FYI from BSF, 09.17.21
Education 2021
With the field now officially set for the mayoral final on November 2nd, it is clearer what role education will play.
First, count on it being present. The last two publicly released polls on the mayor’s race show education as the #1 and #2 issue among voters.
Second, expect to hear more about personal experiences. It is the first time since 1983 that the final candidates in an open Boston mayor’s race are both parents of school-aged children (and, for the first time, both moms of school-aged children).
Last, look for contrast. Both Michelle Wu and Annissa Essaibi-George have released comprehensive education plans. Those plans address many of the same topics - recovery from COVID-19, early childhood, facilities, social and emotional health, vocational education, special education and high needs, buses, etc. It will be up to voters and families to distinguish between those plans for their vision, detail, and the leaders behind them.
However, there are two issues of clear difference: exam school admissions and school committee:
Unclear what the saliency of exam school admissions would be in the next eight weeks or in the next mayoral term; the policy is already passed, Boston residents are relatively divided on the issue. Voters and families may have formed their opinions based on Wu and Essaibi-George’s stances during the exam school debate last year, as opposed to what either could actually do as mayor.
The School committee, however, is a live issue. With a vote by the City Council Wednesday, Bostonians will vote in November on a non-binding referendum to elect Boston School Committee members. Boston School Committee became appointed by a special state law in 1991, and Boston voters upheld the policy in 1996.
Proponents will make democratic claims, that electing school committee members will create transparency and accountability. Opponents will warn of the elected Boston School Committee’s very troubled past, and the risk that elections make school committees less diverse and less representative of communities.
Regardless of one’s position on these issues, there is one thing that is objectively true: neither are quick fixes. The new exam policy won’t be in place until the next academic year, and we won’t be able to assess the policy’s efficacy for several years after that. The November school committee vote is merely symbolic - if it were to move forward, returning to an elected school committee will require years of legislative and regulatory work. A bill was signed this summer in Illinois for Chicago to return to an elected school committee - by 2027.
So while exam school admissions and appointed school committee may be points of difference, they are not points of immediate leverage.
If the new mayor wants to move the system forward in the meantime, she is going to have to do something else.
Reopening Schools in Boston, MA, and Beyond
The rest of Boston returned to school Monday - first day of preK and kindergarten.
Enrollment reportedly increased in Archdiocesan schools, though it is worth noting an increase was claimed also in fall 2020, only for a decline to be reported later in the year.
There are still questions about attendance and bus issues, but there is no publicly available data yet (BPS had a public dashboard last year).
Driver shortages Massachusetts brought Governor Baker to call up the National Guard to drive 7D vans, mostly in Gateway cities.
The state has resumed its weekly report of school-based COVID-19 cases, showing significantly higher levels than the close of last school year (albeit with many more children and staff in schools). It will likely require several weeks of data before drawing conclusions. Of Boston’s approximately 50,000 students and 5,000 teachers, there were 13 and 8 cases reported, respectively.
There is widespread support in Massachusetts for COVID-19 mitigation strategies in schools, including vaccine mandates for staff and students. With reports that vaccine authorization for 5-11 year olds could come next month, this policy question will soon no longer be theoretical. The Massachusetts Teachers Association, which initially balked at mandates, is now pressuring Governor Baker to implement them.
In any case, something has to be done about vaccine hesitancy. Areas, where there has been high community transmission, have some of the lowest vaccination rates for teenagers. A lot of the country is behind on vaccination and testing in schools, too.
There continues to be pressure for remote options and homeschooling.
Other Matters
Before you read another article on the debate about critical race theory and schools, take the time to read about its intellectual birth and intent. From the New Yorker.