the Boston Compact, who will serve as the liaison
to the business and higher education communities.
The Boston Compact Executive Director will take lead responsibility for:
Working with the Superintendent on the priorities and initiatives of the Boston Compact,
the Boston Private Industry Council, and the Boston Plan for Excellence in the Public
Schools.
Developing and supporting business and university partnerships.
Advising the Superintendent on matters dealing with business and university collaboration.
Working with signatories to carry forward the recommendations made by the Boston
Compact.
The Boston Compact Executive Director will assist:
The Development Office in identifying and analyzing grant/gift/partnership opportunities.
The Office of Communications in developing and implementing the external
communications plan.
Cluster Leaders in establishing new partnerships between the schools and business and
higher education institutions.
RESEARCH, ASSESSMENT, AND EVALUATION
A school system must have the capacity for research, assessment, and evaluation. Research
provides information on teaching and learning: what does and does not work. Assessment enables
educators, parents, students, and the community to know what kind of progress individual
students, schools, and the school system are making toward reaching high expectations. Program
evaluation provides good data on the effectiveness of particular programs. The data and analyses
by this office will serve as a prod and conscience for all who are committed to improving teaching
and learning for all Boston students.
The office will include a director, professional/technical staff members, and clerical support.
The Office of Research, Assessment, & Evaluation will take lead responsibility for:
Developing appropriate measures of, analysis of, and clear and consistent reporting on
progress toward meeting goals and objectives of the system as a whole; school performance;
Boston Public Schools Reorganization Plan
Page 17
February 1996
program performance; and goals and service quality of each organizational team that is not
a school/program, including teams in Operations Support Services.
Designing and implementing studies of critical issues, e.g., of school dropout trends or
parent/school satisfaction with transportation services.
Managing studies contracted to outside agencies or individuals.
Developing protocol to be used by outside agencies and individuals seeking access to the
system to do research and monitoring of adherence to this protocol.
Implementing, analyzing, and reporting on assessments of student performance.
Reporting on current new developments in and best practices in research, assessment, and
evaluation.
Leading study groups.
Providing technical assistance in the analysis of evaluation and assessment data by
principals, teachers, School-Site Councils, team leaders, and others to inform continuous
improvement efforts.
The Office of Research, Assessment, & Evaluation will assist:
Teaching and Learning Support Services in researching and designing assessments of
student performance.
The Center for Leadership Development in identifying current best practices in teaching and
leadership development.
Parent Support Services in developing materials for parents on school and student
performance.
Operations in preparing and analyzing measures of the effectiveness of initiatives, policies,
procedures, etc.
DEVELOPMENT
Private non-profit organizations usually have an office of development which is responsible for
creating and implementing a plan to acquire resources. Public agencies often have grant offices that
complete grant applications for external funds. This office will combine both functions and have as
its focus the creation of a comprehensive plan and strategies for acquiring resources to support
whole school reform efforts in the Boston Public Schools.
The office will include a director, an assistant, and clerical support.
-
The Development Office will take lead responsibility for:
Identifying and analyzing grant/gift/partnership opportunities to support system-wide
priorities.
Updating and analyzing information about federal and state policies and regulations
involving sources of funds such as Chapter I and Chapter 636.
Planning, writing, and submitting proposals intended to address system-wide priorities
Boston Public Schools Reorganization Plan
Page 18
February 1996
and/or managing the planning, writing and submitting of such proposals.
Developing protocol for schools, programs, and teams to identify possible sources of
funding for school-, program-, and team-specific initiatives and needs; providing technical
assistance in proposal planning and writing; reviewing applications to ensure consistency
with district policies and the requirements of the funding source; coordinating the
submission of applications to prevent duplication or conflict of effort.
Planning and managing outreach and relationship-building activities with potential
funders.
Serving as liaison to federal, state, and local governments regarding education legislation
and programs.
Maintaining records and preparing reports on grants/gifts/partnership opportunities.
Disseminating successful models and ideas.
The Development Office will assist:
Finance and Budget in projecting revenues from funding sources such as Chapter I and
Chapter 636.
Finance and Budget in providing technical assistance to schools and teams in developing
grant budgets and engaging in grant management.
The Boston Compact Executive Director in identifying grant/gift/partnership
opportunities.
Teaching and Learning Support Services and the Center for Leadership Development to
ensure proposals and funds are targeted to priorities.
Clusters and schools in the identification of needs and priorities for external funding and in
the development of proposals designed to seek funding to help address the needs.
LEGAL SERVICES
Legal Services will provide counsel on legal issues for the Superintendent and School Committee to
enable them to carry out their respective responsibilities.
The office will include a general counsel, three staff attorneys, and clerical support.
Legal Services will take lead responsibility for:
Representing the school department's legal interests in litigation.
Identifying and analyzing new developments in laws, regulations, and consent decrees.
Monitoring and reporting on legal compliance with laws, regulations, and consent decrees.
Serving as liaison between the Office of the Superintendent and Corporation Counsel.
Advising the Superintendent, team leaders, principals/headmasters and others of legal
responsibilities, constraints, and implications in areas such as contract negotiations,
grievances, and arbitrations.
Advising the Superintendent and School Committee concerning the legal implications of
current and proposed policy.
Boston Public Schools Reorganization Plan
Page 19
February 1996
Legal Services will assist:
Communications in designing an internal communication plan that incorporates the routine
dissemination of information on laws, regulations, and consent decrees to schools,
programs, and teams.
Human Resources in contract negotiations.
Staff and student hearings as needed.
Finance and Budget and Operations in the review of contract documents.
SCHOOL CLUSTERS
Given the commitment of the Boston Public Schools to educating the whole child and every single
child, it is necessary to rethink the school-by-school, program-by-program, and grade-level-by-
grade-level approach that historically has been taken to improve teaching and learning in the
schools. This approach, while well intended at the start, has resulted in fragmentation. The
education of too many children falls through the cracks at any given moment. Children who receive
a solid education in one school are likely to experience a "disconnect" when they move on to
another school at a higher grade level. A child may receive appropriate instruction in one subject
area, but not another. Schools and programs have become single-mindedly invested in "their
children." Balkanization has taken hold and the common ground that we share for all children has
been lost. The challenge of enabling all children to achieve at high levels in each of the core content
areas throughout their schooling requires the restoration of the common ground. This organization
plan is intended to do just that.
The conceptual common ground will consist of high expectations for the teaching and learning of
all children, as embodied in new curriculum standards and frameworks and accompanying forms
of assessment. The organizational common ground will consist of clusters of schools working
together, Cluster Leaders working with the Superintendent and the Superintendent's leadership
team, and the rest of the system working together to serve the clusters and schools, for that is where
high expectations for teaching and learning will be realized.
Specifically, schools will be grouped into a total of ten clusters (Chart 5). Each cluster will
encompass kindergarten through grade 12. Schools within a cluster may also be located in the same
geographic area and/or may share common instructional interests, approaches, or goals. The
principals and headmasters in each cluster will meet regularly to joim together in activities such as:
securing the system-wide and external information and services needed to plan, newly
implement, or sustain school improvement initiatives;
serving as sounding boards for the design, implementation, and outcomes of each other's
ideas and school improvement plans;
alerting Cluster Leaders to recurring problems, emerging issues, and obstacles that need to
be resolved centrally;
BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
CHART 5
CLUSTERS
SCHOOLS
CLUSTER 1
SCHOOLS
SCHOOLS
CLUSTER 10
CLUSTER 2
SCHOOLS
SCHOOLS
CLUSTER 9
CLUSTER3
CLUSTER
LEADERS
SCHOOLS
SCHOOLS
CLUSTER8
CLUSTER 4
SCHOOLS
SCHOOLS
CLUSTER 5
CLUSTER 7
SCHOOLS
CLUSTER 6
CHART 5A
BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
PROPOSED CLUSTERS
CLUSTER
CLUSTER
CLUSTER
CLUSTER
CLUSTER
CLUSTER
CLUSTER
CLUSTER
CLUSTER
CLUSTER
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Fenway Mid.
