At long last, new leader in place for Boston’s schools

Howard Manly

After 18 months of fits and starts, Boston is finally poised to hire a new school superintendent.

Carol R. Johnson, the current school superintendent in Memphis, Tenn., attended a news conference on Tuesday with Mayor Thomas M. Menino, announcing her intention to serve the system here of nearly 57,000 students and 145 schools.

Johnson won acclaim for helping to bring back a failing system in Memphis and has overseen a school system twice the size of Boston’s since 2003. The school system in Memphis, which has about 119,000 students, is the largest in Tennessee.

“We’re making tremendous progress in Memphis, and I have been honored to work with committed educators and a generous community that cares about its children,” Johnson said in a prepared statement. “When success occurs, no one stands alone, and the success we’ve had in Memphis is a result of a true team effort.”

Johnson also praised the Boston schools.

“I am also impressed with the academic progress being made in Boston and the community’s eagerness to move to the next level of achievement,” she said. “Boston has received national recognition through the Broad Foundation, and understands that success is a continuous journey. Rarely in one’s life are we blessed to choose between two extraordinary opportunities to serve and make a difference in the lives of children. I am humbled and honored to be considered.”

The choice of Johnson ends an 18-month search to replace former superintendent Thomas W. Payzant, who retired in June 2006 after 11 years.

The city had initially selected Manuel J. Rivera, former superintendent of schools in Rochester, N.Y., for the job. He would have been the first Hispanic superintendent of Boston’s schools.

But when Rivera decided in January to instead become New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s top education official, Boston was forced to renew the search.

“The Search Committee has done a tremendous job finding the ideal candidate for this position,” Menino said. “Carol Johnson is highly regarded as a dynamic and nationally recognized leader with an impressive record of transforming urban schools.”

Elizabeth Reilinger, chair of the Boston School Committee and a member of the Search Committee, indicated that school committee members have met with Johnson and are very excited.

“The School Committee is delighted to receive this recommendation,” said Reilinger. “Johnson has an outstanding record of emphasizing high standards for all children, as demonstrated by her motto and actions in Memphis: ‘Every Child. Every Day. College Bound.’ In addition, she is renowned as a leader committed to engaging families and the community in ensuring the academic success of all children.”

The school committee plans to coordinate a series of introductory meetings with community leaders beginning this week and plans to vote on the search committee’s recommendation at its next meeting on Wednesday, June 27.

Menino said Johnson was the best of several finalists to fill the job.

He pointed to Johnson’s success in improving the performance of minority students and her reputation as a superintendent who works with parents and community leaders. During her tenure, she successfully removed more than 100 Memphis City Schools from the state’s No Child Left Behind “high priority” list, reducing the number of schools on the list by more than half.

Prior to her appointment in Memphis in 2003, Johnson had been superintendent of the Minneapolis Public Schools, where she was named Minnesota Superintendent of the Year. Earlier this year, the Tennessee Parent Teacher Association named her the Tennessee Superintendent of the Year.

Johnson earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Fisk University in Nashville, Tenn., and master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Minnesota.

Search Committee co-chairs Cleve Killingsworth, president and CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, and Rev. Dr. Gregory G. Groover, a member of the Boston School Committee and pastor of the Historic Charles Street A.M.E. Church, announced their unanimous recommendation of Johnson on Tuesday.

“Carol Johnson is exactly the kind of leader who can take the Boston Public Schools to the next level of achievement,” Killingsworth said. “She is a visionary educator with a proven track record of setting high standards and ensuring the success of every school.”

Groover echoed that sentiment.

“The Search Committee is confident that Dr. Johnson has the very skills and characteristics that we were looking for in our next superintendent,” he said. “We are particularly impressed with her progress in closing the achievement gap and have no doubt that she brings the energy and expertise needed to accelerate the success of the Boston Public Schools.”

While in Memphis, Johnson instituted a “Fresh Start” program for schools on the state’s Corrective Action list, reorganized the district administration for cost-efficiency and better service to students, and initiated a new district-wide reading campaign, MCS Reads!, to boost literacy among students, school communities and parents.

During her tenure, the district was selected for the “New Leaders for New Schools” program, the Harvard Business School/Harvard Graduate School of Education Leadership Program and the New Teacher Project, as well as a $16 million “Striving Readers” federal grant aimed at improving literacy.

In March of 2007, she received the “VH1 Save the Music Award,” given by the music network and the American Association of School Administrators to a school superintendent who has been effective in restoring instrumental music to his or her school district.

Material from the Associated Press and the City of Boston Mayor’s Office was used in the report.