Dr. Ballard's Message - 9/14/09
Greetings. I was asked during a recent meeting with members of the Tulsa Association of Elementary School Principals: “Exactly what is building capacity?” Since the Gates application process, I have been on the receiving end of this question more than once and I would like to explore the answer here.
There are seven components to our building capacity definition. The first is coordinating a Performance Management Office to evaluate all district programs. No new programs could be implemented without going through this office, which would also oversee the primary work of the Gates partnership. The second component is building a performance culture to put in place procedures and processes showing the district’s dedication to performance. The third part is reducing internal costs. I want to make something very clear here. McKinsey Consulting, the group that worked on the Gates proposal, has proposed to continue partnering with us to implement this third phase. Of course, it would be for a fee on a contractual basis. McKinsey estimates savings could be as high as $5-$10 million, but I emphasize that is their estimate and it involves some extreme measures TPS would probably not be willing to take. This includes a consolidation of schools. The estimate from McKinsey is not the district’s estimate and I am unsure it can be realized. And finally, savings —if there are any—would be channeled into performance pay. The fourth component is to further develop a school leadership program. Building and school leadership are key to an effective and high-performing school. The fifth component is providing training on the entire process. The sixth component is developing a data system supporting all of our work including evaluations, surveys, etc. The seventh component is developing a service-oriented Human Capital function, causing this department to be totally sensitive to work in the buildings. To accomplish this TPS would use the services of consultant Dr. Betsy Arons, a specialist in this particular field. Building this capacity would permit the district to move forward with an evaluation and performance-pay plan. It is the district’s intent to move forward with this transformational proposal. Elements will have to fall into place for this to happen, but we have invested too much time and effort to turn back.
On another note, I am deeply concerned about Oklahoma’s ominous financial picture. State collections have plummeted dramatically and we are beginning to receive information that school budgets could be slashed dramatically. That would be disastrous. Our budget is tight and already adapted for the current school year. We have heard estimates of cuts ranging as high as five to ten-percent, which in real numbers translates into a loss of $5-$13 million. We certainly hope this doesn’t materialize. We will keep you posted. Now let me tie the two aforementioned items together. We are committed to furthering the Gates proposal work, but ultimately it will require a mass infusion of dollars similar to what the Gates partnership would have provided. The portion I have written about in this column is building capacity so that the real work of teacher evaluation and performance pay can move forward. In the absence of a strong outside financial commitment, it simply cannot move forward. One of the primary reasons I am promoting the work is the impact it can have on teacher salaries. There are simply no funds available, from traditional sources, to affect a significant impact on teacher salaries. As already stated the financial outlook in Oklahoma is bleak for as far as the eye can see. Pursuing the tenets in the Gates proposal is the right thing to do for students and the right thing to do for the district.
ACT/America’s Choice has been conducting training in TPS this past week for a school improvement model aimed at grades 6-12. They are:
- Strategic leadership and organization
- Rigorous curriculum
- Quality teaching
- Engaged and responsible learners
- Targeted student assessment
This work is fundamental to accomplishing the mission of providing an excellent education for all of TPS students. The training this week was excellent and will propel us down the road to accomplish this important work.
That’s it for now. Hope you all had a nice week and I thank you for your efforts at making TPS the best it can be.