McKinley
South Boston
Boston Latin
Horace Mann
English High
Latin Acad.
Hyde Park
Dorchester
W.Roxbury
O'Bryant
Mary Curley
Burke High
Lewenberg
Thompson
College
-Vocational
Gavin
Brighton High
Irving
Charlestown
-Technical
McCormack
Madison Park
Edison
Agassiz
Cleveland
R.G.Shaw
Rogers
Wilson
East Boston
-Elementary
Clap
Lewis
Taft
James Curley
King
Bates
Channing
Endicott
Pal Program
-Middle
Condon
Timilty
Baldwin
Ellis
Dickerman
Chittick
Fifield
Beethoven
East Zone ELC
E.Greenwood
S.Greenwood
Umana/Barnes
ACC
Dever
Farragut
Gardner
Fuller
Conley
Edwards
Carter Center
Everett
Hale
Garfield
Hennigan
Holland
Grew
Holmes
Kilmer
Adams
Boston High
Perkins
Tobin
Hamilton
Hernandez
Marshall
Lyndon
Haley
Kenny
Alighieri
Snowden Int.
Young Achievers
Jackson/Mann
Higginson
Mather
Perry
Mozart
Mattahunt
Lee
Murphy
Bradley
Russell
J.F.Kennedy
Trotter
Downtown Eve.
Lyon
Ohrenberger
Roosevelt
Guild
North Zone ELC
Manning
P.Shaw
O'Heam
Acad.
Tynan
Philbrick
P. Kennedy
Mendell
Stone
Dearborn
Winship
Sumner
Harvard/Kent
West Zone ELC
Taylor
Wheatley
McKay
Blackstone
O'Donnell
Eliot
Otis
Emerson
Hurley
Mason
Quincy
Boston Public Schools Reorganization Plan
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February 1996
making recommendations for and providing feedback on systemwide improvement; and
devising solutions to school-specific problems and problems affecting several schools.
The intent is to bring principals and headmasters together across grade levels in educationally
meaningful and manageable-sized groups to focus their best thinking and best practices on
providing an educational experience for students, one that is enriched by collaborative instructional
leadership and that is, to the degree possible within a controlled choice system, seamless from
kindergarten through grade 12.
Each cluster of principals and headmasters will be headed by a Cluster Leader. Cluster Leaders will
be selected by the Superintendent. They will serve for up to three years, with the initial terms of
office being staggered so that there will not be a 100 percent turnover in any given year. Cluster
Leaders will remain principals or headmasters of their schools but will take on additional
responsibilities. Each will have a cluster coordinator and secretary to help meet their expanded
responsibilities. They will be housed in their schools to enable them to work with school staff,
students, and parents to stay focused on teaching and learning.
As described in other parts of this organization plan, the infrastructure of the system will be
improved in terms of information technology and customer service. Information technology
improvements will enable Cluster Leaders, as well as all principals and headmasters, to
communicate with each other in fast and easy ways, at any time and from any place. The norm of
customer service will mean that Cluster Leaders, as well as all their principal and headmaster
colleagues, will no longer have to spend an inordinate amount of time securing operational support
services but will instead be able to concentrate on improving teaching and learning.
Cluster Leaders will schedule and convene meetings of their clusters, set the agendas for the
meetings, and arrange for other individuals internal or external to the system to join the meetings
when their expertise is required. A Cluster Leader will also broker services needed by a cluster, for
example, the services of the Comprehensive School Planning Unit Team from the Teaching and
Learning Support Services Team to work with the cluster or specific schools within a cluster on
school improvement priorities. Cluster Leaders will also represent their colleagues on the
Superintendent's Leadership Team. The intent of representation is to create regular, direct, and
interactive connections between instructional leaders at the school level and instructional leaders at
the system-wide level.
More specifically, as members of the Superintendent's Leadership Team, the Cluster Leaders will
connect the principals and headmasters in their respective clusters to the Superintendent and to the
rest of the system through:
the communication to the principals and headmasters in their clusters of the priorities and
direction of the Superintendent and the leadership team;
Boston Public Schools Reorganization Plan
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February 1996
the brokering of support services requested by their clusters;
the representation of the interests and needs of the cluster to the Superintendent and the
leadership team; and
the presentation of cluster-devised solutions to school problems and challenges to the
Superintendent and the leadership team for adoption as system-wide policies.
TEACHING AND LEARNING SUPPORT SERVICES TEAM
A goal is to realize the vision of the Boston Public Schools of enabling all students to learn at high
levels by assisting schools in the implementation of new curriculum standards and frameworks.
The Teaching & Learning Support Services Team will accomplish this goal, in part, by supporting
comprehensive planning and action that results in whole school reform and improvement. To better
serve the schools, Unit Teams will be established and focus on building linkages among themselves
and the clusters and schools. They can then establish priorities for allocating their services to meet
the needs of the clusters and schools.
The Team Leader's office will include the Team Leader, an administrative assistant, and clerical
support (Chart 6). The Team will include the Unit Teams of:
Curriculum & Instructional Practices
Comprehensive School Planning
Center for Leadership Development
Bilingual Education
Special Education
Instructional Technology & Library Media
School-to-Career
Vocational Technical Education
In support of high-quality teaching and learning processes for all students and teachers, this team
will ensure the coordination of services from all of its Unit Teams to the schools. While the
organizational structure will have clear reporting relationships, the operating style will be one of
responsiveness to the needs of the students and schools, as identified by particular schools or
clusters. Supporting school-identified initiatives while assuring compliance with federal and state
mandates and School Committee policy will be a major function of this team.
CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES
The Curriculum and Instructional Practices Unit Team will focus on providing those services that
are most directly connected to the support of teaching and learning processes.
The Curriculum and Instructional Practices Unit Team will include the director, eight curriculum
specialists (language arts/reading, mathematics, science, arts (2), social studies, world languages,
TEACHING AND LEARNING SUPPORT SERVICES TEAM
CHART 6
CURRICULUM &
INSTRUCTIONAL
PRACTICE
TECHNICAL
COMPREHENSIVE
VOCATIONAL
SCHOOL
EDUCATION
PLANNING
TEACHING &
CENTER FOR
SCHOOL-TO-
LEARNING
LEADERSHIP
CAREER
SUPPORT SERVICES
DEVELOPMENT
TEAM
INSTRUCTIONAL
BILINGUAL
TECHNOLOGY &
EDUCATION
LIBRARY/MEDIA
SPECIAL
EDUCATION
Boston Public Schools Reorganization Plan
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February 1996
and early childhood), and clerical support. The curriculum specialists will provide system-wide
support. Each curriculum specialist will provide quality support of curriculum implementation,
namely, support of good teaching and learning processes. Each individual will have responsibility
to the team for a primary and secondary content area. By sharing their specialized knowledge, they
will also operate as generalists to help schools that are engaged in interdisciplinary teaching and
learning.
The Curriculum and Instructional Practices Unit Team will take lead responsibility for:
Designing and monitoring the implementation of the Citywide Learning Standards, the new
curriculum standards and frameworks.
Coordinating and making recommendations on curriculum review and textbook adoption.
The Curriculum and Instructional Practices Unit Team will assist:
Research, Assessment, and Evaluation to identify, design, and support effective school-level,
standards-based assessments for instructional practices.
Student Support Services Team to solicit help from social service and city and community
agencies regarding the implementation of the Citywide Learning Standards. These agencies
can reflect the standards in their activities with students and students' parents, guardians,
and other significant adults.
Schools on curriculum issues and serving on Academic Support Teams.
COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL PLANNING
Comprehensive School Planning will focus on providing services in support of equity for all
students by assisting clusters and schools in identifying and acting on plans which will
comprehensively move the schools toward a supportive school climate, whole school reform, and
excellence in teaching and learning.
