About Us

Mission

The mission of the MCCPSE is to support the academic and administrative improvement of all existing charter public schools in the state and to stimulate the creation of new, high-quality, charter public schools. With an unrelenting commitment to student achievement, MCCPSE:

 

    • Relentlessly promotes quality throughout the network
    • Identifies, promotes, and shares effective charter school models of excellence
    • Creates a support network to share ideas, concerns, and solutions to the complex problems confronting charter schools
    • Proactively engages underperforming schools to implement school change to produce higher student achievement
    • Engages founding groups to ensure that new schools are well-designed and viable educational alternatives
    • Leverages the resources and services of other individuals and organizations currently providing high-quality support to the state’s charter schools

 

MCCPSE offers services which enhance quality and expand organizational capacity. As a direct result of these activities, existing and new schools have access to:

 

    • Best practices in administration, governance, fund raising, and school and curriculum design
    • Workshops, trainings, and networking opportunities
    • The highest quality providers and vendors serving charter schools
    • Opportunities to engage with education and organizational experts in self-reflective, school re-design processes to improve student performance

 

MCCPSE’s strives:

 

    • To move schools that are performing below the average of their district to above average performance, as measured by standard criteria used by DOE to judge school quality
    • To move schools that are performing well relative to their districts to even higher levels of achievement (“good to great”)
    • To increase the chances that new schools will be chartered by improving the quality of founding groups’ school design and development
    • To secure Massachusetts position as having the highest quality charter school network in the nation

 

Guiding Principles

Throughout its work, MCCPSE adheres to the following four guiding principles:

 

    • Quality:  Informed by the research being conducted under the federally-funded dissemination and replication grant (Keeping the Promise), MCCPSE supports the adoption of a set of quality standards for all charter schools in the state, standards that will lead to high performance and that are aligned with DOE’s expectations. MCCPSE ensures that its programming reflects those standards so that all schools can strive to be high-quality schools
    • Critical Partner:  MCCPSE serves as an honest broker and critical friend to each charter school to help identify academic and operational challenges and to guide schools to the appropriate services. While doing so, MCCPSE realizes that school performance and improvement is the ultimate responsibility of each school. As such, MCCPSE may choose to disengage with a particular school that is not actively participating in self-reflection and self-improvement, even if this lack of support leads to a school closing, an action MCCPSE supports for chronically failing schools.
    • Independence:  MCCPSE is an independent resource center for the benefit of all of the state’s charter schools. Although its goals are aligned with those of the DOE, it neither takes direction from nor reports to DOE. Ideally, school participation in MCCPSE programs will be self-reported by individual schools to DOE to demonstrate their personal commitment to self-improvement.
    • Accountability:  MCCPSE is successful when charter schools that access its programs show measurable improvement in their MCAS scores, AYP, and other performance measures such as graduation rates, college applications and acceptances, wait lists, and so forth. Success is not defined simply by the number of programs offered and the participation rate of schools.

 

Staff Bios

John Tarvin is the founding Executive Director of the Massachusetts Center for Charter Public school Excellence “MCCPSE”. John has over 25 years of management experience, including more than 15 years as a senior executive at several education-based non-profits. Most recently, prior to starting MCCPSE, John was the President of Jumpstart, a community-service-based non-profit that provides early education services to more than 10,000 low-income children in 19 states through partnerships with 70 higher education institutions and more than 250 preschools. John has also been a senior executive at Historic New England and South Shore Day Care Services. As a certified management accountant, John’s corporate experience included development of and accounting for the $100 million annual budget of the systems company of Fidelity Investments. John holds a Bachelor degree from Boston University in Business Administration and a Masters in Computer Information Systems from Bentley College.

 

Brian Anderson is the Program Manager for MCCPSE, responsible for program design and delivery, program evaluation tools, project management for the Keeping the Promise federal grant, and website content development. Prior to joining MCCPSE in October 2007, Brian was a teacher in several Boston pilot schools and an educator through the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship and Pacific Science Center in Seattle, WA. Brian holds a Bachelor Degree from Princeton University in Anthropology.

 

Board Bios

Spencer Blasdale is the Chief Executive Officer of SchoolWorks. He provides leadership and decision-making for all operations and staffing at SchoolWorks and has the authority to develop and execute a strategic and operational vision for SchoolWorks that is in alignment with its mission and core values.

