By Michael Bonds, Ph.D.
President, Milwaukee Board of School Directors
Dr. Michael Bonds
As Milwaukee Public Schools moves forward with major efforts to improve student achievement, continuity of leadership is key.
That’s why I am proud to share that the Milwaukee Board of School Directors on Thursday extended the contract of MPS Superintendent Darienne B. Driver, Ed.D.
Her contract, which originally ended on June 30, 2016, now runs through June 30, 2017.
Under Dr. Driver’s leadership, MPS is taking critical steps to continue to improve student outcomes with a focus on academic achievement, engaging families and the community and promoting effective and efficient operations. The superintendent’s accomplishments include:
• Developing a series of Strategic Objectives – eight big ideas – aligned to the district’s Strategic Plan and supported by the budget process.
A series of White Papers is being developed to implement these ideas and listening sessions are scheduled to seek community, staff, student and parental feedback
• Creating a Regional Development plan which will increase the number of seats in high-performing schools and improve capacity for high-quality community support activities
• Re-engaging and establishing community partnerships designed to support student achievement and to develop new opportunities for students through a collective impact model, and
• Providing a new focus and level of academic support for 14 Commitment Schools, which were among the lowest performing district schools on the state report card
Dr. Driver, who received her doctorate from the Urban Superintendents Program at Harvard University in 2014, came to her position as superintendent after two years in Milwaukee Public Schools as Chief Innovation Officer.
In that role, she oversaw the development of the Commitment Schools program described above as well as the district’s charter schools and its GE Foundation schools.
MPS’ GE Foundation Schools are models for implementing college and career readiness standards and collaborative learning efforts that can be studied and replicated in other MPS schools.
Prior to coming to Milwaukee Public Schools, Dr. Driver served in key leadership positions in school districts including Deputy Chief – Empowerment Schools for the School District of Philadelphia.
In addition to her doctorate degree, she holds a master’s degree from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education and a master’s degree in curriculum development from the University of Michigan.
The superintendent earned her undergraduate degree from Spelman College in Atlanta, Ga. and began her career as an elementary school teacher in Detroit Public Schools.
Her leadership experience in other communities and the leadership she has shown here in Milwaukee make it clear that Dr. Driver is the right person to lead this district, our 158 schools and our 77,000- plus students as we continue to move forward and improve outcomes for all of the children whose families have entrusted them to us.