For some reason, I just felt like I was supposed to be here in Boston, she told me. Login or Sign-up to show all important data, death records and obituaries absolutely for free! On an unseasonably warm day in October 2019, Brenda Cassellius took the floor during a meeting at the Bolling Building, BPSs headquarters in Nubian Square. Instead, invitations will now be issued by weighing student performance, zip code and GPA or MCAS results, a change that was considered a historic win for underserved communities when it was approved. Cassellius's name on the list is no surprise, since she has publicly shared her interest in the job. 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. First published on February 7, 2022 / 4:00 PM. Together, we can create a more connected and informed world. 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.. Boston schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius will step down at the end of the school year, following a turbulent tenure marked by major disruptions in learning caused by the pandemic as well. All of this landed in her lap precisely when the district was trying to figure out how to reopen schools in the fall. When Cassellius arrived in Boston to vie for the BPS top job, she pitched herself as a deft political operator laser-focused on equity. Brenda Cassellius was born in Minnesota on September 9, 1967, and she will turn 54 in 2022. Charlene has a way of coaching Brenda, says the former Minnesota Department of Education official. When she arrived here in the spring of 2019, she inherited a system plagued by underperforming schools, yawning achievement gaps between Black and white students, decrepit infrastructure, and a distrustful relationship with the community it must serve. The Boston School Committee has voted to confirm Brenda Cassellius a career educator who rose from paraprofessional to state commissioner, mostly in Minnesota as the next superintendent of. Santoro: If Rachel Skerritt is happy where she is, why would she even consider taking on this monstrosity? I paused. Some zip codes, such as Chinatown, Beacon Hill and West Roxbury will have less exam school seats while other neighborhoods that are typically disadvantaged such as Dorchester and Mattapan, will get more. 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. Brenda Cassellius, David Esquith, Minnesota State University Mankato, PACER Center, School Safety Technical Assistance Center, US Department of Education Office of Safe and Healthy Students, Walter Roberts / 0 Comments, The following column originally was published by ECM Publications Helping students be safer at school By Joe Nathan on February 10, 2016 at 2:03 pm Joe Nathan David Esquith shares one of the deepest concerns parents have: I worry about a call from the school that my kid got hurt. Its important that Esquith understands, [], Joe Nathan / Este botn muestra el tipo de bsqueda seleccionado. Brenda married her partner in life Jason Cassellius, they lived together and had three children, Christian Michel, Ani Grace and Charles Justice. It does not seem that there is any appetite to give people room to prove themselves., If Cassellius shares that sentiment, she was too diplomatic, in most of our conversations, to say so. Massachusetts could get another snowstorm Friday: What areas were the jackpot zones in this past storm? As CFO Nate Kuder completed a preview of the public budget presentation he would give in February, Cassellius proposed an idea. The parents of all Boston school children will appreciate the rare candor. Let's focus on Marty Walsh, and the instability in the Boston Public Schools is clearly Marty Walsh's fault. 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. The combination of all of these measures made principals heads spin. Follow us so you don't miss a thing! It has been this way since March, when Cassellius and Mayor Marty Walsh decided to shut down every school in the district. You know what would be kind of cool, Nate, is having a youth portion of the presentation. Kuder said he loved the idea. Then she reflected. We talked about that challenge routinely, he said. (Second-hardest job in the country after president, another said.) "She found out what work is. Prior to the release of AYP data, Commissioner Cassellius provided an optional letter to parents that school districts could choose to send with their mandated AYP letters. She has overseen defections and ousters among her senior executives, a revolt from school principals, and public excoriation from influential nonprofits and activists. This button displays the currently selected search type. As a parent, I want to request that my child receive a fair and equitable opportunity to apply for these three exam schools, said Bentao Cui, president of Boston Parent Coalition for Academic Excellence, a new organization pushing for a merit-based entrance to Bostons exam schools. It was chaos, says a current BPS official. 