Perry's departure leaves void at the top

Star Tribune

Ben Perry

After a year of getting the Minneapolis schools' North Side Initiative off the ground, Ben Perry is leaving.

By Terry Collins, Star Tribune

Last update: April 8, 2008 - 6:52 PM

The news came rather abruptly.

Ben Perry, director of the Minneapolis Schools' North Side Initiative, is leaving to become superintendent for a rural Arkansas school district.

"It's something I've always wanted to do and it puts me closer to home," the Memphis native said. "I still plan to give 150 percent until my last day."

What timing. Perry will depart in June after just one year in charge of the critical initiative that promised to boost student achievement and win families back to the school district.

The announcement comes not long after the district reported that attendance and reading performance is climbing in north Minneapolis elementary schools. Class instruction and before- and after-school programs were credited for the improvement.

"I think Ben can feel good that progress has been made in such a short time," said Dave Heistad, the district's research and testing director. "There's a lot more optimism on the North Side, I think."

But that timing again. News of his departure is just days before the nerve-racking Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments, state tests that are especially crucial for North Side schools that have faced scrutiny all year.

"I hope this isn't a distraction and everybody remains focused," Heistad said. "Ben's leadership has got the initiative going in the right direction."

But his leaving comes at a pivotal time. The district is desperate to narrow the achievement gap between black and white students. Whites are making at least twice as much progress in reading and math as blacks.

What will his exit mean?

The district is creating a transition plan and will eventually search for a successor, said chief academic officer Bernadeia Johnson, who also has to determine if that person will oversee the nearly 20 schools in north and northeast Minneapolis, just those under the initiative or both.

At this time last year, the district was closing five schools as part of the initiative. To Minneapolis' relief, families did not bail out to suburban or charter schools in large numbers. Enrollment is down about 2,000 from a year ago, less than projected.

But that doesn't mean all parents are satisfied. Last fall, parents from the now-closed Lincoln Elementary were still complaining, and Perry vowed that the remaining schools would improve.

State test results in August, quickly followed by an evaluation of the initiative's first year by the University of Minnesota's Center for Applied Research and Education Improvement, should give clear indicators on what further changes are needed, Perry said.

Plus, the district must continue finding ways to reduce the number of student suspensions in North Side schools. A big question is how much his departure will mean to those parents.

"He's made parents feel more empowered and engaged," said Lynne Crockett, a coordinator of North High School's Polar Parents group. "He's help create an open dialogue that has brought more parents to the table."

School district officials also are optimistic that the gains made during Perry's year will continue to pay off in terms of better performance and enrollment. "If I was someone coming into this journey, I'd feel good about where things stand," Perry said. "We're fulfilling the promise."

So far.

Terry Collins • 612-673-1790