The Boston University-Chelsea school district partnership: a case study of knowledge management

The longstanding partnership between Boston University and the Chelsea Public School District of Chelsea, Massachusetts is unique for many reasons. Perhaps the most recognizable feature of this Partnership, however, is that it is the only example of an American university engaging in the day-to-day management of a public school system. The initial partnership agreement was for a ten-year period (1988-1998), though the agreement was extended for five years in 1998 and for another five years in 2003. Per the agreement, the Chelsea School Committee ceded its general authority to a management team of Boston University personnel. This team would appoint and oversee the school superintendent and take any action necessary to fulfil the partnership’s goals, so long as such actions complied with state and local law. Despite this seemingly great degree of autonomy, the agreement did require that the management team continuously report to the school committee, and the school committee retained the authority to veto decisions with which it did not agree. However, in nearly twenty years of partnership, disagreements between the district and management have not resulted in significant alterations to policies proposed and implemented by the university. While it would be misleading to assert that the partnership, even after nearly twenty years, has achieved all of its goals, the strong trust that the district continues to place in the university is just one example of the many ways in which the partnership has been a success.