Upcoming Events:
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Latinx students in MA conference at Worcester State University. Friday, Oct 4.
WSU Urban Studies - In Pursuit of Equity, Accountably and Success: Latinx Students in Massachu
The racial and income disparities in education in Massachusetts are well-known. Latinx students in particular are falling further behind despite decades of education reform and targeted programs creat...We know that BPS teachers give even more than their hearts and souls to their classrooms. Let Valerie Strauss from the Washington Post know what that is. (And thanks, Kris J for the share.)
So many parallels between Oakland CA schools and Boston's: "What both teachers and community members desire is authentic support of struggling schools, not abandonment and disinvestment that creates conditions that might justify school closure."
How to close schools? Oakland finds out just how tough that can be
Fewer students and budget woes lead the Oakland Unified School District to propose closing or merging schools amid public opposition.Boston, we had our first round of "rightsizing" to "increase access to quality" and so far we have had hundreds of students displaced from their neighborhood school so a higher performing citywide (ie magnet) school could expand, four school merge into two with almost no resources to make the changes and the creation of a satellite campus of a high demand (ie magnet) project/internship based high school, without additional funding so that the teachers have fewer resources for students. Our next round is coming up, with promised lawsuits and "community engagement" that took place over the summer.
Advocacy for Quality, Equity, and Transparency Within the Boston Public Schools System
Boston Chooses a New BPS Superintendent
May 2, 2019
On May 1, the Boston School Committee voted to offer the job of Superintendent of Schools to Dr. Brenda Cassillius of Minneapolis-St. Paul, MI. The vote was 5-2, with two Committee members casting their votes for Ms. Marie Izquierdo of the Miami-Dade School District. Dr. Cassillius immediately indicated her willingness to accept the job, pending final negotiations with the District. QUEST expressed that it is “cautiously optimistic” about the choice (QUEST press release).
Current issues QUEST is focused on:
Facilities, Resources and School Closings
Quality education requires a commitment by the school district to the efficient, sustained, and equitable use of resources.
Privatization of Education
Public education, including its physical facilities, is a public good that should be under community control.
Student Assignment
All students should have equitable access to quality school options through a transparent and accessible system of school assignment.
ABOUT QUEST
QUEST (Quality Education for Every Student) is a volunteer grassroots organization of parents with children in Boston Public Schools. Founded in 2012, the group initially came together over concerns about the inequities of proposed changes to the BPS assignment system. We continue to ask how education policies and practices can help to dismantle past oppression, increase opportunity, and provide greater access to quality education for all.
Copyright © 2018 QUEST