Clifford B. Janey

After his service in Newark, New Jersey, from 2008-2011, Dr. Clifford B. Janey was appointed as a Senior Weismann Fellow at Bankstreet College of Education in New York City. He is now working as a Senior Research Scholar at Boston University’s School of Education. Nationally regarded and locally recognized for improving the life opportunities of students by preparing them to be both college and work ready, Dr. Janey has advocated a reform agenda for which change has to be embraced by leaders in schools as well as in communities. That journey has required the knowledge and skill to negotiate labor and service contracts that are fair, innovative and responsible. Collaborative leadership resulting in significant improvements in student performance and management systems has distinguished his tenure in three urban centers-Rochester, New York, Washington D.C. and Newark, New Jersey-each uniquely challenged by the nuances of poverty yet all essential to the health of a regional economy. Leading for change and managing with results continues to be the theory of action that has encouraged Dr. Janey to advance a similar reform agenda while serving as Vice President of Education at Scholastic Inc., an internationally acclaimed multimedia education publishing company. Whether leading in the private or public sector, Dr. Janey decoded the mystery that high academic and social standards were beyond the reach of "classified communities" or at best a goal for the "next generation". 

As the State District Superintendent of Newark, New Jersey Dr. Janey led the best case ever for the school district to remove itself from state control in its sixteen-year history. Chief among the arguments for reinstatement were a 94% and 93% performance rating in human resources and fiscal management respectively. In September of 2004, Dr. Clifford B. Janey was appointed Superintendent of Schools in Washington D.C. He brought a track record of improving student performance, and reducing the achievement gap between students with disabilities and the general student population. Educators and parents of the District of Columbia Public Schools continue to benefit from his leadership role as Chief State School Officer. Through an inclusive engagement process, Dr. Janey led a policy effort to create new competitive learning standards, curriculum frameworks, a new assessment system and demonstration classroom in public schools throughout the district including charter schools. 

From 1995 to 2002, Dr. Janey served as Superintendent of Schools in Rochester, New York, an urban school system of 55,000 students including adults. As superintendent he increased student performance, reduced achievement gap between black, Hispanic and white students and facilitated the design process
for new schools that would address the demands of the new millennium. Dr. Janey led the implementation of Rochester's widely acclaimed Performance Benchmarks that involved strategiC partnerships as a way to demonstrate how school districts and local communities can organize themselves to get and sustain results. He is credited with establishing the first international baccalaureate diploma granting high school in Monroe County, the wealthiest county in upstate New York. 

Through out his experiences collaboration anchored by accountability has always been a shared value among strategiC partners. Dr. Janey has recognized that real change happens not because of what you know but how you develop a culture in which support for human development and accountability for results are seamless. Strongly committed to preparing students for the future and engaging diverse constituencies Dr. Janey sees these core beliefs as essential to develop leadership throughout the organization. As an example he has maintained the social discipline, especially during a debt conscious era, to recommend and defend reform-minded budgets that reflect long term community interests. 

Dr. Janey has received numerous national and local awards for his relentless efforts and innovative initiatives in early childhood education, prek-16 academic standards, collective bargaining and authentic accountability. His most recent distinguished Alumni award from Boston University for excellence in leadership and service is further evidence of his understanding to connect research, policy and practice. However, such awards remain secondary to his commitment to a reform agenda which focuses on policies that leverage students, families and local communities to compete successfully in a global economy. 

He has a doctorate in Education Policy, Planning and Administration from Boston University, a master's degree in Reading and Elementary Education and a bachelor's degree in Sociology from Northeastern University. 

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