Public School Reform

The Foundation believes that the quality of students’ education is critical to the future of our region, including its economic development, equal opportunity for all, and residents’ overall quality of life. With that understanding, the Foundation is starting a school reform initiative to complement the recent commitment of Mayor John DeStefano and the leadership of the New Haven Public Schools to make New Haven the best urban school district in the country.

To further that goal, the Foundation hosted a School Reform and Philanthropy Forum on September 29, 2009 featuring Mayor DeStefano, local education leaders, and Terry Mazany, President & CEO of the Chicago Community Trust.

DeStefano outlined the four elements of the city’s plan: instituting high expectations for students and teachers; providing a level of support to different schools based on their performance; attracting, retaining and creating a team of the best teachers, principals and administrators; and finding the resources to send all graduating seniors on to higher education – the New Haven Promise.

Assistant Superintendent Garth Harries, who was recruited to New Haven after leading a successful effort to transform many New York City schools, reiterated the importance of bringing all stakeholders together to make each and every school successful.

The mayor said, in researching how to proceed, “We decided to treat the teachers the way we should treat them, which is as partners.” He then introduced New Haven teachers’ union President David Cicarella, who said his members are eager to work together with the administration to improve outcomes for all students.

Mazany outlined the role of philanthropy in reforming Chicago’s public schools, initiated when Arne Duncan, currently the Obama administration’s Secretary of Education, was superintendent of schools there. In 2001 Mazany was hired by the Trust to design its education initiative, and was tasked to work half-time in the new Duncan administration. “So then it was no accident,” he said, “that the top three priorities of the Chicago public schools looked a lot like the top three priorities of the Chicago Community Trust: literacy, teacher and principal quality and innovative models of schooling.”

Mazeny said Duncan embraced foundation support to help reform the entire system, rather than having different foundations focus on one or another particular school. He said the efforts have doubled student achievement in the schools.

The foundation investment in Chicago schools so far has been $50 million for a student body of 400,000. The equivalent investment for New Haven’s 22,000 students would be about $2.5 million.

The Foundation has been involved in educational efforts in the past – including PACK (Parents and Communities for Kids); funding for local charter schools; and a scholarship program for NHPS students. But this new commitment is to overhaul the entire system.
The Foundation’s effort will be independent of NHPS, but will promote common goals by helping to mobilize public support; by providing discretionary grants from Foundation resources consistent with donor intent; by funneling new donations from institutions and individuals; and by evaluating and reporting regularly on the progress of NHPS school reform to funders, to supporters and to the community at large.

The Foundation also hopes that these efforts in New Haven will serve as a model for making improvements in schools in the other 19 towns we serve.