As he moves forward with sweeping reform plans, the mayor has tapped a former critic and education watchdog to join the school board.
Alex Johnston (pictured), founder and CEO of Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now (ConnCAN), was appointed Thursday to fill one of three vacant seats on the eight-person school board. Selase Williams, provost at Southern Connecticut State University, was also named to the board.
The appointments come as the city is poised to make national waves with a sweeping school reform drive that aims to close the achievement gap by 2015, cut the dropout rate in half and ensure that every student can go to college, Mayor John DeStefano said. The city hit a milestone toward that goal Tuesday, when teachers overwhelmingly ratified a new labor contract that gives the district flexibility to dramatically change the way schools are run.
Johnston’s statewide school reform advocacy group has in the past been at loggerheads with the mayor. The group has fought at the state level for funding for charter schools and changes in teacher certification. It has been an outspoken critic of Connecticut’s racial and economic achievement gap. The group touted the successes of charter schools like Amistad Academy and called on New Haven to accept, not reject, those emerging models. The mayor long clashed with charter school proponents, but recently joined the Achievement First board and in the past year enlisted them as partners in his evolving school reform plan.
To read about the past tensions, click here and here.
Now there’s an emerging “alignment” in priorities among ConnCAN, the district, and the Obama administration, Johnston said in an interview Thursday.
“I think that with the ratification of the teacher’s contract and all of the recent developments, New Haven is really poised to have a nationally significant reform effort,” Johnston said. “The mayor and superintendent are extremely committed to getting results as rapidly as possible.”
Johnston said he looks forward to bringing a reform advocate’s perspective to the table. The school board “has a significant role to play in shaping the reform and ensuring that it’s enacted with fidelity” and “that there’s a way to measure the success,” he said.
Before starting ConnCAN in 2005, Johnston served as director of operations at the city housing authority.
Williams (pictured) is the second highest-ranking administrator at SCSU. Prior to this job, he served for 11 years as dean at California State University at Dominquez Hills. At that post, he raised over $2 million in gifts for the university and oversaw partnerships with local public schools, according to a city press release.
Both new board members will set to work Saturday morning, when the school board convenes for a strategy session about the role the board will play in guiding the reforms.
“As we really start to gear up this reform work, I am thrilled to have two such respected and committed partners to help us create the type of district we know is possible,” said schools chief Reggie Mayo in a press statement.
Some previous stories about New Haven’s school reform drive:
• After Teacher Vote, Mayo Seeks “Grand Slam”
• Will Teacher Contract Bring D.C. Reward?
• What About The Parents?
• Teachers, City Reach Tentative Pact
• Philanthropists Join School Reform Drive
• Wanted: Great Teachers
• “Class of 2026” Gets Started
• Principal Keeps School On The Move
• With National Push, Reform Talks Advance
• Nice New School! Now Do Your Homework
• Mayo Unveils Discipline Plan
• Mayor Launches “School Change” Campaign
• Reform Drive Snags “New Teacher” Team
• Can He Work School Reform Magic?
• Some Parental Non-Involvement Is OK, Too
• Mayor: Close Failing Schools
• Union Chief: Don’t Blame The Teachers
• 3‑Tiered School Reform Comes Into Focus
• At NAACP, Mayo Outlines School Reform
• Post Created To Bring In School Reform
• Board of Ed Assembles Legal Team