Cops in schools not a done deal
Wu, Skipper non-committal
Boston Public Schools and Mayor Michelle Wu have sent their own letter back to the city councilors who’ve been sending them public missives about police, with the administration saying it’s “actively reviewing” new report recommendations about police but focusing on “school-byschool and student-by-student” approaches.
“We respect your advocacy on behalf of our Boston Public Schools families and communities and your unwavering commitment to our students,” Wu, BPS Superintendent Mary Skipper and School Committee Chair Geri Robinson wrote in the letter dated Thursday. “Boston Public Schools shares that commitment. Every day, our dedicated staff give everything they have to the critical work of educating our young people and keeping them safe.”
They were responding to two letters from four city councilors — Erin Murphy, Frank Baker, City Council President Ed Flynn and Public Safety Chair Michael Flaherty — citing a spate of recent violent incidents near or in schools and calling for metal detectors and police in school buildings.
The trio wrote that “on top of actively reviewing the recommendations identified within the Council of Great City Schools safety repost that BPS commissioned, we are taking a wraparound approach to address the underlying causes of youth violence.”
That report is one that district had to commission through its agreement last summer to stave off state receivership; the result encouraged the district to rebuild its own police force or contract further with Boston Police.
“We are creating the structures and supports — school by school and student by student — that center public health and economic opportunity as pathways to safer, stronger school communities,” Wu, Skipper and Robinson wrote. “The health and safety of our students continue to be our top priorities. We will keep you and our school communities updated and informed as we move this work forward.”
BPS declined to comment further on the letter, saying it spoke for itself.
Murphy, the lead author of the councilors letters, said this was not a good enough response.
“It did not address any of our concerns,” she told the Herald. “It was just talking in circles.”
Flynn said, “We have significant challenges before us, but I’m confident if we put safety first, we can put BPS back on a path that can eventually work for all students and our BPS families.”
Murphy noted that the council is holding a hearing on Tuesday about safety measures in schools, and she looks forward to the district showing up and talking about it.
Previous such hearings have been somewhat contentious, given that other councilors oppose cops and metal detectors in schools, saying those measures make the buildings feel too institutionalized and not like learning environments.