However, Assistant Supt. Judy Barton says this isn't realistic, given the system's size. Competing reform strategies also hamper the effort. These councils could make some decisions on operations, schedules and certain non-salary budget lines, but not on curriculum or personnel. The arrival of charter schools, which have yet another governance structure and philosophy, adds another wrinkle.
Some schools use more than one reform model.
In 1994, the system split its seven subdistricts into 27 clusters. Each has an administrator who is charged with promoting statewide standards, evaluating principals and giving final approval to budgets. Cluster leaders often must navigate various reform protocols as they work with schools. When you have multiple decision-making forums, it's hard for people to understand to which of these forums they should bring their list of things they want to accomplish.