Research


Administrative History

Richard P. Mills was born November 28, 1944 in Paris, Illinois. He received a bachelors' degree in history from Middlebury College in Vermont in 1966, then took classes toward a master's degree at Columbia University. He postponed his master's studies in 1967 to teach history at the Dalton School in New York City, after which he joined four other teachers in founding Elizabeth Seeger School, an alternative private high school in Manhattan. After seven years of teaching, he returned to Columbia University to receive master's degrees in American history and business administration, after which he earned his Ph.D. in education from Teachers' College at Columbia University in 1977. Mills served in various capacities within the New Jersey Department of Education, ultimately becoming a top education advisor to New Jersey Governor Thomas Kean, assisting him in the state takeover of Jersey City's public schools. In 1988, Mills was named Commissioner of Education in Vermont. In his seven years as commissioner in Vermont, he became known for creating a "portfolio" approach to student assessment, where students were evaluated based on a portfolio of their written work, rather than periodic standardized tests. In 1995, Mills was chosen to succeed Thomas Sobol as President of the University of the State of New York and Commissioner of Education of New York State.

Mills tenure involved an aggressive effort to raise standards and improve underperforming schools in New York State. Along with the New York State Board of Regents, Mills embarked on a plan in 1995 to order the closing or reorganization of failing schools, as determined by graduation rates and standardized test scores. This type of direct intervention was rarely undertaken in the past by the New York State Education Department (NYSED), but was used frequently during Mills' tenure to compel reform in individual schools, particularly in New York City. Also, the State Legislature in 1995 gave the commissioner the power to oust local school boards if they did not take adequate measures to improve underperforming schools. Commissioner Mills used this power that year to remove some of the authority of the Roosevelt School Board, and in 2002, he removed the school board entirely, allowing for the state takeover of the Roosevelt School District. Mills' tenure also saw a State Education Department lawsuit against the New York City Board of Education for hiring uncertified teachers. Beginning in 2000, the department increased its focus on closing achievement gaps based on race, gender, and socioeconomic status, spurred on in later years by requirements set forth in No Child Left Behind, the 2003 reauthorization of ESEA.

Somewhat ironically, considering his advocacy of portfolio-based assessments as commissioner in Vermont, Mills made the use of standardized testing a centerpiece of state education policy. In 1995, Mills proposed that all high school students be required to take the Regents High School Examinations, rather than the less-demanding Regents Competency Exams, essentially mandating that all students take college-preparatory courses. In 1996, Mills, with the Board of Regents' approval, mandated that all students, beginning in 2000, be required to pass a series of Regents High School Examinations in various subjects in order to receive a high school diploma. As the 2000 deadline approached, this requirement became controversial, as schools struggled to upgrade their curricula to meet the tougher standards reflected in the tests. Furthermore, in 1998, Mills ordered that exams for students in the fourth and eighth grades be made more stringent, with more advanced math, reading comprehension, and essay-writing requirements. Through the next decade, Mills continued to advocate for tougher standards and use of standardized testing despite periodic concerns about high failure rates for the Regents Exams and "alternative schools" asking for exemptions from administering the exams.

On June 30, 2009, Richard Mills resigned from the office of Commissioner of Education, and was replaced by David M. Steiner.