Robert S. Peterkin (In Memoriam)

Prior to HGSE, Robert Peterkin held school superintendencies in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and enjoyed a long career in educational leadership, from special education teacher to deputy superintendent, mainly with the Boston Public Schools. His work focused on the restructuring of urban public schools for educational equity and higher student achievement, most recently as a court-appointed monitor in a federal case settlement agreement involving an urban school district and plaintiffs of color. Additional foci included expansion of school leadership to include women and people of color, and coaching school leaders with a focus on teaching and learning. Peterkin wrote and lectured on equitable school choice, school governance, school desegregation, women and people of color in leadership, the achievement gap, and the impact of school reform on the achievement of African-American children.