Jean-Claude Brizard | |
|---|---|
| 4thCEO of Chicago Public Schools | |
| In office May 30, 2011 – October 11, 2012 | |
| Preceded by | Ron Huberman Terry Mazany (interim)[1] |
| Succeeded by | Barbara Byrd-Bennett |
| Superintendent ofRochester City School District | |
| In office January 1, 2008 – May 13, 2011 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1963-01-12)January 12, 1963 (age 63) |
| Spouse | K. Brooke Stafford (m. 1992) |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater | Queens College, City University of New York |
| Profession | Educator Education Associate with Bill and Melinda Gates foundation |
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Jean-Claude Brizard (born January 12, 1963) is anAmerican formerschool superintendent. He served as chief executive officer ofChicago Public Schools from 2011 to 2012. Directly before coming to Chicago, Brizard served as the superintendent of theRochester City School District. Brizard is best known as an education reformer, a strong charter school advocate and a champion of labor reform, particularly in regards to limiting teacher tenure status. He is a former senior advisor and deputy director of theBill and Melinda Gates Foundation, where he specialized in education.[2] Brizard started his career as a teacher, then an administrator, in theNew York School System.[3] He is currently president and chief executive officer of Digital Promise Global.[2]
Brizard was born inPort-au-Prince, Haiti. DictatorFrançois Duvalier had his grandfather imprisoned and his parents fled to the United States when it was learned his father might be imprisoned as well.[4] After reuniting with his family, Brizard attended public schools inBrooklyn and earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry and a master's degree in Science Education fromQueens College and a master's degree in School Administration and Supervision from theCity College of New York.
Brizard began his career as an instructor atRikers Island, later moving toGeorge Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School, where he taught physics and became principal in 1999. In 2003 he rose to the instructional superintendency of Region 8,New York City Department of Education.[2] He attended theSuperintendents’ Academy of the Broad Center for the Management of School Systems in 2007. In total, he had a 21-year career with the NYC Department of Education.[2]
In 2008, he assumed the superintendency of theRochester City School District.[5] In Rochester, he promoted charter schools and merit pay, pushed for performance standards, and met with so much opposition from the teachers’ union that they gave him a vote of no confidence before he left for Chicago.[6]
Brizard was nominated byRahm Emanuel to be CEO of Chicago Public Schools on May 6, 2011.[4] His appointment was approved by theChicago Board of Education on May 25, and he took office on May 30.[7] He stepped down after 17 months on October 11, 2012. In a written response Brizard stated he and the Mayor had come to a "mutual agreement" that he was a "distraction" to school reform.[8] Rumors of Brizard's resignation were first reported by several news organizations on August 31, 2012, but were denied by Mayor Emanuel directly.[9] The possibility of an impending resignation first surfaced in July 2012, when portions of Brizard's personnel evaluation were leaked to the press. The leaks raised concerns about his ability to manage such a large organization as CPS and turnover of his leadership team.[10] In August 2012, theChicago Teachers Union went on strike for the first time in more than 25 years. The policies of Brizard and Mayor Emanuel were cited as the impetus for the strike. As part of his resignation package, Brizard received a year's salary at $250,000 along with other undisclosed benefits.[11]
In 2023, Banga was named byCarnegie Corporation of New York as an honoree of theGreat Immigrants Awards.[2][12]
In 2024, he received theAspen Institute's John P. McNulty Prize[13] for his work with Anseye Pou Haiti.[14]
| Educational offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Principal of theGeorge Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School June 1999 – 2003 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Region 8 Instructional Superintendent,New York City Department of Education 2003 – | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by William C. Cala | Superintendent of theRochester City School District January 1, 2008 – May 13, 2011 | Succeeded by Bolgen Vargas (interim) |
| Preceded by Terry Mazany (interim) | CEO of Chicago Public Schools May 30, 2011 – October 11, 2012 | Succeeded by |