They did not. It was like out of a movie, the official says, like she was propping up the queen who you know is not up to the task., Briner said she did not recall this specific episode but that the comments sounded like something she would say to any colleague going through a difficult moment., In an interview in a BPS classroom, Cassellius dismissed her critics as disgruntled employees. The staffers, all veterans of public school administration in Boston and beyond, listened closely. Parents Evaluation. We had all this wind under our wings, she says. Joe Nathan / 2018 Columns / Blue Ribbon Schools, Brenda Cassellius, Minnesota Department of Education, Minnesota . Alexi's professional experience encompasses print, television and radio at NY1, CNN en Espaol, 88.7FM WRHU and The Republican newspaper. With the backing of the teachers union, community activists, and Mayor Walsh, she won the job in May 2019, with a 52 vote from the school committee. Follow us so you don't miss a thing! She worked her way up from teacher to assistant principal to associate. For people with disabilities needing assistance with the Public Files, contact Glenn Heath at 617-300-3268. Brenda Cassellius has spent three decades as an educator - most recently as the superintendent of Boston Public Schools, and before that, as Minnesota's Commissioner of Education. But that's my best guess. 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One day in 2004, Johnson walked into Casselliuss office to offer her the biggest promotion of her life. BPS was a troubled district; that was no secret. A bitter irony of 2020 is that even if you believe, as Casselliuss critics do, that she mismanaged the coronavirus response, it is not clear how much it mattered. (In an interview in December, Brophy said his work with BPS over the summer was less a rescue mission than an all-hands-on-deck situation.). 2017 columns / By then Cassellius had earned a reputation for being full of energy and big ideas. On July 22, less than a week after the principals letter was made public, Cassellius appeared, via Zoom, before the school committee to present a draft of BPSs reopening plan. Kadzis: She would like the challenge and being head of school at Boston Latin School hasn't exactly been the bed of roses either. "She didn't make a difference, period," the mother said. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. Listen Live: Classic and Contemporary Celtic, Listen Live: Cape, Coast and Islands NPR Station, Meg Woolhouse and Peter Kadzis on Morning Edition | Feb. 11, 2022, Boston Globe/Boston Globe via Getty Images, "Wu understands that the next super needs the trust of students, their parents and Boston teachers to really hit the ground running. Cassellius insists she will still be that leader, as long as the city will let her. Working with educators, parents, business people, students, policy-makers and other concerned people throughout the United States. Boston School Superintendent Brenda Cassellius, right, spoke to the media after she helped dismiss children at the Nathan Hale Elementary School after substitute teaching there in January. She even briefly served as a classroom teacher in January when roughly 1,200 teachers and staff members called out sick during the omicron surge. The Boston School Committee announced last week that Dr. Brenda Cassellius will serve as Boston's next superintendent. Cassellius chats with the head chef, who shows her a color-coded calendar of the months meals. The warnings that a recession may occur continues but fears that it will happen in 2023 are fading. Brenda Cassellius Selected As Next Boston Schools Superintendent May 2, 2019 BOSTON ( WBZ NewsRadio) After a year-long search, Boston Public Schools has a new leader. Outgoing Boston Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius came in under the cover of darkness and is leaving the same way with a potentially huge severance agreement the city is sitting on. Hey Marcus, what you got going on these days?. If she appeared harried outside, coming off her meetings and calls, she is now something much closer to jubilant. Campbell Brown (journalist) Alma Dale Campbell Brown (born June 14, 1968) is the head of global news partnerships at Facebook and a former American television news reporter and anchorwoman. Back in Minneapolis, she served as an associate superintendent from 2007 to 2010, overseeing high school principals. Woolhouse: Well, it actually made me think she already has someone in mind. In many ways, this was classic Cassellius, BPS insiders say. The daughter of a young single mother who later became a young single mother herself, Cassellius grew up on food stamps in the projects of Minneapolis and participated in a Head Start program.. Santoro: Meg, it seems clear that parents want and actually need a level of stability considering the pandemic, the turnover of superintendents. Her mother's name is unknown, as well as her father's. Brenda graduated from high school in Minnesota and went onto the University of Minnesota-Twin City, where she earned a bachelor's psychology degree. At the same time, not everyone agrees with this renderinga soaring start to her superintendency derailed by a once-in-a-lifetime catastrophe. The swiftness of criticism, she told me, and the willingness to condemn, its something uniquely Boston. "Brenda Cassellius is the right choice for the leader of the BPS,'' he said. They began considering an intervention. Brenda's parents have consistently encouraged her career goals. In our conversations, Cassellius seemed to ask for two things: time and skepticism of her critics. And I started to do things where it wasnt just my idea, but everybodys idea.. But it's not the only issue here. As a parent, I want to request that my child receive a fair and equitable opportunity to apply for these three exam schools, said Bentao Cui, president of Boston Parent Coalition for Academic Excellence, a new organization pushing for a merit-based entrance to Bostons exam schools. "She found out what work is. College campuses increasingly offer time off for mental