Last night’s School Committee meeting was the last meeting of the year, touching on some of the most discussed topics this past year. This was the first meeting following Mayor Wu’s announcement regarding the reappointment of Vice Chair Michael O’Neill to his seat, after the conclusion of a public nomination process that saw numerous candidates apply. The meeting began with public comment, as the committee initially lacked a quorum. Public testimony included discussions on hiring, transportation, and enrollment patterns. After a short Superintendent’s Report and a quorum present, the School Committee then took action on the collective bargaining agreement between Transdev and United Steelworkers Local 8751. School Committee members did not raise concerns regarding continual low performance that is not included in the contract, and instead, voted unanimously for the contract.

The School Committee heard two reports last night, with the first report being a finance update for FY24-26. This is a yearly report that precedes and previews the budget season, which will kick off in February. The Superintendent and her team described it as a traditional budget, with plans to fully fund every school despite an ongoing enrollment decline and major revenue challenges noted by the Mayor. School Committee members did not ask any questions regarding the impact of enrollment decline, and there was no conversation about the lack of school closures or mergers in the update.

The final report of the evening was a recommended exam school admissions policy. The recommendation comes after numerous years of changes to the exam school admissions policy, which you can hear more about here. Last year, the School Committee passed an amendment to adjust the number of bonus points a student who attends a Title 1 school (40% or more low-income) receives based on the tier where they live. This year, the Superintendent and her team proposed reducing the number of tiers from eight to four under the current policy, with each tier receiving an equal allocation of invitations. They also plan to continue reviewing the policy's impacts this spring. However, the proposal did not address how this shift would affect the number of bonus points students receive and did not include simulations to show the potential impact on student assignment. School Committee members did not raise questions or concerns regarding these omissions and will vote on this matter in January.

The School Committee will reconvene on Wednesday, January 6 at 5pm for their annual organizational meeting, and it will be held on Zoom.

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In today’s episode of Deep Dives, we’re excited to explore an educational program making a significant impact in Boston: the Alexander Twilight Academy. Named after the first African American college graduate in the U.S., this academy is designed to help students from underrepresented backgrounds in Boston achieve their full potential.

Ross is joined by Annie Weinberg, the founder and school leader of Twilight Academy, and two of her remarkable students, who share the history and impact of Twilight Academy, their personal journeys, and how ATA has supported their academic and leadership growth.

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Last night’s School Committee meeting was focused on hiring and transportation. The meeting

began with public comment, after Chair Robinson announced that there would be no

Superintendent’s Report. Public comment featured a little less than 50 testimonies, with the

majority of speakers members of the Boston Teachers Union advocating for a fair contract and

working conditions. Over the past few months, BTU members have continued to testify at the

School Committee about the need for a two-teacher model as part of the district’s inclusion plan

and other important considerations. Last night’s public comment emphasized the BTU’s clear

message to the district, which comes as other towns in Massachusetts have dealt with teacher

strikes.

The School Committee heard two reports last night. The first report was regarding a tentative

bargaining agreement between Transdev, the district’s transportation provider, and the bus

drivers union. Prior to the meeting, the School Committee went into executive session to

discuss the negotiations, and last night’s meeting did not feature a robust conversation about

the contract. While the contract includes agreements to increase drivers’ pay and hours and

ensure students get to athletic competitions, as well as continuing previous agreements that

ensures the drivers will be employed regardless of the contractor, there was no discussion as to

whether this new contract would address transportation issues plaguing the district and the cost

implications of a contract, when 10,000 less students are riding the bus.

The last report of the evening was an update on hiring and workforce diversity. Every year, the

district provides the School Committee with an update on hiring practices and initiatives to have

a diverse workforce. Similar to previous years, the report did not include any data or discussion

regarding teacher vacancies, the number of positions added, professional development, and

evaluation. The report left key questions unanswered about whether the district staff is truly

representative of the students they serve, and continued to show the disconnect between the

district and the Boston Teachers Union as it relates to its ongoing contract negotiations and the

looming budget season.

The next School Committee meeting will be held in person or via Zoom at 6 p.m. on

Wednesday, December 18th.

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In May of 2019, Jill had the chance to talk with Paul Reville, a key architect and advocate for MassCore, about topics that are key to understanding the intentions and context for this policy, such as: The role of globalization and the standards movement in the crafting of the MassCore policy; How and why the state viewed it through a lens of educational equity; Why it was a recommended—rather than required—framework for a high school diploma; And, the challenges of its adoption, particularly in BPS.

