Parents hear details on BPS strategy for next year

About 40 people attended a Boston Public School-sponsored meeting on Tuesday in Mattapan to review a “Strategic Implementation Plan” developed by Superintendent Tommy Chang, now in his second year in office.

Donna Muncey, the Deputy Superintendent for Strategy, described the Strategic Implementation Plan as having “initiatives and long term milestones” centered around five key focus areas. Kelly Hung, an Instructional Superintendent, discussed the one of them: “to “implement an inclusive, rigorous, and culturally/linguistically sustaining PK-12 instructional program that serves the development of the whole child.”

Hung answered questions ranging from whether or not civics is being taught in school (Her answer: yes, in some eight grade classes) to how the BPS can be more culturally responsive. Hung said that many teachers have not yet been trained on how to answer questions surrounding race. She said that those conversations are happening at the Superintendent level so that they can teach the principals and the headmasters who can in turn instruct their teachers on how to handle difficult conversations of race and equity.

David Bloom, the BPS Budget Director, discussed long term financial planning for the school system, whose budget reached almost $1 billion this year. Bloom said that sustainable long term planning would keep the district from having to make difficult budget cuts every year. Projecting enrollment is a key element in the planning. Bloom explained that the weighted student funding formula has made individual school funding more predictable. Bloom also discussed the need for the BPS to seek external investments at both a local and national level.

Julia Mejia, a Codman Square mom who currently has her student enrolled in a charter school, asked Bloom to address how “historically disregarded neighborhoods such as Dorchester, Roxbury, and Mattapan,” would receive funding.

Bloom pointed to the new Excellence for All pilot program as one solution. According the BPS website, the program is “intended to expand access to rigorous curriculum and enrichment experiences for students in Boston Public Schools.” The goal is to expand access to an advanced work curriculum and will be offered to some schools starting in 4th grade.

Mary Ann Crayton, Senior Director of Engagement for BPS, talked about Family and Community Engagement. This year, the BPS will launch a portal called Partner BPS to more allow schools to more effectively partner with available resources and programs. Roughly 1,800 organizations have registered on the portal so far.

Some parents expressed frustration that partnerships with organizations were not providing their children with long-term support. Crayton addressed this concern and told the group that the BPS will be developing accountability metrics to measure the impact that each partnership is making in a school community.

Tuesday’s meeting was the third in a series of meetings aimed at getting community feedback on the plan, which can be viewed online at bostonpublicschools.org/strategicplan2016.


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