City school data guru, Ben Feldman, retires
Ben Feldman, a 34-year-veteran of Baltimore City schools, will no longer be the school system's official number cruncher.
The city announced Feldman's retirement as chief accountability officer late Tuesday -- a week after he did his final data compilation of the city scores for the 2010 Maryland School Assessments.
The city school board approved Feldman's retirement at Tuesday night's board meeting, where it was also announced that school performance consultant and strategic adviser Matthew D. Van Itallie will take Feldman's post on Aug. 2.
While there were dozens of principals who received shout-outs and ovations for their newly appointed positions at the school board hearing, Feldman did not attend and if Van Itallie did, the new chief blended in with the crowd.
Feldman, who is known throughout the system as the data and research guru, said in an interview Wednesday that he has cherished his time with the school system and praised his successor as a "rolling stone."
“It’s a good time for a change," Feldman said. "I’m looking forward to some new opportunities, and hope that I can still contribute to city schools.”
Feldman said he met Van Itallie when he was a contender for a deputy schools CEO job about 8 months ago, and thought he was "of authentic intelligence," he said.
“I think, for what Dr. Alonso wants to move the system forward, he’s recruited a very talented fellow," he said.
According to the release sent by city schools, Van Itallie comes from a background of politics, management and school reform. He obtained his bachelor of arts degree from Swarthmore College and a law degree from Harvard Law School.
Van Itallie's background includes years advising public schools and school districts in the realms of strategic planning, organizational redesign and performance management.
Alonso said of the new appointment, "we as a district must be nimble, constantly stepping back and assessing whether we are doing everything possible to support teaching and learning and to bolster our students’ success. That kind of operational scrutiny and accountability will move us closer to our goal of becoming an entire district of great schools, and Matt has the skills and experience in those areas to lead the way."
Most recently, Van Itallie worked with Cleveland’s public schools to execute the closing and relocation of 16 schools as part of the district’s academic transformation plan, and to assist with a reorganization of the district’s operations.
His other recent experience includes work with the New York-based KIPP Foundation, advising their offices on budgets and strategic plan development. Other highlighted experience included his work with the New Jersey Department of Education, where he helped manage that state’s Round 2 Race to the Top application for federal funds in spring 2010, and D.C. Public Schools, where he served as Deputy Chief of Staff in spring and fall 2008, overseeing the closure of 24 schools, grade reconfigurations at 67 schools and major personnel changes at more than 50 schools.
Feldman said he believed that Van Itallie will carry the torch well in leading a team of "geniuses," in the accountability and research office. He said his legacy will undoubtedly be marked by the staff, whom he called, “my jewels, my greatest pride, and my greatest joys."
Feldman, a graduate of the last class at the old Poly building at the 200 North Ave. address, began his career in city schools as a teacher for more than 14 years before transitioning to the Department of Research, Evaluation, Assessment and Accountability, where he stayed in numerous capacities from 1995 to this year -- only taking a short detour to help create the school system's Department of Third Party Billing.
Since 2004, Feldman has presided over city schools’ research and assessment efforts "at a time when the school system has moved aggressively to increase accountability throughout the agency, in part through the launch of data-driven initiatives, including Expanding Great Options and City Schools’ inclusion in the Nation’s Report Card’s Trial Urban District Assessment," according to a press release sent by the school system.
“Ben has been an integral part of our efforts in the last few years,” Alonso said in the release. “He has taught me a great deal about the school system and I greatly value his contributions to our reform efforts. I look forward to his continued contributions in other capacities moving forward.”
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Comments
Wow! I'm so happy to hear that someone from the Sun was at the School Board meeting and there's a thought provoking post on the issue. I don't have much to say on the issue of Mr. Feldman leaving and Mr. Van Itallie starting, since I'm not an "insider", but I'm happy to know this blog will be covering these types of issues.
Thanks Erica!
Posted by: a parent | July 29, 2010 12:45 PM
BS paper @ Ben Feldman Retires ends love fest with Andres
Its time for more Macro-Ed executive level changes in the A&A office of City Schools.
Thank you for your service to City Schools. Bye!
Posted by: Interested & Engaged Parent of City Schools | July 29, 2010 12:52 PM
Ben Feldman will be missed.... don 't know the new guy but reads likes another bobble head on the shelf.
I guess at the next meeting AAA will be selecting more bobble heads for Campbell and VanHook on the BCPSS board.
Posted by: OverTheTop | July 29, 2010 4:25 PM
Baltimore’s mayor should award Ben Feldman a medal for managing to survive and function in the frenetic and many times schizophrenic environment created by BCPSS CEO Alonso. Feldman served as repository of school district history, as well an advocate for dragging the district into the 21st century, fighting for such tools as a data warehouse to help inform decision-making with fact rather than myth, with data rather than impulse. The school district he worked for so tirelessly for almost 35 years is now poorer for his absence. Van Ittalie has no concept of the size of the shoes he is about to try to fill.
