It was like out of a movie, the official says, like she was propping up the queen who you know is not up to the task., Briner said she did not recall this specific episode but that the comments sounded like something she would say to any colleague going through a difficult moment., In an interview in a BPS classroom, Cassellius dismissed her critics as disgruntled employees. 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Boston School Superintendent Brenda Cassellius, right, spoke to the media after she helped dismiss children at the Nathan Hale Elementary School after substitute teaching there in January. Whats more, there was no train running along the parks length. But it shows that her top allies confidence in her was rapidly eroding. By winter of the 20192020 school year, concern over Casselliuss leadership had extended beyond the central office and reached BPSs principalssome of the districts most important employees. (Second-hardest job in the country after president, another said.) When you are really smart and your mind is moving a lot, sometimes you have to take the time to pause and hear from others., Carol Johnson saw both promise and room for growth in Cassellius. This memorial website was created in memory of Brenda D Cassellius-W, 35, born on December 31, 1972 and passed away on April 29, 2008. I dont like to criticize people for crying because its often a form of sexism, says a current BPS official. GRADE 3 READING Virginia Department of Education Home. So I would say, keep an eye on Rachel Skerritt. It is tradition for the President to recognize special guests during the State of the Union address each year. Who is giving that criticism? she asked me. When [Casselliuss predecessor] Laura Perille was in front of an audience of children, she seemed stiff, the official says. She was looking to the futurea future beyond the pandemicand was on the verge of unveiling her new vision, a plan she called Return, Recover, and Reimagine.Were going to be really reframing and pivoting, she told me, because our five-year strategic planthe one she announced a year ago, parts of which were later lambasted by the principalshas gotten very little attention., The new plan, she said, would increase the budget, close achievement gaps, and turn BPS into a real 21st-century school district., The Best Public High Schools in Greater Boston, The Best Public High Schools in Mass., Ranked, This search result is here to prevent scraping, Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli to Open Hook + Line in the Seaport, The Real, Essential Backstory of the MLK Statue The Embrace', On the Market: A Newport Condo Tucked Away in a Stone Turret, Review: Moca Largely Succeeds With Wildly Clever Seafood, Five Boston Homes for Sale for Under $800,000, This Stoughton Artist Paints Saturated Scenes of '60s Suburbia Boston Magazine, Careers and Internships at Boston Magazine. BOSTON (CBS) - Boston Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Brenda Cassellius is resigning at the end of the school year. Its unclear if Wu approved of the column but it could be viewed as a little shot at the mayor and school committee. Parents have seen at least a decade of turmoil, as you said, with a revolving door of superintendents and interim superintendents. Leading for equity, Dr.. In mid-summer, City Hall and school committee officials called several current and former BPS staffers. It was so fun to see Tou again in new employee orientation Santoro: This is for both of you has her response to the pandemic been welcomed? Without Charlene, I dont think Brenda would have survived., In the months that followed, Briner helped prop Cassellius up, sometimes almost literally. She even briefly served as a classroom teacher . Cassellius has been Boston's school superintendent since July 2019. I was such a go-getter, she told me, and confident and, you know, dig in. BOSTON Boston Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius will resign at the end of the school year. In a statement, Cassellius said, "Working alongside so many people - parents, educators, community and faith leaders, and philanthropic partners - all dedicated to helping our children achieve their dreams has given new meaning to my vision of all hands on deck. Was it the superintendent herself, who, her critics argue, is too focused on visionary (and starry-eyed) future transformations to tend to the urgent problems of the present? In Minnesota, he explained, he and Cassellius shared a frustration that an entrenched bureaucracy stood in the way of bold change. September 8, 2018 Will new reporting & school support systems help students? It's been two very difficult years for schools, as many teachers and school officials are leaving. Then, throughout the day, the students would shuttle between buildings on a train. Battenfeld: Boston parents and kids deserve a, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Battenfeld: Boston parents and kids deserve a truthful accounting from Superintendent Brenda Cassellius, Editorial: Focus should be on saving Social Security, Lucas: Heres hoping for a Biden-Trump rematch in 2024, Howie Carr: The kinked grocery cart under Bidens America, Woodward: Blame organized crime for shelves under lockdown. By then Cassellius had