The man leading the city’s new school reform drive has landed a job in the classroom.
Garth Harries (pictured), who’s 36, joined the city’s school system in June as an assistant superintendent in charge of sweeping school reform plans.
In the spring, Harries will take on a side gig as a lecturer at the Yale School of Management. He’s teaching a seven-week course called “Managing Education Reform.”
Harries said the course won’t focus on his work in New Haven, but on his experience in New York, where he held a high-powered post as a cabinet member to the New York City chancellor of schools. In New York, he oversaw the creation of over 330 district public schools and over 60 charter schools.
The course will also focus on the “national perspective” of school reform efforts, he said.
“There’s a lot of interest in these topics among SOM students,” said Harries in a recent interview.
Harries will be returning to a familiar stomping ground — he earned an undergraduate degree at Yale University. His work since then has led him through several fields. He earned a law degree from Stanford Law School; worked as a consultant with McKinsey & Company; and directed economic development projects in poor neighborhoods in Philadelphia. He also did a stint in politics, coordinating a Democratic field operation in Pennsylvania during the 1996 presidential campaign.
Most of Harries’ education experience is in management, save for one year of classroom experience teaching in a prep school.
Harries said the new gig at Yale will take place on his own time, and won’t be a distraction from his full-time job: The Yale course meets for only two hours a week on Tuesdays for seven weeks.
He said the course will help him make New Haven the best urban district in the nation.
“The opportunity to teach and reflect about the work is a valuable opportunity,” he said. “I think it will help me do my job.”
"Harries said the new gig at Yale will take place on his own time, and wonÃt be a distraction from his full-time job: The Yale course meets for only two hours a week on Tuesdays for seven weeks."
HUH?
And when will he be prepping for the classes? During work hours? Either the city or his students will be getting a raw deal.
He probably was given the blessing to do this when the city couldn't pay him anymore because the BOE has so many dead weight pay checks already on the books.
We should have this guy on a short stick and cut him loose after one year if he doesn't give us freaking remarkable results. Let him consult and teac, and stroke his ego on someone else's dime! We've got kids to take care of in New Haven.
2 thumbs way down!!!