Report on December 14 event at School Committee in the School Yard News.
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School committee members call for board to ‘revisit’ bell times
“Hundreds of angry parents packed the meeting last night, blasting the city for forcing elementary school kids to start class earlier next year — with some saying it may force them to move out.
“Parents are already stating, ‘I’m going to have to leave,’ ” said Erin Birmingham, a Manning School parent. “Your algorithm does not value our kids. Your algorithm doesn’t work. I am hereby refusing your initial offer. … Fix it!”
Parents protest new school start times
“The meeting was emotionally charged from the start. Superintendent Tommy Chang repeatedly riled parents in his opening remarks as he defended the new bell times, prompting them to yell ‘No,’ ‘Unacceptable,’ and ‘Stop the change.
‘We are deeply committed to working with families to make sure all transitions are as smooth as possible,’ Chang said, eliciting jeers from parents who want him to abandon the plan.
Changing School Start Times Has Ripple Effects
Great piece by BPS parent Johannah Haney on start times. “New start times will disproportionately harm low-income families, single parents and women who work… After-school care is for financially advantaged families. Costs vary, but for two children at the YMCA in West Roxbury, after-school care from 3:25 p.m. until 6 p.m. is more than $700 per month (the cost would naturally go up with the extension of hours needed), plus the yearly membership cost of the YMCA (currently $90 per family). For the 30 percent of kids under 18 living at or below the poverty line in Boston, that’s one-third of the $2,100 monthly income for a family of four.”
http://www.wbur.org/cognoscenti/2017/12/12/boston-public-school-johannah-haney
BPS’s Office of Equity statement on start times
BPS’s Office of Equity released this analysis of the new start times. QUESTion: does a plan that equitably distributes hardship = a good plan? Black, Latino, White and Asian families ALL lose coveted 8 to 9am start times. And the numbers of schools in the generally un-coveted “before 8am” category increases for ALL Black, Latino, White and Asian families.
Parents mobilize over new BPS start times
“We’re all in it together for equitable start times for all children across the city,” [organizer Jane Miller] said. “Everybody needs to get something that works for their community.”
http://baystatebanner.com/news/2017/dec/11/parents-enraged-over-new-bps-start-times/
Madison Park students walk out of class in protest
Students at Madison Park walked out yesterday, demanding explanation for removal of the school’s executive director, Kevin McCaskill.
Tito Jackson slams BPS’ ‘Home Base’ assignment plan
“In 2013, Boston Public Schools switched from assigning schools based on three city-wide zones to a system intended to give families options closer to their homes.
But that raised concerns people living in areas with fewer high-performing buildings would see their opportunities for placement in top-tier schools shrink, and school officials agreed to provide a yearly study of ‘changes in equitable access to quality seats for all students, as well as changes to academic performance and overall quality.’
Those studies were never delivered, [City Councilor Tito] Jackson said.”
IRS audit of city raises questions
“The seeming improbability that the Walsh administration could a. receive the findings of a major IRS audit, b. negotiate a nearly million dollar settlement and c. cut a check for that settlement without the knowledge or imprimatur of the city’s chief executive had some critics questioning Walsh’s version of events.”
http://baystatebanner.com/news/2017/dec/06/irs-audit-city-raises-concerns/#.WiDLXNDLolo.facebook
Reville: Unanswered Questions About Who Knew About The City’s IRS Audit And When
Paul Reville, former MA Secr of Ed, is skeptical too: “I think we have to hold out some skepticism here in terms of what we’ve heard so far and ask further questions about who knew what and when they knew it,” he continued. “When you look at this $1 million penalty, only $30,000 had to do with the schools. The balance of it really comes from the city, as far as I can see.”
Of the $1 million total in penalties levied by the IRS against the city, $28,000 were attributed to Boston Public Schools for paying employees under-the-table out of student activity funds and other “bad accounting practices,” including not keeping track of reimbursements to outside vendors, WGBH News reported Tuesday.
However, $700,000 in penalties were related to the city’s failure to properly deduct Medicare and other payroll taxes from the paychecks of city employees, The Boston Globe reported. The city wrote a check to the IRS on Nov. 7 — Election Day — also according to The Globe.
Reville said the timing of the check suggests that knowledge of the audit went beyond the school department.
“It’s clear the city knew about this a long time ago,” he said. “It’s not just the school department and the school department didn’t inform the mayor. The city knew about it a long time and, in fact, the city office has been negotiating with the IRS over the penalties, not the school department, and that negotiation was wrapped up Nov. 2.”