health, but some are skeptical. In a statement, Cassellius said, "Working alongside so many people - parents, educators, community and faith leaders, and philanthropic partners - all dedicated to helping our children achieve their dreams has given new meaning to my vision of all hands on deck. A mother who did not want to give her name to WBZ-TV said she was glad to see Cassellius leaving. Under previous superintendents, BPS executives had used a complicated formula to calculate the annual budget increase they would request from the mayor. When Boston Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius resigns at the end of the school year, she'll take with her hundreds of thousands of dollars from a separation agreement. She had a habit, seven current and former officials say, of tossing out big ideas that were often unrealistic and did not appear connected to any coherent plan. Dr. Brenda Cassellius has spent three decades as an educator devoted to helping all children succeed and thrive. Prior to that she served as Minnesota's education commissioner. Support GBH. It was chaos, says a current BPS official. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Joe Battenfeld is a veteran Herald political columnist and multimedia reporter. Bill would see benefits restored by Seth Moulton bill, 98.5 employees had their sensitivity training after Tony Massarotti suspension, Mike Felger rants about people getting fired over a 'bad comment', Denver gang member gave 14-year-old permission to open fire on woman with AR-15 after fender-bender, DA alleges, In 4 years, Lori Lightfoot went from breakout political star to divisive mayor of a Chicago beset by pandemic and crime, Florida lawmakers to consider expansion of so-called dont say gay law, Drone crashes at Disneyland after hovering over visitors heads See video, Rapper Travis Scott wanted for assaulting Manhattan club sound engineer, destroying $12K in equipment. She came under fire from some parents and teachers for her efforts to reopen the schools for in-person last fall. Dismayed by the prospect of sending kids to school there, she asked her staff to find a way to close italong with another dilapidated school, the Jackson/Mannand send the students elsewhere. Massachusetts could get another snowstorm Friday: What areas were the jackpot zones in this past storm? But plans and strategies have to be tethered to reality, says one former BPS official, and that just doesnt include an imaginary train taking kids around a city to schools that dont exist.. The community was behind us, the mayors speech was inspiring, we had secured this new investment, and then, boom, here comes the plague.. Will new reporting & school support systems help students? Then she added an admonition: You need to grow in humility., Stung by the criticism despite the vote of confidence, Cassellius went home and cried. I think Wu understands that the next super needs the trust of students, their parents and Boston teachers to really hit the ground running. This transcript has been edited for clarity and length. September 8, 2018 Will new reporting & school support systems help students? They were tracking COVID, and it was the parents that forced the closure of the school. Santoro: People will welcome the challenge. Together, we can create a more connected and informed world. What they heard was troubling: Cassellius lacked strong executive leadership and strategic planning skills. Its that she was falling apart., In October 2019, Cassellius reached for a lifeline, hiring Charlene Briner as her new chief of staff. Then, as a superintendent for the first time, she briefly led a two-school district. We took a look at her responses in multiple interviews with Boston education leaders, her extensive background in education leadership, and her plans for Boston Public Schools, to uncover how she will shape the next generation of Boston's young scholars. The problem, Casselliuss critics alleged, was that it arrived too late and too light on details. Leading for equity, Dr.. Boston schools superintendent Brenda Cassellius appeared to catch many by surprise Monday when she announced she would step down from her position at the end of the school year. She does view her job in terms of improving equity, says Keri Rodrigues, a prominent Massachusetts education activist, but wanting it and being able to make it happen are two different things., Edith Bazile, a vocal supporter of Cassellius during the superintendent selection process, has since concluded that Cassellius doesnt have what it takes to lead the district as it emerges from the pandemic. Run the recorder throughout the midday. Rachel Pearson is a parent advocate and trainer at the PACER Center, a nonprofit that champions youth with disabilities and their families. Joe Nathan / She is too focused on big-picture plans, Bazile says, and she does not have the leadership tools to put in place policies that are going to make those plans actually occur in reality. It creates a level of desperation, Bazile adds, because we cant lose this generation., On the afternoon of November 13, I joined a Zoom call with Cassellius, her chief financial officer, her chief operations officer, and some of her favorite people in the district: her cabinet of student advisers. Go Blue! ", 'Heartbroken' by the tragedy of war, a Ukrainian opera singer performs in Belmont, Healey's proposed budget a boon to education and the environment, Senate confirms first Hispanic judge to Massachusetts federal court, The woman who introduced MLK Jr. and Coretta Scott lies in an unmarked grave in Boston, The civil rights memorials that expose America's ugly history and warn of repeating the past. Meg Woolhouse is GBH News' K-12 education reporter. As CFO Nate Kuder completed a preview of the public budget presentation he would give in February, Cassellius proposed an idea. Cassellius recently penned a column for The Washington Post about the teacher and staffing shortage plaguing the schools. Last but not the . Covered spot news and enterprise stories, primarily in education, crime, human services . When BPS faced a lack of staff, Brenda took a substitute teacher position at Nathan Hale Elementary School, Roxbury. Just to cite one example, she's run through four chiefs of staff in two years. Denne knap viser den valgte sgetype. So that doesn't inspire confidence. Together, we've laid a stronger foundation upon which BPS can continue to build. It is tradition for the President to recognize special guests during the State of the Union address each year. We're seeing staff come back! Secretary Cardona to Visit Los Angeles High School of the Arts, Join Roundtable with Parents to Discuss the Importance of Mental Health Services for Students On Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona will continue touring schools in Southern California with a visit to Los Angeles High School of the Arts at Robert F. Kennedy . She does not have a day to spend on me. [], Joe Nathan / But for Cassellius, it signaled that she was losing one of her first and most powerful allies. Tell us what she really thinks of the joke of a school committee and the oversized influence of the powerful teachers union. Sensing the COVID-induced hesitation in my voice, the superintendent, who spends a lot of time in the field and knows every school building in the district inside and out, quickly offered another option. All rights reserved, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu unveiled Cassellius's impending departure in February, Still No Word on Reason Behind Boston School Superintendent's Departure, Boston Public Schools Superintendent to Resign, Even After Investigation, Stoneham Cop Hasn't Paid Dime of Rent to New Landlord, Rescuers Capture Bald Eagle Believed to Be Critically Sickened by Rat Poison, Here's How Shark Extinction Would Devastate the Ocean, Driver Describes Very Scary' Moments Trapped in Car After Crash Takes Down Power Lines in Stoneham. Oh, I want to come in on Thursday. She seems simultaneously energized and at ease at the school. They cant see how to get it done, and she hasnt shown them the steps along the way.. You can do this. Even though it is a Wednesday morning, Lee K8, a sprawling red-brick building standing behind us, is mostly empty, staffed by a skeleton crew and completely devoid of children. Parents of Boston special needs students especially struggled to get the district to listen to the fact that their kids needed to be in school early on in the pandemic and special needs kids were regressing during remote learning and their parents were heartbroken because they were watching it up close. I was called everything from the N-word to mulatto, she says. In-depth news coverage of the Greater Boston Area. This button displays the currently selected search type. When you are disrupting the status quo with an anti-racist lens, as an African-American woman, you have to think about the motives of why people might be criticizing the ideas and the disruption that Im making so that underserved children can be served better and to create opportunity and access. In addition to his editing duties, Senior Editor Peter Kadzis contributes political analysis and is part of the trio that produces the Scrum Podcast. This year, in addition to giving thanks to God and [], Joe Nathan / Near the end of our final interview, during which I detailed her critics charges, Cassellius cut me off. Yet even by the standards of a city that has had five superintendents in the past decade, Casselliuss first year and a half on the job since arriving from Minnesota, where she served as the commissioner of the Department of Education, has been tumultuous. The promotions left colleagues, and sometimes the promoted employees themselves, baffled. Woolhouse: The pandemic, I think it's been a very rough ride for her. She said her Emerald Necklace concept wasnt a plan but a prop or visioning tool. Subordinates would scramble to respond to her proposals, pulling staff away from the business of running the school district. In 2021, school districts will face the daunting task of repairing the damage sustained during the pandemicparticularly for low-income children of color who have borne the brunt of the school shutdowns. A spokesman for BPS declined to comment due to pending litigation. She came under fire from some parents and teachers for her efforts to reopen the schools for in-person last fall. ", In a statement, the mayor said she was "grateful for the Superintendent's leadership, especially while navigating the COVID-19 pandemic.". Henry Santoro: Meg, let's start with you. MS Word MS WORDPDF PDFView FileMS WordFebruary 16, 2012Dr. Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments ? Cassellius loves playing hockey and water skiing. In July 2020, they wrote Cassellius a letterwhich was leaked to the Boston Globeexcoriating her redesign proposal as a top-down exercise in poor planning that is divorced from any authentic analysis of data, lacks major details that must be thought through prior to implementation, [and] ignores years of studies about BPS high schools and the complex issues they face.. GBH News brings you the stories, local voices, and big ideas that shape our world. That was triggered by parents who had been keeping a close watch, a much closer watch than the city had. Enjoying #umich's first #marketing #communication summit with colleagues Eric Anderson and Nick Looney in the beautiful Michigan Union. Here's why. Battenfeld: Boston parents and kids deserve a truthful accounting from Superintendent Brenda Cassellius Start the conversation BOSTON MA. In a letter to "the BPS community" this morning, Mayor Wu said she, School Committee Chairwoman Jeri Robinson and Cassellius decided it was time for Cassellius to move on. Brenda Cassellius was born in Minnesota on September 9, 1967, and she will turn 54 in 2022. Prior to the release of AYP data, Commissioner Cassellius provided an optional letter to parents that school districts could choose to send with their mandated AYP letters. She came under fire from some parents and teachers for her efforts to reopen the . 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