Alan Bersin was hired as chief of San Diego City Schools (SAC) in 1998. For four years, he and his chancellor of training, Anthony Alvarado, who led an aggressive campaign reform: reorganizing the central office, curriculum reform in reading and math, and to give an incredible resource for teachers and administrators for professional development. SDCS leaders face serious political and financial problems: the school board was deeply divided, teachers' union opposed the district leadership, and the state was part of the most significant financial crisis in recent times. However, from 1998 to 2002, the assessment of students have improved significantly in the primary school, modestly in high school, and almost not at all in high school. Reform, seems to work in smaller primary schools, but larger, more complex organization of secondary schools. Leaders have a choice: to continue the reforms, with the understanding that the reforms have not yet been fully implemented, and results so far have been mixed, or to change the strategy of reform (and, if so, to determine in what ways) "Hide.
by James A. Phills, Linda Darling-Hammond, Michael Milliken Source: Stanford Graduate School of Business 32 pages. Publication Date: January 28, 2004. Prod. #: SI53-PDF-ENG