One of the first things that Reza Namin would do if chosen to be Cranston’s next superintendent is move his office into one of the schools.
“One of the things I do in the district I’m in is rotating my office and staying that entire day at the school, to get to know the kids at the school and for them to get to know me.”
It’s part of Namin’s philosophy that leadership “is about a sense of belonging,” Namin told a crowd assembled at Hope Highland Elementary School last week for his public interview by the School Committee. “It’s about a sense of ownership and being in that circle of teaching, learning and community.”
Namin, currently superintendent of the Spencer East Brookfield Regional School District in Mass., is an Iranian immigrant who speaks three languages, is married to a woman whose parents immigrated from Sicily and can relate to the obstacles faced by thousands of the children in Cranston schools who come from non-English speaking parents.
With about 40 percent of the district’s students classified as poor, Namin in many respects reflects the changing face of Cranston. As superintendent, he said, he would be able to reach out to those parents who might not feel included in that circle of learning and community right now better than anyone.
“Cranston is a diverse community and we should celebrate that culture and diversity,” he said. “I think of it as an opportunity and not a challenge. I’m passionate about coming to Cranston [because] the subgroups you have reflects who I am as a person.”
Namin demonstrated to the audience that he did his homework before coming to the interview. His presentation, based on five touchstones that focus on improving academic achievement, professional development, and better integrating home and school life, made numerous references to specific challenges facing the Cranston school district in the years to come.
He began with a bold goal, to have every student in Cranston at or above proficiency by 2014.
He noted that Cranston is generally better than the rest of the state in terms of math and science scores, but “there is a huge gap from elementary to middle school,” Namin noted.
He said a curriculum audit prefacing reinvigoration of the entire curriculum is needed to being things into the 21st century. It needs to be “standardized and more rigorous, making it relevant” he said.
When a child who is struggling at home is unable to excel, “we can identify where that child had difficulty at home and build a bridge to that social environment,” Namin said. “I’m not saying that the schools should be a social agency — I’m just saying we need a chance to address that.”
An important way of measuring progess is a “data wall,” Namin said — a way for teachers and administration to get a bird’s eye view on the progress of every student. That way, students who are behind can be targeted for intervention and the collective effort of the entire staff can be better coordinated.
“We need more time for teachers and principals and administrators to talk about the day and have a plan,” he said. “We also need to see where the kids are.”
Reducing the dropout rate and improving success rates can come through re-thinking intervention. It starts with a focus on pre-K students and connecting with students as early as possible. The high school drop out already decided to drop out in middle school, Namin said.
The problem of drop-outs is of major concern to Namin. In his current district, when he gets the list of students who are dropping out, he personally calls each one to find out why. He also sets up an exit plan and interview so when every child opts to leave, he can find out where the failure occurred and why the parents are deciding to allow their child to drop out. It creates an opportunity for a trust-building moment between the district and the family.
It’s also “how we bring more relevancy and bring a personalized environment for the kids,” Namin said. “If we want to reach out to poor or free or reduced lunch students, we need to build trust.”
It requires a closer working relationship with the city, social service agencies and other community groups, Namin said.
For parents of ELL (English-language learning) students, schools can’t count on them to show up all the time.
“We have to go where they are,” he said. “In Cambridge, we went to community centers with many significant leaders and we invited all the parents to come and we had group meetings. We talked about policies, challenges. We reached out and that started a dialog. We got to know things that we had no clue about.”
Once you have their ear, Namin said, you find ways to engage them and get them invested in a shared vision for the district. The only way to get people on board is to give them a sense of ownership.
In terms of budgeting, Namin said he would base all decisions on a value judgment. Every expense needs to be aligned towards that value strategy, he said, and the leadership teams in the schools need to be working towards the same goal. At his current job, he managed to do away with athletic participation fees despite claims that it wasn’t possible. He did it by getting everyone to collectively decide that the fees would be gone, and the budget was restructured with no impact on property taxes, Namin said.
“It doesn’t mean I can do it every year,” he noted.
A truly successful school district is a true professional learning community, Namin said, both in the building and in students’ homes. To make Cranston the best district in the state, it will require “creating a Cranston community committed to learning,” that “promotes a personal commitment to excellence and a dedication to lifelong learning.”
Namin has a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Mathematics, a Masters of Education with a focus in Applied Mathematics, and a Certificate of Advanced Studies in 3D Geometric Modeling from Brown University. Dr. Namin also has a Doctorate in Mathematics and Science Education with Focus on Curriculum and Technology and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Leadership and Educational Administration. He also holds a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Teaching and Learning for Understanding from the Harvard Graduate School of
Education. Dr. Namin holds Superintendent Certificates in Massachusetts and Maine and was one of five finalists for 2011 National Superintendent of the Year.