earned a reputation for being full of energy and big ideas. She has overseen defections and ousters among her senior executives, a revolt from school principals, and public excoriation from influential nonprofits and activists. Brenda's parents have consistently encouraged her career goals. And my hunch is . Brenda Cassellius has spent three decades as an educator - most recently as the superintendent of Boston Public Schools, and before that, as Minnesota's Commissioner of Education. In our conversations, Cassellius seemed to ask for two things: time and skepticism of her critics. Brenda Cassellius has been criticized for her job thus far as superintendent of Boston Public Schools, though her supporters say she deserves time and a chance to implement her vision. In some cases, that lack of attention paid off. In Boston, where more than 54,000 students returned to class on Tuesday following the holiday, Superintendent of Schools Brenda Cassellius told reporters there were 1,000 staff members out, including 461 teachers and 52 bus drivers. Yet even by the standards of a city that has had five superintendents in the past decade, Casselliuss first year and a half on the job since arriving from Minnesota, where she served as the commissioner of the Department of Education, has been tumultuous. Just last summer, the school committee renewed Cassellius' $311,000-a-year contract through June 2024. Brenda CasselliusCommissionerMinnesota Department of Education1500 Highway 36 WestRoseville, Minnesota . Then, as a superintendent for the first time, she briefly led a two-school district. Perhaps that is why she seemed so buoyant when I visited Lee K8 with her and why she meets regularly with her student cabinet, and with BPSs student advisory council. Her colleagues found her leadership erratic in other ways as well. Then she reflected. Series III Reading. She has a deep gift for connecting with children, says a current BPS official who is critical of her leadership. The daughter of a young single mother who later became a young single mother herself, Cassellius grew up on food stamps in the projects of Minneapolis and participated in a Head Start program.. She fell afoul of the powers that be when she made it clear that she thought they had to close schools to make running the system more efficient. The people I spoke to who had no inside knowledge. This violates Students constitutional right to be free from racial and ethnic discrimination.. When she was selected as a finalist in the spring, BPS staffers at Bolling, as well as executives at education nonprofits, had called their contacts in Minnesota to get the scoop on the promising candidate. Login or Sign-up to show all important data, death records and obituaries absolutely for free! When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. Brenda Cassellius's husband is Jason Cassellius. But mostly the Boston Latin School. Alexi Cohan is a general assignment reporter covering local news and government as well as health and medicine stories. Will new reporting & school support systems help students? From the start, Walshs administration had hoped that Cassellius would restore stability to Bostons struggling school system. Building consensus, he notes, is a long, agonizing process. But with Brenda, one former official says, word came down that if your presentation was more than a few slides, you would lose her.. BPS was a troubled district; that was no secret. Cassellius, the former Minnesota Commissioner of Education, was selected superintendent in 2019 by the Boston School Committee. Brenda Cassellius, Carlton Jenkins, Equal Opportunity Schools, Higher Ground Academy, Hopkins Public Schools, Minnesota Department of Education, Steve Massey, Zena Stenvik / 0 Comments, http://hometownsource.com/2016/03/09/joe-nathan-column-massive-misunderstanding-or-classic-bait-and-switch/ The following column originally was published by ECM Publications Massive misunderstanding or classic bait and switch By Joe Nathan on March 9, 2016 at 5:27 pm Joe Nathan The Minnesota Department of Education wisely passed on an offer recently that represented, in part, a massive misunderstanding and, in part, a classic bait and switch. []. When the new system was approved, many city leaders and school advocates hailed it as an outstanding vote that helps to address longstanding equity issues within the district. Superintendent Brenda Cassellius said she supported the change because it is easy to understand, maintains academic rigor, and increases the opportunity for disadvantaged students. She was just four months into her job as superintendent and had a bold idea she wanted to share. So what went wrong? It seemed, to some principals, like she was trying to fix the high schools with a magic wand. In theory, this was a fine idea. Enjoying #umich's first #marketing #communication summit with colleagues Eric Anderson and Nick Looney in the beautiful Michigan Union. She had been sitting in her car for the past 45 minutes, she explains, on a conference call with other big-city superintendents brainstorming ways to reopen schools in the middle of a pandemic. In addition to his editing duties, Senior Editor Peter Kadzis contributes political analysis and is part of the trio that produces the Scrum