STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT OF

HUMAN CAPITAL IN Boston

Overview: Sarah Archibald SMHC/CPRE Univ. of Wisconsin

Panel: Carol Johnson, Superintendent, Boston Public Schools

Craig Chin, Assistant Chief Operating Officer, BPS

November 18, 2008

Boston’s Story

• Prioritize HR reform

• Improve HR’s transactional processes

• Reform teacher contract as needed

• Strategic recruitment of teachers and principals

• Train your own teacher and principals

• Build a system of induction and mentoring

Prioritizing HR Reform

• Former Superintendent Payzant, with full support of mayor and school council, made HR reform a priority– Power to hire/fire head of HR– Made head of HR part of cabinet– Full fiscal support from the city/district

• Partnership with Boston Plan for Excellence– Brought in more dollars and spotlight

Improving Transactional HR Processes

• Switched to customer service perspective and fired those unwilling to change – Red carpet treatment for new teachers– Focus on accountability and responsiveness

to principals– Cross-training for HR staff

• Computer systems needed updating– Acquired grant funds to help pay for this

Reforming the Teacher Contract

• Ended voluntary excesses and blind bids

• Compressed hiring timeline

• Start of open postings to give principals more control over hiring process– Also the ability to keep provisional teachers

after one year by principal choice

Recruiting New Talent

• Early Hires (particularly for high-need)

• More strategic recruitment of minorities and high-needs positions (ESL, Math, Science, Special Ed)

• Competitive wages

• Strategic advertising and outreach for those who want to make a difference in urban schools

Growing New Talent

• Boston Teacher Residency (BTR)– District-based program run in conjunction with

the Boston Plan for Excellence– 1 year, pre-service program to train top talent

specifically to teach in Boston Public Schools• Highly selective entrance criteria• Accept enough minorities to mirror the ethnicities

of the district’s students• Began with 12 teachers in 2003-04• At its maximum it will train 100 teachers per year

Growing New Talent (cont.)

• Exploring School Administration in Boston (ESA)– 10 after-school seminars focusing on one aspect of

the role of school leader– Intended for those with an interest (but no experience)

in school administration

• Boston Principal Fellows Program– Highly selective yearlong residency in BPS (receive

100 applications and take 8-12)– Fellows receive comparable wages for the year– 4 days/week in the school, 1 day in the classroom

Induct and Mentor New Talent

• State law requires mentors for new teachers – Union has had 5 year lawsuit to get the district to provide mentoring

• District is working toward a comprehensive system for inducting and mentoring new teachers that includes:– Three day summer training institute– Monthly seminars for new teachers– New teacher developers– Networkers (for low-performing schools)– Less formal mentoring (buddy mentors in schools)

Enabling Factors in Boston

• Continuity of leadership

• Talent capacity

• Labor-management relationship

• Fiscal capacity– Strong economic times– Infusion of private funds

• Personal relationships