State Takeovers of Other Districts Have Had Mixed Results

By WINNIE HU, The New York Times

Published: December 11, 2011

A state takeover can bring additional resources and expertise to a troubled district, allow for more radical changes, and help deter nepotism, bickering and personal agendas among school board members. But it is usually a last resort because of staunch local opposition.

“Schools districts are best served by members of the local community who know their unique needs,” said Reginald Felton, assistant executive director of the National School Board Association. “We believe that operating from a federal or state level is too far removed from where the action needs to take place.”

Moreover, state takeovers have produced mixed results: Emery, Calif., ended a decade of state control in September after repaying a $1.3 million state emergency loan, but Roosevelt, N.Y., on Long Island, has had persistently poor test scores in the nine years since a state takeover.

Jonathan A. Supovitz, an education professor at the University of Pennsylvania, said research showed that state takeovers were more likely to improve a district’s central administration and support services than classroom instruction.

“The real question is, where is the source of the problem?” he said. “If the problem lies deeper in socioeconomic issues or local school issues, my sense is a takeover would be less effective.”

Here is a look at what has happened in a few cases around the country:

PHILADELPHIA After years of poor achievement and budget crises, the state replaced the school board in 2001 with a school reform commission consisting of three members appointed by the governor and two by the mayor. The district adopted a common curriculum and new accountability measures, among other changes, that resulted in higher achievement. However, it continues to face budget problems and turmoil over a controversial schools leader who departed in August.

OAKLAND, CALIF. The takeover in 2003 was set off by a financial crisis that eventually necessitated $100 million in state emergency money that the district is still paying back, though it regained local control in 2009. While there have been improvements in school financing and test scores, many residents say state control drove families out of the district.

BRIDGEPORT, CONN. The state dissolved the elected school board for the 20,000-student district in July at the request of the board’s president and others who blamed division and dysfunction among its members for holding up progress. Since then, the state has appointed a new board, spurring some parents, former board members and others to sue.

ROOSEVELT, N.Y. The 2,600-student district was taken over by the State Education Department in 2002 amid mismanagement and weak student progress. Since then, slight academic gains have come at a cost of more than $200 million to the state for improvements like new buildings. In 2008, the district’s continuing financial problemsrequired an $8 million bailout.

WINNIE H
U