The Providence School Department

1. The Providence School Department The Office of Human Resources An Update Donnie W. Evans, Ed. D. Superintendent of Schools Tomás Hanna Deputy Superintendent of Operations March 18, 2008

2. Agenda • Introduction – The Context • The Council of Great City Schools Peer Review of Human Resources Findings Priorities/Recommendation/Timelines • Discussion

3. Local Context • Council of the Great City Schools Peer Review on HR Operations in 2001 • Follow up on the CGCS 2001 recommendations • Advent of the NCLB legislation – Highly Qualified teaching and support staff have added increased scrutiny and levels of accountability • The Board and the Superintendent continue to articulate the need to improve efficiencies in Human Resources • In April 2007 a Peer Review was requested of the Council of Great City Schools

4. National Context Nationally, there has been a concerted effort in the area of school operations to support improved academic outcomes. In the area of Human Resources the mandate is as follows: Find, select and retain staff to effectively support student achievement Districts that have transformed HR operations to support student outcomes include NYC, Long Beach, CA, Boston, MA, Norfolk, VA, Bridgeport, CN, Miami-Dade, and FL, Aldine, TX – all Broad Prize winners and/or finalists.

5. Providence School Board’s Core Beliefs We commit to organizing the Providence School Department around its core business—teaching and learning. We will— • Hold the entire district and everyone in it accountable for student success. • Target resources strictly to district priorities. • Recruit, develop, support, and retain the highest-quality personnel. • Operate effective instructional and business systems. • Use public resources efficiently.

6. HR Fact Sheet Total Budget: $1,952,166 $1,829,919 (94%)salaries and benefits. Non-Union Personnel Budget: $417,859 (4 Staff) HR Staffing: 5 non-union administrators 1 Assistant Superintendent 4 HR Administrators (EEO not included in HR budget) .5 Legal Counsel for Workers’ Compensation 1 Executive Assistant (non-union) 1 HR Specialist (union) 1 HR Generalist (union) 15 union clerical staff Total Employees: 23.5 Average length of service of current HR Staff: 6.6 years

7. Snapshot of Teacher Compensation • There is a 10 step salary scale for teachers. • Longevity is represented in three (3) steps 11, 12 and 13 for teachers more than fifteen years experience in the PSD. • For the 2006/2007 school year: Step 1 $35,563 Step 5 $47,543 (mid-point) Step 10 $67,033

8. Snapshot of Teacher Compensation Of 2,103 teachers: • 231 teachers (11%) are at steps 1 – 5 • 1,169 teachers (56%) are at steps 6-10 • 703 teachers (33%) are at longevity steps 11-13 • 1,872 teachers (89%) of PSD teachers are beyond step 5.

9. Snapshot of Teacher Compensation Beyond the Base • When we take into added compensation: Step 1 $36,289 Step 5 $48,719 Step 10 $68,992 Step 11 $70,038 Step 12 $71,095 Step 13 $71,167 • The average salary for a teacher in Providence: $64,700 State-wide Comparison • The average salary for a teacher in Rhode Island is: $58,525 (Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2005)

10. Snapshot of Administrator Compensation The average salary for school-based and school support administrators (99) represented by the administrators’ association: $96,674 The average salary for non-union administrators (37): $79,130

11. Current Functional HR Organization Chart

12. Staffing Functions • Recruitment and Job Fairs • Hiring • Credentialing - teacher certifications; teacher assistant certifications; professional certifications; transcripts; background checks; references • Placement Meetings – Teachers • Transfers per collective bargaining agreements

13. Staffing Functions • Support Level Directors with staff projections for reorganizational purposes • Job posting coordination • Liaison with Rhode Island Department of Education • Training and Record Keeping (e.g., site-based hiring and teacher evaluation cycle) • Liaison to Board -(Electronic School Board)

14. Employee Services • Front Desk • Employee Records • Personnel/Compensation Input (address changes, salary, step increases, etc.) • Liaison with Comptroller (CFO) • Data gathering for reporting purposes

15. Employee Relations • Day to day contract implementation • Labor Relations - employee discipline and grievances • Clerical and Teacher Assistant Interviewing, Hiring and Placement • Substitute service and placement (AESOP) • Retirement/Resignations, Leaves and FMLA • Training (fair discipline processes, customer service, best management practices, teacher assistants) • Liaison with legal department • Unemployment Processing

16. Equal Employment Officer • Data gathering for Federal and State EEO Report • Coordinates school department responses to EEO/AA complaints with other agencies as appropriate • Investigates workplace complaints such as harassment, discrimination, etc. • Serves on interview panels

17. The Council of the Great City Schools Review of the Human Resources Operations of the Providence Public Schools by the Council of Great City Schools MANAGEMENT LETTER

18. The Council of the Great City Schools A Peer Review by request of the Superintendent of Schools and the Deputy Superintendent of Operations in April of 2007 Peer reviewers represented Chicago Public Schools, Broward County (FL) Public Schools, Los Angeles Unified School District, Atlanta Public Schools, and Wichita Public Schools Site Visit: October 23-26, 2007 Report Date: January 23, 2008

19. The Council of the Great City Schools • The Council was founded in 1956 and incorporated in 1961, and has its headquarters in Washington, D.C. • The Council of the Great City Schools is a coalition of 66 of the nation’s largest urban public school systems. Its Board of Directors is composed of the Superintendent of Schools and one School Board member from each member city. • The Council provides services to its members in the areas of legislation, research, communications, curriculum and instruction, and management.

