Brian Forde, Jr. ’26
Chief operating officer, Boston Public Schools
Education needs adaptive leaders. We can’t be static; we have to grow and change alongside the students and communities we serve. This means staying connected to what’s happening in schools and using that reality to guide systems-level decisions. I came to The Broad Center to learn from a diverse group of people—both professors and peers—and apply new tools, frameworks, and perspectives to the work I care about.
In my current role, I’m responsible for the facilities, food, and transportation departments, as well as student safety, across 130 schools. Many courses at SOM have been immediately useful in my day-to-day work. Managing Groups and Teams, for example, changed the way I view interpersonal dynamics within my large operations team. I now occasionally ask quieter colleagues to facilitate the meetings I usually run. This has made our time together more productive: new voices are elevated, and people are more willing to push back on ideas and suggest new ones.
The program has also sharpened how I approach data and policy. Operations Management—taught by Faidra Monachou, who transitioned into operations from engineering just as I did—has helped me identify opportunities to apply quantitative tools to decision-making processes. Education Policy for System Leaders has been just as impactful. In class, we watched a video of a dad making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich using his kids’ exact instructions. Because the kids assumed their dad knew the obvious steps, disaster quickly unfolded. This example reinforced the idea that good policy depends on clear implementation. You have to consider what people on the ground need to know to carry out policies effectively.
In our cohort, everyone brings their authentic selves to the classroom, which makes forming deep connections easy. There’s so much value in learning alongside education leaders who are facing similar challenges in different roles and organizations. You’re exposed to new ideas and see issues from different perspectives, which makes you a more well-rounded leader. And if your cohort is as great as mine, you become a better person as well.