The Comprehensive School Planning Unit Team will include the Unit Team Leader, five school
planning specialists, the Title 1 program director, support staff, and clerical support.
The Comprehensive School Planning Unit Team will take lead responsibility for:
Providing comprehensive planning and technical assistance to clusters and schools in the
development and implementation of comprehensive school plans that will focus on the
schools' strategies for establishing priorities, seeking and allocating resources, building on
what works, eliminating weaknesses, assessing results, and maintaining continuous
progress.
Providing direct assistance to the clusters and individual schools, by establishing Academic
Support Teams which would include internal staff and external resource people with
knowledge and expertise in areas such as school-based management, curriculum content
areas, bilingual education, special education, career development, positive discipline
Boston Public Schools Reorganization Plan
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February 1996
practices, etc.
Providing advocacy, support, and assistance for School-Based Management and Shared
Decision-Making and the work of School-Site Councils.
Coordinating Title I schoolwide planning efforts.
CENTER FOR LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
The system's priorities and the comprehensive plans of schools to address those priorities define
the direction of professional development. The Center for Leadership Development (CLD) must
align the system's priorities with the allocation of resources to support the professional
development that administrators, teachers, non-teaching staff, and non-school-based administrators
need to be successful. The Center for Leadership Development will include the executive director,
two assistant directors, a program director, an administrative assistant, and clerical support.
As the coordinator of professional development for the system, the CLD will facilitate a
conversation across the system about the integral role of professional development in whole school
improvement, broadening the system's traditional definition of professional development to ensure
that it is connected to whole school reform. Specifically, the CLD must work with central support
teams and schools which will provide professional development that reflects research on effective
instructional practices and leadership. This enhanced communication and coordination will ensure
that there is a unified, systemic approach to the provision of professional development-resulting
in varied offerings which are responsive to system, school, student, and employee needs and are
sustained and consistently high quality. Through this coordination, the CLD will serve as a
clearinghouse of information on professional development, providing a simple, single source of
information for school staff, helping them identify their professional development needs, and then
linking them to appropriate resources.
The CLD will be a catalyst to expand the professional development available to school staff. The
CLD must identify new areas where professional development is needed. Areas that have already
been defined as needing attention include leadership and management skills of school-based
administrators, new conceptions of teaching and learning for teachers and administrators, and
customer-driven provision of services by the central offices of the system. In each of these areas, the
CLD must determine the community resources and expertise that are available and then design
professional development programs which access the resources and expertise within the schools
and across the community and respond to the needs of the schools and staff. In this role the CLD
will serve as an important link among the business community, higher education, local and national
philanthropy, community agencies, and the school system. Such coordination will increase the
effective use of limited resources and will make the Boston Public Schools better able to compete for
local and national philanthropic support.
Boston Public Schools Reorganization Plan
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February 1996
The CLD will be the unit which thinks strategically and holistically about professional
development, provides a systematic process for delivering professional development, offers
support and technical assistance to schools in identifying needs and accessing professional
development resources, and establishes valuable collaborative partners outside of the system.
The Center for Leadership Development will focus on supporting administrators, teachers, and
parents in their efforts to build capacity at the school level to improve instructional practice that
leads to student success.
The Center for Leadership Development Unit Team will take lead responsibility for:
Providing teachers, principals, headmasters, other school-based and central office
administrators, and parents with training, technical assistance, and ongoing support needed
to lead school-based improvement and whole school reform efforts.
Providing professional development opportunities for teachers and other school staff
members that focus on priorities as identified by the system and its practitioners.
Acting as broker, linking higher education, outside educational institutions, the business
community, and foundations with schools (or central offices providing direct school
support) to focus on the system's priorities.
Developing and maintaining a database of technical resources for schools and central offices
to access as they plan professional development programs based on school-identified needs.
Identifying best leadership and teaching practices that will provoke good information for
those planning high quality professional development programs.
BILINGUAL EDUCATION
The bilingual/multicultural educational program will provide children with programs of quality
instruction in their native language and in English so that English language learners will receive a
complete education comparable to that of other children. The bilingual/ multicultural education
program will create an educational environment that is responsive to student learning styles and
validates their culture, promotes confidence in their abilities, and results in academic success.
The Unit Team will include a director, an assistant director, and support and clerical staff. The
Director of the Unit Team will have access to the Superintendent's office.
The Bilingual Education Unit Team will take lead responsibility for:
Developing high quality bilingual/multicultural education programs for kindergarten to
grade 12 and serve as a primary resource for all children whose first language is not English.
Serving as a resource to administrators, teachers and parents within designated clusters to
improve teaching and learning; and parent participation and involvement in the
development of bilingual/multicultural education programs at the school level.
Managing the services provided by the Multicultural Communication and Placement Center
Boston Public Schools Reorganization Plan
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February 1996
and providing technical assistance to administrators, teachers and parents concerning
educational programs.
Overseeing the development and implementation of curriculum and services for language
minority students and integrating them into the whole school.
Monitoring compliance with local, state, and federal mandates and guidelines and
mandates and taking appropriate action to ensure positive results.
Ensuring equal access for English language learners to all instructional programs offered in
the Boston Public Schools.
The Bilingual Education Unit Team will assist
The Superintendent in identifying issues that will ensure ongoing commitment to the
implementation of bilingual programs that result in student success.
Human Resources and schools in recruiting and screening qualified staff.
Implementation in identifying space and capacity at the school level for bilingual/
multicultural education programs.
Implementation and Information Services in gathering data for required reports and other
requests.
Title I in maintaining compliance with the Title I Consent Decree as it pertains to services
provided to English language learners.
Curriculum in developing integrated curriculum standards that respond to the
programmatic needs of English language learners and in reviewing and identifying
appropriate instructional materials.
Center for Leadership Development in planning and implementing professional
development activities for bilingual/ESL mainstream teachers.
Special Education in providing appropriate service to English language learners who are
also in need of special education program services
Research, Assessment, and Evaluation in collecting data for program evaluation.
SPECIAL EDUCATION
The Special Education Unit Team will provide services to students between the ages of three and
twenty-two with mild to severe special needs in a full continuum of quality special education
services. The Unit Team will have responsibility for coordinating educational planning for students
in the least-restrictive environment, including pre-referral intervention, assessments, transitioning,
individual educational plan (IEP) development, and special education service delivery. The Unit
Team will also have responsibility for helping schools maintain compliance, data management,
professional development, technology, parent outreach and advocacy, and budget oversight. The
director of the Unit Team will have access to the Superintendent's office.
The Unit Team will be organized to serve school-based and itinerant staff to optimize services to
students with special needs while maintaining compliance and quality assurance. The director will
Boston Public Schools Reorganization Plan
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February 1996
be responsible for coordinating all of the programmatic and regulatory services consistent with the
inclusion policy of the Boston Public Schools. The responsibilities for budget oversight of private
placements and itinerant services will be centralized to ensure better management. Program
advisors will be assigned to clusters to serve in schools as consultants/advisors to school personnel
for the implementation of a seamless kindergarten to grade 12 service model. Evaluation Team
Leaders and Early Childhood Liaisons will be assigned to schools.
There will be three major components in the Unit Team's organization: School-Based Support,
Program Operations, and Program Support.
The School-Based Support component will emphasize accountability for the many operational
functions which must be addressed on a day-to-day basis in order to provide services to improve
teaching and learning in schools. It will introduce cross-level work groups that address special
education instructional concerns, problem solving, and program development. The staff assigned to
perform these functions will include ten senior advisors assigned to coordinate services within the
ten cluster framework; one program advisor for itinerant services; three lead therapists/teachers;
eight early childhood liaisons assigned to schools; a clerical pool of twelve; and a senior technician
assigned to the central office to help facilitate operational administrative duties.
The Program Operations component will introduce the coordination of problem solving to improve
service delivery, an evaluation process to establish programmatic quality assurance, and a
compliance maintenance system to assure that schools are following Boston Public Schools
procedures, court orders, and state and federal regulations regarding special education. The staff
assigned to perform these functions will include one manager and two assistant managers for
compliance and quality assurance; three specialists for professional development; bilingual special
education and special education technology; one translator with IEP and parent outreach
communication duties; one junior technician with responsibilities for communication coordination;
three compliance ETLs; and a clerical pool of three.
The Program Support component will manage budgetary matters of special education and
contracted services to eliminate duplication of services and assure maintenance of optimal
operations. The staff assigned to perform the functions of this component include one manager, one
assistant manager, six private school ETLs, six ETL clerks, and a clerical staff of one.
The new organizational structure will unify special education administration under the leadership
of the director of special education, maintain support for principals and headmasters and teachers
in schools, and ensure compliance to court orders and special education regulations. Although each
staff member will have a major function responsibility, in addition each staff member will be
involved in systemic concerns to address vertical and horizontal programmatic problem solving.
Boston Public Schools Reorganization Plan
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February 1996
The Special Education Unit Team will take lead responsibility for:
Coordinating special education services with system-wide initiatives such as curriculum
development, assessment practices, bilingual education, and program development.
Developing a flexible team approach to problem-solving in the areas of compliance, court
reporting, contracted services, and private placements.
Creating an internal budget and staffing review process which reflects a consistent planning
and investment process, particularly for itinerant therapies and private placements.
Eliminating duplication of services and maintenance of current operational capabilities.
Enhancing program improvement within special education, such as inclusion practices and
technology.
Transitioning of students from home to school, from grade to grade, and from school to
work.
Developing cross-level work groups that draw on the problem solving abilities of staff at all
levels.
Offering support and outreach to parents and parent centers.
The Special Education Unit Team will assist:
The Center for Leadership Development with the design and implementation of
professional development programs.
Other Unit Teams in Teaching and Learning Support Services to integrate support for
schools in the provision of services to students with special needs, including school to career
services.
Research, Assessment, and Evaluation with the collection of data for program evaluation
and the development of indicators for student achievement.
Human Resources with the recruitment of high quality teachers and other staff to work with
students with special needs.
The Superintendent in identifying and addressing issues that will ensure ongoing
commitment of the Boston Public Schools to high quality special education programs.
INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY & LIBRARY MEDIA
The reorganization of the Office of Instructional Technology will move all those who support
instructional technology to one unit-they are currently scattered among six cost centers-enabling
them to share resources and expertise and better serve the schools in support of technology as a tool
to enhance teaching and learning. All staff members will support schools, and in addition, each will
share a particular area of expertise with the entire team (i.e., networking, telecommunications,
distance learning, adaptive technologies for students with special needs, graphing calculators,
library, media, specific grade level and curriculum area support). The Office of Instructional
Technology will assume responsibility for overseeing all administrative and instructional
professional development in technology, working in collaboration with the Center for Leadership
Development. The Sped Technology Center will also be part of Instructional Technology & Media
Services.
Boston Public Schools Reorganization Plan
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February 1996
The Unit Team will include a director, a coordinator, six technical support specialists, five
technicians, and clerical support.
The Instructional Technology & Library Media Unit Team will take lead responsibility for:
Designing and implementing the Boston Public Schools instructional technology and library
media plan.
Providing support for schools as they develop the technology and library media
components of their comprehensive school plans addressing infrastructure, equipment,
media and software acquisition, maintenance, and staff training.
Providing support for the use of the Internet and linkages with the Boston Public Library
and other institutions that support learning
Maintaining a library of software, videos, curricula, journals, and other materials for schools
to use in planning purchases, previewing materials, and developing technology plans.
The Instructional Technology & Library Media Unit Team will assist:
Other teaching and learning teams to support the use of instructional technology and library
media.
The Center for Leadership Development in providing professional development to help
educators use technology and library media to improve teaching and learning.
The Office of Information Systems in its work to develop and implement information
systems that will provide access for students and educators to the networks and data that
will enhance teaching and learning.
SCHOOL-TO-CAREER
The School-to-Career Program includes and embraces school-based, community-based, and work-
based learning. The walls of the school are "broken down" so that students know about the many
different places where teaching and learning take place. Applied academics, where students see the
connection between what they are learning and where, when, and how they will use the skills or
information gained, is at the core of school-to-career. The School-to-Career Unit Team will include a
Director, several coordinators, and clerical support.
School-to-career is neither a tracking system, nor a program option intended only for older
students. It is for all students, from kindergarten through grade 12, whether the post-high school
choice is college, a job or career path, military service, volunteerism, or other option. School-to-
career involves direct linkages to post secondary institutions and the world of work. Career
pathways developed in each school-to-career school offer students a head start to career exploration
and/or higher education, and job experiences in a real work environment, linked to a general
theme such as Travel and Tourism, Health Professions, Public Service, and other industry or career
"themes." The overall intent is to prepare students for careers that are emerging and critical, and to
enable students to acquire the skills to work, learn, relate, and interact in a variety of settings.
Boston Public Schools Reorganization Plan
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February 1996
Career advancement is another goal, acquired through higher education and/or directly through
the work place.
The School-to-Career (STC) Unit Team will take lead responsibility for:
Overseeing the school-to-career activities of the current ten high schools in BPS that are
school-to-career high schools.
Issuing Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for other high schools to apply for school-to-career
status.
Issuing RFPs for the selection of four middle schools to become the "first wave" of school-
to-career middle schools in the Boston Public Schools.
Overseeing the process for elementary schools to begin school-to-career programming in
their schools.
Identifying professional development needs and conducting professional development and
staff training.
Assuring that all students have access to school-to-career programs.
Developing grant proposals and initiating fund raising efforts to obtain external support.
Collaborating with the Boston Private Industry Council, the Boston Higher Education
Partnership, and other school-to-career partners.
Recruiting and supervising college and graduate school interns;
Developing and implementing a comprehensive and valid assessment process, with the
Office of Research, Assessment, and Evaluation.
TECHNICAL VOCATIONAL EDUCATION
The Technical Vocational Education (TVE) Unit Team is responsible for vocational education as
provided under state law Chapter 74. Currently, TVE performs functions that include school
operations, school support, and administrative support.
The goals of TVE include enhancing student achievement by providing high quality technical and
vocational programs; offering integrated academic and vocational curricula; ensuring graduates
have viable options of skilled employment and/or post-secondary study; providing support to
students and teachers for work-based educational activities; involving the business community to
build context for learning and opportunities for training and employment; fostering career
preparation and life-long learning through school-to-career activities. The Unit Team will include a
Director, several coordinators, and clerical support. The Director of the unit will have access to the
Superintendent's office.
The Technical Vocational Education Unit Team will take lead responsibility for:
Exercising leadership in creating a work-based education vision for the Boston Public
Schools that includes a variety of models: traditional vocational education, school-to-work
programs, and ProTech programs.
Boston Public Schools Reorganization Plan
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February 1996
Fostering a level of career awareness among elementary school students, encouraging
technical and professional career options for middle school students, and preparing high
school students for career pathways.
Overseeing the operations of Madison Park Technical Vocational High School.
Maintaining legal oversight of other state-certified vocational programs.
Providing program support for home economics and industrial arts programs citywide and
for evening apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs.
Providing technical assistance for school staff for employer involvement.
Planning and conducting staff development and developing curriculum.
Communicating with external agencies.
Administering state and federal vocational education grants and out-of-district tuition
programs.
Preparing long-range plans for vocation technical education.
The Technical Vocational Education Unit Team will assist:
School-to-Career to build a system that will attract resources for work-based learning
development.
Center for Leadership Development to plan teacher training on workplace learning and
skills.
Teaching and Learning to the new curriculum standards.
STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES
Effective education has been measured almost exclusively in terms of student achievement, with
social competence and psychological well-being playing a minimal role in assessing educational
programs. Many educators subscribe to a mechanical, behavioral stimulus-response model of
learning, which in effect minimizes the importance of affective concerns, such as how pupils
perceive their role in the classroom group or how their families relate to the school. Likewise,
traditional forms of mental and physical health services have been designed to treat children's
psychological, physiological, or emotional and behavioral problems after they occur, and the mode
of delivery is usually on an individual clinical basis. The purpose of creating a Student Support
Services Team in the Boston Public Schools is to create a systems approach, focusing on preventing
psychosocial, physical, and behavioral problems, and ensuring children's social, moral, physical,
linguistic, emotional, and cognitive needs are met.
Frequently, support services personnel play reactive roles in schools. Furthermore, in many schools,
support services staff-social workers, nurses, psychologists-work as itinerants, moving from
school to school. In such circumstances, several people may provide overlapping services: They
may see the same children without ever meeting to share information, discuss strategies, or develop
a comprehensive, coordinated plan for that child. Even in cases where support service staff are
STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES TEAM
CHART 7
HEARINGS/
COUNSELING
APPEALS &
SERVICES
ATTENDANCE
#
COMPREHENSIVE
STUDENT
HEALTH
HEALTH
SUPPORT
SERVICES
EDUCATION
SERVICES
TEAM
ADULT
ATHLETICS
EDUCATION
ALTERNATIVE
EDUCATION
Boston Public Schools Reorganization Plan
Page 35
February 1996
based in one school, there is often little coordination among them. This is exacerbated by the fact
that each staff member may report to a different office or department at the district office. Such lack
of coordination is not only wasted effort on the part of those staff members but also an erosion of
the very educational experience which their involvement was meant to support. Furthermore, such
fragmented efforts are costly, disorganized, and can make matters worse for students.
An effective and comprehensive Student Support Services model requires a strong infrastructure in
order to manage its complex dynamics and measure its effectiveness. This infrastructure is for the
purpose of:
working to support whole school reform and system-wide efforts to enable all students to
meet high standards;
establishing goals and priorities for design, support and implementation of the program
standards;
providing integration and coordination among the components;
developing and coordinating linkages with external health and human service agencies;
coordinating with school based management teams;
providing technical assistance to principals, headmasters, and school personnel for health
and human service initiatives.
The Student Support Services Team will represent the merger of units and functions which have,
heretofore, been distinct, often disconnected entities (Chart 7). The Team Leader's office will include
the Team Leader, an administrative assistant, and clerical support.
The following individual Unit Teams will be part of the Student Support Services Team:
Counseling Services: Guidance, Psychological, and Pupil Adjustment Counseling Services
Health Services
Adult Education
Alternative Education
Athletics
Comprehensive Health Education: Health Education, STD HIV/AIDS, Safe Schools/Violence Prevention,
Drug Free Schools, Physical Education. Nutrition
Hearing/Appeals and Attendance
The Student Support Services Team will take lead responsibility for:
Coordinating support services for students provided by health, physical education teachers,
coaches, guidance counselors, school psychologists, contracted medical providers, school
nurses, attendance officers, pupil adjustment counselors, a nutritionist, student support
coordinators, alternative educators, and other federal, state, city, and community agencies
that serve children, youth, and families. The personnel will be assigned to schools in an
effort to provide direct services to students; however, the Central Team will coordinate the
Boston Public Schools Reorganization Plan
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February 1996
personnel to ensure efficient deployment of people to the areas of greatest need.
Developing comprehensive health education instruction that is developmentally
appropriate and culturally sensitive for students in kindergarten to grade 12. This program
will include instruction in the following content areas: community health, consumer health,
disease prevention and control, environmental health, family life, injury prevention and
safety, personal health and fitness, mental and emotional health, nutrition education,
prevention of tobacco, alcohol and other substance abuse, lifeskills training.
Providing health services which enable children and staff to be healthy enough to
participate successfully in the learning process. The Health Services Unit Team will address
prevention case findings, early intervention, the remediation of specific health problems,
and linkages with primary health care providers.
Coordinating alternative education and developing a network of alternative schools and
programs linked with existing counseling and other special support services that ensure
satisfactory academic success for all students. Home and Hospital Instruction will be one of
the alternative education options.
Directing counseling services/guidance and assisting students with career and post-
secondary education planning. Counselors will serve as a resource and catalyst in the
delivery of these services.
Coordinating both psychological and pupil adjustment counseling services to ensure that
students have access to services that help them cope with the complex issues they face daily.
Directing the athletics program and developing an interscholastic program that is an
integral part of a student's total academic experience. The athletic program will help
students to develop social and emotional skills while promoting a positive school climate
and school spirit.
Managing adult education by providing services to a special segment of the community.
Adults who wish to earn a G.E.D. or high school diploma or pursue enrichment activities
will be offered a variety of programs from which to choose.
Managing summer school programs and coordinating other summer enrichment programs
to provide students in need of remedial services with the academic support they need.
Overseeing hearing and appeals and supervising attendance to ensure due process and link
necessary long-term suspensions and expulsions to alternative education programs and
services and to identify and provide for necessary pro-active approaches to improving
school attendance.
Coordinating student support coordinators who are the linchpin of the Student Support
Services Team. They are school based staff charged with organizing and coordinating health
and social services available to students. The Student Support Services Program Advisor
will share responsibility with the principal/headmaster to help schools establish functioning
student support teams to work with agencies to coordinate services for children, youth, and
families.
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February 1996
This Unit Team will assist:
Facilities Management, Food Services, and School Safety Services in providing coordinated
and integrated programs/services. This partnership will encourage the development of a
healthy and safe school environment for all students.
PARENT SUPPORT SERVICES
The four Parent Centers are the "front door" for the Boston Public Schools. All parents must visit
the Centers to register for school, and many return frequently to check on waiting lists, transfers,
and transportation issues. How parents feel about the school system is often determined by how
they are treated on their first contact. The Controlled Choice Assignment Plan has to be explained,
school programs and activities have to be described, and much sensitive, personal information is
exchanged.
While parents are in the Centers, there is an opportunity to emphasize the importance of parental
involvement, especially giving advice about making sure that homework is completed, television
watching is limited, and good study habits are encouraged. Many parents also need help in
understanding how the school system works, how it can work for them and for their children, and
what the formal and informal networks are to get information.
In addition, Center staffs are expected to recruit new parents and students to the system and to visit
schools and programs so that they are informed and can give parents feedback on the schools. Each
center has developed its own local partnerships with community organizations, agencies, day care
centers, health centers, and homeless shelters, keeps them updated on registration deadlines and
other issues of interest to parents, and shares information received from these local partners with
visitors to the centers. Parent Centers also sponsor workshops and activities for parents on a variety
of subjects ranging from reading to pre-schoolers to multicultural sensitivity. The level of service
provided must be checked regularly so that parents have the most accurate, sensitive, relevant
information available so they and educators can work together to help their children become
successful students. The Parent Support Services Team also will assist schools in establishing
school-based parent centers to support increased parent involvement.
The Parent Support Services Team (Chart 8) will include a team leader, coordinators, and support
staff.
The Parent Support Services Team will take lead responsibility for:
Providing equitable, clear, accessible information for parents making school choices and
assistance for parents in dealing with school-related matters.
Offering top-notch customer service at Parent Centers and schools, on the Hotline, and
system-wide.
Supporting on-site parent centers at each school.
PARENT SUPPORT SERVICES TEAM
CHART 8
PARENT
SUPPORT
SERVICES
TEAM
PARENT
PARENT/
OUTREACH/PARENT
COMMUNITY
INFORMATION
ORGANIZATIONS
CENTERS
Boston Public Schools Reorganization Plan
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February 1996
Expanding the array of services and information at the Centers and resources aimed at
reinforcing the home/school connection.
