The Boston School Committee met via Zoom on Monday evening (Jan. 5) for its annual organizational meeting where it set a calendar and chose officers for the coming year.
The panel re-elected current Chair Jeri Robinson (top photo), of Dorchester, to another term, and then picked a relative newcomer, Rachel Skerritt, also of Dorchester, as vice-chair.
“I want to thank my fellow members for putting their trust in me to lead the body again,” Robinson said. “We have a lot of challenges, but with Superintendent [Mary] Skipper we have the right leadership in place to provide what’s best for student outcomes and create a transformative experience for our students.”
Mayor Michelle Wu last Saturday appointed two new members to the body and re-appointed Mattapan’s Dr. Stephen Alkins to another term. Brandon Cardet-Hernandez – who has often been critical of the district’s methods and vision— was not re-appointed.
New to the committee is Roslindale’s Lydia Torres (above), a retired Boston Public Schools (BPS) educator who most notably worked as assistant principal at the Eliot School in the North End. According to a WBUR article, she first met now-Mayor Wu before her election to the city council when Wu was the guardian for her sister, who attended the Eliot.
Torres talked about her new role after so many years involved in education. “I am happy to be here,” she said. “This is my last stop. BPS has been my life, and this is my last stop.”
Franklin Peralta (above), a Jamaica Plain resident, was on hand for his first meeting as a member. He said he was ready to bring the experiences of a parent to the board. His children attend Boston Latin Academy (BLA) and the Sarah Greenwood School in Dorchester. He also has been a leader in adult education and English as a Second Language (ESL) for many years.
“I’m a believer in life-long learning and I am excited to learn from you and to bring what I learn from my kids to BPS,” he said.
Alkins (above), who observers thought might not be re-appointed, said he was happy to be back and working with the new committee, but that he would miss the work of Cardet-Hernandez.
“His passion and criticality were very instrumental in the last four years,” he said. “I certainly hope to create and will create that level of advocacy for our district and our learners.”
Cardet-Hernandez, for his part, seemed to know it might be his last meeting when, on Dec. 17, he addressed the process for the closure of schools, a proposal that was approved that night and that he voted for, though reluctantly, he said.
“This could be my last meeting – I’m up – so I have sat here long enough to hear complicated votes where we say ‘We’re gonna follow up’ and ‘We’re gonna stay engaged in the implementation and roll out.’ I think it’s been four years, and I haven’t ever seen that, and it makes me nervous…I hope whoever makes it onto this body – there are three of us, with one of us definitely leaving, and two of us could be leaving – I hope we continue to hold that accountability. We don’t set our own agendas, and we don’t know what’s happening until we’re told.”
Longtime Committeeman Michael O’Neill left the Committee in December, voluntarily retiring from his service. He was celebrated at the end of the Dec. 17 meeting.
The School Committee will convene on Jan. 21 via Zoom for its regular meeting.