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: "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. Cassellius made the announcement in a letter to parents, students and staff Monday. Or, as Casselliuss remaining supporters contend, is the problem that Bostona city of sharp-elbowed politics and deep skepticism of outsidershas refused to give her a fighting chance? Over the next 15 years, her career remained on a steady ascent. The windows open there. Before her aide could object, she was off. But its more than that. Woolhouse: The pandemic, I think it's been a very rough ride for her. The Boston. Tanisha Sullivan, president of Bostons NAACP chapter and a member of the districts exam schools working group had called the move a historic and positive, transformative mark on our city.. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Superintendent Brenda Cassellius held a press conference Tuesday, a day after announcing Cassellius resignation. "She didn't make a difference, period," the mother said. Thatd be pretty powerful, Cassellius said. When Boston Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius resigns at the end of the school year, she'll take with her hundreds of thousands of dollars from a separation agreement. 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. 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. Cassellius has barely stopped moving since. Per her contract, Casselius must be paid a years base salary, or the rest of what she would have been paid, had she stayed until 2023, whichever is less. Both her father's name and her mothers are unknown. In districts that were well managed and in those that were not, the results have been largely the same: learning loss for students and hardship for parents and teachers. According to five current and former BPS officials, she often appeared to make snap decisions, seemingly without contemplating their ramifications. Cassellius added that theres nothing wrong with showing vulnerability by crying. It caught me off guard, Cassellius admitted during the interview in a BPS classroom. 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. And Ms. Cassellius has proven to be not a good administrator. Anything you think we should spend money on, you guys? she asked. Their children are Christian Michel, Charles Justice, and Ani Grace. Once, a BPS official saw Briner and Cassellius huddled in a hallway in the Bolling Building. Just last summer, the school committee renewed Cassellius' $311,000-a-year contract through June 2024. Do the windows open at the central office? I asked. But it shows that her top allies confidence in her was rapidly eroding. Its a very bold vision, she said, to get people to stretch their thinking. Of her big ideas, she said, The good ones stick and the bad ones fall away. The discovery of a gun at a South Boston school on Friday along with the vicious attack on a principal a few months ago showed the school system has a long way to go at protecting kids and teachers from violence. Superintendent Brenda Cassellius said she supported the change because it is easy to understand, maintains academic rigor, and increases the opportunity for disadvantaged students. 2017 columns, Charter schools, Columns (J. Nathan), Dual HS/College Credit, PSEO / The couple has been happily married for years and is parents to three children. Under previous superintendents, BPS executives had used a complicated formula to calculate the annual budget increase they would request from the mayor. Cassellius speaking to the media with Mayor Marty Walsh, who says he is and has always been confident in the superintendent. But if I were a betting man, I might put some money on Rachel Skerritt. Big changes and bold visions were called for. They love her.. Covered spot news and enterprise stories, primarily in education, crime, human services . Photo By Matt Stone/ MediaNews Group/Boston Herald. On July 22, less than a week after the principals letter was made public, Cassellius appeared, via Zoom, before the school committee to present a draft of BPSs reopening plan. She did not say why she is leaving. That was triggered by parents who had been keeping a close watch, a much closer watch than the city had. And in that time, building improvements and academic improvements have been promised, but not met. The trouble, according to interviews with 14 current and former BPS officials who have worked directly with Cassellius, and who spoke anonymously for fear of professional consequences, didnt start with the pandemic. As she traveled the city on her listening tour, Cassellius issued a flurry of staffing directives that often went unannounced and unexplained. Shes a quick problem solver, says Bernadeia Johnson (no relation to Carol), a former superintendent of Minneapolis Public Schools. 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. Her heart is in the right place and I believe deeply she is a good person, says a former BPS official. She wears all blackpumps, dress, trench coatand seems a little distracted. Boston Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius taught a fourth grade class Wednesday as school districts across Massachusetts struggle to reopen due to COVID-19 staff shortages. 