Lynn company looks to help students; Fenix Center to use business coaching for education

LYNN-With MCAS requirements and more stringent academic standards across the board, many school districts throughout the state are falling behind, creating a host of problems both in and out of the classroom.But Lynn resident Frank DeVito says he has the method that will help turn these schools around and get teachers and administrators back focusing on what is important – providing students with the best possible learning environment.A former teacher, coach and consultant, DeVito is bringing another “first” to the City of Firsts. His Fenix Center for Innovative Schools (Fenix CIS) on Breed Street is the first international school reform group of its kind.The idea is based on a business-coaching model, where DeVito and his staff observe teachers, students and administrators and provide training, support and recommendations for any problem a school may have.But, unlike most business consultants, it is not a one-shot observation. The company stays on to work with the school and help implement the improvements that have been recommended.”This is a relatively new concept. Most businesses have this idea of coaching, in the ?80s and ?90s it was kind of a one-shot deal where they would observe you and make a series of recommendations,” said DeVito.”More recently, we have gone to a form of ongoing coaching, because the problems do not disappear overnight. These schools need consistent support.”DeVito, a Boston native, has an accomplished career in education, including a seven-year stint as a coach helping to turn around middle school programs, including some time spent at Lynn’s Marshall Middle School. He said he wanted to start his own group because of the struggles happening in education today.Growing up with bilingual parents – his mother is from Honduras and his father is Italian – he said he is sensitive to the issues students have in a multi-lingual world.His idea is to get everyone from teachers to parents involved in the problem solving, and to create a consistent philosophy that everyone involved believes in. In too many cases, he says, administrators are battling teachers or the teacher’s union, and teachers are blaming administration, all the while, no one is focused on creating a coherent plan.One large issue is that curriculum is constantly changing, and it is difficult for teachers to commit to a plan that will probably change again in a few years.”There is a tendency for teachers to blame administrators and administrators to blame teachers. Part of our job is setting a goal for each person and each group, and working together to achieve that common goal,” he said.As opposed to the classic school model of developing a 50 or 100 point strategic plan that most only partially understand, DeVito is focused on two main goals: leadership and being successful in the classroom.He encourages teachers to watch and learn from one another, and focus on making the material work in the classroom, and then when he leaves, a core group of teachers can continue to work with their colleagues and provide support and communication.”I usually advise the teachers to observe each other in the classroom – it is like (Patriots coach Bill Belichick) looking at game film,” he said. “We escort the teachers to another teacher’s room to look at the small things together and see what problems came up, or what they saw that really helped. Improvements can only happen when the conversation gets that specific.”Fenix CIS is already working with schools in Boston and Arlington, and DeVito says he is prepared to help any school with any problem that they may have.As for Lynn, he says he hopes to arrange a meeting with Superintendent Nicholas Kostan to discuss how he may be able to help the schools here in the city. He says he is not sure if the superintendent would be receptive to his ideas, but he would like to keep the lines of communication open.”I wanted to establish a sense of what is going on in Lynn and see if we can game plan a timeline,” he said. “