If the metaphors he uses are any indication, Paul Vallas sees his job leading school reform efforts in the School District of Philadelphia as nothing less than a well-planned military operation. Now in the second year of his "second tour of duty" (he previously spent six years as CEO of the Chicago Public Schools), Vallas is marshaling his forces to "institutionalize excellence" on three fronts: curriculum, instruction, and professional development.
Paul Vallas
His plans for improving the curriculum began with calling for a standards-based and aligned curriculum, preK through high school. Woven throughout that curriculum is an emphasis on character education and community service—a response, Vallas noted, to the increasing need to "help our children develop their character."
Providing Extra Support
Once the curriculum is in place—by next year—Vallas expects that the instructional support strategies he promotes will become key to his urban students' academic success. One such support is his requirement that extended-day opportunities be mandatory for any child not meeting standards, especially in reading and math. Four days a week students receive an additional hour of reading, math, or both, along with an additional hour of homework help, academic enrichment, or tutoring. Other efforts to bolster instruction include preparing support personnel to serve in the classroom. "We want everybody to have the capacity to be an assistant to the teacher," Vallas explained.
To successfully implement these efforts in curriculum and instruction, of course, teachers and staff must be well trained—a necessity Vallas has responded to by requesting more professional development opportunities for his personnel. He has also asked that those training activities be delivered in a variety of formats. As a result, teachers can now watch public television to see professional development classes that address the core curriculum; they can take a Web-based course; or they can call the teacher help desk. Teachers can also look to reading and math coaches who offer suggestions for improving instruction. And in each of Philadelphia's nine regions, specialists who make up the "curriculum Navy Seals teams" visit struggling schools to work with teachers and students. All these activities reflect Vallas's belief that professional development must be continuous. "We want to provide teachers with literally unlimited access to all the professional development support they need," he stated.
Looking for Results
Vallas said he hopes to replicate the success he realized in Chicago, where test scores in math and reading improved under his watch. He has promised to scrutinize the data in Philadelphia to evaluate the success of his multipronged offensive—and to make adjustments as necessary.
Vallas also predicted that as efforts in this district bear fruit—as student performance improves—more people will want to become "part of the central mission." When schools perform well, he observed, people become "really enthusiastic."
A Golden Nugget
A Golden Nugget
From ASCD's 2003 Teaching and Learning Conference
Public schools can cut the cost of professional development by teaming up with teachers and administrators in independent schools, suggested Paul Vallas. The schools can take turns serving as the “host” of a workshop and can split the cost of hiring an educational consultant to conduct the training.