20. Goals of the Peer Review • Review & evaluate all aspects of Human Resources • Provide a status report on the 2001 review • Make recommendations for improvement

21. Rationale • External review of HR aligns with current PSD strategy to review all departments (Curriculum (PDK), Special Education, English Language Learners, and the Student Assignment Policy) • CGCS is a valuable knowledge center and best practices resource • CGCS can provide leverage to bring about sincere and lasting improvements

22. Findings “The Strategic Support Team saw little evidence that the Human Resources Department of the school district has changed appreciably since the council did its review in 2001.” - Council of the Great City Schools, p. 2

23. Steps taken after the 2001 Peer Review Human Capital: • Positions created as a result of the Council's visit in 2001: Chief Operating Officer HR Employee Relations Administrator HR Employee Services Administrator • These hires aligned to the 2001 recommendations to employ HR professionals  • A non-educator was hired as the Executive Director for Human Resources

24. Steps taken after the 2001 Peer Review Systems: • AESOP substitute employee software system was implemented • Lawson ERP - implemented in 2002-2003 - was a City initiative and was not connected to the 2001 report

25. Peer Review Areas of Focus Leadership and Management Capacity Organization Operations Culture

26. Leadership & Management CapacityFindings Frequent leadership and staff turnover. For example, turnover has included 13 positions filled by 43 different staff members over the past six years. There have been four (4) Executive Directors and four senior managers in two of three management positions prior to the current staff. Such turnover has been a barrier to: • Establishing the department as a resource for Services • Strengthening relations with union partners • Pursuing critical contract changes

27. Leadership & Management CapacityFindings • Cross training to reduce work flow interruption • Surveying internal customers for feedback • Assessing compliance with laws regarding confidential health information • Leading improvement efforts for timely application processing • Creating a guide/directory to the HR department

28. Organization - Findings • HR functions are largely transactional and paper driven • Unwelcoming environment, no appropriate waiting area, physical internal layout isolates staff • Workers compensation claims are made by part-time legal counsel supported by a full-time member of the clerical staff • One person managing staffing consolidations with clerical support

29. Operational Issues - Findings • Antiquated, unsecured filing system leads to risk exposure (FMLA, ADA, HIPPA, EEO) • No department-wide staff meetings to facilitate cross training, cooperation, and teamwork • Ambiguous workflow leads to confusion and reporting errors • Weak data integrity leads to excessive payroll errors • No comprehensive on-boarding process for new employees

30. Operational Issues - Findings • Time consuming conflict and grievance issues handled by building/district administrators • Not maximizing Lawson ERP for applications, overall reporting, vacancies, and number of teachers, etc. • No clear liaison with budget department (there is a current staffing vacancy) • HR staff refer principals to union reps for info on contract language (a 2001 finding)

31. Culture - Findings • Not customer friendly • Low morale, no pride or sense of urgency to fix problems • External perception that services are based on individual relationships • Fear of making mistakes • Perception that HR adds little value to PSD • Inconsistent personnel evaluation process – lack of regular and useful feedback on performance

32. Human CapitalSystemsFacilities Priorities/Recommendations/Timelines

33. Priorities Human Capital: Staff reorganization/redeployment Professional development Systems: Lawson/AESOP Records Management Solution Facilities: Physical space upgrades

34. Recommendations: Human Capital Currently Underway: • Engaged with external partners such as the Mayor’s Efficiency Task Force to explore functions that will increase expertise, reduce district liability risks, and lower costs Timeline: Winter 2007 • Finalize a work plan that implements the goals and objectives of the CGCS Report with measureable outcomes that are aligned to Realizing the Dream Timeline: No later than May 1, 2008 • The redesign/redeployment of essential positions to be filled by current or new personnel to include a Labor/Employee Relations unit and an Informational/Operational unit Timeline: No later than June 1, 2008

35. Recommendations: Human Capital Completed: • Create and engage a “kitchen-cabinet” of HR experts inside and outside of education to advise on-going process re-engineering and support in the creation of metrics Timeline: Completed • Establish monthly staff meetings within the entire department that will serve to provide clear direction and communicate a sense of urgency to the HR staff Timeline: Completed

36. Recommendations: Operational Systems • Enhancement of technical capacity (tools) through the existing Lawson ERP HR functionalities Timeline: TBD based on cost-out • The identification of a vendor to enhance efficiencies in records management (Lawson ERP may provide a solution) Timeline: TBD

37. Recommendations: Facilities Redesign the physical space of the HR department to support customer service in an employee friendly environment Timeline: August 2008

38. Recommendations: Human Capital • Use a phased-in process to re-engineer the department as follows: • Labor & Employee Relations • Pre-Employment Support Services • Employment Support Services Revisit leadership structure and identify talent to meet system needs (internal and external) Timeline: Fall 2008 • Conduct a Classification & Compensation Study Timeline: Spring 2009

39. Proposed Functional HR Organization Chart Phase I May 2008

40. Proposed Functional HR Organization Chart Phase IISeptember 2008

41. Anticipated Outcomes • Core functional alignment – improved workflow, data analysis that drives decision-making supporting improved student achievement • Operational efficiencies – better communication throughout the organization and with prospective employees to drive an improved customer service culture • Improved capacity - meaningful professional/employee development connected to staff evaluations and on-going feedback

42. Leadership Commitment Leadership must commit to: • Timely and thoughtful planning • Clear and consistent communications • Technology enhancements • Professional development

43. Conclusions • There is a renewed sense of urgency • Transformation will be aligned to positively impact student outcomes • No quick-fixes • The time is now!

44. “There is a large number of dedicated and often passionate employees in the HR department who recognize the need for change and who are interested in supporting such change”- Council of the Great City Schools, p. 11