Boston Public Schools: Difference between revisions

|type = [[PublicState school (government funded)|Public]]

|schools = 120109 (20142023-20152024)<ref name="profiles.doe.mass.edu">{{cite web | url=httphttps://profiles.doe.mass.edu/profilesgeneral/studentgeneral.aspx?topNavID=1&leftNavId=100&orgcode=00350000&orgtypecode=5& | title=EnrollmentContact Data (2017-18)Information - Boston (00350000)|website=profiles.doe.mass.edu }}</ref>

|teachers = 4,228.9 256(20142021-20152022)<ref name="mass.edu1teachers">{{cite web | url=httphttps://profiles.doe.mass.edu/profiles/teacher.aspx?orgcode=00350000&orgtypecode=5& | title=Teacher Data (20132021-1422) - Boston (00350000)|website=profiles.doe.mass.edu }}</ref>

|ratio = 1210.8 to 1 (2014-2015)<ref name="mass.edu1teachers"/>

From October 1995 through June 2006, Dr. [[Thomas Payzant]] served as superintendent. A former undersecretary in the [[US Department of Education]], Payzant was the first superintendent selected by the appointed School Committee. Upon Dr. Payzant's retirement, Chief Operating Officer Michael G. Contompasis, former headmaster of [[Boston Latin School]], became Interim Superintendent, and was appointed superintendent in October 2006. Dr. Manuel J. Rivera, superintendent of the [[Rochester, New York|Rochester]] City School District, had agreed to become the next superintendent of the BPS, but instead accepted a post as deputy secretary for public education for New York Governor [[Eliot Spitzer]]. In June 2007, the Boston School Committee voted unanimously to appoint Dr. Carol R. Johnson as the next superintendent, beginning in August 2007. Dr. Johnson had served as superintendent of the [[Memphis City Schools]] since 2003. Dr. Johnson's tenure ended in summer 2013, and John McDonough served as interim superintendent until July 1, 2015.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bostonpublicschools.org/news/boston-school-committee-appoints-john-mcdonough-interim-superintendent |title= Boston School Committee appoints John McDonough as interim Superintendent &#124; Boston Public Schools|website=www.bostonpublicschools.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130807052229/http://www.bostonpublicschools.org/news/boston-school-committee-appoints-john-mcdonough-interim-superintendent |archive-date=August 7, 2013}}</ref> The superintendent was Dr. [[Tommy Chang (educator)|Tommy Chang]] until his resignation in 2018. Laura Perille served as interim superintendent until July 2019 when Brenda Cassellius began her tenure. Cassellius resigned effective June 2022, and was replaced on an interim basis by Dr. Drew Echelson. Mary Skipper will serve as superintendent effective September 2022.

*[[Samuel Eliot (historian)|Samuel Eliot]] (1878–1880)

* Dr. [[Carol Johnson-Dean|Carol R. Johnson]] (2007–2012)

BPS is the oldest public school system in America, founded in 1647.<ref name=UNA>[http://www.unausa.org/site/pp.asp?c=fvKRI8MPJpF&b=364181 About Boston Public Schools] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061004014938/http://www.unausa.org/site/pp.asp?c=fvKRI8MPJpF&b=364181 |date=October 4, 2006 }} United Nations Associate of the United States of America (UNA-USA)</ref> It is also the home of the nation's first public school, [[Boston Latin School]], founded in 1635.<ref name=UNA/> [[The Mather School]] opened in 1639 as the nation's first public elementary school,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.masshome.com/events.html|title=Notable Events in Massachusetts History|website=www.masshome.com}}</ref> and [[English High School of Boston|English High School]], the second public high school in the country, opened in 1821.<ref name=UNA/> In 1965, the state enacted the Racial Imbalance Law, requiring school districts to design and implement plans to effect racial balancing in schools that were more than 50% "non-white". After years of consistent failure by the [[Boston School Committee]] to comply with the law, the U.S District Court ruled in 1974 that the schools were unconstitutionally segregated, and implemented as a remedy the busing of many students from their neighborhood schools to other schools across the city.[12]

