Schools

For DeRuosi, Hard Work Key to Educational Success

The new Malden Superintendent takes the reins on July 1. In an interview with Malden Patch, DeRuosi talks about his educational philosophy and plan to guide Malden's school system.

Incoming Malden Superintendent of Schools David DeRuosi doesn’t think there’s a secret to great education. Everyone can learn, and it’s up to a school to give them the tools to do so.

“It’s a combination of blue collar ethics and hard work,” said DeRuosi. “First you have to have a goal, and then you work hard. Nothing comes free.”

DeRuosi’s been Assistant Superintendent in Revere for a year, working under long-time Revere school head Paul Dakin.  Before that, he spent seven years as principal of Revere High School, a sprawling facility housing a diverse student body. His time in Revere included stints as principal of two magnet elementary schools, which were allowed to accept students from throughout the city, making them two of the largest in the system. DeRuosi has also worked in Chelsea and Salem.

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An Urban Background for an Urban School System

An East Boston native, DeRuosi, 49, now lives in Topsfield. An Eastie kid through and through, he bought a house with an in-law apartment for his aging parents. He has two grown daughters, both of whom are teachers.

That upbringing in Boston’s urban neighborhoods has informed his approach to education, said DeRuosi. Students in urban systems like Malden have a resiliency that—combined with a great education—gives the kids a step up when they graduate.

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“In Malden and Revere, they believe that every one can. Everyone can learn and there aren’t any excuses for not learning,” he said. “Call it grit. Call it what you want."

DeRuosi said all goals in the school system must be geared toward serving the students. Once you set those higher-level goals, it’s up to the staff and administration in each school to develop their own path toward achieving those goals.

“You embrace a philosophy that this is all about the kids,” he said. “We have a moral and ethical drive to do this.”

In Malden, DeRuosi sees a city and school system that uses its urban setting and diversity to produce excellent educational results.

“Everybody gets counted out in the urbans, but the kids work hard,” he said. “Every four years, the demographics are shifting in Malden. Yet it’s still a city that does well and that screams to be a city that works hard.”

Goals and Initiatives

DeRuosi said he’ll have an open-door policy as superintendent, and will start a city-wide PTA as one way to keep parents informed of decisions and to hear their concerns.

Transparency can be messy at times, and it leads to friction when people on different sides argue about the best way to proceed, but as long as things remain free and civil, the process produces the best results, said DeRuosi.

“I encourage conflict,” he said. “Come in and tell me when’s something’s not working. Tell me what’s broken.”

DeRuosi said he encourages all students to push for more education, no matter what path they choose in life.

“If you want to be a plumber, get that piece of paper because that makes you better than the next plumber. You want to go to a two-year school? That’s better than no college,” he said.

DeRuosi said he’ll also pursue avenues to help teachers pick up dual certifications in areas like special education and English language learning. The certifications create more flexibility for the school system and gives teachers better professional education and tools to better prepare their students, he said. He hopes to leverage federal Race to the Top finding to develop those dual certification, similar to a program current Superintendent Sidney Smith pursued.

Collaboration a Key to Success

DeRuosi said the superintendent is responsible for a school system’s success, but the success itself comes from all players on the team, including teachers, students, parents and administrators.

“There’s no way you can be a leader of a school system and then be responsible to make all the decisions,” he said. “ When you’re talking about strategic planning, moving a district, it’s a collaboration.”

Transitioning into Malden

Money is always tight for school systems, and deciding on what stays and what goes during lean times requires strong, grounded system goals and a plan to attain them.

“Do you need 100 initiatives? No. Pick four, pick five, an then you know what you can reach,” he said. “The district already has things in place. It isn’t my job to walk in and say, ‘This is wrong, this is right.’”

Instead, DeRuosi offered a cooking analogy to describe how he’ll walk into the job on July 1.

“I have to ask Sid, ‘What do you have ready? What do you have on the back burner? What needs more simmering?’” he said.

Click here to watch DeRuosi's welcome video.


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