A model for rebuilding Dayton Public Schools

I had a conversation with Dayton Daily News Editorial board member and former school reporter, Scott Elliott about my “strangely bad ideas” including where he scoffed about Sinclair Community College taking over Dayton Public Schools.

He did agree that the DPS brand is beyond tarnished, but, told me there was no precedent, or reason for it to happen.

I point you to the Boston University/Chelsea Partnership- where I guess someone else had a “strangely bad idea;”

The Boston University/Chelsea Partnership is the only example of a private university accepting responsibility for the day-to-day management of a public school system.

Boston University provides managerial and educational expertise to oversee and rebuild an entire urban school system and to construct a model for the reform of urban education. The challenges faced by the partnership in Chelsea are typical of those faced in economically disadvantaged urban areas throughout the United States. In June 1989, Boston University accepted the invitation of the Chelsea School Committee to manage the Chelsea Public Schools under a unique ten-year partnership agreement.

By unanimous vote of the Chelsea School Committee in 1997, that agreement was extended an additional five years. In June 2002, the School Committee once again voted to invite Boston University to extend the partnership, this time through June 2008.

The Boston University Chelsea Partnership remains the only instance in which a private university has accepted responsibility for the overall day-to-day management of a public school system. The University receives no monetary compensation for its work; rather, it provides managerial and educational expertise and oversight in order to rebuild an entire urban school system and to construct a model for the reform of urban education.

The challenges faced by the partnership in Chelsea are typical of those faced in economically disadvantaged urban areas throughout the United States.

via BU | School of Education.

Although Sinclair isn’t a 4 year school, with an education department (hello, Wright State and University of Dayton) Sinclair is already a partner with DECA, ISUS and the new David Ponitz High School which is grades 9-14.

With a City Commission that votes 5-0 almost always, and has only had a few 3-0-1 votes in the last four years- it’s a wonder any new ideas ever come to the table for discussion. Without floating ideas like this, how will we ever know what could be? In a conversation with the esteemed Dr. Ponitz, he shared his believes in the need for “creative dissonance” which help elevate the level of the discussion.

Apparently in Boston, someone floated my idea long ago- and it’s still working. Yet, Scott Elliott has no ideas of his own, nor is he willing to sign his name to a hatchet job in the editorial. Read my plan– share your thoughts, then try that on Nan Whaley’s or Joey D. Williams‘s sites.

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