Some great news from Rhode Island, where the efforts of a small group of committed ed reformers including Angus Davis led to the state choosing a true reformer, Deborah Gist, as state ed superintendent -- in marked contrast to Gov. Patrick's choice of Paul Reville:
Rhode Island: The little state that could
http://www.edexcellence.net/flypaper/index.php/2009/04/rhode-island-the-little-state-that-could/Watch out Massachusetts; your little neighbor to the south is poised to become the next big school reform powerhouse. The Ocean State already benefits from forward-thinking governor Don Carcieri and entrepreneur-turned-school-reformer Angus Davis. Well, they’ve been looking for a butt-kicking state superintendent to round out the trio and have found her: Deborah Gist, who is currently the District of Columbia’s “state superintendent.”
The main thing to know is that Gist has been quietly revamping D.C.’s teacher certification and evaluation system to focus on crazy notions like quality, performance, and effectiveness. No doubt she’ll bring this thinking to Rhode Island, where the outgoing state superintendent has laid down an ultimatum around these issues, at least for the city of Providence.
So will DC be left in the lurch? Not necessarily; I’m hearing that Kerri Briggs, formerly an Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education under Margaret Spellings, will be taking Gist’s place.
Here's is the first paragraph of Angus Davis's email about this pick (full text below):
I am thrilled to report on my greatest accomplishment yet as a member of Rhode Island's Board of Regents: co-chairing our Commissioner's Search Committee and selecting Deb Gist to become Rhode Island's next Commissioner of Education, announced today (press release attached). She will replace Peter McWalters, who will leave in June after 17 1/2 years of service. Commissioner Gist will become the first woman to hold the position of Commissioner in Rhode Island. She will play a leading role in driving the significant education reforms we need to close the achievement gap in our urban schools, raise the bar for all our students, and put RI on track to be a national model for education excellence in this country. We have a long way to go, but I am confident that with her leadership, we will be on the right track to get there faster.
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Family and Close Friends --
I am thrilled to report on my greatest accomplishment yet as a member of Rhode Island's Board of Regents: co-chairing our Commissioner's Search Committee and selecting Deb Gist to become Rhode Island's next Commissioner of Education, announced today (press release attached). She will replace Peter McWalters, who will leave in June after 17 1/2 years of service. Commissioner Gist will become the first woman to hold the position of Commissioner in Rhode Island. She will play a leading role in driving the significant education reforms we need to close the achievement gap in our urban schools, raise the bar for all our students, and put RI on track to be a national model for education excellence in this country. We have a long way to go, but I am confident that with her leadership, we will be on the right track to get there faster.
The selection becomes official tomorrow afternoon, when the Regents will vote with the Governor at a State House ceremony/event at 3pm. Commissioner Gist will begin the job full-time July 1, and starting immediately will be assisting on the transition. I invite you all to join us at the State House, and meet our new commissioner, from 3-4:30 pm tomorrow in the State Room.
In leading the search, I reached out to national leaders to ask their advice on who we should hire. One name kept coming up: Deb Gist. After taking their advice, I asked some of them to go on the record in support of our announcement today. Here's what they have to say. (most but not all of these quotes appear in our press release today):
Deborah Gist has shown strong, innovative leadership in Washington, D.C.,” said Arne Duncan, the U.S. Secretary of Education. “At a time when schools all across America need to get better to compete in the global economy, Deb will be a force for real and meaningful reform. I look forward to working with her and the State of Rhode Island to give our children the best education possible.”
“With the selection of Deb Gist as Commissioner of Education, Rhode Islanders have a dedicated leader who is committed to eliminating the racial and ethnic achievement gap in public schools,” said Joel I. Klein, Chancellor of the New York City Schools and co-founder of the Education Equality Project. “Now is the time for Rhode Island to seize this opportunity and accelerate its efforts to close the state’s Hispanic-white achievement gap, which is the largest in the nation.”
"Deborah Gist will be a huge asset to Rhode Island's education reform efforts," said Kevin P. Chavous, Chairman of Democrats for Education Reform. "She is a true change agent that also understands how to get the best out of her team. This is one instance where the District of Columbia's loss will be Rhode Island's gain."
“Through Teach for America’s close work with Deb Gist in Washington, D.C., we found her to be a driven reformer and a true model for the country in her ability to meaningfully connect every policy decision to the best interests of students,” said Wendy Kopp, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Teach for America. “She has taken an innovative approach in her work and made decisions that challenge the status quo on issues like certification of new teachers. She leads change inclusively, bringing together individuals with diverse perspectives and interests and aligning the group with focus and purpose in answering the question, ‘what will be best for our students?’ ”
“I could not be more pleased that Deborah Gist has accepted the position as Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education in Rhode Island,” said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. “Deb’s selfless devotion to children throughout her career, beginning as teacher and moving into administrative positions, has been evident everywhere she has worked. One of Deb’s true strengths is her ability to work collaboratively with all interests as evidenced by her success in the District of Columbia in leading the development of learning standards, creating the first data collection system to follow students’ progress, and her efforts to dramatically improve college access to students in the District of Columbia. Our members in Washington wish her well; our members in Rhode Island look forward to working with her.”