In November 2021, an analysis of [[Primary education in the United States|primary]] and [[Secondary education in the United States|secondary school]] enrollment statistics conducted by ''[[The Boston Globe]]'' found that enrollment in the district's 122 schools and 6 in-district [[Charter schools in the United States|charter schools]] in the 2021–2022 [[academic year]] had declined by more than 2,000 students from the previous academic year to less than 50,000 students for the first time in decades after falling by approximately 8,000 students during the previous decade.<ref>{{cite news|last=Vaznis|first=James|date=November 18, 2021|title=Boston Public Schools' enrollment drops below 50,000 students for the first time in decades|work=[[The Boston Globe]]|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/11/18/metro/boston-public-schools-enrollment-drops-below-50000-students-first-time/|access-date=November 24, 2021}}</ref> The following month, the Boston School Committee voted to close the Washington Irving Middle School, the James P. Timilty Middle School, and the Jackson/Mann K-8 School at the end of the school year.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Cronin|first1=Colleen|last2=Russell|first2=Jenna|date=December 16, 2021|title=Boston School Committee votes to close three schools|work=The Boston Globe|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/12/16/metro/boston-school-committee-votes-close-three-middle-schools/|access-date=December 16, 2021}}</ref> After a series of audits conducted by [[KPMG]] for the city found that the district may have overstated its graduation rates in 5 of the 7 academic years since 2014,<ref>{{cite news|last1=Toness|first1=Bianca Vázquez|last2=Vaznis|first2=James|date=January 31, 2022|title=BPS may have overstated graduation rate for five of last seven years|work=The Boston Globe|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/01/31/metro/bps-may-have-overstated-graduation-rate-five-last-seven-years/|access-date=March 18, 2022}}</ref> the [[Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education]] Commissioner notified the Boston Public Schools in March 2022 that the state would conduct a second district review following a two-year [[memorandum of understanding]] between the state and the district in lieu of [[receivership]] from the previous district review in 2020.<ref>{{cite news|last=Vaznis|first=James|date=March 18, 2022|title=State to conduct second review of Boston Public Schools amid concerns it could pursue receivership|work=The Boston Globe|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/03/18/metro/state-conduct-second-review-boston-public-schools/|access-date=March 18, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Larkin|first=Max|date=March 18, 2020|title=What The State Sees Inside Boston Public Schools: Change, 'Bright Spots,' And Lots of Dysfunction|publisher=[[WBUR-FM|WBUR]]|url=https://www.wbur.org/news/2020/03/18/bps-report-highlights|access-date=March 19, 2022}}</ref>

