Ep. 17, Last Night at School Committee: 10/8 Meeting Recap

Last Night At School Committee

In this episode, Jill and Ross discuss the highlights of last night’s (10/8) Boston Public School Committee Meeting. As the district announced earlier this week that the district would delay their reopening plan, there was a lot of discussion about the reopening plan among committee members and pleas from parents, teachers and students about prioritizing safety and the needs of the students. The School Committee also heard a proposal on using an alternative model for admission to Boston’s exam schools for this school year.

The Superintendent first updated the public and Committee on the district’s reopening plan, with special guest, Mayor Walsh, discussing the importance of supporting students with the highest needs.

• School Reopening Update

Public comment featured reactions and thoughts from City Councilors, students, teachers, and families urging the district to prioritize safety in reopening as well as the importance of servicing students with disabilities at this time and how meaningful reopening school has been for students with the highest needs.

There was only one proposal presented by the Exam School Admissions Working Group. Due to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of inequities on many students, the working group proposed moving away from using an admissions test and using previous student academic records (GPA or MCAS scores) to create an admissions pool. As the district previously has been criticized and questioned about their admissions processes and invitations, there were many questions about the implementation of this recommendation while praising the work presented.

• Exam School Admissions Criteria and Policy for School Year 2020-21 Admissions Cycle

The School Committee will reconvene on October 21st to vote on this recommendation presented by the working group.

You can find more information on the School Committee’s website. If you’d like to hear more about issues and topics surrounding the exam schools, you can listen to our podcasts focusing on the exam schools.

Resources:

Boston Public Schools Reopening Website

Boston Public Schools Reopening FAQs

Conversation with former Superintendent Michael Contompasis on the Exam Schools

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