He's Tony Smith, a progressive educator and supporter of small schools and charter schools. The board's vote was unanimous. Smith is a former superintendent of the Emeryville school district and worked for the Bay Area Coalition of Equitable Schools (BAYCES), a leading resource for the small-schools movement.For more on Smith's appointment see:
Robert Gammon at East Bay Express
h/t Rick Ayers
He's either really dedicated or completely nuts to take that job. Especially with the district under a state takeover where all his decisions have to be approved by a state-appointed manager. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteIt's the first one (dedicated). The state takeover is 2/3 phased out and local control will return now that there is a locally selected leader in place. It's not the state takeover that's the problem, it's the deficit (massive) and the bureacratic culture (ditto). The state takeover significantly improved outcomes for students, and allowed a small schools movement alliance between bottom-up (parents and grassroots organizers) and top-down (state-appointed supe) reform that ran around the central office...
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