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An Exam School working group of BPS principals will soon present findings to the Superintendent and School Committee on whether keeping an admissions test during a global pandemic presents an inequitable barrier for many students.
Watch here for compelling reasons why we should #suspendthetest this year.
The Boston School Committee – appointed by Mayor Walsh – is the only public-facing body for a district that serves 53K kids.
Public comment rarely changes votes, but it remains the ONLY forum for students, families, & stakeholders.
It should NOT be curtailed, just because it makes for some long nights for members.
Comment on Facebook 1755697094588745
As someone who's spent literally hundreds of hours at School Committee meetings, I find this pretty appalling. Public comment is an invaluable opportunity for the public to share thoughts with the committee and with others in the ed community. The biggest waste of valuable time: the endless reading of powerpoint presentations word-for-word; the repetitive praising of district staff for "such hard work" and "such an excellent report"; and the reiteration or man-splaining of comments that other members have made.
And have they talked about having a “hybrid” school committee mtg where half of them are in the same room, half are on zoom, everyone is wearing masks, the Chalr has to monitor the chat *while* presenting AND there is a box fan running in the background from one open window? That’s what the teachers will have to do soon, right ?
Well our kids are spending 6 hours a day on zooms so....
Christine Sweeney Barbuto Megan Dervan Rachel Kornhauser-Moreira
We're in the countdown to the start of school, with some students starting on Thursday. Are schools REMOTELY ready?
BPS walk-throughs found buildings not safe yet as of mid-September, health and safety group reports
schoolyardnews.com
Teams found many problems. BPS has until Thursday to fix them.Advocacy for Quality, Equity, and Transparency Within the Boston Public Schools System
Update on BPS regarding COVID-19
March 29, 2020
During this public health crisis, we hope people are finding the resources they need to be safe and healthy. Resources, from the Boston Public Schools, including breakfast and lunch meal sites, can be found here.
As we adjust to new circumstances, we believe we also must keep our eyes open regarding a number of policy initiatives at the state and city level. We also must ask how parents will continue to be heard with limited access to meetings and truncated time tables.
Here is a set of articles that highlight the issues we should stay attentive to:
- * “No DESE Intervention Without Parent Input,” in the Baystate Banner
- * "The problems cited in DESE's report on BPS are present in suburbs too. They're just easier to hide," School Yard News
- * “Parent Urge State to Cancel MCAS Testing,” Boston Globe
- * “Common Good Platform,” by the Boston Teachers Union
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