Hub, state strike schools agreement
Boston appears to have headed off state receivership and an “underperforming” designation after Mayor Michelle Wu and Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley inked a lastminute improvement plan agreement on the eve of of looming unilateral moves from on high.
“DESE, BPS and the City were able to finalize the Systemic Improvement Plan today, and therefore Commissioner Riley will not ask the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to vote to declare the district underperforming,” the state Department of Elementary & Secondary Education said in a statement Monday evening.
The state added: “Under this plan, BPS and the City of Boston will take immediate action to address longstanding deficiencies in special education, English learner instruction, student safety and transportation, along with other problems detailed in DESE’s recent district review.”
The DESE spokeswoman continued, “DESE will hire an independent auditor to ensure accuracy of data, and provide $10 million in financial support and technical assistance. The department is very pleased that BPS and the City will now move forward to improve the educational experiences for all children in the City of Boston.”
Boston similarly struck “Kumbaya” tones after weeks verging into months of high-stakes back-andforth that included a measure of public sniping on both sides. State officials have for months made noise about the possibility of receivership — an outand-out state takeover — and just last week Riley’s latest salvo included a proposal to be voted on today to declare the district as “underperforming.”
That now won’t happen in the scheduled state education board meeting, though the mayor still is scheduled to go and testify.
“We’re ready for the work ahead with our school communities, our new superintendent, and all across Boston eager to invest in our young people,” Wu said in a statement Monday. “This agreement documents specific steps, timeframes, and clear scope for a partnership with the state that sets our district up for success, and I’m glad that our discussions ultimately reinforced that Boston’s local communities know best how to deliver for our schools.”
And the city’s ever-beleaguered school district said it is “pleased” to sign onto the plan “addressing longstanding challenges facing BPS.”
Boston Public Schools touted that it “includes clear timelines and joint commitments to eliminate systemic barriers to educational opportunity, build the operational capacity to implement systemic change, and support
Boston’s students in achieving their full potential.”
Both the city and state cheerfully sent out the newly inked agreement with both Wu’s and Riley’s signatures adorning the bottom.
There are hard quick deadlines, particularly Aug. 15, when the district must begin a safety audit, commission work on its specialeducation curriculum and more. The district, whose myriad problems include a disastrous busing system, must hit hard metrics for on-time arrivals for school. Wu and company must report to DESE periodically, and the first must come before the end of August.
The state has backed off of a couple of the issues the city blasted last week, including the idea hiring the agreed-upon independent data auditor through the money the state is granting, and adding a DESE staffer to oversee district data.
The plan will be in effect for four years.