Podcast. The superintendent was about to go into a meeting and she was falling apart, the official says. Kadzis: She would like the challenge and being head of school at Boston Latin School hasn't exactly been the bed of roses either. As a leader, she said, its good for people to know that youre human., Casselliuss colleagues, and many of her sharpest critics, however, have never questioned her humanity. While the nation tunes in tonight to hear the And thats a good thingright? Cassellius came to Boston less than a year before the pandemic began, forcing her to deal with several unexpected issues, including remote learning and mask and vaccination requirements, as well as staffing issues. She worked her way up from teacher to assistant principal to associate. The couple has been happily married for years and is parents to three children. To some, the practical barriers to implementing the plan seemed nearly insurmountable. The staffers, all veterans of public school administration in Boston and beyond, listened closely. Parents of Boston special needs students especially struggled to get the district to listen to the fact that their kids needed to be in school early on in the pandemic and special needs kids were regressing during remote learning and their parents were heartbroken because they were watching it up close. But the lawsuit says the zip code quota system is wholly-irrational and states that it serves to disfavor Asian and White students by decreasing their numbers at the Boston Exam Schools while favoring Latino and African-American students by increasing their numbers., A Brighton parent and member of BPCAE said, My kids have to submit GPAs and with so many kids in this zip location I just feel that my kids, their chance will be limited to get into exam schools., The lawsuit states, The Students are being required to apply through a race-based process. Cassellius has barely stopped moving since. She sees something and she does it. Casselliuss decisiveness and big ideas, however, sometimes ruffled the feathers of more traditional colleagues, Johnson says. Because of her background, she says, she has a lot in common with many BPS students. Brenda Cassellius, ESSA, Hue Hguyen, Minnesota Department of Education / 0 Comments, originally published by www.hometownsource.com, March 22, 2017http://hometownsource.com/2017/03/22/joe-nathan-column-mde-offers-great-opportunities-to-help-create-education-plans/ MDE offers great opportunities to help develop education plans Give Minnesota Commissioner of Education Brenda Cassellius and her colleagues at the Minnesota Department of Education some credit. Does the union get to dictate policy? This year, in addition to giving thanks to God and [], Joe Nathan / Josh Collins, Education Evolving, Education Minnesota, EdVisions Schools, Friendship Academy of the Arts, Jensen family, Julene Oxton, Kenneth Eban, Larry Pogemiller, Lars Esdal, Lisa Snyder, Lynn Nordgren, MAAP STARS Conference, Minnesota Association of Alternative Programs, Minnesota Office of Higher Education, Nell Collier, Patti Haasch, Rep Roz Peterson, Rep. Carlos Mariani, Rep. Jenifer Loon, Rep. Linda Slocum, Rep. Sondra Erickson, Sam Fredrickson, Sandy Connoly, Sen. Greg Clausen, Steve Allen, Students for Education Reform-Minnesota, Westra family / 1 Comment, This column originally was published by a series of ECM/Sun/Current Newspapers in late November, 2017 Thanks to passionate, practical families, students and educators Joe Nathan One of Americas finest traditions encourages us to pause late in the year, regardless of current controversies, to offer thanks. February 7, 2022 / 4:00 PM In the summer, McChrystal Group, a consultancy that has worked with the mayor at City Hall, began running Casselliuss weekly coronavirus update calls with principals. What are their intentions and motives? Shes scattered, she struggles with talent management, and she doesnt provide a clear vision., Those traits were on full display once she arrived in Boston. By the fall, when students returned to school, BPS officials were having trouble keeping track of who reported to whom and what responsibilities belonged to each department. Boston parent group suing school committee for, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Boston parent group suing school committee for new exam school admissions process, Boston looks to continue remote testimony for public meetings, Special Olympics grant brings the magic of inclusive sports to BPS schools, 98.5 employees had their sensitivity training after Tony Massarotti suspension, Mike Felger rants about people getting fired over a bad comment, Heres what Maura Healeys $55.5 billion budget buys, Boston Parent Coalition for Academic Excellence. Thanks to passionate, practical parents, students and educators, Minnesota Association of Alternative Programs, MDE offers great opportunities to help develop education plans, School Safety Technical Assistance Center, US Department of Education Office of Safe and Healthy Students, Massive misunderstanding or classic bait and switch. Aware of the long history of distrust between BPS families and the district itself, Cassellius made a listening tour her first order of business. Listen Live: Classic and Contemporary Celtic, Listen Live: Cape, Coast