1
FY12 District Reforms to Better
Support Schools
Andrés A. Alonso, Ed.D.
DRAFT
BALTIMORE CITY
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Objectives
2
 Understand
how the District Office reforms
will/should impact your work.
 Know how to access services in the transition
period of the summer and when major milestones
in the reorganization are occurring
 Provide feedback about the new structure that will
help to guide the development of roles, processes
and structures
DRAFT
BALTIMORE CITY
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Theory of Action Driving this Reform
3
IF the district office’s culture, processes and structure:
 are rooted in deep and direct knowledge of schools;
 provide responsive, integrated, and easily accessible support for school
operations;
 establish clear guidance for schools;
 create clear standards and processes for accountability for schools with direct
support for school leaders;
 create clear standards and processes for district office accountability to
schools…
THEN:
 schools will have a single point of entry for integrated and cross-functional
support that meets their unique needs;
 the instructional and operational capacity of school leaders will expand
rapidly empowering the best decisions to be made for our students;
 the service and support capacity of district offices will continuously improve
in response to school needs; and
 many more students will succeed at a higher level.
DRAFT
BALTIMORE CITY
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Reforms Reflect Input from School Leaders
4
What we heard…
 Clear lines of accountability
 Coaching/leadership support from credible people who
know my school
 Clear outcomes, tools and processes for the evaluation of
schools and school leaders
 One point of entry for school support needs, and resourced
to actually be able to get the work done
 Supports driven by school need, not by district mandates
 District staff that ask “Why not?” instead of “Why?”
DRAFT
BALTIMORE CITY
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Key Changes in the FY12 Reform
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Executive Director
• Tailored
leadership support
• Ratio of school
leader ED
improved
Effective,
responsive school
support
Tailored
support and
development
for school
leaders
Network Teams
• Expanded
• Redefining the
work of the district
Deep
knowledge of
schools
District & School Performance
Clear outcomes, tools and processes for
schools and district in support of schools
DRAFT
BALTIMORE CITY
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
School Support Network Roles
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• A single point of entry for integrated and cross-functional support that meets
schools’ unique needs
• A structure guided and supported by parallel functions in the district office, but
with the ability to provide direct support services and get things done on behalf of
schools
• A source of information between schools and the core district that shapes
district policies and practices
School Support Network Officer
Team Facilitator
Data Specialist
Academic Content Liaison
Family & Community Engagement
Specialist
Academic Content Liaison
Special Education Liaison
Student Support Liaison
Supervisor- EBS
Human Capital Specialist
DSS Family Preservation Specialist
DRAFT
BALTIMORE CITY
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
School Support Networks Structure




Student
Support
LiaisonPBIS
Principals
Choose!
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Approximately same number of schools per team
Set number of standard and specialty support positions per team
Standard supports positions assigned to each support team, services differentiated by school
need
Specialty support positions and services selected by school, and work across teams to meet
school needs
Facilitator
FCE
Specialist
Data
Specialist
Network 1
Academic
Content
Liaison-
EBS
Literacy
DRAFT
BALTIMORE CITY
Data
Specialist
School B
Network 2
Math
Spec Ed
Liaison
Attendance
FCE
Specialist
Academic
Content
Liaison-
School A
HC
Specialist
Facilitator
Student
Support
Liaison-
HC
Specialist
Spec Ed
Liaison
EBS
Academic
Content
LiaisonHumanities
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
ED & Facilitator work jointly to support school
leader in meeting the needs of the school
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School
Leader
ED of
Principal
Support
DRAFT
Facilitator
(&
Network
Team)
BALTIMORE CITY
Shared Knowledge
•School strategy
•School data & needs
•Qualitative and contextual
factors
•Support activities
Shared Accountability
•School performance factors
in all evaluations
•Principal to provide feedback
on the development and
supports received
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Proposed Network Structure for SY11-12
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# of
schools/
pgrms
# of
teams
Charter
35
1
35.0
11,461
11,461
SE & AOP
19
1
19.0
2,307
2,307
Turnaround-Elem/K-8
7
1
7.0
3,842
3,842
Turnaround-Secondary
8
1
8.0
3,778
3,778
Elem/K-8
97
8
12.1
41,103
5,138
Secondary
38
4
9.5
22,011
5,503
204
16
School Team Type
schools/
ave enroll/
enrollment
team
team
* Rapid response tool rates schools to their peers on a range of indicators, ranking schools between 1 and 4, with 1
being an indicator of high need schools.
DRAFT
BALTIMORE CITY
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
How Will Schools Assigned to Networks?
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After grade level configuration (ES, K-8, Secondary) and some
targeted needs (e.g. Turnaround schools)…
 Lead with Principal Development Need
Self-identified (using key elements of effective leadership
during work sessions tomorrow)
 Principal demographics related to leadership need (e.g.
Principals in their first 3 years, etc.)
 Controls/Considerations
 School performance indicators (heterogeneous)
 Looking at similar specialty supports (academic and student
support)
 Geography