The Parent Support Services Team will assist and collaborate with:
Other central office teams and units including Title 1 Parent Center, Multilingual Resource
Center, Implementation and Transportation, Medical Services, Special Education and
Bilingual Education, School-Based Management, and Cluster Leaders to improve outreach
and services to parents.
Appropriate external organizations including the Mayor's Office, social service, health
centers, day care and community agencies, Head Start centers, Parents United for Child
Care, CWEC, ACCESS, Latino Parents' Association, Higher Education Information Center,
Boston Partners in Education, Read Boston, and university partners to coordinate parent
involvement, services, and activities.
The Citywide Parents' Council, MasterPAC, Sped PAC, Title I PAC, School-Site Councils,
and other parent organizations to improve parent involvement in the schools.
OPERATIONS SUPPORT SERVICES
The Operations Support Services Team will be responsible for the provision and coordination of its
services in support of the mission of the district's schools, namely teaching and learning. The team
will be guided by the needs and requests of parents, students, teachers and principals. The Team
Leader will establish a system where each unit designates one or two staff to serve as customer
service representatives. These representatives will be responsible for responding to requests for
assistance from the schools within 24 hours.
The Operations Support Services Team will include the Team Leader, an administrative assistant,
and clerical and appropriate technical support. The Team (Chart 8) will include the Unit Teams of:
Information Services
Implementation (Student Assignment and Transportation)
Food Service
Facilities/Planning and Engineering
Business Services
School Safety Services
Blue Ribbon Commission Plan Implementation
The effectiveness of the Operations Support Services Team will be determined by its ability to
deliver its services in a timely and cost-effective manner. Principals, headmasters, leaders of other
teams, and others will be surveyed-initially each semester, annually thereafter-in order to
determine their satisfaction with the team and its services. Responsiveness to school requests,
facilitation of school-based decision making, and development of policies, procedures, and
practices that meet school needs are examples of what quality assurance reviews will address. The
OPERATIONS SUPPORT SERVICES
CHART 9
BLUE RIBBON
INFORMATION
COMMISSION PLAN
SERVICES
IMPLEMENTATION
"
SCHOOL SAFETY
OPERATIONS
IMPLEMENTATION
SERVICES
SUPPORT
SERVICES
BUSINESS
FOOD SERVICES
SERVICES
FACILITIES,
MANAGEMENT/
PLANNING &
ENGINEERING
Boston Public Schools Reorganization Plan
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February 1996
results of the quality assurance reviews, combined with an analysis of service levels through the
budget development process, will be used to make corresponding changes in policies regarding
needs for kinds of services, service levels, methods of operation, and resource allocations.
To accomplish this mission, the Team Leader will take the lead responsibility for a strategic
planning process for the upgrading of the infrastructure of the Boston Public Schools. The school
system does not currently have adequate technological resources or facilities to be a high
performance, service-driven, and cost-effective organization. It is lacking basic technology, and
essential but routine services such as the distribution of payroll warrants, which is done by hand.
Of the technology that exists, a great deal is either poorly coordinated, out of date, or not user
friendly, thus making it difficult to monitor use of resources and engage in other strategic tasks.
Without an adequate infrastructure, everyone has to work overly hard to do ordinary things.
The Team Leader will collaborate with the other members of the Leadership Team and school
principals/headmasters to assess accurately the training needs of operation's employees and the
technology/facilities needs and professional development needs of the school system so that the
Boston Public Schools can expertly make the transition necessary to accomplish the new vision of
education for its students.
INFORMATION SERVICES
The Information Services Unit Team will consolidate information services functions into one
responsibility center while eliminating duplication of resources. It will realign existing staff to
support the implementation of new technology initiatives such as the Boston Public Schools
Technology Plan, the Blue Ribbon Commission's recommendations, and the City of Boston Strategic
Information Systems Plan. Establishing a "one-stop" help desk and equipment maintenance
structure to support both instructional and administrative users will result in better customer
service. Consolidation of telecommunications and networking functions into the Information
Services Unit Team will streamline the extensive installation of the new telecommunications
infrastructure. The Unit Team will include a director, assistant manager, professional/technical
support staff, and clerical support.
The Information Services Unit Team will take lead responsibility for:
Merging and coordinating functions and services for Informational Technology and Student
and Personnel Records.
Providing timely and accurate data to school personnel for decision making. Such data
should include information on student demographics, academics, attendance, testing,
student assignment, transportation, special education, bilingual education, medical and
mental health condition, and suspensions.
Providing timely and accurate data to team leaders for decision making. Such data should
include information on budget, expenditure control, business transactions, facilities
management, human resources, position control, and food services.
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February 1996
Taking an active role in the Deloitte Touche Information Technology Design and Study
Project, making sure that all existing systems such as the Student Grade Report System
(which does not include elementary school data) and Special Education Information
Management System (which does not permit analysis) are reviewed with an eye towards
improvement or replacement.
Exploring partnerships for data and technology with other governmental agencies,
universities and the business community so that employees, for instance, can make use of
the resources of the Internet.
The Information Services Unit Team will assist:
Teaching and Learning Support Services (i.e., Curriculum and Instructional Practice) in the
development of instructional technology.
Implementation in the support of student assignment and transportation.
All teams and schools in securing solutions to their needs for timely, complete, accurate, and
coordinated information.
All teams and schools in upgrading or acquiring telephone and other systems needed for
communication.
All teams and schools in automating the delivery of basic services such as payroll.
IMPLEMENTATION (STUDENT ASSIGNMENT AND TRANSPORTATION)
The Implementation Unit Team has responsibility for assignment of students to schools/programs,
maintenance and oversight of the student assignment process, and provision of appropriate student
transportation. The primary goal of the Implementation Unit Team is to implement the Controlled
Choice Student Assignment Plan. The mission is to provide accurate and credible student
information as a support base for parents, students, teachers, and administrators in their efforts to
provide all students who are enrolled with a good education. The Unit Team will include an
executive director and program directors of transportation and student assignment, assignment
specialists, transportation specialists, and clerical support.
The Implementation Unit Team will take lead responsibility for:
Implementing the student assignment policies of the Boston Public Schools.
Processing student assignments or transfers and providing relevant reports on the
implementation of policies.
Overseeing the admission process and follow-up activities for the examination schools and
the advanced work class process and working with Parent Information Centers to assist
parents in the registration or assignment of students to schools.
Providing appropriate transportation services to students in support of the school
assignment plan, the requirements of special education students pursuant to the
Individualized Educational Plan (IEP), and ancillary services such as therapies or
Alternative Transportation.
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February 1996
Providing transportation services in the most cost effective manner, utilizing available
technology and up-to-date practices employed in the pupil transportation industry.
Developing and providing oversight of contract specifications for the provision of school
transportation services, fleet insurance, and fleet procurement.
Assigning special education monitors pursuant to IEP requirements.
Making recommendations to the Team Leader and Legal Services relative to negotiation of
bus monitors' collective bargaining issues.
Making recommendations to the Team Leaders and BPS representatives involved in
negotiation of bus drivers' collective bargaining issues.
Resolving transportation issues communicated by school principals and parents which
impact the instructional program.
Creating positive customer service programs to respond to parents, schools, and students
served by the Implementation Unit Team.
The Implementation Unit Team will assist:
Information Systems in creating and maintaining the student computerized file and
protecting the confidentiality of student information.
Parent Support Services in providing parents timely access to accurate information and
quality service regarding student assignment, the examination school admission process,
and transportation services.
FOOD SERVICE
The Food Service Unit Team is responsible for providing breakfast and lunch programs for Boston
Public School students. The Unit Team will focus on providing nutritious meals for students,
quality customer service, and cost-effective operations. Students who have regular, high quality,
nutritious meals will be better able to learn and achieve. The Unit Team will include a director, two
assistant directors, coordinators, specialists, and clerical support.
The Food Service Team Unit will take lead responsibility for:
Providing nutritious and appealing meals for all students.