and Islands NPR Station, Meg Woolhouse and Peter Kadzis on Morning Edition | Feb. 11, 2022, Boston Globe/Boston Globe via Getty Images, "Wu understands that the next super needs the trust of students, their parents and Boston teachers to really hit the ground running. It is not hard to imagine how a person with this gift, as well as Casselliuss taste for disruptive, visionary thinking, could be a good fit for superintendent of BPS, a district thats long had a broken relationship with the community. At the Joseph P. Tynan Elementary School in South Boston, she toured the hallways and classrooms with parents and their students, letting them know that she believed the school belonged to them. MS Word MS WORDPDF PDFView FileMS WordFebruary 16, 2012Dr. She had a habit, seven current and former officials say, of tossing out big ideas that were often unrealistic and did not appear connected to any coherent plan. It will be a tough sell among Boston stakeholders. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. When I asked Mayor Walsh about this effort, he said it would be false to characterize the role explored over the summer as a checkmate to Brenda. However, he said that as of December, Cassellius was seeking to hire a new operations director. Near the end of our final interview, during which I detailed her critics charges, Cassellius cut me off. Aaliyah Hodge, Birchview Elementary School, Brenda Cassellius, Catalina Anampa, Chris Williams, Daniel Sellers, DaVimci Academy of the ARts, Debra Lach, Denise Rodriguez, Denise Specht, Don Sinner, Ed Allies. It caught me off guard, Cassellius admitted during the interview in a BPS classroom. She walked into the mayors office, asked for $100 million, and got it. "She found out what work is. Briner stood close to her and said, Lets breathe in. Half African-American and half white, some of her formative experiences included being the target of hatred from adults. Together, we've laid a stronger foundation upon which BPS can continue to build. Many times over a career great humans cross your path that bring an almost indescribable energy, however every time the person is in the room you feel their As we left Lee K-8, Casselliuss aide invited me back to the BPS central office for an interview. Joe Battenfeld is a veteran Herald political columnist and multimedia reporter. The daughter of a young single mother who later became a young single mother herself, Cassellius grew up on food stamps in the projects of Minneapolis and participated in a Head Start program. During the second half of 2019, she visited every school in the district and met privately with parents, religious leaders, activist groups, and politicians. Sensing the COVID-induced hesitation in my voice, the superintendent, who spends a lot of time in the field and knows every school building in the district inside and out, quickly offered another option. Mask up, Superintendent, an aide says, and she pulls her facemask over her nose. It was a flight of fancy, one former principal says. OK, you didn't have all your credentials right in the first place!". We got Tommy Chang, who relatively quickly washed out. The plan was opposed by some parent groups that wanted 20 percent of the spots at the schools set aside for the best applicants regardless of socioeconomic status. 'Nothing Is Pushing Me Out': Boston Superintendent Brenda Cassellius Says Of Resignation February 8, 2022 / 12:14 PM / CBS Boston BOSTON (CBS) -- After three years on the job, Dr. Brenda. She said her Emerald Necklace concept wasnt a plan but a prop or visioning tool. She is the head of school at Boston Latin School. Cassellius had the political acumen necessary to be successful in Boston and also understood the critical role of educational equity and the needs of Black and brown students, as well as low-income students and English-language learners.. This button displays the currently selected search type. Brenda Cassellius, who has been in charge since June 2019, says she will finish out the rest of the year but will resign in June. I get that. 2016 columns / She even briefly served as a classroom teacher in January when roughly 1,200 teachers and staff members called out sick during the omicron surge. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Access Login Help; Clever (opens in new window/tab); Destiny Library (opens in new window/tab); FirstView Bus Tracking App (opens in new window/tab); Lunch Menus (opens in new window/tab); Osseo GSuite (opens in new window/tab); Parent and Family Toolkit (opens in new window/tab); ParentVUE; Peachjar; Schoology for Parents (opens in new window/tab); Schoology for Students & Staff (opens in new . Brenda married her partner in life Jason Cassellius, they lived together and had three children, Christian Michel, Ani Grace and Charles Justice. Strike a blow for transparency for once. One day in 2004, Johnson walked into Casselliuss office to offer her the biggest promotion of her life. Boston Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius will resign at the end of the school year, bringing to an end a three-year tenure marked by COVID-19 upheaval and leaving Boston's new mayor with major decisions on the education and policing fronts. 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