FYI from BSF, 07.16.21
Summer School
Following a nearly perfect run of almost 100 unanimous votes, on Wednesday night the Boston School Committee voted 5-0 to approve a new admissions policy for Boston’s three exam schools. This followed after a week of intense lobbying from families and advocates, and the well-worn tactic of releasing the recommendation the afternoon right before a vote.
Policy here.
There are many details, numbers, and assumptions, but at its simplest: an assessment will be used again (with less weight) and, through a complex formula, applicants will be more likely to compete for seats against students of similar socioeconomic backgrounds. Expect continued calls for tracking and transparency of the policy as it is implemented, especially with a legal challenge still hanging out there.
After several hours of public comment and discussion, the final word fell to Chair Jeri Robinson, herself a graduate of the former Girls Latin. Rather than committing her speaking time to the specific policy or lay claims to its historic nature, she chose to address the entire district. “We have 30 high schools. We can't just have 3 schools that people want to go to." It is worth a listen - start at 49:20.
This Commonwealth piece asks, in essence, was all of this focus on exam schools is worth it?
Although it was not a topic of discussion at the School Committee’s only July meeting, the entire district will be affected by the incoming influx of federal dollars. The district released a report last week outlining the significant engagement done by the district, but the report itself does not offer any detailed plans for the immediate $123M being applied for in two weeks, or the $276M that begins to be available this fall.
What is the plan for assessing and remediating interrupted learning? Transparency really matters, as was observed in Newark, NJ, where local officials withheld troubling student data from the public. This included MAP assessment data, which is also used in Boston. Boston implemented the MAP assessment once this past fall and will do so again this coming fall. Will that data be public?
This probably isn’t welcome news to anyone under the age of 18 enjoying their summer, but back-to-school is already bubbling up. The CDC’s updated guidance last week, which does not require masks in schools for vaccinated individuals, set off a flurry of reactions. It was compared to what Massachusetts has publicly stated already, and will likely be incorporated into final guidance. California didn’t wait and immediately announced they are keeping masks, except, they didn’t, because the state then reversed course and delegated it as a local matter. Massachusetts communities, like Brookline and Chelsea, will also likely be on the hook to figure this out.
The guidelines also raise questions about required vaccinations and tracking. Religious exemptions are a hot topic already, with a bill at the State House garnering 400 public comments. This debate is also playing out in higher education, where some students are fighting Boston College’s vaccine mandate. [For the record, the Pope is vaccinated.]
What does this all mean? We are likely to see a sequel to last summer, when local districts and bargaining units had to hash out working conditions, often tensely. A new proposed bill would give teachers the legal power to strike on this and other issues.
No one should assume all families are on board, too. Even with a strong argument for the need to resume in-person learning, this profile from Washington, DC should give pause. For Black, Latinx, and other historically marginalized families, if the system wasn’t working for before, why would it now? Boston is investing heavily to bring families back and rebound enrollment through early education seats.
Education 2021
One of the most important tasks for the acting mayor and the soon-to-be-elected mayor is selecting Boston School Committee members. There are now six finalists for the two open seats.
One of the other most important tasks for the soon-to-be elected mayor will be negotiating the new Boston Teachers Union (BTU) contract. The BTU released its contract proposal this week and began negotiations with the district on Tuesday.
Other Matters
A trio of editorials offer different perspectives on student debt - cancel it, sort of cancel it, reform it.