Urban School District Challenges and Achievements

The head of a large urban school district discusses the challenges and responsibilities of managing 2011 schools with 83,000 students and 12,000 employees. The district faces issues like chronic underachievement, declining enrollment, poverty, and crime. Efforts to improve include creating energy and hope, increasing graduation rates, offering parental choices, and establishing accountability norms. The speaker highlights the progress made in turning around the district and achieving significant improvements in a short time.

What is the approximate number of schools in the Urban School District?

• 2500

• 2011

• 1500

• 1000

How many teachers are employed in the district?

• 9000

• 8000

• 7000

• 6600

What is the speaker's role in the district?

• Teacher

• Principal

• Head of the district

• School board member

What is identified as the most serious problem in the district?

• High dropout rates

• Chronic underachievement

• Teacher shortages

• Lack of funding

What was the population of the city in the 1960s?

• 500,000

• 1.5 million

• 600,000

• 1 million

What significant issue has persisted for 25 years in the district?

• Budget cuts

• Special education lawsuit

• Teacher strikes

• Infrastructure problems

What was one of the initial goals to improve the district?

• Build new schools

• Create a sense of energy and hope

• Increase teacher salaries

• Reduce class sizes

What choice did parents feel they lacked, leading them to leave the district?

• School choice

• Extracurricular activities

• Sports programs

• Advanced placement courses

How long has the speaker been in the job?

• 12 months

• 24 months

• 31 months

• 36 months

What is one of the achievements mentioned in turning around the district?

• Higher teacher retention

• New school buildings

• Quick wins and significant leaps

• Increased funding