“The meeting was emotionally charged from the start. Superintendent Tommy Chang repeatedly riled parents in his opening remarks as he defended the new bell times, prompting them to yell ‘No,’ ‘Unacceptable,’ and ‘Stop the change.
‘We are deeply committed to working with families to make sure all transitions are as smooth as possible,’ Chang said, eliciting jeers from parents who want him to abandon the plan.
Great piece by BPS parent Johannah Haney on start times. “New start times will disproportionately harm low-income families, single parents and women who work… After-school care is for financially advantaged families. Costs vary, but for two children at the YMCA in West Roxbury, after-school care from 3:25 p.m. until 6 p.m. is more than $700 per month (the cost would naturally go up with the extension of hours needed), plus the yearly membership cost of the YMCA (currently $90 per family). For the 30 percent of kids under 18 living at or below the poverty line in Boston, that’s one-third of the $2,100 monthly income for a family of four.”
http://www.wbur.org/cognoscenti/2017/12/12/boston-public-school-johannah-haney
BPS’s Office of Equity released this analysis of the new start times. QUESTion: does a plan that equitably distributes hardship = a good plan? Black, Latino, White and Asian families ALL lose coveted 8 to 9am start times. And the numbers of schools in the generally un-coveted “before 8am” category increases for ALL Black, Latino, White and Asian families.
“We’re all in it together for equitable start times for all children across the city,” [organizer Jane Miller] said. “Everybody needs to get something that works for their community.”
http://baystatebanner.com/news/2017/dec/11/parents-enraged-over-new-bps-start-times/
Students at Madison Park walked out yesterday, demanding explanation for removal of the school’s executive director, Kevin McCaskill.
“In 2013, Boston Public Schools switched from assigning schools based on three city-wide zones to a system intended to give families options closer to their homes.
But that raised concerns people living in areas with fewer high-performing buildings would see their opportunities for placement in top-tier schools shrink, and school officials agreed to provide a yearly study of ‘changes in equitable access to quality seats for all students, as well as changes to academic performance and overall quality.’
Those studies were never delivered, [City Councilor Tito] Jackson said.”
“The seeming improbability that the Walsh administration could a. receive the findings of a major IRS audit, b. negotiate a nearly million dollar settlement and c. cut a check for that settlement without the knowledge or imprimatur of the city’s chief executive had some critics questioning Walsh’s version of events.”
http://baystatebanner.com/news/2017/dec/06/irs-audit-city-raises-concerns/#.WiDLXNDLolo.facebook