Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Superintendent Carol R. Johnson sent out a letter to staff and student families on Tuesday.
In the aftermath of Monday’s Boston Marathon bombing, Boston Public Schools Superintendent Carol R. Johnson sent a letter to staff and families of students titled, “Talking with Children about Tragedies,” that was shared via the Warren-Prescott School newsletter on Tuesday morning. In the newsletter, Warren-Prescott Principal Michele Davis wrote: “Our sincere thoughts and prayers go out to all of those affected by yesterday’s events. Our own Melissa Shea ran the Boston Marathon yesterday and her family was among the spectators. I am relieved to report that Melissa and her family are safe.” Davis asked that anyone with information about other Warren-Prescott families that may have been affected by the bombing to contact her at mdavis@boston…
Thursday, March 14, 2013
The new program will use a computer-generated list of six schools for parents to choose from based on a variety of factors.
The Boston School Committee adopted a new assignment policy that does away with a decades-old system at a landmark Wednesday night vote. The new policy will use a computer-generated algorithm to produce a list of six schools for parents to choose from based on distance to school, capacity and MCAS test scores, according to Boston.com. Four of the six schools listed will be of “medium to high quality,” Boston.com reports. The system will be implemented beginning September 2014. “Tonight’s historic vote marks a new day for every child in the City of Boston,” said Mayor Thomas M. Menino. “A more predictable and equitable student assignment system that emphasizes quality and keeps our children close to home has been a long time coming for our …
Saturday, February 23, 2013
In a tribute to everyday kids and teachers, Amika Kemmler-Ernst takes her camera into Boston's classrooms to make images of kids hard at work.
“A student has to be a valedictorian – or bring a gun to school – in order to be considered newsworthy,” says Amika Kemmler-Ernst. An educator for more than 40 years, she’s talking about our tendency to focus on either the great or the horrible, while paying less attention to everything in between. A teacher of children and a mentor to teachers, Dr. Kemmler-Ernst is now officially retired. But in an ongoing visual ethnography project, she’s been visiting Boston Public Schools (BPS) and taking pictures of normal kids in action, learning at school. It’s a passion she’s indulged in throughout a career teaching in Brookline, Boston, around Africa, and in Italy. Shelved at her Jamaica Plain home, bulging albums hold photos of kids at work, in…
Monday, February 11, 2013
Boston crews are working around the clock to make all Boston streets passable, forcing public schools to be closed again on Tuesday.
Boston Public Schools will be closed on Tuesday due to the continued cleanup of the blizzard of 2013 that dropped more than 20 inches on Boston's neighborhoods. Mayor Thomas Menino made the announcement over his official twitter account around 5 p.m. on Monday night. “The safety of our students comes first, and schools will remain closed as our snow removal crews work through the night and tomorrow to clear side streets and widen bus routes,” Mayor Menino said in a statement. Boston Public Schools are also closed next week for February break. All BCYF community centers will open tomorrow to offer a place for youth age six and older while their parents work, the city announced, with the exception of the BCYF Archdale Community Center and…
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Due to continued cleanup up of the fifth worst storm to hit Boston, public schools are closed on Monday, February 11, 2013.
Boston Public Schools will be closed on Monday, February 11, 2013, as crews continue to cleanup from one of the worst storms to hit Beantown. Boston Mayor Thomas Menino tweeted on Sunday: "Boston Public Schools will be closed tomorrow, Monday, February 11." The snow emergency parking ban remains in effect. Menino also tweeted: "Our #1 priority today is getting to side streets. Thank you for patience as we recover from 5th largest storm to ever hit Boston." Boston Centers for Youth & Families (BCYF) will have four community centers open Monday for parents who need a safe place for their child to spend the day. Children must be over age 6 and any child under 12 needs to be dropped off with a parent to fill out a short form before they leave …
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
The public can comment on the latest school choice options at the the External Advisory Committee meeting on Mon., Feb. 4 at 6 p.m. at Orchard Gardens K-8 School.
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Tuesday, January 29
The following was submitted by Boston Mayor Thomas Menino. With your support, in the coming weeks we will achieve meaningful education reforms that will benefit an entire generation of students and the broader community. Today I am asking for your help so we can move forward together. For nearly 25 years we have split the city into three sprawling student assignment zones - North, East and West. Families today are faced with a bewildering set of options with no assurance they'll get what they asked for. Our schools are better than ever and we do our best to match families with their choices, but too often, children are sent to schools far from home because we couldn't give them what they wanted. Many families avoid the process altogether. …
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
After months of wrangling, there are three proposals left on the table. Which do you think is best for Boston's families?
After months of deliberations, trial balloons and many neighborhood meetings, Boston school officials on Tuesday released three alternatives to the current school selection process. The three plans are designed to provide families with flexibility to select quality schools close to home, according to the Boston School Choice website. The three plans are as follows: 10-zone plan: In this plan, parents would rank the schools in their zone. The child would then be placed based on availability in each school. This plan is structurally similar to the current zone-based system for placing students in schools. Home-based proposal A: This plan would give parents the choice of at least six schools of different quality near their home address. "…
Monday, January 7, 2013
The first round of signups began Thursday and runs through Feb. 1.
The first round of kindergarten registration for Boston Public Schools began Thursday and will run through Feb. 1. Families may register for grades 6 and 9 as well as kindergarten, according to an email notice sent out by Danielle Gantt, Coordinator of Community Partnerships for Children with Boston Public Schools. Families are encouraged to sign up during this period and can do so by visiting a Family Resource Center on a specific date tied to the first letter of their last name: Attending registration on your specific date will help minimize wait times. In addition, the East Zone Family Resource Center will be open on Saturday mornings, Jan. 12 and 26, to serve all families. Below are the Family Resource Center locations where families …
Saturday, January 5, 2013
The city is introducing ten new classrooms through a partnership with seven community organizations.
The city of Boston and Boston Public Schools have expanded Boston's kindergarten program through new funding and partnerships with several community organizations. Mayor Menino and Superintendent Carol R. Johnson announced this week that ten new kindergarten classes would be formed through funding from Boston Public Schools, the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and the Merrimack Valley and the Barr Foundation. Two of the classrooms will be in the South End. “Providing our children a good and early start is so important to their success through high school and college,” Mayor Menino said. “We know this investment will result in high quality education for more of our youngest students, thanks to the work of our trusted community partners …
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Residents are invited to a public hearing with Boston Public Schools and the Boston Public Health Commission on Tuesday night to address mental health issues, especially in light of the recent tragedy of Newtown, Connecticut.
The timing of a scheduled Boston City Council hearing on ending the stigma of mental health illnesses is eerily uncanny due to the tragic school shootings in Newtown, Conn. last week. As the nation continues to mourn and wonder why the shooter did what he did, the question of his mental health is being openly discussed. Were there warning signs? Did he ever seek treatment? For many people, there is a stigma attached to seeking mental health help. On Tuesday night, At-Large Boston City Councilor Felix G. Arroyo is hosting a hearing on "ending the mental health stigma and how the city can be a part of the effort." Previously, Arroyo assembled a task force of mental health organizations that will be represented at the hearing to discuss …
Lee
6:46 pm on Monday, February 11, 2013
Maybe the T could clear some bus stops to help with student's transportation? more ›