Voices of Change with Bill Caritj: Making Great Schools

For forty years, I was fortunate to lead the assessment, evaluation, and accountability departments of nine public school districts, including six of the largest in the nation – Washington, DC, Baltimore, St. Louis, Austin, Atlanta, and the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA). In almost every instance, my position was relatively independent of the internal and external “politics.” As a result, I am not biased toward or against any particular theory, philosophy, or program. My only bias is to results.  Over the years, I have had a wide range of responsibilities including state and local test development, standards alignment, school improvement, information technology, and instructional technology. From 2014-2021, I supervised the Atlanta Public Schools (APS) Information Technology, Instructional Technology, Assessment, Research, Evaluation, and Data and Information divisions. Over that period, our teams were credited with restoring the integrity and public trust in the district’s assessment, accountability, and data and information systems after the cheating scandal of 2008. During the COVID pandemic, these outstanding teams were also responsible for enabling and supporting the high quality, virtual programs provided each day to over 50,000 students who were forced to receive their daily instruction at home.  Since “retiring” from the Atlanta Public Schools, I’ve been very busy – working on a book, “How to Fix Our City Schools”, publishing a monthly newsletter (of the same name), and launching the Capital Schools Consulting Group (CSCG). CSCG services include executive coaching, training, evaluation, and data analytic services to district leaders and school boards. “How to Fix Our City Schools” is part memoir and part handbook and while I am very excited about finally completing an almost final draft, the process has made me even more acutely aware of the disappointment I feel about the missed opportunities and failures of the last forty years and my fear that they will continue indefinitely for future generations of poor and disadvantaged children.  

Powerful Moments 

Throughout this podcast there are powerful moments that provide deeper insight into the individuals and topics discussed in this podcast.   

1:54 – Bill’s background and history of his career 
6:30 – Creating a teaching strategy myths and truths 
8:15 – Restoring public trust in public education  

13:19 – Standards and evidence-based designations around curricula 
19:00 – The effects of reading reform on students 
21:57 – The effects of reading reform on equity 
29:14 – Addressing all needs of all children