The Perkins Platform

The January guest was scheduled to be Dr. Joshua Starr, Superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools-Maryland. Dr. Starr began his tenure as Montgomery County Public Schools’ superintendent of schools on July 1, 2011, after having been the superintendent in Stamford, Connecticut.  In the middle of major curriculum revision, Dr. Starr has called for a 3-year moratorium on standardized testing in the state's largest public school system.  At the time of broadcast, Dr. Starr was required unexpectedly to travel to Annapolis (MD) to meet with the governor.  His deputy superintendent, Dr. Beth Schiavino-Narvaez adeptly served as a replacement.Dr. Beth Schiavino-Narvaez is the Deputy Superintendent for School Support and Improvement for the Montgomery County Public Schools, where she is leading an effort to strengthen central office service and support to principals and schools. Prior to joining MCPS, Beth Schiavino-Narvaez was the Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning in the Springfield (MA) Public Schools. Beth began her career as a Fulbright Scholar in South Korea, where she taught English at a Korean public high school.

Our December guest is Mr. Jean Claude Brizard, former Chief Executive Officer of Chicago Public Schools.  Recently, Mr. Brizard and the CPS Board of Education were in the media spotlight with the 2012 CPS teacher strike.  Prior to his appointment in Chicago, he was Superintendent of Schools for the Rochester City School District (Rochester, NY), a position he held for three years.  Our conversation will focus on the political aspects that both facilitate and hinder leadership and progress in urban contexts.The Chicago Public Schools serves approximately 409,000 students in more than 670 schools. It is the nation’s third-largest school system. Every child brings a wealth of talent, gifts, and potential to us,” Mr. Brizard says. “They also bring dreams, aspirations, struggles, and needs. We must embrace that talent and potential and equip every student with an education that draws forth their unique talents (the masterpiece) that lies within each of them. Mr. Brizard’s experience also includes a 21-year career as an educator and administrator with the New York City Department of Education. He served as a Regional Superintendent, supervising more than 100 K-12 schools serving over 100,000 students in three New York City geographic districts.

The November Special Edition (1 hour) will feature two special guests who are the chief architects for the ongoing merger of Shelby County and Memphis City Public Schools - David Pickler and Martavius Jones.  The unification is considered to be the largest school district consolidation in American history. Fraught with historical tensions, issues of race and equity, this is a consolidation ambitious both in scale and momentum. Actions by members of the Memphis and Shelby school boards, local city councils, a 2011 referendum, and ongoing lawsuits have divided the local landscapes along political lines.   Discussions about a possible consolidation occurred as far back as October / November 2010, spurred by a proposal by  David Pickler (SCPS) to authorize special district status to Shelby School District. In response, Martavius Jones (MCPS) proposed the city of Memphis relinquish its charter. What followed has proven to be a hugely influential series of efforts to reform two very different school districts, the implications of which may reverberate in school districts across the USA.   However, the move has divided community members, parents, and local residents due to the significance of the logistical, legal, and community challenges such a substantial consolidation process poses. Some of the issues it raises for those directly affected include, but are not limited to: Memphis teachers are unionized, Shelby County’s are not. The county owns its buses, the city has historically relied on a contractor. Both use different textbooks and different curriculums Each district implements different teacher evaluation systems. Median family income in Memphis is $32,000 a year vs. suburban average of $92,000. 85 percent of students in Memphis are black vs. 38 percent in Shelby County are black. Join us for what will certainly be an amazing discussion.

The October Guest is Ms. Betsy Landers, President – PTA.  We will discuss how the PTA encourages parents to participate in the educational process and the ways in which school leaders can better engage parents to be active participants in their child's educational program.From the moment she joined PTA® in 1989, Landers’ dedication to PTA has been unwavering. When she encountered challenges with her first PTA experience, she stayed with the group to ensure future volunteers had a better experience. When her children transferred to a new school, she helped form its first PTA and served as unit secretary. When her children transferred yet again, she helped form the first PTA in their new school, this time as president. She took on increasing responsibilities for Shelby County Council PTA, and then for the Tennessee PTA Board of Managers. Her goal was to help foster a widespread culture of excellence throughout the PTA local units in her state.Landers has a special devotion to children’s safety. She dedicates time to the National Emergency Medical Services to Children (EMSC) Partnership for Children Stakeholder Group, the Tennessee EMSC Foundation, the Committee on Pediatric Emergency Care, and the Trauma Care Advisory Committee of Tennessee.Although she occupies the highest office in PTA, Landers is quick to point out that the real power of PTA lies at the local level and plans to make a “back to basics” approach cornerstone of her tenure as National PTA President. “It’s the parents who dedicate themselves to improving their children’s education, PTA members who are committed to advocating for all children—those are the people who make a real difference.”

The September 2012 broadcast of The Perkins Platform will focus on the challenges that school board members across the nation face to insure high quality education experiences to all children.  Recent challenges to the need for school boards  have placed many board members on the defense and left many fighting to stay relevant.  Our special guest will be Dr. Anne Bryant - Executive Director of the National School Boards Association.  Dr. Bryant will discuss some of the important issues being faced by her membership and share her insights on why school boards are important to public education.

The preimer broadcast of The Perkins Platform will feature the executive director of the American Association of School Adminsitrators, Dr. Dan Domenech.  The host is Dr. Brian Perkins - Director of the Urban Education Leaders Program at Teachers College Columbia University.  Dr. Perkins is a national expert on urban school climate and urban district leadership.  He has more than a decade of experience as an urban school board president and has been a member of the board of directors for the National School Boards Association.His guest, Dan Domenech, will discuss some of the most important challenges faced by today's superintendents in public schools throughout the US.  As the executive director and a former superintendent of schools, Dan has a unique perspective that will certainly stimulate the audience and provide some interesting topics for debate and discussion. These challenges are certainly linked to great opportunity.  Dan will discuss some of these with us and seek feedback on his perspective of the road ahead for today's district leaders.The American Association of School Administrators, founded in 1865, is the professional organization for more than 13,000 educational leaders in the United States and throughout the world.  AASA members range from chief executive officers, superintendents and senior level school administrators to cabinet members, professors and aspiring school system leaders.