Adhering to federal/state regulations pertaining to program requirements as well as
implementing U.S. dietary guidelines and other quality criteria.
Establishing a positive perception of school food service and nutrition programs.
Advocating for district policy to expand and enhance child nutrition programs.
Providing professional development training in the areas of nutrition, customer service,
food service management, culinary, and food safety skills.
Serving as primary source of nutrition and wellness information for the schools and district.
The Food Service Unit Team will assist:
Student Support Services and Curriculum to provide nutrition education to students,
Boston Public Schools Reorganization Plan
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February 1996
teachers, parents, and employers.
The Office of Information Systems to help monitor various computer printouts.
Business Services on invoice payment and auditing requirements.
Human Resources to maintain appropriate documentation on personnel.
Facilities/Planning & Engineering for purchasing equipment, facility repairs, and service
requests.
National, state, and local public health and nutrition agencies in coordinating services for
the school system and schools..
FACILITIES/PLANNING AND ENGINEERING
The mission of the Facilities/Planning & Engineering Unit Team is to pride safe, clean, healthy, and
well-maintained facilities that support the current and future educational needs of the school
system. The Unit Team will include a director; two assistant directors; managers; supervisors and
staff for planning and engineering, alterations, heating, plumbing, roofing, energy, custodians,
grounds, contracts, maintenance, and telephones; and clerical support.
The Facilities/Planning & Engineering Unit Team will take lead responsibility for:
Supervising and directing all activities of operations, building services, maintenance,
construction alteration, and repairs with all school department facilities.
Establishing and maintaining policies to ensure a safe and educationally sound environment
in all buildings.
Visiting facilities, then preparing and establishing priorities with regard to building services
and engineering needs.
Preparing and administering the department budget.
Coordinating with various city and outside agencies for capital improvements.
Administering and negotiating contracts with unionized personnel under the purview of
Facilities Management.
Preparing, advertising, and awarding contracts which require public bidding in accordance
with Chapter 30B and Chapter 149.
Maintaining all athletic fields under the purview of the Boston Public Schools.
Managing maintenance, construction, and renovation contracts.
Preparing capital projects plans, in conjunction with principals, headmasters, and the
Operations Support Services Team Leader, to address major maintenance needs, including a
response to issues raised by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges regarding
the accreditation of high schools.
Maintaining a recycle and solid waste program for all schools.
Managing the Energy Conservation Program in all school buildings.
Meeting with other city and state agencies to coordinate facilities needs with regard to
renovations, licenses, occupation certificates, etc.
Developing short- and long-term projects that are technically and economically feasible.
Boston Public Schools Reorganization Plan
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February 1996
Maintaining all schoolyards and playgrounds.
Arranging technical courses and seminars for professional training.
The Facilities/Planning & Engineering Unit Team will assist:
Schools and clusters in maintaining clean, healthy, and inviting buildings that are conducive
to learning.
BUSINESS SERVICES
The Business Services Unit Team provides operations support to the central office and schools for
payroll, purchasing, contract management, warehousing, and materials distribution. The Unit Team
will focus on timely, high quality customer service to support schools in their efforts to improve
teaching and learning for all students. The Unit Team will include a director, coordinators, technical
staff, and clerical support.
The Business Services Unit Team will take lead responsibility for:
Handling all payroll, purchasing, warehousing, materials distribution, and contract
functions for the Boston Public Schools.
Locating and assessing the value of sources of services, materials, and equipment where
system policies call for economies of scale and also where policies call for schools to exercise
discretion in meeting particular needs.
Developing procedures to facilitate vendor and payroll payments for principals,
headmasters, and team leaders.
Preparing timely expenditure reports.
Collaborating with Human Resources, Operations Support Services (i.e., Information
Services), Finance, and the city in automating the payroll system.
The Business Services Unit Team will assist:
Finance and Budget and Information Services in a response to the Deloitte Touche study.
Finance and Budget in devising a long-term budget forecast for the Boston Public Schools.
SCHOOL SAFETY SERVICES
The School Safety Services Unit Team will provide school safety and security systems for the Boston
Public Schools. It will assign officers to work in schools to help principals and headmasters and
school staff create and maintain a safe environment for learning. The Unit Team will include a
safety coordinator who reports to both the Superintendent of Schools and the Police Commissioner
and is housed in the School Safety Office, a safety chief, deputy, investigators, dispatcher, and
clerical support.
The School Safety Services Unit Team will take lead responsibility for:
Providing school safety and security services, with guidance from school principals and
Boston Public Schools Reorganization Plan
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February 1996
headmasters and in accordance with sound practice.
Reviewing safety assessments and incident reports to accurately assess school safety needs,
in collaboration with principals and headmasters.
Providing professional development in school safety and violence prevention for School
Safety Services Officers and school personnel as required.
Establishing and maintaining a positive and cooperative working relationship in all public
safety agencies.
Conducting internal school system safety investigations.
The School Safety Services Unit Team will assist:
Schools and clusters in providing safe learning environments.
Schools in providing safety education.
Comprehensive School Support Services in developing prevention activities.
BLUE RIBBON COMMISSION PLAN IMPLEMENTATION
The Blue Ribbon Commission Plan Implementation Unit will be responsible for the implementation
of the Blue Ribbon Commission's recommendations adopted by the School Committee. The Unit
will facilitate capital planning and improvements, work with the community, keep the research
provided by the Blue Ribbon Commission updated and viable, and collaborate with the Public
Facilities Department on renovation and new construction projects.
The plan for the construction of new school buildings over the next ten years provides an
extraordinary opportunity to support educational reform in the Boston Public Schools with the
development of Community Learning Centers and Early Childhood Centers. These facilities will
operate as educational and community centers well into the next century and will set the
educational tone for a significant number of students, educators, and the community. The Unit
Team will include a director, two professional/technical staff, and clerical support.
The Blue Ribbon Commission Plan Implementation Unit Team will take lead responsibility for:
Implementing the educational and community learning center vision for school/community
facilities.
Assisting the Office of the Superintendent in the preparation of a response to the
recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Commission with regard to facilities renovation,
expansion and construction, with emphasis given to the educational priorities of the Boston
Public Schools.
Collaborating with principals and headmasters and other building level leaders in
determining facilities conditions, setting priorities for work orders, and identifying needs
for capital improvements.
Providing educational leadership and managing capital planning and improvement for new
and renovated schools.
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February 1996
Coordinating planning and decision-making relative to long-range educational goals and
program priorities of the Boston Public Schools with respect to new building projects.
Preparing research on demographic and educational trends.
Initiating and coordinating proposed projects with Public Facilities Department and
Massachusetts Department of Education.
Assisting with the development of educational program descriptions which describe
teaching and learning in Boston Public Schools.
The Blue Ribbon Commission Plan Implementation Unit Team will assist:
Public Facilities Department with the development of architectural designs and with the
transitioning of existing and the opening of new facilities.
Other departments including the Massachusetts Department of Education, City Hall
departments, and agencies such as Boston Housing Authority in coordinating efforts to
implement the facilities master plan.
HUMAN RESOURCES TEAM
Every employee of the Boston Public Schools is responsible for improving the education of children.
Employees should benefit from, as well as contribute to, the organizational mission of supporting
teaching and learning. Accordingly, the two-fold purpose of the Human Resources Team will be to
ensure that all employees are effectively recruited, selected, and evaluated based upon their
demonstrated capacity to support the teaching and learning of children; and provided with
professional development opportunities and related assistance so as to manifest continuous
improvement in serving children. The Team will identify and develop talent both from within and
outside the system, and it will work to provide all employees with clear and up-to-date information
about the system's priorities and overall direction, a sense of connection in working together to
address common goals, and a work environment that rewards and celebrates high performance on
behalf of children. The Team (Chart 10) includes a team leader, staff assistant, professional support
staff, and clerical support.