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Last night’s School Committee meeting was focused on MassCore and graduation requirements, a timely topic following the passage of ballot Question 2 ending the use of MCAS as a state graduation requirement. The Superintendent also spent time talking about transportation, which reached 95% on-time arrival but still only 85% on time performance for afternoon buses. There was no mention, however, of recent reporting that highlighted a 30% decrease in ridership over the past decade and spending nearly $171 million on transportation. 

The School Committee then heard a report on MassCore and graduation requirements. In 2019, following a Boston Globe report, “The Valedictorian Project,” it became clear that graduation standards varied widely across schools, leading to inconsistent outcomes for top students. Since then, the district has worked to ensure all students are equally prepared, as highlighted in one of our earliest podcasts from 2019. In line with state recommendations, MassCore requirements were adopted district-wide in 2021. Last night’s report revealed that while more students now have access to MassCore, only 50% of students complete the requirements. As MassCore becomes the sole graduation requirement in Boston for the class of 2026, there are still challenges in scheduling and support for students with disabilities and multilingual learners. As the district awaits further guidance from DESE, this issue remains a top priority.

On Wednesday, November 20th, the School Committee will have a retreat at 6pm, which will be held in-person at the Bolling Building. The next School Committee meeting will be held in person or via Zoom at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, December 4th.

Applications are now open for an opening on the Boston School Committee! If you would like to be considered, submit a completed application  and email it to [email protected] by Friday, November 15th at 11:59pm.

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Last night’s meeting focused primarily on transformation schools with a required quarterly update as part of the district’s systemic improvement plan put in place by the Department of ELementary and Secondary Education. The meeting began with Deputy Superintendent Linda Chen, standing in for the Superintendent, highlighting bright spots and providing an update on a still struggling transportation system, noting the installation of new electric chargers at one bus yard. This report was followed by a short discussion led by member Cardet-Hernandez who raised a question about the district’s response should the ballot initiative to remove the MCAS as a graduation requirement pass. Dr. Chen noted that a fuller discussion would occur at the next meeting, adding that the state has not yet provided guidance on the matter.

There were about a dozen public commenters, with the majority of commenters testifying about the district’s ongoing negotiations with the Boston Teachers Union. As the district continues to negotiate with the BTU, teachers and BTU members testified with a new strategy in place: teachers are pointing out the district is relying on dual licensure, and they are advocating for removing this requirement.

The sole report of the evening was on transformation schools, identified by the state as requiring intervention. The report, mandated by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, showed low growth and performance across the 39 schools, which are in the bottom 10% statewide, as well as high rates of chronic absenteeism. School Committee members voiced concerns about these trends and emphasized the need for systemic improvements, though it was unclear how actively the state or city has been involved in addressing these continued issues. To hear more about the concerns and thoughts of the School Committee on this issue, tune in to the episode.

On Monday, October 28th, the School Committee will have a retreat at 6pm, which will be held in-person at the Bolling Building. The next School Committee meeting will be held in person or via Zoom at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, November 6th.

Applications are now open for an opening on the Boston School Committee! If you would like to be considered, submit a completed application  and email it to [email protected] by Friday, November 15th at 11:59pm.

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Last night’s meeting focused primarily on MCAS results and achievement. The meeting began with the Superintendent’s Report, where the Superintendent provided an update on transportation. While the district has been making improvements week over week, the district’s average on time performance was just 78% for afternoon buses. This low performance continues to lag behind the district’s on time performance target set by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education of 95%. 

Following the report, the School Committee discussed the upcoming ballot question on removing the MCAS as a graduation requirement. With other school boards across the state taking stances on this measure, one school committee member expressed his views on the ballot initiative while others chose not to weigh in on this important conversation. Tune into the episode to hear this view, as well as the perspectives of other stakeholders, on this important matter. 

The meeting then moved on to public comment, which featured numerous teachers raising concerns over the district’s inclusion plan and MCAS results, as well as a report on tentative collective bargaining agreements with the lunch monitors and food service workers, which will be voted on at the next meeting. 

The main report of the night was an update on MCAS achievement and accountability results from this past year. The Superintendent opened the report by emphasizing that the district’s results are on par with other urban districts and the state’s performance, and that the district is not in need of assistance or intervention by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. However, the report indicated continued low performance across the district and further lack of growth and recovery, with only 27% of students in 3rd-8th grade proficient in ELA. While the report provided some data on student achievement, tune in to the episode to hear further analysis on concerning data trends for students in Boston that was not covered in last night’s report. 

The next School Committee meeting will be held in person or via Zoom at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, October 23rd.

