Norfolk Public Schools Wins Top Public Education Prize
Norfolk Teachers Union President Credits Labor-Management Collaboration 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Marian Flickinger, president of the Norfolk Federation of Teachers, credited a committed labor-management partnership that confronted the "brutal facts" of poor academic achievement as the primary catalyst for significant improvements that led to Tuesday's award of the nation’s top prize in public education to the Norfolk school district.

The Norfolk Public Schools won the largest share — $500,000 — of the $1 million Broad Prize for Public Education, which annually honors urban districts that make significant gains in test scores, particularly among poor and minority students.

"There was a real collaboration on everyone’s part," Flickinger said, noting the group included teachers, principals, school district officials and community leaders.  "In Norfolk schools, all means all.  We work very hard to improve student achievement for all students and to close the achievement gap."

One of the hallmarks of the district's reform effort has been allowing teachers to walk through classrooms and schools other than their own.  "They realized everyone has a heavy-duty job.  They saw that no teacher has it easy," Flickinger explained.  She said the walk-throughs gave teachers innovative ideas for teaching and managing classrooms.

Flickinger also said the Norfolk school district relied heavily on test score data to determine the biggest challenges.  "We started looking at the brutal facts and figuring out how to help every kid and what it would take for every student to connect with school," she said.  For instance, the data showed an unacceptable drop-out rate, so mentoring programs were instituted in every high school.  Also, every school in the district now has a reading teacher, a literacy teacher and a communication skills specialist.

AFT President Edward J. McElroy said Norfolk's strategies are replicable.  "If it can be done in Norfolk, with a high poverty rate, it can and should be done elsewhere," McElroy said.

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