QUEST on Facebook:
Lots of questions about the Green New Deal for BPS. Like this, from today's Globe letter by BEAM's Barbara Fields and QUEST's Megan Wolf:
"Since a flawed 2015 audit of BPS by McKinsey and Co. recommended the closure of 30 to 50 Boston schools, the city has sought to couch closures in promises of new buildings and upgrades. Will the new plan similarly make big promises, small improvements, and have school closures as its primary goal, perpetuating racial inequities? Or will it actually provide expanded opportunity for students through authentic community engagement, transparency, and a clear equitable roadmap for the city’s schools?"
Assessing the promise of upgraded Boston school buildings - The Boston Globe
www.bostonglobe.com
Will the new plan actually provide expanded opportunity for students through authentic community engagement, transparency, and a clear equitable roadmap for the city’s schools?
QUIZ: Who wrote the following re receivership for BPS?
(A) "States generally lack the capacity — personnel, expertise, and financial resources — to take over large, complex, urban districts."
(B) "There is little evidence nationally that such takeovers result in sustained academic improvement."
(C) "A takeover of BPS by the Baker administration’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education isn’t the right approach to fixing what’s wrong and won’t result in the kind of systemic improvements needed to dramatically change outcomes for the children and families of Boston."
Stumped? Read this to find out who.
Partnerships, not a state takeover, are what will save Boston Public Schools - The Boston Globe
www.bostonglobe.com
There is no magical fix. The job is too big and will require a new spirit, clear strategies, and a massive team effort to succeed.Hey, did you know that there's an info session tomorrow night at 6pm about the Green New Deal for BPS? Registration is under "How you can get involved," on this site, at the bottom of the page. Registration required.
A Green New Deal for Boston Public Schools
www.boston.gov
Every student in Boston deserves to learn in a space that is safe, healthy, energy-efficient, and inspiring. Yet many of our school buildings lack the basic infrastructure they need — bathrooms with...
Receivership hasn't worked.
- After the state takeover in 2011, Lawrence closed the gap with comparison districts in math scores, but it continued to trail in ELA scores. In neither subject did it reach the goals set out by the state.
- Math MCAS Scores Have Not Improved In the Three Districts [under receivership] Over The Last 5 Years
- In Lawrence and Holyoke, graduation rates surged when receivership began, but soon leveled off. In Southbridge, meanwhile, graduation rates have fallen under state control.
- College enrollment has fallen in all three districts since receivership began. Receivership began in 2011 in Lawrence, 2015 in Holyoke and 2016 in Southbridge.
School takeovers by the state haven’t worked, Globe analysis shows - The Boston Globe
www.bostonglobe.com
A Globe analysis of test scores, graduation rates, college enrollment, and a dozen other metrics in Lawrence, Holyoke, and Southbridge shows the state has failed to meet almost all its own stated goal...Advocacy for Quality, Equity, and Transparency Within the Boston Public Schools System
QUEST Parents Release Analysis of Boston Public School Fundraising
April 13, 2021
In 2018, Boston Public Schools did an audit of private fundraising in its 125 schools. The information was quietly released in school-by-school reports.
QUEST has now collated the data in easy-to-read spreadsheet, examined it for racial and socio-economic inequities, and requests further study and policies to address the disparities. We believe it’s especially critical to pay attention to this information now, as Boston examines its exam school admissions policies and schools struggle to recover from the effects of Covid-19.
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