“The news of the appointment of Deborah A. Gist as the new State Commissioner of Education for Rhode Island bodes well for Rhode Island’s children, school systems, and school leaders,” said Tim Quinn, Ph.D., Managing Director of The Broad Center. “Deborah is a national thought leader on educational issues and urban educational reform. We are thrilled that Rhode Island is the first state to attract a Broad Fellow as not only the superintendent of its largest schools system, with Tom Brady in Providence, but also a Broad Fellow as a State Commissioner who can partner in addressing the challenges of transforming the state’s educational systems to a position of international leadership.”
I am thrilled to report on my greatest accomplishment yet as a member of Rhode Island's Board of Regents: co-chairing our Commissioner's Search Committee and selecting Deb Gist to become Rhode Island's next Commissioner of Education, announced today (press release attached). She will replace Peter McWalters, who will leave in June after 17 1/2 years of service. Commissioner Gist will become the first woman to hold the position of Commissioner in Rhode Island. She will play a leading role in driving the significant education reforms we need to close the achievement gap in our urban schools, raise the bar for all our students, and put RI on track to be a national model for education excellence in this country. We have a long way to go, but I am confident that with her leadership, we will be on the right track to get there faster.
The selection becomes official tomorrow afternoon, when the Regents will vote with the Governor at a State House ceremony/event at 3pm. Commissioner Gist will begin the job full-time July 1, and starting immediately will be assisting on the transition. I invite you all to join us at the State House, and meet our new commissioner, from 3-4:30 pm tomorrow in the State Room.
In leading the search, I reached out to national leaders to ask their advice on who we should hire. One name kept coming up: Deb Gist. After taking their advice, I asked some of them to go on the record in support of our announcement today. Here's what they have to say. (most but not all of these quotes appear in our press release today):
Deborah Gist has shown strong, innovative leadership in Washington, D.C.,” said Arne Duncan, the U.S. Secretary of Education. “At a time when schools all across America need to get better to compete in the global economy, Deb will be a force for real and meaningful reform. I look forward to working with her and the State of Rhode Island to give our children the best education possible.”
“With the selection of Deb Gist as Commissioner of Education, Rhode Islanders have a dedicated leader who is committed to eliminating the racial and ethnic achievement gap in public schools,” said Joel I. Klein, Chancellor of the New York City Schools and co-founder of the Education Equality Project. “Now is the time for Rhode Island to seize this opportunity and accelerate its efforts to close the state’s Hispanic-white achievement gap, which is the largest in the nation.”
"Deborah Gist will be a huge asset to Rhode Island's education reform efforts," said Kevin P. Chavous, Chairman of Democrats for Education Reform. "She is a true change agent that also understands how to get the best out of her team. This is one instance where the District of Columbia's loss will be Rhode Island's gain."
“Through Teach for America’s close work with Deb Gist in Washington, D.C., we found her to be a driven reformer and a true model for the country in her ability to meaningfully connect every policy decision to the best interests of students,” said Wendy Kopp, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Teach for America. “She has taken an innovative approach in her work and made decisions that challenge the status quo on issues like certification of new teachers. She leads change inclusively, bringing together individuals with diverse perspectives and interests and aligning the group with focus and purpose in answering the question, ‘what will be best for our students?’ ”
“I could not be more pleased that Deborah Gist has accepted the position as Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education in Rhode Island,” said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. “Deb’s selfless devotion to children throughout her career, beginning as teacher and moving into administrative positions, has been evident everywhere she has worked. One of Deb’s true strengths is her ability to work collaboratively with all interests as evidenced by her success in the District of Columbia in leading the development of learning standards, creating the first data collection system to follow students’ progress, and her efforts to dramatically improve college access to students in the District of Columbia. Our members in Washington wish her well; our members in Rhode Island look forward to working with her.”
“The news of the appointment of Deborah A. Gist as the new State Commissioner of Education for Rhode Island bodes well for Rhode Island’s children, school systems, and school leaders,” said Tim Quinn, Ph.D., Managing Director of The Broad Center. “Deborah is a national thought leader on educational issues and urban educational reform. We are thrilled that Rhode Island is the first state to attract a Broad Fellow as not only the superintendent of its largest schools system, with Tom Brady in Providence, but also a Broad Fellow as a State Commissioner who can partner in addressing the challenges of transforming the state’s educational systems to a position of international leadership.”