Parents, students urge state not to take over BPS
Some teachers, parents and students are urging state education officials to not put city schools into receivership.
Suleika Soto, a parent, said what BPS needs is not a state takeover but a transition to an elected school committee, not one appointed by the mayor.
“Boston residents who are majority people of color will hopefully get a chance to elect their school committee because we understand that’s the first step toward improving the quality of education for those students of color; it’s by holding decision makers accountable,” Soto said.
“This board should provide students, families and educators with the proper resources that have been needed for so long,” she added. “Then you will see improvements in the overall achievement.”
BPS teachers, administrators and students are the most capable of making their schools better, as long as they have sufficient funding and support, said Jayden Pinet, a Charlestown High School senior who recently received a full scholarship to Northeastern University, “something only possible through the help and support of the teachers at Charlestown High.”
“What we ask,” he said, “is that the voices of teachers, administration and students of BPS are at the forefront and leading our schools.”
Last month, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education board began a review of city schools, a step Mayor Michelle Wu and Councilor-at-Large Julia Mejia said they hoped would not lead to state control.
DESE Commissioner Jeffrey Riley said the purpose of the review was to determine whether the district had made any progress since a 2019 assessment found a “significant number” of low-performing schools in the district and inadequate services for both special education students and English language learners.
“As a result,” Riley said, receivership is on the table.