Statement of Paul Grogan on the resignation of Boston Schools Superintendent Carol Johnson

Boston – The Boston Foundation issued the following statement from Paul S. Grogan, President and CEO of the Boston Foundation, on the decision of Boston Schools Superintendent Carol Johnson to resign her position effective at the end of the 2012-2013 school year.

“The people of the city of Boston owe a great debt of gratitude to Carol Johnson. Arriving at a district already considered among the best urban school systems in the nation, she brought a vision that recognized the need to improve the performance of all students, and has acted upon it across the educational pipeline, from early education to high school and beyond.

“She leaves a district that unquestionably is an urban leader in ensuring that students graduate ready to succeed in their post-secondary careers. In innovative efforts like the Boston Opportunity Agenda and Success Boston, she and Mayor Menino have shown an unwavering willingness to work with partners across the city to improve the education of all students. 

“Superintendent Johnson understands that making incremental improvements while trying to keep 100-year-old structures in place is a school improvement recipe that is doomed to failure. By utilizing the tools at her disposal, including the flexibility created for school-level change by the 2010 Achievement Gap Act, she was able to give more school leaders the opportunity to directly address the obstacles to student performance. Today, more than 40 Boston Public Schools enjoy levels of autonomy that are necessary precursors to real reform, because of her leadership.

“With her bold vision, her unprecedented commitment to embrace reform and partnerships, and her tenacious persistence and indefatigable spirit, Superintendent Johnson has moved this district forward and positioned it for continued success.”
 

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The Boston Foundation, Greater Boston’s community foundation, is one of the oldest and largest community foundations in the nation, with net assets of more than $800 million.  In 2012, the Foundation and its donors made $88 million in grants to nonprofit organizations and received gifts of close to $60 million. The Foundation is a partner in philanthropy, with some 900 separate charitable funds established by donors either for the general benefit of the community or for special purposes.  The Boston Foundation also serves as a major civic leader, provider of information, convener and sponsor of special initiatives that address the region’s most pressing challenges.  The Philanthropic Initiative (TPI), an operating unit of the Foundation, offers special consulting services to philanthropists.  Through its services and its work to advance the broader field of strategic philanthropy, TPI has influenced billions of dollars of giving worldwide. For more information about the Boston Foundation and TPI, visit www.tbf.org or call 617-338-1700.