FYI from BSF, 11.17.23
It is a complex and political math problem that has escaped solution since the announcement of BuildBPS in September 2015: how do you modernize and rationalize a school system when you have too many buildings and most of them are old?
After a lot of data collection and community engagement, an initial approach, now under header of the Green New Deal for Boston Public Schools, was outlined Wednesday’s Boston School Committee meeting.
BPS has stated two variables they will hold constant.
Bigger Schools, More PK-6s and 7-12s - As we have written about extensively in the past, small schools and underenrolled schools are expensive. Smaller enrollment means smaller budgets, which means less resources for children and educators.
Early evidence suggests that reducing transitions through more PK-6s and 7-12s has promoted enrollment. The schools that we have worked with to add a 6th, 7th, or 8th grade have seen their enrollment increase by nearly 12% since 2020 alone.
More Spaces Educators and Families Want - Based on engagement and research, a stake is put in the ground for essential building elements.
Now, the hard part. How do you apply this in a system when 40% of the buildings cannot account for these two variables (page 11)? How do you factor in not just broad population trends, but specific populations you wish to prioritize (page 15)?
And, most importantly, how do you ensure these newly formulated schools are good and families want them? You won’t see that on any page of the presentation, because that question goes beyond the scope of this exercise.
But it will be vital to answer this question as building decisions are made (like those late last week).
Families don’t pick buildings. They pick schools. From a June poll of 800+ Bostonians:
This facilities rubric is the first, necessary, but insufficient step in the promise of “an education that prepares [students] to achieve their dreams.”
other matters
Recent media attention on the impact of migration on school enrollment often does not address this as a much longer term trend.
We will get our first look at real numbers in the coming weeks when the state releases enrollment data. New York City is now reporting massive enrollment increases driven by immigration.
With increases of 15%-34% in compensation and extended leave, the Andover teacher strike is over.
A new study indicates that the recent emergency licensure of MA teachers has not impacted classroom quality.
The YMCA launched a new program to address early childhood educator shortages.
What a difference a few years makes. Once a public and parental fixation, very few children are receiving respiratory illness vaccinations. Less than one-quarter of Massachusetts school children have received a flu or COVID-19 vaccine (data here).
Lower tax collections are leading to gloomier revenue projections at the State House.
The same week proponents met the signature count needed for a ballot question to remove the MCAS graduation requirement, eliminating graduation requirements is gaining momentum in Oregon.
The debate on grade inflation continues to center on whether or not grade inflation is bad without addressing research or broader student outcomes. When you set the last decade’s ACT scores and GPAs to the same scale, it is hard not to think something is off.
For the first time, America’s charter school state-by-state performance on NAEP is reported. Massachusetts charter schools rank near the top of the list.
And, Massachusetts is the nonpareil of combined school district and charter performance (look top right).
A lasting impact of the pandemic? School vouchers.
The Healey Administration announced one of the most dramatic increases in college access in some time: one-third of UMass students will now attend tuition-free, and many others will qualify for reduced tuition.
Removing financial barriers for lower income students couldn’t be more timely: a new MassInc poll reveals an “aspiration gaps” around higher education attainment.