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. And that was before the pandemic hit, turning the district and her job upside down. Brenda runs down the aisle giving high-fives and the kids eat it up. Despite Casselliuss public victories, though, BPS officials were alarmed by the mounting evidence that she was an ineffective administrator. Woolhouse: Well, it actually made me think she already has someone in mind. She was named superintendent in May 2019 by then-Mayor Marty Walsh. Massachusetts could get another snowstorm Friday: What areas were the jackpot zones in this past storm? The pandemic impacted us all, including our workforce. The tour earned her a lot of goodwill. Superintendent Brenda Cassellius: "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. She quickly won jobs as a teacher, assistant principal, and then principal of a middle school, after Carol Johnson (who would later serve as BPS superintendent) hired Cassellius to work in the Memphis school district where she was superintendent. After completing the proposal, she walked into the mayors office with her pitch: Add an additional $100 million to BPSs budget. Blue Ribbon Schools, Brenda Cassellius, Minnesota Department of Education, Minnesota Education Report Card / 0 Comments, The following column appeared in several APG of Eastern Minnesota newspapers during September, 2018 Will new reporting and support systems help students? 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. Collaborations, School Choice (including dual credit, district & chartered public schools). Without Charlene, I dont think Brenda would have survived., In the months that followed, Briner helped prop Cassellius up, sometimes almost literally. The school committee approved her plan and Walsh agreed to the budget increase. Cassellius chats with the head chef, who shows her a color-coded calendar of the months meals. Meg Woolhouse is GBH News' K-12 education reporter. Unfortunately, Superintendent Cassellius did not meet it. As the students offered suggestionsfree menstrual products, cleaner bathrooms, improved ventilationCassellius had her executives take notes. When [Casselliuss predecessor] Laura Perille was in front of an audience of children, she seemed stiff, the official says. Together, we've laid a stronger foundation upon which BPS can continue to build. When Boston Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius resigns at the end of the school year, she'll take with her hundreds of thousands of dollars from a separation agreement. Brophy might have seen it this way, too. I need to come hang out here more often, she says. Woolhouse: Well, that's a great question. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. Santoro: So is this a wait and see thing now? One day in 2004, Johnson walked into Casselliuss office to offer her the biggest promotion of her life. For this Herculean challenge, leadership will matter. So that doesn't inspire confidence. Support GBH. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. (In an interview in December, Brophy said his work with BPS over the summer was less a rescue mission than an all-hands-on-deck situation.). This button displays the currently selected search type. However, out of public view, their support was wavering. ", In a statement, the mayor said she was "grateful for the Superintendent's leadership, especially while navigating the COVID-19 pandemic.". We got Tommy Chang, who relatively quickly washed out. Dr. Brenda Cassellius has spent three decades as an educator devoted to helping all children succeed and thrive. For that kind of money, Boston parents and voters deserve a full accounting of what led to the mutual decision for Cassellius to depart. You can do this. The district has seen four different people leading the city schools in the last 10 years. Earlier this week, Boston Public Schools announced that Superintendent Brenda Cassellius would be stepping down at the end of the school year. Thats my style, and I think people are getting used to that now. She said that ultimately it was not possible to close McKinley and Jackson/Mann before the 2019 school year began, but that if she could have done it, she would have. She's super smart. Who is giving that criticism? she asked me. She sees something and she does it. Casselliuss decisiveness and big ideas, however, sometimes ruffled the feathers of more traditional colleagues, Johnson says. Do you mind if I run a tape recorder throughout the day? I ask her. Cassellius has come to Lee this morning to check on the work being done inside the cafeteriaa space as wide and tall as a gymnasiumwhere a dozen or so chefs are busily prepping packaged meals and bags of groceries. It's a sense among parents of "here we go again" and that might even understate the level of aggravation they're feeling. She did not say why she is leaving. 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. ", 'Heartbroken' by the tragedy of war, a Ukrainian opera singer performs in Belmont, Healey's proposed budget a boon to education and the environment, Senate confirms first Hispanic judge to Massachusetts federal court, The woman who introduced MLK Jr. and Coretta Scott lies in an unmarked grave in Boston, The civil rights memorials that expose America's ugly history and warn of repeating the past. 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brenda cassellius parents