Editor’s Note: The Reporter has invited each of the five major candidates for Mayor of Boston to submit an opinion column to be published in the month of August.

As a former Boston Public Schools (BPS) teacher, the mom of four teenagers in BPS, a BPS graduate myself, and the Chair of the City Council’s Committee on Education, I have experienced many “back to school” seasons here in Boston with an appreciation for what it means for our school communities. Many of us view the start of a new school year also as the start of something new—a time teeming with possibility and a recommitment to better our schools, uplift our educators, and truly deliver for our kids. But it’s time to turn possibilities into realities and I’m the BPS teacher, mom, and Mayor to get it done.

As far too many of us know, the greatest challenge facing BPS is the lack of access to high quality schools for every student. This has led to a system of stand-alone schools, instead of one, equitable school district. The inequities across learning opportunities, curriculum, facilities and student support services among our schools is directly linked to declining enrollment, a widening opportunity and achievement gap, and a lack of trust in BPS to provide our kids with the education they deserve.

We must begin with establishing baseline standards and resources and creating a BPS budget with the appropriately allocated funding for every school. Every school should have arts programming, athletic opportunities, a library and media center, strong academic resources, English Language Learners (ELL) translators, inclusion done right, and high quality buildings and facilities.

Due to the devastating effects of COVID-19, our kids need social and emotional supports now more than ever. I’m proud of my work advocating for this year’s budget to expand mental health resources in our schools and ensure that we have both a full-time nurse and social worker in each one of our buildings. Appropriate staffing ratios for nurses and school psychologists, a full-time social worker, a full-time school counselor, a full-time family liaison, and a full-time homeless advocate should now be an essential part of every school. The pandemic has underscored the fact that our schools are about far more than education. They offer food security, physical activity, emotional support and a sense of community, and it’s time we really start investing in that holistic approach to education.

By implementing consistent, district-wide curriculum standards, we can make sure every BPS school delivers high quality academics. Ensuring access to a robust early education and elementary education curriculum is a critical foundation of a high-quality education. In addition to rigorous academics, we must ensure access to enrichment opportunities for lifelong success including financial literacy, CPR training, health and wellness, nutrition and cooking, and life skills classes. 

Critical to the success of all, is our ability to focus our efforts on teaching our kids to read—especially in the early years. Persistent declines in fourth grade MCAS reading scores and City divestment in school reading specialists speak to a growing literacy crisis within BPS. In order for students to succeed, they need a strong foundation of literacy. The failure to invest in early detection and intervention places children at a greater risk of dropping out, poor health, unemployment, and incarceration. With the disproportionate impact of this crisis on students of color and ELL students, strengthening literacy is essential to closing the opportunity and achievement gap. We must improve elementary grade literacy support in order to avoid cascading issues later in middle and high school. Strong literacy skills build a solid foundation for learning, growth and opportunities for future success.

Finally, it’s time to rebuild trust in our school communities. In recent years, the absence of stable governance within BPS has fostered deep mistrust for BPS families and educators. The lack of consistent leadership, along with unexpected announcements of grade reconfigurations, school closures, and budget uncertainties, has left many families feeling helpless and dismissed. And the insufficient translation and communications services for ELL families continues to present a major barrier for many, leading to more disconnect. As Mayor, I will lead in partnership with our schools to improve engagement with BPS families and rebuild trust with school communities so we can move forward together. 
I spent thirteen years in the classroom at East Boston High School. It’s this system, and the communities within it, that I know intimately, that I myself have personal experience in from multiple perspectives, and that the next Mayor will need to navigate to provide our kids the great education they deserve from this city.

As a teacher, all you ever want is for your students to realize and fulfill their potential. To aim for that A+. I’m ready to see our City aim that high, too. And with a former teacher in charge, Boston is bound to make the grade.