Baltimore schools CEO Andres Alonso has come up with an ambitious reorganization plan that would shift more authority and financial responsibility from the central office to principals and their staffs.
School-based management is hardly a radical idea. It is already being practiced in the city's nearly two dozen charter schools. But school administrators must give principals all the support they need if the plan is to succeed.
Principals would gain increased authority to run their schools, deciding on everything from supplies to test preparation, under the proposal to be presented to the Board of School Commissioners today. But Mr. Alonso rightly emphasizes that the overarching rationale is centered on instruction, not operations. His proposal is not meant to turn principals into building managers, but to help them fulfill their main responsibility as instructional leaders, articulating and implementing a vision of academic achievement for students. Too often, however, school system policies hamper those efforts.
Currently, the system spends an average of $13,000 per pupil, yet principals only have control over about $90. Mr. Alonso proposes a substantial increase in that amount, though he won't reveal how much until his board presentation. More important than the amount of money is the additional flexibility that principals will have - along with their staff and perhaps the community - to determine what program options work best for their students, from hiring a fine arts teacher to starting Saturday workshops.
But while principals will be able to choose among different curriculums and programs, their autonomy and flexibility won't be unlimited. School-based management will still be tied to board policies, recommended models for academic improvement and procurement protocols. And principals who can't improve student achievement would be at risk of losing their jobs.
Mr. Alonso must live up to his promise to give all principals sufficient training and support to help ensure compliance with academic and fiscal standards. Then it will be up to individual school leaders to survive in this brave new world.