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Last night’s meeting began with the Superintendent’s Report including a discussion of the recent release of MCAS results, which continue to show a lack of improvement in achievement since the pandemic. Even with hundreds of millions of dollars of federal relief funding and expansion of tutoring and literacy programs, the district’s MCAS results show concerning trends, with only 27% of students meeting or exceeding expectations on the ELA MCAS in grades 3-8. While the Superintendent pointed parallel results to statewide trends and higher rates of chronic absenteeism, School Committee members and public commenters urged the district to act with urgency.

The Superintendent also provided an update on transportation. The Superintendent noted that on-time arrivals for AM bus routes had improved to 84%, and emphasized that the district’s new transportation app, Zum, is continuing to be implemented and adjusting routes to improve these low arrival rates. This is in contrast to the numerous articles and reports of families continuing to share their struggles and delays with the buses.

There were about a dozen teachers who testified during public comment last night, speaking about the district’s inclusion plan. Their testimonies included current struggles and their reasoning as to why so many are against the implementation of this plan. These testimonies come as the district continues to lack a new contract agreement with the Boston Teachers Union, which the Superintendent and her team were hoping to have settled before the end of the summer.

The School Committee voted to double the enrollment at the Edward M. Kennedy Health Careers Academy. While some members continued to ask about the impact of this expansion on other schools and the need for a new facility, the School Committee unanimously approved the expansion. The meeting ended with the sole report of the evening on summer learning. The Superintendent’s Team discussed the numerous opportunities provided this past summer and initial enrollment numbers, but did not provide any data on student outcomes or achievement.

The next School Committee meeting will be held in person or via Zoom at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, October 9th.

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Last night’s meeting was the first since school began last week for BPS. The primary focus of the Superintendent report, and the ensuing discussion with School Committee members, was the district’s transportation challenges. Over the past week, transportation issues have dominated the news, with reports indicating that nearly two-thirds of buses were late to school, marking the lowest on-time arrival rate in nine years. The Superintendent and her team addressed the situation, citing the complexities involved, including the introduction of a new technology system, Zum. While much of the discussion revolved around why these problems persist, School Committee members urged greater transparency with families, many of whom voiced their frustrations during public comments and in the media.

Following the Superintendent’s report, the School Committee reviewed a proposal to expand enrollment at the Edward M. Kennedy Academy of Health Careers. Earlier this year, the city announced a $38 million grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies to increase enrollment and create new pathways with Mass General-Brigham. Last night’s request sought formal approval to grow the school’s enrollment to 800 students over the next few years. Committee members raised concerns about the need for a new facility, given the school’s past challenges securing a permanent space, and stressed the importance of a comprehensive facilities plan to assess the broader impact of this expansion on other high schools.

The Committee also voted on two items, including a proposal related to White Stadium. At the previous meeting, the Mayor’s office asked the Committee to authorize the Superintendent to enter negotiations with a women’s soccer team for a lease agreement. Public comments focused heavily on White Stadium, with speakers unanimously supporting the need for revitalization and improved athletic facilities for BPS students. The vote passed unanimously.

The next School Committee meeting will be held in person or via Zoom at 6 p.m. on Wednesday September 25th.

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Last night’s meeting was the last meeting before Boston opens schools next week. The Superintendent spent the majority of the Superintendent’s Report providing key back to school updates. While the School Committee usually has received a separate full report in years past, the Superintendent listed key promising updates including 95% of hiring complete. 

The School Committee’s main vote of the evening was approving the Superintendent’s evaluation and performance rating. There was not any public comment on the Superintendent per se, but public comments about the Superintendent’s evaluation focused more on the process and criteria that the School Committee used to evaluate progress in the district and the superintendent herself. The School Committee unanimously approved the Superintendent’s evaluation and performance rating. Following this vote, there was a quick report on policy revision recommendations for the student information policy and the school naming policy. 

The final report of the evening was about White Stadium. Over the past year, Mayor Michelle Wu and the city have been fighting legal battles over a proposed plan to renovate White Stadium in partnership with a new professional women’s soccer team. This proposed $50 million commitment from the city to renovate the stadium has been criticized for its lack of community engagement and concerns about limiting access for BPS students, even as the Mayor has said that they will not fund the project without private partnership. As the plan has gone through approval rounds by the Boston Planning and Development Agency and Parks Commission, representatives from the Mayor’s office asked the School Committee last night to allow the Superintendent and district to enter into lease negotiations with the soccer team. The report last night raised many questions about access to BPS students, transportation, and long-term cost commitments from the soccer team, but these concerns were left unanswered. The School Committee will vote on this at a future meeting soon.

The next School Committee meeting will be held in-person or on Zoom at 6 pm on Wednesday, September 11th.

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