Colleges could lead city schools

Colleges could soon be taking over some of the city's most struggling schools under a new proposal Superintendent Bolgen Vargas presented to the school board on Monday.

The proposal, which needs state approval, would allow the district to enter into contracts with colleges and universities to manage schools within the district, essentially giving them the role of superintendent and asking them to oversee everything from the budget to day-to-day operations. The school board would maintain a role monitoring the school and ensuring the contract and its terms — including goals — are met.

"We have access to many great colleges and universities, with an excellent track record of successful education management," Vargas said. "They can help some of our struggling schools to improve more rapidly, while strengthening the district's focus on managing other schools."

The approach is one the state has allowed since 2011 when as part of the Race to the Top initiative it gave districts the option to turn control of failing schools over to outside organizations. Under the state's "restart model" the schools are closed and then reopened by a third party, which could be a non-profit agency, charter school management organization or higher education institution.

Rochester's plan is still in the early stages, and Vargas said he will seek community input and return to the board with a more detailed version next month. Then, by the start of the 2015-2016 school year, Vargas said he wants to see as many of the district schools as possible managed by colleges and universities.

The proposal comes as the district faces increasing pressure to improve its students' performance, even in the face of tougher state standards for what students need to learn at each grade level. The City School District ranked dead last in the state in its performance on this past year's state standardized test.

The struggle to improve the state's urban school districts have both Education Commissioner John King and Governor Andrew Cuomo calling for lawmakers to give them the power to take over districts struggling to improve.

"This is our last chance to improve this district," Vargas said. The superintendent said turning over control of schools would eliminate the bureaucracy that now hinders progress. Colleges also tend to offer more consistency and stability, he added.

Teachers and staff members at the schools affected — Vargas did not specify which ones could be converted — would remain district employees. Earlier this year the school district renegotiated its contract with the Rochester Teachers Association allowing for individual schools to negotiate their own terms to accommodate special programs. The only exceptions are their salaries and benefits.

RTA President Adam Urbanski said he has been involved in conversations with Vargas and Monroe Community College President Anne Kress about the proposal, and understood that it would be a partnership between the colleges and parents and teachers.

Urbanski, who pushed for a teacher led school but was not able to negotiate a plan with the district, said that allowing parents and teachers to retain power at the school level will be key for the plan to work.

"That's the vehicle that was discussed for these partnerships: That this would be a consensual relationship between the parents and teachers and any college that's involved," Urbanski said.

"If the district makes it into a takeover of the school I predict it won't go anywhere," he added. "If the district remains faithful to the discussion with us it will be more successful."

Any contractual changes would have to be signed off on by teachers at the school with 80 percent support.

Rochester would not be the first school district to utilize such a model. Other states have similar versions of a restart model. And in 2011 New York City became the first district in the state to take the approach when it turned over control of more than a dozen of its schools to outside agencies.

After proposals to work with Buffalo colleges were rejected, the school district there recently came to an agreement with the state to allow Johns Hopkins University to oversee two of its high schools.

Earlier this year the Rochester Institute of Technology announced a plan to partner with True North Rochester Prep Charter School in opening a high school. Through the partnership, RIT professors will give lessons on the Rochester Prep campus, and students will visit the institute for courses and special programs. RIT students will serve as tutors and mentors, and Uncommon Schools is designing a curriculum that will focus on college readiness.

Vargas said the charter school has appeal to outside partners because they do not have to deal with the bureaucracy of the district.

But his new proposal gives them even more flexibility.

RIT spokeswoman Ellen Rosen said that at this point it is premature to comment. Representatives from the University of Rochester and Monroe Community College were not immediately available to comment.

Vargas said that he has been speaking with area colleges about the possibility, and received mixed response — some seemed interested while others were not yet on board. He added that he was hopeful the district would be able to partner with local colleges, as opposed to going out of state like Buffalo did.

Board members asked few questions about the plan, but some voiced support for moving forward with the proposal to let colleges manage some schools.

Several parents who attended the meeting left with many unanswered questions about what the proposal could mean for their children. "I'm wondering what that all means," said parent Victoria Roberston. "There are a lot of unknowns."

"It's a lot to process," said parent Candice Lucas, who recently ran for school board. "The district culture has to change either way for this to happen. A lot of things depend on that."

The proposal was among several Vargas presented to the board's Excellence in Student Achievement Committee. His other goals include coming up with a plan to end the district's structural budget deficit, which each year forces them to lay off teachers and make other cuts.

Vargas also proposed working with the county's Board of Cooperative Educational Services to allow students to take career and technical education classes and working with the community to develop a new code of student conduct.

He also wants to make summer programs available to all students in kindergarten to third grades.

TLANKES@DemocratandChronicle.com

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