DRAFT
BALTIMORE CITY
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
How Will Staff be Assigned to Networks?
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1.) Executive Directors will be matched to leadership
needs of the network (e.g. Turnaround experience with
Turnaround Network)
2.) Facilitators will be matched to Executive Directors to
complement skill set so as to provide a more robust set
of expertise to principals
3.) Specialty Supports (academic/student support) will
be matched to teams based on identified needs (e.g. MS
Math support)
4.) Standard Supports will be matched to teams with
facilitator input
DRAFT
BALTIMORE CITY
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
What is Happening Right Now with the Work?
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New
Organization:
Clear Roles with
Ability to make
decisions and
move work
New Measures of
Success and
Accountability
• School, school
leader and teacher
frameworks and
evaluation systems
being built
• Performance
management of
district offices and
staff to be rooted in
school outcomes
DRAFT
New Processes
for working
together
Systems and
processes built
for knowing
schools deeply
and for feedback
• Role clarity and authority mapping among
EDs, Facilitators, Networks and Departments
• Departments reorienting meeting and
reporting structures and mindset around
school need and being “in service” to schools
• Network processes for sharing information to
and from schools
• Reporting (informal and formal) being
developed to gauge school progress
BALTIMORE CITY
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Flexibility to do
what is right for
students and
schools
• District reorienting processes
to be about “How
can I help you get
this done?” vs.
“Justify why it’s
necessary” or flat out
“No” with no just
cause.
How Will I, as a Principal, Experience the Work
Differently?
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You should…
 Receive more meaningful and regular feedback on your
practice
 Understand clearly the outcomes (student outcomes and
transactional/compliance) and standards (Leadership
Framework) that you are responsible for and where you can
go to access supports
 Spend less time having to contextualize your requests to the
district, providing data about your school, and responding to
last minute district requests
DRAFT
BALTIMORE CITY
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
How Will I, as a Principal, Experience the Work
Differently?
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You should…
 Feel that the transactional services and processes are
expedited (e.g. budget amendments) and the networks are
truly your “1-stop shop”
 Be able to spend more time in classrooms because your
operational and leadership needs are being met
 Feel advocated for and supported with a sense of urgency and
more often hear, “Why not?” then “Why?” from the district
 Have a bigger voice in the district and feel that your
experiences and feedback are shaping district policies and
procedures
DRAFT
BALTIMORE CITY
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Implementation Timeline
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Item
Date
Interviews for Networks & ED Positions continue
May – July
Schools supported by Network Transition Contact (see next page)
until mid-July
PEP for ~65% of Network positions requiring Board approval
~60% of Executive Directors
~School Support Network Officer
July 12
Orientation and training of EDs and Networks with Parallel
Departments
July
Grouping of schools into Networks and assignment of staff
Early July
PEP for ~35% of remaining positions requiring Board approval
~40% of Executive Directors
July 12
Introduction of the EDs and facilitators to Principals at CAO’s
professional development over the summer
Mid-Late July
Full network teams assembled and assigned to schools/ Principals
receive clear guidance on the role and expectations of network and
other district staff
Late July
Focus on Start of School Readiness Activities
Late July/August
DRAFT
BALTIMORE CITY
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Summer Transition
Current
Network
Network Support Transition
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Contact
1
Harold Henry
2
Erika McCoy
3
Paige Isaacson
4
Tyson Beale
5
Matt Hoffman
6
Dawn Shirey
7
Rod Womack
8
Harold Henry
9
Andrea Hancock
10
John Land
11
Sharone Brinkley-Parker
12
Kojo Attah
13
Tracye Carter
New schools for
SY11-12
Tammie Knights
DRAFT
BALTIMORE CITY
Executive Director
Roger Shaw and Irma Johnson
will continue to act in the
Executive Director role as it has
been defined (not as it will be
defined) until new network teams
and Executive Directors are
introduced at the CAO’s
professional development for
qualified observer training this
summer.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
What Should I Expect Over the Summer?
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Until new network teams are announced (mid-July), your
network transition contact will act as:
 A source of information for summer needs
 A point person at the district to ensure your request can
move to resolution quickly and with adequate feedback
Be mindful they will not have the full support of the team
behind them, so direct services/support will be limited for a
short window of time. Core functions will, of course,
continue.
DRAFT
BALTIMORE CITY
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Any Questions About the Reorganization or
Feedback on District Supports
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 Email schoolsupportnetwork@bcps.k12.md.us or Dr.
Alonso directly.
 You will receive a response within 24 hours.
 Requests will be monitored to ensure that the
transition does not impact your ability to achieve
resolution.
We are committed to providing school supports to you
even through this transition.
DRAFT
BALTIMORE CITY
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
What Are You Still Wondering About?
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Use the note cards you were given to write the things you
are still wondering about in terms of:
Structure
Process
Roles



We will be able to use this data to inform the work we do
internally to ensure that roles are clear and
expectations managed, so principals are receiving the
highest quality service and support.
PLEASE GIVE TO THE SUPPORT STAFF ON YOUR WAY OUT.
DRAFT
BALTIMORE CITY
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Take Care of Yourself
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This week is about taking care of your professional self,
remember to take care of your personal self this
summer too.
We need you rested, charged and ready for our kids next
year!
DRAFT
BALTIMORE CITY
PUBLIC SCHOOLS