 

Before joining SchoolWorks, he was Executive Director of the Academy of the Pacific Rim Charter Public School in Boston, Massachusetts. He has spent the past 18 years in the field of education, beginning with a teaching internship at The Park School in Brookline, Massachusetts. He spent another three years as an independent school teacher at Beaver Country Day School in Brookline and then moved to work with City Year and the Boston Public Schools. Spencer moved from Boston to Chicago to launch the City Year Chicago site and served as its Executive Director. He then returned to graduate school and began working with a team to found The Academy of the Pacific Rim. Spencer holds a BA in history from Princeton University and a M.Ed. from Harvard University.

 

Julia Bowen has a background in business management as well as education. She worked for 6 years at the Monitor Group, an international consulting company headquartered in Boston, where she consulted to clients in the US, England, Israel and Bangladesh. She also worked on the management team of Monitor, with significant responsibilities in human asset management.

 

Julia left the business world to pursue her passion for education. Prior to joining the founding BArT team, Julia Bowen was a math teacher at Mount Greylock Regional High School where she piloted innovative uses of technology in her classroom. She has been a Big Sister and tutored inmates in the Suffolk County Jail. In addition to her work at BArT, Ms. Bowen serves on the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Charter Public School Association. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics from Dartmouth College.

 

Ann Connolly Tolkoff is a teacher and education advocate who has been involved in shaping education policy at the local and state level. A former member of the Brookline School Committee, Ann is the Founder and Former Director of the City on a Hill Charter School, where she subsequently served on the school’s board of directors. Prior to founding City on a Hill, Ann taught and tutored English and the arts within several school districts. Ann was also a consultant on the MCAS to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

 

Ann holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Wellesley College and a M.A.T. from the Boston College Graduate School of Education with a concentration in English.

 

Roger Harris was born and raised in the Roxbury section of Boston. He served three years of active duty with the U.S. Marine Corps, including a 13-month tour of duty with a combat unit in Vietnam. He received a B.S. from Boston University, a master's degree in School Administration from Boston state College, and a Ph.D. from Boston College. Harris worked for over 25 years in the Boston Public Schools system, as a teacher, dean of discipline, athletic coach, assistant headmaster, and principal. Prior to serving as the Principal of Boston Renaissance, Roger was principal of the Timilty Middle School, which received the "Blue Ribbon Award for Excellence" and the "A+ Award for Breaking the Mold" from the U.S. Department of Education. A "Point of Light" award recipient, Roger also has received awards from the Urban League, Urban Bankers Forum, Kiwanis Club, Veterans' Benefits Clearinghouse, the Black Educators Alliance of Massachusetts and the US Secretary of Education.

 

In addition to serving on the board of MCCPSE, Roger is a board member of the Massachusetts Charter Public School Association.

 

Eric Hieser is the Executive Director of the Sturgis Charter Public School, joining the school in 2004. During the past six years, Sturgis has been recognized as a leader in educational reform due to its rigorous International Baccalaureate for All program. The school was highlighted in Newsweek for the past three years and was ranked by the magazine among the top 100 high schools in the U.S. at #43 in 2008 and #28 in 2009. Sturgis also ranks among the top scoring schools in Massachusetts on the MCAS assessments.

 

Prior to joining Sturgis Charter Public School as Executive Director, Eric held leadership positions in four American international schools in Brazil, Switzerland, Japan, and Norway and was the President of the Principals Association of American Schools of South America. He currently serves on the Board of the Massachusetts Charter Public School Association and is a school consultant and site visitor for the International Baccalaureate. Eric has presented numerous workshops on board governance, college readiness, redesigning the American high school, and International Baccalaureate for All at regional, state, national, and international conferences.

 

Susan Passoni's professional career in investment banking has focused on the technology and telecommunications sectors where she served in a variety of research and marketing positions for firms such as Credit Suisse, Smith Barney, and Goldman Sachs. Since leaving Credit Suisse, Susan has dedicated her time to political causes, mostly importantly education reform. Susan has run two highly successful campaigns for office in 2007 and 2009, Boston City Council, District 2 and MA State Representative, Third Suffolk District, respectively. Although she was not elected, in both campaigns Susan garnered 47% of the overall votes.