The Human Resources Team will consist of the office of the Team Leader and the following Unit
Teams:
Staffing
Employee Relations
Records Management
STAFFING
The Staffing Unit Team will take lead responsibility for:
Assessing talent needs on a system-wide basis over the long term, prior to each school year,
and during the school year, as adjustments are needed.
HUMAN RESOURCES TEAM
CHART 10
"
HUMAN
RESOURCES
TEAM
RECORDS
STAFFING
MANAGEMENT
EMPLOYEE
RELATIONS
Boston Public Schools Reorganization Plan
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February 1996
Developing position descriptions and devising and implementing recruitment strategies.
Teacher recruitment strategies will include the development of partnerships with colleges
and universities that operate teacher education programs.
Designing and implementing application policies and procedures.
Creating screening and appointment policies and processes and screening applicants to
identify those meeting minimum qualifications. A pool of qualified candidates for teaching
positions will be established before the end of each school year. The screening of potential
teachers will require applicants to give demonstration lessons.
In some cases, matching qualified applicants with appropriate openings in teams and
schools to be further screened and then selected by team leaders, principals/headmasters,
and School-Site Councils; in other cases, providing technical assistance to team leaders,
principals/headmasters, and School-Site Councils in screening and selecting from the entire
pool of qualified applicants.
The Staffing Unit Team will assist:
Principals, headmasters, and team leaders in identifying staffing needs.
Principals, headmasters, and team leaders in training School-Site Councils and others to
participate in the process of personnel selection.
Office of the Superintendent (i.e., Equity) in analyzing and reporting on staffing patterns
and in ensuring the use of fair criteria for personnel selection and evaluation.
Teaching and Learning and Finance and Budget in projecting instructional staffing needs
based upon the priorities of the system, enrollment and revenue projections, the school
staffing formula, union contracts, and applicable state laws.
EMPLOYEE RELATIONS
The Employee Relations Unit Team will take lead responsibility for:
Designing and offering an orientation program for all employees new to the system.
Implementing the components of the internal communication plan that pertain to all
employees.
Identifying training priorities for all employees (e.g., training in team building) and for non-
instructional employees (e.g., training in customer service) and brokering the design and
provision of such training.
Initiating and helping to design studies of critical issues such as employee satisfaction,
absenteeism, or impending retirements and making corresponding recommendations for
changes in policies or practices.
Planning and developing an employee assistance program which would: indirectly support
employee capacity to work productively (e.g., via referrals to elder care, child care, and
mental health resources); directly support employee capacity to work productively (e.g., via
exploring the feasibility and appropriateness of lateral transfers, job sharing, or flex time
schedules); and facilitate employee efforts to find new job opportunities both internal and
Boston Public Schools Reorganization Plan
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February 1996
external to the system (e.g., via career counseling and mentoring or training in job search,
interviewing, and resume writing).
Devising "360-degree" evaluation policies and procedures for all employees and providing
technical assistance to team leaders, principals, headmasters, and others in implementing
the policies and procedures.
Ensuring that required evaluations are done according to policy and procedures and
timelines and that appropriate personnel actions are taken accordingly.
Seeking advice from members of the Superintendent's Leadership Team and Unit Team
leaders in "establishing priorities for labor contract negotiations," forming a collective
bargaining team (inclusive of legal counsel), and serving as the head of the collective
bargaining team.
Serving as hearing officer for employee appeals.
The Employee Relations Unit Team will assist:
Communications in the design of the component of the internal communication plan that
targets all employees.
Student Support Services in the identification of elder care, child care, mental health
resources, and the like.
Research, Assessment, and Evaluation in the conduct of studies of employee satisfaction,
absenteeism, and the like.
Center for Leadership Development in designing and providing training and in brokering
training services from outside agencies and/or individuals.
The Workers' Compensation agent for the city in providing compensation services.
RECORDS MANAGEMENT
The Records Management Unit Team will take lead responsibility for:
Streamlining the process of employment and employee record keeping once a job candidate
has been selected, e.g., by reducing the number of approvals needed to make an
appointment, clearly establishing the authority of team leaders, principals/headmasters,
and School-Site Councils to make final selections within established priorities, policies, and
procedures, and establishing the candidate on payroll, personnel, and position control
databases in a timely manner.
The Records Management Unit Team will assist:
The Superintendent, Information Services, and others in ensuring the utility and
accessibility of the personnel and position control databases as tools for organizational
analysis and decision making.
Finance, Business Services, and the city in automating the payroll system.
Information Services in ensuring the integrity of position control and personnel databases.
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FINANCE AND BUDGET TEAM
The Finance and Budget Team will be responsible for overseeing the financial and budgetary
functions of the Boston Public Schools to ensure that the Superintendent and School Committee
execute their fiduciary responsibilities. Budget development will be driven by system-wide
policies and priorities for teaching and learning. The plan for allocation of resources will clearly
advance these policies and priorities. Realizing and sustaining improvement in student
achievement is the goal and requires a comprehensive approach to budgeting. Accordingly, a long-
term, "all-funds," bottom-up/top-down strategy is the goal in financial planning. Within a budget
explicitly constructed to support educational goals and objectives, the norms of fiscal integrity and
restraint will prevail. Infrastructure improvements will be implemented to support fiscal
responsibility. The Team (Chart 11) will include a chief financial officer, budget director, technical
staff, and clerical support.
The Finance and Budget Team will take lead responsibility for:
Maintaining accurate and complete financial records through sound accounting and
auditing procedures.
Presenting budget information in a timely, easily understandable, and accessible way for
planning, management, and reporting purposes.
Facilitating the budget planning process, including estimating resources needed to
implement initiatives and sustain ongoing efforts, projecting revenues from the city and
external sources such as Chapter I and 636, benchmarking present expenditure levels
against those used by comparable systems, and doing cost analyses of alternatives.
Working with the Superintendent, School Committee, and city on budget development.
Providing justification and support for funding proposals made to School Committee and
the city.
Preparing the budget for submission to the School Committee and the city.
Advising, assisting, and enabling team leaders, principals, and headmasters to engage in
school- and team-level budget planning, budget control, expenditure monitoring, and
budget reporting, all of which are aligned with school- and team-level priorities for teaching
and learning.
Establishing a principled process for amending school and team budgets during the school
year.
Making sure that system-wide spending accords with planned spending.
Monitoring expenditures of funds from foundations, state and federal governments, and
other external sources and ensuring compliance with the requirements of funders.
Preparing and submitting financial reports.
Engaging in strategic planning towards the establishment of a contingency fund for the
system.
Overseeing finance and budget functions to ensure the Superintendent and School
Committee carry out their fiduciary responsibilities.
FINANCE AND BUDGET TEAM
CHART 11
If
CHIEF FINANCIAL
OFFICER
FINANCE
BUDGET
Boston Public Schools Reorganization Plan
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The Finance and Budget Team will collaborate with:
Development in the provision of technical assistance to schools and teams in developing
and managing grant budgets.
Principals/headmasters, team leaders, and Human Resources in analyzing budget
implications of the needs of schools and teams for staffing.
Principals/headmasters, team leaders, and Operations Support Services in analyzing
budget implications of the needs of schools and teams for materials, supplies, maintenance,
and capital improvements.
Information Services in working with implementation of approved recommendations from
the Deloitte Touche study.
Human Resources, Information Services, and the city in automating the payroll system.
CONCLUSION
The Reorganization Plan for the Boston Public Schools provides the foundation to support a vision
for excellence and enable the schools to focus on improved teaching and learning for all students. It
facilitates the effective and efficient use of scarce resources to support school-based management
and shared decision-making as schools develop comprehensive plans for whole school reform
based on systemwide high standards and curriculum frameworks. Student success and
accountability in 117 schools of excellence are the clear goals. This streamlined organization, free of
hierarchy and bureaucratic layers, will enable the central office to focus on customer service and
support the schools as they make continuous annual progress in meeting the goals of the Boston
Public Schools.