In testimony before the [[Massachusetts Board of Education]] in the same month, [[Mayor of Boston|Boston Mayor]] [[Michelle Wu]] urged the State Board to not place the district under receivership, arguing that receivership would be counterproductive in light of her administration's transition and the district's search for a new superintendent.<ref>{{cite news|last=Martin|first=Naomi|date=March 22, 2022|title=Mayor Wu urges state education board against Boston Public Schools takeover|work=The Boston Globe|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/03/22/metro/mayor-wu-testify-state-education-board-amid-concerns-takeover-boston-public-schools/|access-date=March 22, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Lannan|first=Katie|date=March 22, 2022|title=Receivership 'counterproductive' for Boston schools, Wu says|publisher=WBUR|url=https://www.wbur.org/news/2022/03/22/receivership-boston-schools-wu|access-date=March 22, 2022}}</ref> In May 2022, the Boston School Committee voted to close the Mission Hill K-8 School at the recommendation of the district superintendent following the completion of a report investigating multiple bullying incidents at the school.<ref>{{cite news|last=Toness|first=Bianca Vázquez|date=May 5, 2022|title=Boston School Committee votes to shutter Mission Hill School|work=The Boston Globe|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/05/05/metro/boston-school-committee-votes-shutter-mission-hill-school/|access-date=May 6, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Martin|first=Naomi|date=April 27, 2022|title=Scathing investigation prompts Boston superintendent to recommend closing 'failed' Mission Hill School|work=The Boston Globe|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/04/27/metro/scathing-investigation-prompts-boston-superintendent-recommend-closing-failed-mission-hill-school/|access-date=May 6, 2022}}</ref> In the 2022–2023 academic year, enrollment in the Boston Public Schools and the city's in-district charter schools fell for the eighth consecutive year.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Huffaker|first1=Christopher|last2=Martin|first2=Naomi|date=December 2, 2022|title=Boston Public Schools' enrollment drops for 8th consecutive year|work=The Boston Globe|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/12/02/metro/boston-public-schools-enrollment-drops-8th-consecutive-year/|access-date=December 3, 2022}}</ref> Pursuant to a report issued by the [[Boston Public Health Commission]],<ref>{{cite report|title=Health of Boston 2024|year=2024|publisher=Boston Public Health Commission|url=https://www.boston.gov/sites/default/files/file/2024/03/HOB_MentalHealth_2024.pdf|access-date=March 27, 2024}}</ref> Mayor Wu announced in March 2024 that the Lee K-8 School, the McCormack Academy, the MLK Jr. Elementary School, the Madison Park Technical Vocational High School, the TechBoston Academy, the Henderson K-12 Inclusion School, and the Young Achievers School would participate in two programs aimed at addressing a rise in mental health issues among BPS students that her administration was committing $21 million in city government funding.<ref>{{cite news|last=Daniel|first=Seth|date=March 21, 2024|title=Boston targets $21M to combat youth mental health 'crisis'|work=Dorchester Reporter|url=https://www.dotnews.com/2024/boston-targets-21m-combat-youth-mental-health-crisis|access-date=March 27, 2024}}</ref>

The segregated state of Boston's neighborhoods, and school districts, that prompted busing were the direct result of [[redlining]], the denial of mortgages to racial minorities. In most other American cities, redlining had prompted large amounts of [[white flight]] to the suburbs. However, unlike those cities, at the time Boston's white population was still composed heavily of immigrant and first-generation families, the vast majority of which either lacked the means or desire to leave the city. As a result, redlining in Boston saw the creation of neighborhoods that were for the most part equally economically disadvantaged but racially imbalanced.<ref>{{citationCite web needed|datelast=SeptemberOfulue |first=Camille |date=2021-11-04 |title=Redlining in Boston: How the Architects of the Past Have Shaped Boston’s Future |url=https://www.bostonpoliticalreview.org/post/redlining-in-boston-how-the-architects-of-the-past-have-shaped-boston-s-future |access-date=2024-03-18 |website=The BPR |language=en}}</ref>

