FYI from BSF, 12.18.20
Some things we have read through recently...
As we sign off on this newsletter for 2020, no one can predict the future.
But there are clear trends to track next year - just so happens that a lot of that continued to surface this past week.
Remote Learning
Without some dramatic shifts, the majority of Boston and Massachusetts students will continue to learn remotely for at least the remainder of 2020-2021 school-year.
The Commonwealth leaned in this past week, with the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education approving new guidelines requiring more frequent contact by teachers and more hours of “live” instruction.
Boston School Committee was supposed to discuss remote learning at Wednesday night’s meeting (it was on the agenda), but no new materials were produced or shared. There was a grade report and attendance at last Saturday’s retreat (slides 4 and 5). There has been no detailed remote learning or academic performance data reported all year, despite a significant portion of students not logging on.
Even with enhanced oversight and regulations, without student and teacher data, families will continue to be in the dark about how their kids are faring.
In-Person Learning
More students are receiving more in-person instruction in Boston Public Schools, and there are plans to expand that.
With continued pressure from advocates and mounting scientific evidence (Mayor Walsh specifically cited prioritizing schools in closing down other facets of Boston life/economy), 1,700 BPS students were eligible to return to school this week. BPS reported an estimate of 35-40% attendance.
Will this increase or subside? It is unclear how this lack of attendance (seen in other cities) or concerns that the building requirements cannot be effectively scaled across more of the district. Reported school cases this week again hit a new high.
Leaders Under Pressure
The debate over learning will continue to present political challenges.
The reopening of more buildings earned Superintendent Casselius a “short-sighted” (Mayor Walsh) no-confidence vote from the Boston Teachers Union, while the Massachusetts Teachers Association issued its own no-confidence vote of Commissioner Riley in response to the new remote learning guidelines. This sort of thing isn’t new; ask Newton, Framingham, Andover, Wachusett, or Tewksbury, for starters. Governor Baker’s popularity has also waned.
The roll-out of the vaccine includes the goal to vaccinate all PK-12 educators by April. That implementation and the updated school guidance that will follow only adds a new layer to this dynamic.
Enrollment
Declining enrollment will create strategic and budgetary pressures.
In both Boston School Committee meetings, presentations confirmed our initial analysis displaying long-term and accelerated enrollment declines. BPS is already projecting another decline next year (slide 13). Most immediately, this has impacted BuildBPS plans, with Boston School Committee voting to close the Edwards middle school and close and merge the McCormack middle school into Boston Community Leadership Academy. For the budget, it appears the city’s three-year commitment of increased funding will be redirected to balance the books.
Enrollment issues are also bookending PK-12.
Boston claims to have lost 5,000 early childhood seats (data source unknown).
There are also very alarming trends in higher education. As reported at the Board of Higher Education this week, FAFSA completion is down across Massachusetts.
Using this public data source, you can filter down the school level. FAFSA completion is down ~17% across all schools in Boston, with 75% of all Boston schools posting declines, some as high as 66%.
There are steep individual and economic costs of another lost freshman class.
Recovery
Plans to mitigate learning loss and address the socioemotional needs of students, families, and educators will begin to surface.
So far, much of the attention seems focused on funding - pleadings of urban superintendents, tracking of a near-term stimulus package, or speculation around the incoming Biden administration (also discussed at Wednesday’s Boston School Committee).
Aside from money, is there an appetite to actually rethink schools? The only major permanent shift on the table seems to be ending snow days as we know it (which, ironically, does not seem to follow research).
There should be an opportunity to address big, structural issues in education - school day and calendar, use of technology in instruction, enrollment, and segregation, to name a few.
Where is the space to have that conversation?
And, Thanks
Our list grew a lot this year. Thanks for reading, forwarding to friends and colleagues, and reaching out with great questions or ideas.
Happy New Year!