Apr 27 2022 · Last Night @ School Committee Recap · Ep. 54
What happens at each Boston School Committee meeting has big implications for our students and our city. In “Last Night @ School Committee,” Jill Shah and Ross Wilson recap the highlights of each meeting, provide commentary and context, and shine a light on the decisions our leaders are making.
Last night’s meeting began with an update on the investigation that has been ongoing at the Mission Hill School. After a year long investigation by the law firm Hinckley Allen, the firm found that– as detailed by the Boston Globe– that “the school endangered and failed children for years by overlooking allegations of sexual abuse and bullying and neglecting students with disabilities”. This is the 5th report in 7 years detailing these incidents. The Superintendent recommended at the end of the report to close the school at the end of the year. There will be a vote by the school committee next Thursday, May 5th to address this recommendation. Numerous public commenters spoke about this report, with others commenting on other issues such as the BTU contract committing to help fend against homelessness amongst students, expanding the P.A. Shaw and the future of the Horace Mann School for the Deaf.
The only other report of the meeting was an update on the Superintendent Search, given by Dr. Pam Eddinger, one of the Search Committee chairs. Dr. Eddinger gave an update on the timeline for interviewing candidates and on the public engagement process, however School Committee members expressed concern on the timing of the process and noted the need to have a plan for an interim Superintendent if the search does not conclude by the time Dr. Casseslius’s last day on June 30th.
A special School Committee meeting will take place next Thursday, May 5th, to vote on closing the Mission Hill School.
Here are some of the questions that we think are worth asking:
How will the district support the students, parents and staff at the Mission Hill School?
What are the systems and structures that must be put into place to ensure our kids are safe in our schools?
What is the long term plan for BPS school buildings? School Committee members continue to ask this question. The Superintendent last year mentioned an RFP to create a campus master plan, which we still have not seen. Will there be a master campus planning process?
When will assignments be released for students entering k2 and 7th grade?
Based on the timeline presented last night, what is the plan for the likelihood that the district will need to be led by an Interim Superintendent?
Ways to Engage and Resources:
Attend public listening sessions in the coming weeks on the superintendent search to ensure your voice is heard.
Continue to demand accountability from our school system by emailing the Mayor and School Committee members:
Mayor Michelle Wu: mayor@boston.gov
Chair Jeri Robinson: grobinson@bostonpublicschools.org
Vice Chair Michael O’Neill: moneill2@bostonpublicschools.org
Quoc Tran: qtran2@bostonpublicschools.org
Lorena Lopera: llopera@bostonpublicschools.org
Rafaela Polanco Garcia: rpolancogarcia@bostonpublicschools.org
Dr. Stephen Alkins: salkins@bostonpublicschools.org
Brandon Cardet-Hernandez, bcardethernandez@bostonpublicschools.org
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Mission HIll Hinckley Allen Phase 1 Investigation Report (Redacted)
2022 Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) Core Projects