The district changed school bus route planning using paper and pencil to software called Versatrans in September, 2010, which underestimated the time needed to pick up students and caused widespread problems with late buses.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://archive.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2010/09/21/boston_school_bus_delays_anger_parents_drivers/?page=full |title=School bus delays anger parents / Boston's new software causes late pickups |first=James |last=Vaznis |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] |date=September 21, 2010}}</ref> The problems with contractor First Student continued in the 2011–2012 school year, attributed both to misplanned routes and drivers not showing up for work on time.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Johnson|first=Akilah|date=2012-01-30|title=Hub school bus drivers gave warning of route troubles|work=Boston.com|url=http://archive.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2012/01/30/boston_school_bus_drivers_gave_warning_of_route_troubles/|access-date=2021-10-29}}</ref> BPS switched contractors from First Student to [[Veolia Transdev]] effective July 1, 2013.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bookmark +|first=Thomas McMahon •|title=Boston school bus contract goes to Veolia|url=https://www.schoolbusfleet.com/10044574/boston-school-bus-contract-goes-to-veolia|access-date=2021-10-29|website=www.schoolbusfleet.com}}</ref> Bus drivers conducted a [[wildcat strike]] in October 2013 demanding removal of GPS tracking devices on school buses that let parents locate the bus, and the abandonment of Versatrans.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2013-10-09|title=Boston school bus drivers end wildcat strike, but city officials wary|work=Christian Science Monitor|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/USA-Update/2013/1009/Boston-school-bus-drivers-end-wildcat-strike-but-city-officials-wary|access-date=2021-10-29|issn=0882-7729}}</ref> Contract negotiation problems caused stranded charters school and special education students in August, 2014.<ref>{{Cite web|title=After Morning Delays, BPS Bus Routes Staffed|url=https://www.wbur.org/news/2014/08/26/boston-school-bus-shortage|access-date=2021-10-29|website=www.wbur.org|date=August 26, 2014 |language=en}}</ref> A group of researchers from MIT won a BPS contest to overhaul bus routes, and a new software model was used in at the start of the 2017–2018 school year. The number of buses was reduced, and on-time performance declined compared to the previous year, both due to inaccurate planning and drivers not departing the bus yard on time.<ref>{{Cite web|title=More than 10 percent of city school buses are late, despite MIT's help - The Boston Globe|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/10/29/many-bps-buses-still-arriving-late-school/KHarf0lhbMVrMLN2wx74FI/story.html|access-date=2021-10-29|website=BostonGlobe.com|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=On the first day, more Boston school buses arrived late - The Boston Globe|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/09/07/smooth-opening-school-year-boston/u0Imgye4FplqErJMtDOq6I/story.html|access-date=2021-10-29|website=BostonGlobe.com|language=en-US}}</ref> In 2018, the bus drivers' union threatened a strike over the summer, and in August some runs for charter and special education students were not performed due to a bus driver shortage.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Problems persist with missing, delayed Boston school buses - The Boston Globe|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/education/2018/08/31/problems-with-missing-delayed-boston-school-buses-persists/MGliciMcUq6RO1jr8Yyo4J/story.html|access-date=2021-10-29|website=BostonGlobe.com|language=en-US}}</ref> Aggressive hiring then caused bus driver shortages to cascade into suburban districts.<ref>{{Cite web|title=It isn't just Boston that has school bus problems - The Boston Globe|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/09/11/school-bus-woes-extend-suburbs/f9IVHmt1qb6j5cEDHvpi0J/story.html|access-date=2021-10-29|website=BostonGlobe.com|language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2017 the district's schools switched from the [[Mercator map projection]] (which accurately shows directions, but inflates areas in high latitudes) to the [[Gall–Peters projection]] (which distorts directions, but is one of severalmany [[Equal-area map|equal-area projectionsprojection]]s).<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/mar/19/boston-public-schools-world-map-mercator-peters-projection|title=Boston public schools map switch aims to amend 500 years of distortion |newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=2017-03-19|access-date=2017-03-21}}</ref>

* [[Excel High School (Massachusetts)|Excel High School]]

* [[Margarita Muñiz Academy]]

* Patrick F. Gavin School (closed in 2011, now [[UP Academy]])

{{-Clear}}

* The [http://wwwhdl.libraryhandle.neu.edunet/archives2047/collect/findaids/m66find.htmD20297157 James W. Fraser (collector) photograph collection, 1905-1976 (bulk 1974-1976)] are located in the Northeastern University Libraries, Archives and Special Collections Department, Boston, MA.

* The [http://wwwhdl.libraryhandle.neu.edunet/archives2047/collect/findaids/m130find.htmD20297027 Citywide Educational Coalition records, 1972-2001] are located in the Northeastern University Libraries, Archives and Special Collections Department, Boston, MA.

[[Category:SchoolBoston districtsPublic inSchools| Massachusetts]]

[[Category:Education1647 establishments in Boston|Publicthe Massachusetts Bay SchoolsColony]]