Ackerman and Sims short-listed for Boston Superintendent

The Boston Globe is reporting that Arlene Ackerman and Deborah Sims are two of five candidates short-listed for the Boston Superintendent of Schools job. Alongside the main article about the candidates they have this summary of Arlene's experience: Ackerman known as a tough innovator:

Arlene Ackerman has taken on tough school systems, has butted heads with school board members and city officials, and has departed with mixed feelings.

She has won national acclaim for attacking tough problems, such as cutting budgets and raising test scores in Washington, D.C., and San Francisco. But critics say she often lacks diplomacy, according to news reports.

They Globe offers less info on Deborah A. Sims. They describer her as chief of K-12 operations at SFUSD: Sims has training pedigree

Sims, who is in her 50s, has been groomed to handle a top spot in a school system. In 2005, she enrolled in an executive management program that trains people to run urban school systems.

Sims has worked under the tutelage of San Francisco School Superintendent Arlene Ackerman, who resigned this school year. Sims also has run the district's Office of Parent Relations, served as assistant superintendent for K-8 schools, and been principal of a high-poverty elementary school.

The Globe that one of the key requirements for the Boston gig is the ability to work with parent and community groups. If there is any residue of the toxic, flammable mix that afflicted that town back when I grew up there, Arlene would have a hard time there. Boston is a radically different town since the days of busing wars and Louise Day Hicks. But 30 years doesn't change much in parochial New England where the culture—and the racism—runs very deep. For Boston's sake I hope they have evolved to a point where an African American woman can command the respect and authority needed to turn around their school system. For Arlene's sake I hope she has learned some lessons on how and when to listen to others, and how to run a more inclusive and open administration. On the plus side, I doubt she'd have to wrestle with Green/Progressive adversaries.