VB Schools seek fast ‘Turnaround’

Van Buren Public Schools Supt. Michael Van Tassel has committed the school district to a “Turnaround” mode and at Monday’s school board meeting Dr. Grant Chandler spoke for more than an hour explaining the project.
Dr. Chandler is project director of MIExcel and Van Buren is one of the 12 Early Adopter school districts in the state that is undertaking a new system to improve their districts. There is no direct cost to the district since he is funded by the State of Michigan.
Dr. Chandler said he expects the district to show great improvement in from 18 to 24 months, as shown on tests of any kind. He said the countdown started a month ago when they began work on this district.
Van Tassel said the state is not taking the Van Buren district over, but the scores are not good and there is a sense of urgency because, “These kids can’t wait.”
“If a child comes to us in Kindergarten and can’t identify letters of the alphabet, that’s unfortunate, but what are we going to do about it?” Van Tassel said in his introductory remarks before Dr. Chandler’s presentation.
“I am deeply concerned because schools are bureaucratic in nature and don’t think in terms of urgency,” Van Tassel said.
He rapidly introduced the District Turnaround Team that included Russ Robinson, a consultant from Wayne RESA who is not being paid by the district for this, as well as Mrs. Ross, Laura Maher, Aleisha Pitt, Diane Kullis, John Leroy, Abdul Madun, board vice president Martha Toth, and “some teachers.”
“I’ve been moved by Dr. Chandler,” Van Tassel said. “I thought I was good with urgency and passion, but I can’t touch this guy.”
Dr. Chandler said he has 12 Early Adopter districts who will install the Blueprint for Turnaround he has created.
“Saving children’s lives. That’s the only prize,” Dr. Chandler said.
He said that public schools are fundamentally flawed and don’t save the children. He said he doesn’t want to prolong the problem and so there is urgency.
“Michigan is very close to the bottom of the game, with Massachusetts at the top,” he said. “The current system is designed to teach 5% as leaders and the rest as followers.”
He said Michigan applied for a waiver to No Child Left Behind and in 2012 he left his position and his new charge at Michigan State University was to bring about rapid turnarounds. He referred to a 300-page study on the issue.
He said he has been in districts where they improve in 12 months. He said districts try to fix one classroom at a time and never get done. It has to be attacked systemically. He said districts spend too little time on things that really matter.
He said fads come and go and the districts take on so much that they don’t know what to do next.
“I looked at your MSTEPS [scores] and you’re a ways away from having students all the way to the finish line,” Chandler said.
He said there are many steps, but an important one is ensuring appropriate rewards for good teachers. He said often the district promotes teachers to be administrators “or someone steals them.” He said every time you lose a really good employee, your system goes backward.
“More money and strong will are not enough,” he said. “Districts need to change the game.
“They have to quit crying ‘we need more money’ … It doesn’t cost more money to think differently,” Chandler said.
He said one of the biggest problems cited in reform literature is the common approach for districts to put Band Aids on problems. No one at the board table wished to comment on his question if they have put Band Aids on problems.
“Mike has decided as superintendent to install the Blueprint for Turnaround,” he said, noting you have to publicly say you’re a failure before moving forward.
“I think you’re a courageous district because you’re willing to go out on a limb,” he said.
“When a heroic school principal leaves, the school goes backward,” Chandler said, adding the turnaround has to be led by the superintendent.
He said when students fail, studies show they live shorter lives, eat a lower quality of food, poorer health and have higher stress throughout their lives.
“Are you a good district for everybody?” he asked. “Do you have children who come to this district that you don’t take care of? I know the answer.
“We must meet the needs of any child who comes to you … there’s an urgency. Who’s going to save them if we don’t?”
He said there are Tiers programs that are a fad and PLC (Professional Learning Communities) that make teachers frustrated because systems are not in place to support that. Van Buren schools use both of those.
“You don’t increase teachers skills by asking them to do more,” he said.
He then said the first part of the new system to be installed is Talent Management, which is “not comfortable.” He said the district is in the process of inventorying all the talent in the district. Then they decide how to keep the people in the jobs they’re good at and to get some into a different line of work.
Board Trustee Sherry Frazier said that kind of scrutiny produces an anxious workforce always looking over their shoulder, not a cooperative, professional group.
“This is not aimed at removing people,” Chandler replied, adding there is a level of discomfort “if we are aimed at saving children’s lives.”
He said the Blueprint requires principals to spend 80% of their time in the classrooms and the superintendent and central office staff have to spend 50% in the buildings partnering with principals.
Chandler said he knows that “Mike spends an exorbitant amount of time in the classrooms.”
“There’s uncomfortableness because of that,” Trustee Frazier said.
“I have to disagree,” Chandler said, pointing out that Van Tassel is the board’s only employee and he cannot possibly do his work in his office because children are in the classrooms.
He said “Mike and Jeff” [Curriculum Director Jeff Moore] have rated all the employees. Van Tassel rated his principals and his principals rated their teachers.
“If he doesn’t take charge, we don’t get the results we want,” Chandler said of Van Tassel.
“We’re ripping the Band Aids off, layer after layer,” he said. “If you can do this in Van Buren, you provide stories and you can save students across the country – names you’ll never know.”
In other business at Monday’s meeting, the board:
• Accepted $23,000 in grants for teachers from the Van Buren Public School Education Foundation;
• Approved the annual tax collection resolution that calls for 100% of the school taxes to be collected in the summer;
• Approved the Schools of Choice program declaration for “a limited number of openings” for the second semester. When asked for details, none were available;
• Approved setting the annual organizational meeting for 7 p.m., Jan. 11, in the Commons area at Belleville High School;
• Approved accepting the Nov. 25 resignation of Athletic Director/BHS Assistant Principal Jon Zajac after two years of service “to take another position closer to home”;
• Approved hiring Bonnie Lopez as counselor at McBride as of Nov. 23, Meghann Ginstet as teacher at Owen as of Nov. 30, and Jessica Roberts as teacher at McBride as of Dec. 14;
• Approved the resignation of Kathryn Zalewski from Transportation after one year as of Dec. 3, and the retirement of Lorraine Kennedy from Transportation after 17 years as of Jan. 4; and
• Approved hiring Brandi Dalton as custodian at McBride as of Dec. 2.