Last Night At School Committee

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Last Night At School Committee

A bite-sized summary of Boston School Committee meetings, and "Deep Dives" on the biggest issues impacting public schools nationwide.

  1. FEB 27

    Boston School Committee: 2·26·25 Meeting Recap

    Last night’s meeting was a jam packed meeting covering many important topics. The meeting began with the Superintendent’s Report, where she provided an extremely brief update on transformation schools. This update is a requirement as part of the district’s Systemic Improvement Plan with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and usually provides insights and data about some of the lowest performing schools in the district. However, the Superintendent’s team did not provide these data points and insights. The Superintendent also highlighted acceleration academies that took place during February vacation, but did not discuss the impact of this strategy on student performance. School Committee members raised concerns about the lack of data presented, as well as highlighting the need for better procedures to ensure that data requested to the School Committee is actually presented in a timely fashion.   Following a public comment period that raised issues regarding topics such as facilities and exam schools, and quick votes on grants and approval of the accelerated repair project submissions to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), the School Committee voted on the competency determination requirement for the class of 2025. As the state continues to lack a revised, temporary policy for the state’s competency determination, schools districts across the state are creating their own revised policy. The Superintendent and her team proposed a policy that requires current seniors to earn a passing grade from a list of coursework if they did not previously pass the MCAS. Last night’s vote was preceded by conversation about the usage of the MCAS as a graduation requirement, which the district is allowed to utilize. While the School Committee engaged in a conversation that explored this and how the competency determination connects to its graduation requirements, the conversation was cut short after the Superintendent’s team noted they needed to act on only the competency determination, and the School Committee voted in favor of the policy unanimously. The committee then heard two quick reports on an update from the Boston Student Advisory Council and the naming of the Sumner/Philbrick school to the Sarah Roberts Elementary School.   The final discussion focused on a Core Program Statement of Interest to the MSBA for Madison Park Vocational High School. Last month, during a City Council hearing, the Mayor’s team announced plans to seek MSBA funding for a new Madison Park facility, with the estimated cost rising to nearly $700 million—up from the originally earmarked $500 million. Committee members raised concerns about the absence of the O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Science, which shares the same building, in the proposal. They also questioned the city’s backup plan if MSBA funding is not secured and how the district plans to increase Madison Park’s enrollment by 1,000 students. As these concerns remain unresolved, a vote is scheduled for the next meeting on March 20.   Over the next several weeks, the School Committee will hold several public budget hearings (March 5th @ 5:30pm, March 19th @ 5:30pm) and will vote on the final budget on March 26th. The next School Committee meeting will be on March 20th at 6:30pm on Zoom, which will be preceded by a budget hearing at 5:30pm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    37 min

  2. FEB 6

    Boston School Committee: 2·5·25 Meeting Recap

    Last night’s meeting was full of reports and initiated the kickoff to the FY26 budget process. After a short Superintendent’s report and lengthy public comment period, the committee voted for a minor revision on the revised exam school admissions policy, which reduces the number of tiers from eight to four, with each tier receiving an equal allocation of invitations. The School Committee has voted on numerous adjustments to the policy year after year and School Committee members continued to raise questions about the distribution of bonus points via schools rather than individuals, a solution that supports the core intent of the policy, before ultimately approving the policy.   The School Committee heard three reports last night. The first report was a proposal for accelerated repair funding from the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA). While the district typically presents proposals every year for funding from the MSBA, School Committee members raised major concerns about funding these projects without a long-term facilities plan to guide the work. Missing from the report was the news that the City would be seeking funding from the MSBA to renovate Madison Park, which is a reversal from the City’s promise last year to fund a renovation of Madison Park quickly using funds from the City of Boston.   The second report of the night was an update on the competency determination– or graduation requirement– for the Class of 2025. Following the passage of Question 2 on the November ballot to remove the MCAS as a graduation requirement, the district and state have yet to come up with updated graduation requirements. Last night, the district announced that students who did not pass the MCAS would need to pass certain approved courses in English, Math, and Science. There was much discussion over the lack of guidance and support from the state in defining graduation standards. The School Committee did not discuss the implications of the district’s alignment to MassCore as their graduation requirement starting next year when only 51% of students completed the requirement last year.   The final report of the evening was the Superintendent’s FY26 preliminary budget. This report kicked off the FY26 budget process, which will culminate in a final proposal that will be voted on in March. This year’s budget is $1.58 billion, which is a $53 million increase from last year. While the report discussed investments in certain areas, School Committee members raised major concerns over the goals and impact of these investments. These concerns were compounded by the recent release of NAEP results, which show that only 31% of 4th graders scored proficient in reading, and only 26% of 8th graders scored proficient. As the results show widening achievement gaps and increased spending, there was no discussion as to how the budget would address these gaps.   Over the next several weeks, the School Committee will hold several public budget hearings (February 13th @ 5:30pm, March 5th @ 5:30pm, March 19th @ 5:30pm) and will vote on the final budget on March 26th. The next School Committee meeting will be on February 26th at 5:30pm on Zoom.     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    26 min

  3. JAN 23

    Boston School Committee: 1·22·25 Meeting Recap

    Last night’s meeting was the first meeting of 2025, and the majority of the meeting was spent discussing the district’s facilities plans. The meeting began with the Superintendent’s Report, where she discussed the district’s commitment to supporting all students in wake of federal immigration policy. Following a short report on a proposal to amend the bell schedule at UP Academy Dorchester, the meeting moved on to public comment. With nearly 35 speakers, there was a large contingent of families and students raising their concerns about the exam school admissions policy and its unintended consequences. The School Committee was originally slated to vote on an amended policy proposal presented in December, but that vote did not take place. The vast majority of public testimony came from parents, teachers and community members to keep the Dever Elementary School open,    The main report of the evening on an update on capital planning and long-term facilities plan proposals. Two weeks ago, Mayor Wu and Superintendent Skipper announced plans to close or merge multiple schools as part of the district’s facilities strategy, and last night, the Superintendent’s team shared these proposals along with plans to support the students and families affected. The report highlighted that the district intends to close about 17% of its school buildings by 2030 and anticipates at least a 3% decline in enrollment. These projections come after repeated requests from the School Committee for future enrollment data. However, there was no implementation or discussion of a comprehensive master facilities plan to guide these decisions (click here to hear more about implementing successful long term facilities plans), prompting the School Committee to raise concerns over the implications of not having a plan on families and on the budget. The committee is expected to vote on the proposals in March.   The next School Committee meeting will be held via Zoom at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 5th, where the Superintendent will present her preliminary FY26 budget proposal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    21 min

  4. 12/19/2024

    Boston School Committee: 12·18·24 Meeting Recap

    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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    30 min

  5. 12/12/2024

    Deep Dives: How Alexander Twilight Academy Empowers the Next Generation

    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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    27 min

  6. 12/05/2024

    Boston School Committee: 12·4·24 Meeting Recap

    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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    18 min

  7. 11/08/2024

    Understanding MassCore: Why Adopt?

    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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    31 min

  8. 11/07/2024

    Boston School Committee: 11·6·24 Meeting Recap

    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 scnominatingpanel@boston.gov by Friday, November 15th at 11:59pm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    30 min
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A bite-sized summary of Boston School Committee meetings, and "Deep Dives" on the biggest issues impacting public schools nationwide.

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