District 196 Steps Forward With New Partnership

The Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan school district is moving ahead with the Partnership for Deliberate Excellence, LLC -- a program that is intended to make the district even stronger.

Jerry Weast founded the Partnership for Deliberate Excellence to help more school systems graduate students prepared and inspired to thrive in college and careers, according to a handout. He recently retired from his 12-year-long position as superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) systems, a district with about 140,000 students.

He is currently is looking to provide nine districts nationwide with a team of education experts and an extensive national network to help those districts shape and implement a unique plan for their school systems and their surrounded communities, and District 196 is one of them, said Superintendent Jane Berenz.

Weast’s principles aren’t “that different from what we’re doing, but he has a network and connections to take what we do and bring it to another level,” she said.

Berenz told the school board the partnership would include working and building a greater leadership with unions, staff and the board, and taking a closer look at current career and college standards.

“He wants to take strong districts and make them stronger,” Berenz said.  

There is also no cost to District 196 and no public dollars needed; it’s all private monies, she said.

“I just don’t see a downside… and he’d help set district-wide goals,” board member Bob Schutte said.

“I like how data-driven (the partnership) is,” board member Art Coulson said.

According to Berenz, through the program, Weast would look at the whole district overall, studying successful District 196 graduates and students with both high and low socioeconomic statuses would benefit.

“He has been phenomenal at raising the bar for everyone,” Berenz said.

He also believes in being proactive before there’s a problem, she said.

School board chairperson Jackie Magnuson said that she liked that Montgomery County’s missions closely resembled that of District 196.

Now that Berenz has the OK from the school board, she will be in communication with Weast and learn the next steps. She said that it could take up to a year and a half before it all begins.