Rudy Crew

Rudolph F. "Rudy" Crew (born September 10, 1950, in Poughkeepsie, New York^[1]) is professor of Clinical Education at the University of Southern California's Rossier School of Education. He is a former Superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Appointed to the post in 2004, Crew previously was an executive at the Stupski Foundation, as well as a board member at The Center for Arts Education. Prior to that he served as the executive director of the University of Washington's Institute for K-12 Leadership. Before the university position, he served as chancellor of the New York City Board of Education, 1995–1999,^[2] where many educators, including Thomas Sobol who served as the state education commissioner, believe Crew left behind an important legacy.^[3]

Crew’s leadership in Miami was reflected in recognition as a finalist for the prestigious Broad Prize for three consecutive years (2006–08),^[4] and in School Improvement Zone being named a Top 50 Innovation by Harvard Kennedy School's Ash Institute,^[5] 12 high schools being named among the best by Newsweek,^[6] Crew was named the 2008 National Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), topping the 50 state winners.^[7] His initiatives have led the District to be viewed nationally as a model of success,^[8] with the secondary-school reform program being credited with Miami’s graduation-rate boost.^[9]

Crew has also garnered controversy. At a June 2008 school board meeting, Crew said the district had overspent millions of dollars during the past two years because it had hired more teachers than budgeted, lost state funding, and encountered rising costs.^[10] School Board member Renier Diaz De La Portilla called for Crew's ouster, criticizing the way he has managed the schools' budget.^[11][12] Ana Rivas Logan, another board member, called Crew "insubordinate."^[11] At an August 4, 2008 school board meeting, the item to terminate Crew's contract failed. Despite Crew's strong support from business and community leaders,^[13] the School Board bought out his contract at its September 10, 2008 meeting.

Early years

Crew's mother died when he was an infant and he was raised by his father, Eugene Crew. Crew was the first male in his family to attend college, and he was among the African-American students that helped integrate Babson College as undergraduates. He holds Master of Education and a Doctor of Education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.^[12]

He began his career as a school administrator in Worcester, Massachusetts.^[14] He also worked in administrative positions in Boston, Massachusetts and was the assistant superintendent and superintendent of schools in Sacramento, California.^[12]

Relations with New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani

Crew replaced Ramon C. Cortines as chancellor of New York City's Board of Education. As chancellor of the nation’s largest school district, Crew was referred to as the “other” Rudy.^[15]

He opposed Mayor Giuliani's plan to initiate a private school voucher system. The New York Times wrote that Giuliani "drove the chancellor out with a campaign of public criticism.^[16]

Career after New York

In 2005 and in 2007 Crew's name was floated as a potential superintendent of District of Columbia Public Schools.^[17]

There has been substantial academic research on changes to oversight in New York City that indicate Crew's creation of a more autonomous "Chancellor's District" was effective turning around failing schools.^[18] In 2010, the Coalition for Educational Justice in New York City cited the Chancellor’s District and Crew's School Improvement Zone in Miami as a framework for their School Transformation Zone.^[19]

Controversies

During his career, Crew's administrations have been marred by unreported cases of sexual assaults, drops in test scores and efforts to remove independent oversight.

In New York, a 1997 report by Edward F. Stancik, the Special Commissioner of Investigation, questioned school administrators for not following procedures and delaying the report of a rape of a 14-year old girl, which was the third instance in that high school. In response to the report, Crew initiated due process procedures to determine disciplinary action for the administrators involved.^[20] In Miami, Crew’s administration was once again involved in not reporting a crime and obstructing the investigation involving the sexual assault of a 14-year-old female student by a football player, who was later charged with lewd and lascivious assault on a minor.^[21]

In both New York and Miami, Crew was blamed for organizing efforts to remove independent oversight during his tenure. Crew engaged in a campaign to have New York’s independent investigator Edward F. Stancik removed by accusing him of exaggerating his reports saying they were overly dramatic and adversely affected the school system.^[22] In Miami, a civil suit was brought against Crew by the former Miami-Dade County Public Schools Inspector General, Herbert Cousins, a former FBI agent who alleges Crew and his staff slandered and defamed him to obstruct his investigation and disclosure of illegal activities by Crew and some board members.^[21]

When looking at Crew’s student achievement record, some point to one-year drops in test scores as a picture of his overall record. The Abt report concluded that Tacoma’s 1995 increase in test scores was most likely a result of efforts to increase student test-taking skills, but Tacoma school officials believe the short-term gains were a result of Crew leaving for New York causing a setback in continued improvement.^[23] Peter Sacks, an author and journalist, said that Crew is one of a breed of superintendent who focuses on short-term gains that may not be good for the district in the long-term.^[21] However, in New York, reforms initiated during Crew’s tenure have been credited with playing a role in the continually improving test scores that his successors have achieved.^[24] During Crew’s tenure, student achievement levels had been rising steadily for several years when math and science scores dropped in 1997, as a result of new tests and higher standards. At the time, Mayor Giuliani placed blame on the school board and the dysfunctional system itself.^[25]