Posted by: damndirtyape | July 29, 2010 7:27 PM
As someone who actually watches the board meetings on 77, I thought Feldman was one of the few creditable people at North Ave. Strange move.
Posted by: GuideForThePerplexed | July 30, 2010 12:11 AM
Dr. Feldman will indeed be missed! He was definitely a Mensa Member.
Just thoughts about retirement--has anyone looked at City School's Career page over the last month? At one time there were 22 schools needing principals--as of yesterday there were more added, which I think made a whopping total of almost 30 principals. I think there will be a "Leadership Shortage" within the next year and a half--because all the baby boomers are getting weary. They might need to invest in teacher leaders. Someone needs to write a book on this--maybe I will.
Posted by: gone but not forgotten | July 30, 2010 5:55 AM
Ben Feldman "retired", he didn't retire.
He will be missed.
Posted by: j | July 30, 2010 8:25 AM
Did anyone notice that there was no mention in the press release of the replacement's experience in DC? That was the most relevant experience but there was nothing. It makes you wonder. Ben Feldman will be missed.
Posted by: L | July 30, 2010 8:19 PM
This move smells as fishy as the Brian Morris incident. A 34 year vet of legendary grace who knew everybody and everything is suddenly "retired" and replaced by a grasshopping management consultant with no education credentials or proven track record in research, statistics, data management, or assessment. One wonders what exactly this guy did to "help" all those clients and why, if he is such a hotshot, nobody offered him a permanent job. He sure didn't last long in DC. How did that re-org go for folks down there? What attracted him to Baltimore? Alonso and the lure of a fat salary?
Posted by: sceptic | July 31, 2010 10:49 AM
@ sceptic - I was going to make the same comparison. Where is the uproar this from the unions this time?
Also what is up with WBAL stating that the principals at City and Poly are being removed? Caught cheating on the HSAs?
Posted by: OverTheTop | July 31, 2010 3:56 PM
@OverTheTop - Nah, I doubt cheating on the HSAs. Probably more like showing inappropriate affect while bending over and sniffing AAA's behind. This is a power grab pure and simple. AAA is in a tight spot with test scores going down, maybe grad rate and HSA going down, and his contract coming due. So he's doing his usual let's-blind-them-with-the-bold-leader shtick. Don't matter to him how much blood he leaves on the rug. We'll see if the bobbleheads on the board have the stomach for this one. If they don't, expect him to get all prima donna about all the opportunities he has elsewhere. Like that should matter.
Posted by: sceptic | July 31, 2010 11:48 PM
OMG - weekend posts of comments! My joy from that development almost overcomes my disgust with the mindless blah blah blah where every development is a sign of AAA's poor leadership. Seems that when there are uproars about how poor this or that principal is the same people are saying that AAA allows poor leadership because he wants suck-ups. Got to make up your mind. Or maybe you could wait to here a single bit of information on the why of the subject before going on the attack.
Posted by: a parent | August 1, 2010 11:27 AM
So, in one story there are concerns about the sudden drop of test scores and while I agree that there are many factors at play, cheating might very well be one of them. And in the next story there is mention of Ben Feldman being retired - er, I mean, retiring. I mentioned this in an earlier post, but might it not be a good thing to connect these dots and have Ben become Tsar of Test Security? He has been recognized by those at the state level as having a good eye for catching irregularities in test scores that mean hanky panky. He is smart and knows both the inside and outside of the classroom. If he were made an "inside but outside" person in this position he would have the freedom from power center to actually catch people. Maybe Grazmick should hire him, heh, heh. That would shake things up.
I will miss Ben - he is smart and was very helpful and knew how to figure out what was what when it came data and what it might mean to kids, schools and families. I hope that he enjoys the time off and then comes back and continues to kick butt.
I don't say this about many of those in power at Mos Eisley, er I mean North Ave., but Ben is one of the good ones.
Posted by: Interesting Observations | August 1, 2010 2:22 PM
Look him up, he's never been anywhere longer than a year in the past few. He was in DC for 8 months, KIPP for a while, and some others.
Posted by: Really | August 1, 2010 10:02 PM
Ah, the ease of posting anonymous comments on this blog...perhaps some of the critics out there might try mentoring an at-risk child or tutoring a student who needs help! It's always the same few uninformed naysayers who cannot come to terms with the simple fact that City Schools are improving. Boo-hoo...
Posted by: Involved City Schools Parent | August 2, 2010 4:10 PM
Ben Feldman retired???? like all of the others AA needs to remove for someone he already hired before Ben even knew he was retiring!!! Who is going to write the press releases ? Who will make those numbers look good? AA always needs someone to blame. The atmosphere in the city is of disrespect from the top down. Anyone would have made some movement forward..let's see how much progress will continue....He is alienating his staff and the rest of the really good people are already talking about leaving.
Posted by: almost retired | August 15, 2010 10:21 PM