Bennet's (Revised) Rescue Plan

This week's New Yorker magazine features a story about Denver superintendent Michael Bennet's efforts to reform one of Denver's worst public schools. You may have seen some pieces of the ongoing saga about Manual High School, which by all accounts was a tough place to succeed as a reformer or as a student. Boo's account captures the story of this school and its students as a defining part of Bennet's tenure as superintendent, which began in the summer of 2005.

Bennet previously served as the chief of staff for Denver's mayor Hickenlooper and as a managing director for an investment company. An "educational outsider", Bennet looked to some basic principles of management and problem-solving, and immediately announced bold plans to improve and reform Denver's lowest performing schools. He developed three "steps to success", which he laid out in a July 2005 op-ed:
1. Create a safe and orderly environment in every school and every classroom;
2. Develop a highly skilled faculty in every school with access to robust professional development and real-time diagnostic data to evaluate student progress;
3. Support and equip principals to be instructional leaders for the faculty in their school.

All good ideas. But not enough. At least not for Manual High School. With good reason, Bennet set his sights on Manual from the start. Reforms at Manual had failed. Achievement was among the lowest in a low-performing district. In 2005, the 35 percent of Denver public school 9th graders scored proficient in reading, 24 percent in writing, and 12 percent in math. At Manual, 9th grade proficiency levels were just 12 percent for reading, 4 percent for writing, and a miserable 2 percent for math.

Bennet decided to close Manual, abruptly and without community buy-in or involvement. Bennet called it a "rescue mission" but the community was outraged and called the closure an "attack" on the low-income minority neighborhood and student body (Manual's student body is 90 percent Latino and 10 percent Black, 70 percent receiving free and reduced lunch, and nearly half designated English language learners).

As Boo describes, the plan was to redistribute Manual students among four higher-performing schools but, despite campus tours, new bus routes, and additional counseling, the kids scattered to schools throughout the city, including other low-performing public schools as well as online and night programs. Many registered but never showed up at their new schools.

Bennet still has high hopes for Manual, which is scheduled to be re-opened next year with a ninth grade (subsequent grades to be added each year), and stands behind his goals for all schools to be rigorous, high-performing and headed by strong leaders.

But Bennet has changed his tune and now acknowledges publicly that the culture of school and community has proven to be a stronger force than he expected, or bargained for. So he's now calling for more direct community involvement, even leadership, in redesigning Manual and other schools.

Boo's article reminds us of the obvious– school reform isn't easy. It also reminds us that separating school change from community change is not the best way out. Saving Manual will take innovation and smart ideas but, as Bennet has seen, it also will require collaboration and community support. There's a Manual Renewal Project, complete with community council, now in place. Whether this will work to save or re-invigorate this or any other failing school depends largely on how and if the community is really engaged and sustained in the effort to improve the school. After years of community-school reform efforts at one high school, I've learned that parent and student involvement in meetings and committees will not do the trick. Manual will need not only strong leadership (the job of Manual High School principal is open), high quality teachers and a new paint job, but also some systemic and ongoing partnerships with CBOS, local businesses and colleges to ensure that these kids get all of the resources and opportunities they need to succeed.