In Miami, critics point to an increase in “F” schools during 2007 that was actually a state-wide phenomenon caused by a change in the school grading formula.^[26] The Greater-Miami Chamber of Commerce stated that Crew’s success was reflected in the District’s performance on the FCAT, which continues a trend that adds up to significant improvement over the last five years.^[27] In 2009, this overall trend continued, and Miami high school students made greater gains than their peers statewide.^[28] Crew’s secondary school reform initiative was credited by his successor for boosting the district’s high school graduation rate.^[29]

In June 2008, the Miami Herald reported that Crew's School Improvement Zone generated few noteworthy achievements in its first year. One school board member stated, "We spent $100 million and it didn't do anything. To me, that's a complete failure."^[30] Defenders of the program note that over the project's three year history, substantial gains have been made, including the percentage of "D" and "F" schools dropping from 90% in 2005 to 22% in 2007.^[31] One principal credited the initiative with helping her school raise its grade from a “D” to an “A” in three years.^[9]

Book by Crew

• Only Connect: The Way to Save Our Schools. New York, Farrar, Straus and Giroux. (2007) ISBN 0374294011

See also

• Mayoralty of Rudy Giuliani
• Miami-Dade County Public Schools
• New York City Board of Education

External links

• Official Site
• PBS Frontline interview

Notes

1. ^ Miami - News - Bad Apple
2. ^ frontline: the battle over school choice: interviews: rudy crew
3. ^ http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/1999/12/24/1999-12-24_chancellor_left_lasting_lega.html
4. ^ Broad Foundation, http://www.broadprize.org/prize.shtml
5. ^ http://www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/tax/news/04.15.08_Top50_FINAL.pdf
6. ^ America's Top Public High Schools | Newsweek Best High Schools | Newsweek.com
7. ^ American Association of School Administrators - Newsroom - News Release - Miami School Leader Rudolph Crew Named 2008 National Superintendent of the Year
8. ^ http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/576864.html
9. ^ ^{a b} http://www.miamiherald.com/columnists/jackie-bueno-sousa/story/1064332.html
10. ^ http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami_dade/story/575487.html
11. ^ ^{a b} http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami_dade/story/576790.html
12. ^ ^{a b c} http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25279760/
13. ^ Miami Herald, “Superintendent Crew weighing whether to stay in job,” http://www.miamiherald.com/835/story/630707.html
14. ^ Superintendent of Schools
15. ^ District Administration, http://www.districtadministration.com/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=330
16. ^ Samuel G. Freedman, "Experiment Begun in New York Is Transformed in Miami Schools," "New York Times" April 13, 2005 http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/13/education/13education.html
17. ^ "Fenty Looks to Miami's Crew" "Washington Post" January 25, 2007 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/24/AR2007012400668.html
18. ^ David M. Herszenhorn, "A Special School District Is Gone, but a Study Cites Its Benefits" "New York Times" "July 7, 2004" http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C01E3D9143BF934A35754C0A9629C8B63
19. ^ http://www.citylimits.org/news/articles/3981/parents-pols-push-alternative-to-school-closings
20. ^ JACQUES STEINBERG, "Withering Report Criticizes Officials Over a Rape in School" "New York Times" September 17, 1997 http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE4DD1238F934A2575AC0A961958260
21. ^ ^{a b c} Francisco Alvarado, "Bad Apple" "Miami New Times" August 2, 2007 http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2007-08-02/news/bad-apple
22. ^ ANEMONA HARTOCOLLIS, "Crew Attacks School Investigator, Calling His Reports Exaggerated" "New York Times" "October 23, 1997" http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9902E2DA133EF930A15753C1A961958260
23. ^ http://www.interversity.org/lists/arn-l/archives/Sep1999/msg00091.html
24. ^ http://nycityeye.blogspot.com/2009/03/diane-ravitchs-sterling-analysis-of.html
25. ^ ANEMONA HARTOCOLLIS, "Citywide Reading and Math Test Scores Decline Sharply" "New York Times" "June 9, 1999" http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9902E1D8163BF93AA35755C0A96F958260
26. ^ http://www.miamiherald.com/295/story/598231.html
27. ^ Miami Herald, http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/letters/story/641320.html
28. ^ http://www.miamiherald.com/news/front-page/story/1070937.html
29. ^ "Rudy Crew Wasn't Afraid to Take a Chance," http://www.miamiherald.com/columnists/jackie-bueno-sousa/story/1064332.html
30. ^ "Dade 'Zone' School Effort Ineffective", Miami Herald, June 26, 2008.
31. ^ South Florida Times, http://www.sfltimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1578&Itemid=124

Educational offices
Preceded by Ramon C. Cortines	Schools Chancellor of New York City 1995 - 1999	Succeeded by Harold O. Levy

Persondata
Name	Crew, Rudy
Alternative names
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Date of birth	September 10, 1950
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death