As neighboring Washington-area school systems watch achievement wane and funding disappear, the biggest challenge for Arlington’s first-year superintendent, Pat Murphy, is improving on a status quo that isn’t half bad.
Test scores are above average, the racial achievement gap has shrunk, most parents are content — among them U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan — and budget shortfalls are minor compared with the county’s neighbors.
But in today’s educational culture created by the No Child Left Behind Act, only improvement ensures that schools avoid sanctions, and Murphy seems undaunted.
“Everyone is pulling in the right direction,” Murphy said.
Between 2002 and 2008, Arlington’s achievement gap narrowed between white students and their Asian, black and Hispanic peers, even as each group’s scores improved overall on Virginia’s standardized tests.
And while the gaps remain wide — 96 percent of white students passed the exams, compared with 74 percent of black students — advocates hope Murphy’s background has prepared him for the challenge.
In Fairfax County, he served most recently as the district’s superintendent for accountability, overseeing the testing and evaluation of students’ progress. He was also the staff liaison with the county’s committee on minority achievement, an often frustrated group that brought out what some see as Murphy’s best qualities: listening and building consensus.
“Pat did a nice job with that group providing not only information, but helping them to understand district decisions and directions,” said Richard Moniuszko, deputy superintendent in Fairfax and Murphy’s former boss. “He’s very reflective. He listens, takes everything in, weighs all of the information and comes to very informed decisions.”
Dale Proctor, president of Arlington’s County Council of PTAs, hopes Murphy’s experience will help build parental confidence.
“There’s a perception among some parents, whether or not it’s true, that not all schools and parents are treated equally,” Proctor said. “If Dr. Murphy can improve on parent communication, that will go a long way toward combating any appearance of nonequity.”
Proctor also mentioned enrollment and boundary issues as looming concerns. Between 2007 and 2008, the district gained nearly 1,000 students, bringing it to about 19,600 overall. Parents of elementary-aged students, in particular, are anxious about overcrowded classrooms, she said.
Perhaps of most immediate concern is a high-maintenance first-day guest at the county’s Wakefield High School: President Obama, who is delivering a back-to-school speech at the school. But as with his other challenges, Murphy is playing it cool.
“I appreciate his support, and we’re honored that he’s coming to one of our schools,” Murphy said of Obama. “His message is education, he’s a model of that, and this is an excellent opportunity for us to hear his message.”