 

Besides serving on the board of MCCPSE, Susan advocates for children and education reform by serving on the boards of the Massachusetts Charter Public School Association, Excel Academy, and EdVestors. Previously, Susan has also served on the boards of Building Excellent Schools, Boston Arts Academy, and the Boston Center for Adult Education. Susan is a graduate of Marymount Manhattan College and holds a Bachelors of Science in Mathematics.

 

Jim Peyser is a Partner at NewSchools Venture Fund, where he brings to bear a strong hybrid background in education policy, charter school development and business management to lead NewSchools' East Coast initiatives. From 1999 through 2006, Jim served as Chairman of the Massachusetts Board of Education.

 

Prior to joining NewSchools, Jim was Education Advisor to two Governors of Massachusetts, where he helped shape outcomes-focused policy at the state level on standards, charter schools and school accountability. He also spent more than seven years as Executive Director of Pioneer Institute for Public Policy Research, where he supported public education innovations, including early charter schools. In 1995, he served as Under Secretary of Education and Special Assistant to the Governor for Charter Schools. Prior to joining Pioneer Institute, Jim held various positions at Teradyne, Inc. in Boston, an electronic test equipment manufacturer.

 

Jim is a member of the Board of the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service and a former member of: the Educational Management Audit Council (Chairman), the Board of Directors of Boston Partners in Education, and the Board of Overseers at WGBH. He also currently serves on the board of directors for Achievement First, Lighthouse Academies, New Schools for New Orleans, Noble Network of Charter Schools, Perspectives Charter Schools and Uncommon Schools. Jim holds a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School (Tufts University) and a Bachelor of Arts from Colgate University.

 

Dr. Dorie Shallcross is Professor Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts/ Amherst where she directed the graduate program in creativity. Her major work there was with doctoral candidates specializing in creative behavior. She is the author of 5 books. Dorie is past president of the Creative Education Foundation Board of Trustees and a consulting editor of The Journal of Creative Behavior. She was inducted into the Creative Problem Solving Institute Hall of Fame in 2004. She teaches classes for that Institute each summer. Dorie is a founding member and currently president of the Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter Public School in South Hadley, Massachusetts. She is founder and past president of the Arts in Education Center and the Shallcross Creativity Institute and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Enchanted Circle Theater and is vice-president of the Massachusetts Charter Public School Association Board of Directors. Dorie has done extensive work in creativity here and abroad, primarily with educational institutions.

 

Dorie holds a Bachelor of Arts from Montclair State University (NJ), a Master of Arts from Wesleyan University (CT), and a Doctor of Education from the University of Massachusetts/Amherst.

 

Rebecca A. Sullivan is a First Vice President of Investment Banking Division at the Massachusetts Development Finance Agency, specializing in tax exempt bond financing. Currently, Rebecca manages the bond finance programs for charter schools, public infrastructure and the renewable energy sectors. She joined MassDevelopment in 2001 as a Vice President, managing bond transactions in the Greater Boston region of Massachusetts. Since joining the agency, she has closed over 200 transactions for a variety of purposes and borrowers including colleges, private schools, charter schools, non-profits, infrastructure, renewable energy, manufacturing and assisted living. Prior to joining MassDevelopment, she worked at Fleet Securities as investment banker and at BankBoston as a short-term tax-exempt trader and underwriter.

 

Rebecca serves on the Board of Vinfen, a human service agency in Cambridge, the Board of the Scandinavian Charitable Society in Newton, the Development Committee of New England Women in Real Estate (Newire) in Boston, and the St. Mary's School PTO in Melrose. She holds an M.S.F. from Boston College, and a B.A in Business Administration from University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

 

Partners and Collaborators

To deliver its services, MCCSPE collaborates with the highest quality education providers, including:

 

Community Partners Initiative - http://www.cpieducate.org/

Massachusetts Charter Public School Association - http://www.masscharterschools.org/

MassDevelopment - http://www.massdevelopment.com/custom/nonprofits.aspx

Meetinghouse Solutions - http://www.meetinghousesolutions.com/

Nonprofit Finance Fund - http://www.nonprofitfinancefund.org/

Old Sow Consulting - http://www.kirstenolson.org/oldsow/index.html

Project for School Innovation - http://www.psinnovation.org/

Rudenstine & Associates - http://www.rudenstine-associates.com/

SchoolWorks - http://www.schoolworks.org/

 

 

 

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