Convocation: Emily Schultz '05

Emily Schultz ’05 has worked under some controversial regimes in high-profile efforts to turn around failing schools.  In the fall of 2011 she was appointed the education policy director for the State of Alabama, a new position created by Governor Robert Bentley who said he needed an education expert on his staff to guide him and to be a liaison to K-12, post-secondary and higher education.  Previously, Schultz worked under Michelle Rhee, who became chancellor of Washington D.C. public schools after the mayor took control of the district – a situation in which nearly two dozen schools were closed, the teacher pay scale was changed and hundreds of teachers, principals and administrators were fired.  After the Washington job, Schultz worked as a consultant in Central Falls, Rhode Island, which made headlines in February 2010 when it fired all the teachers at a failing high school.  The consulting group Schultz worked for, Mass Insight School Turnaround Group, went in after the mass firings to restructure the district.  Governor Bentley said that Schultz’s experience in turning around failing schools and her "outside the box" mentality is exactly why he hired her.