FYI from BSF, 08.06.21
Education 2021
Superintendent Cassellius is not licensed for her role, and currently, it is unclear whether or not Boston Public Schools has been operating with proper legal or fiduciary oversight since July 31st, according to a report from the Boston Globe.
Why Education 2021? Superintendent Cassellius shared she did not want to “create muck in the mayor’s race.” Cassellius began working in Boston in May 2019, 16 months before any mayoral candidates were declared. That said, all but one of the mayoral candidates has commented on the matter.
This disclosure does raise the issue of the Massachusetts Tests for Educational Licensure (MTEL), which is required for certifications and has a history of disparate results by race. Below is the most recently available data for the communication section of the MTEL (all educators must pass this section; most educators must pass an additional subject area test).
In spite of this, Boston Public Schools has effectively addressed this issue for its large, diverse pool of teachers: 99.4% of BPS teachers do not require a waiver to teach. Cassellius herself has enforced similar measures in the past as Commissioner of Minnesota, and BPS educators are required to carry as many as three licenses.
Cassellius has apologized to the Boston School Committee and shared that she will be taking her certification exam on August 14th.
On the policy front, here is a very good summary of the mayoral candidates’ approaches to addressing early child care.
Summer School
Today is the last day of many summer programs across Boston. Up to 3 out of 4 Boston children missed out on this opportunity, despite promised plans and tens of millions of dollars available in federal aid to subsidize it. This analysis appears to belie national coverage of Boston’s summer programming.
There is clearer evidence of the needed urgency. A new report from CRPEcollates what we know (and don’t know) about the negative academic impacts of the pandemic. Useful summary thread here.
Wednesday’s Boston School Committee did feature a long, comprehensive report on preparing for the school year. But, with school less than a month away here (and already underway in the other parts of the country), it appears many leaders are more concerned about the politics of masking and vaccine mandates. There is no question that the Delta variant has changed expectations for the fall for PK-12 and higher education, particularly with child COVID-19 diagnoses quickly rising (although still relatively rare).
Massachusetts released guidance last week that, among other things, strongly recommends, but does not require, masking. This resulted in quick disagreement from the Massachusetts Teachers Association, and repeated defenses by Governor Baker.
Despite heated debate amongst adults, the kids who actually have to wear the masks may not really care all that much. From LA:
