CHANG WILL TAKE BACK CONTROL OF DOT SCHOOL
A Newton-based nonprofit will no longer manage the struggling Dever Elementary School in Dorchester after the state announced it will ask Boston Public Schools Superintendent Tommy Chang to oversee it at the end of the school year.
Blueprint Schools Network was appointed as receiver of the Dever three years ago, receiving $1.5 million total to oversee the school, which had been removed from BPS control due to poor performance.
But Education Commissioner Mitchell D. Chester said yesterday he hadn’t seen “the kind of progress that I hoped at the Dever School,” saying Chang would be better suited to implement the school’s turnaround plan once Blueprint’s contract expires in June.
“I made a commitment to provide students and families with a strong education through state receivership,” Chester told the Herald. “We’re nearing the end of a three-year commitment with Blueprint and in conversations with Superintendent Chang. ... I think he is well-poised to become the receiver.”
Blueprint Executive Director Matthew Spengler defended the nonprofit, saying the school is on a “positive trajectory.”
“We brought on a new principal and strong leadership,” Spengler said. “The school culture was much improved since last year. ... The assessments that students have been taking throughout the year are showing progress.”
Chang, who would report to the state, would be responsible for operating and implementing a turnaround plan at the school, which will remain under state control.
Under Blueprint, the school has had a high teacher turnover rate and student discipline problems.
Chester said there is “no question we need to accelerate academic progress for children at the Dever.”
The situation is similar to the arrangement at the underperforming Parker School in New Bedford, where Superintendent Pia Durkin has served as receiver since 2014.
In a statement, Chang indicated he would prioritize strengthening academic performance and teaching instruction at the school.
“We will make it our mission to significantly improve the academic performance of the school and align it with our strategic plan of providing rigorous instruction and a safe and welcoming environment for all students,” Chang said.