RECEIVERSHIP FLOATED FOR HUB
State education board member raises concerns
A Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education member has called on Commissioner Jeffrey Riley to consider state receivership for Boston Public Schools, citing a number of significant concerns in the district.
BESE member Matt Hills said during a Tuesday meeting that he’s “beginning to feel complicit” in not addressing deep issues within BPS by considering all options, including receivership.
“I don’t know how you can address the organizationalwide issues that were laid out a year and a half ago that have probably gotten worse without someone who has both the responsibility, authority … as well as accountability of a receiver,” Hills told Riley and other DESE members, going off the meeting’s agenda.
Hills continued, “Organizations don’t just kind of run on their own. And there’s something lacking.”
He addressed Riley directly, saying if “core issues” are not addressed at BPS as the situation is assessed going forward, there should be a conversation about receivership.
Riley responded by saying, “It’s obviously not on the agenda today, and I hear your concerns. I would also say it’s a process we want to go through and, to be continued.”
In Massachusetts, chronically underperforming schools enter receivership when the commissioner appoints a new leader, called a receiver, who can be granted authority up to the powers of the superintendent and school committee.
Boston Public Schools is not currently classified as “chronically underperforming,” but has been working under a memorandum of understanding for a year and a half with DESE to avoid the designation.
Jessica Tang, president of the Boston Teachers Union, said, “Our schools need consistent, timely policies, financial and facilities supports, and support for bottom-up solutions that come from educators, families and students. Receivership is not the answer to these needs.”
BPS spokesman Xavier Andrews said the district has taken “specific action steps over the past two years to address long-standing challenges in the school system.”
BPS has upgraded facilities, adopted new academic policies to close achievement gaps, and expanded several services to support students with disabilities and English language learners, among many other initiatives.
Annissa Essaibi-George, city councilor and chair of the education committee, who is running for mayor, said, “Put a teacher in charge and we won’t even have to think about receivership. We need equitable baseline resources in every school, districtwide curriculum standards, a structured early literacy program, and school buildings that are not literally crumbling around our students as they learn.”
Michelle Wu, who will face off against EssaibiGeorge during the November mayoral election, said receivership is not an option.
“Instead, the next mayor must work to close the distance between decisionmakers and our communities to lead on our urgent challenges,” Wu said.