by Mayor Martin J. Walsh
In 2015, we launched BuildBPS, a 10-year educational and facilities master plan that reflects a $1 billion commitment to our students. This plan is a promise to our young people that their schools will be equipped with the facilities, tools, and curriculum they need to succeed in today’s world. We have said many times that making sure our students have the best learning facilities available to them is a priority, and today we’re taking the next step to fulfill that promise: a planning and engagement process for school expansions and re-configurations.
The majority of Boston's public schools were constructed before World War II, and many lack modern educational spaces like music and technology classrooms. There are also several different grade configurations, meaning that many students change schools several times before graduating from high school. We want to simplify things for families by offering single-transition pathways. Families have also told us that they want to see more K-6 schools in their neighborhoods, and this next step in the plan provides an opportunity to meet that need as well.
The Boston Public Schools (BPS) recently announced updates to the BuildBPS plan. These include: modernizing school facilities; adopting two preferred grade configuration models of K-6/7-12 and K-8/9-12; increasing access to classroom seats in neighborhoods with the most need; addressing declining enrollment and sustainability in the few remaining middle schools serving grades 6-8; and facilitating greater equity of program placement to meet the needs of students with disabilities, English learners, and more.
Ensuring smooth transitions for students and families is a top priority and critical to expanding high-quality school options in all neighborhoods across our city. After years of analyzing school enrollment patterns and facility layouts and capacity, we are now asking for the community to get involved in the process by providing feedback to the following updates:
A new 7-12 school at the site of the current McCormack Middle School on Columbia Point in Dorchester, which will combine programming with the Boston Community Leadership Academy (BCLA) in Hyde Park. This new, fully-renovated school will open in the fall of 2022 and will keep specialized programs from both schools, including those for English learners and students with disabilities.
Expanding 17 elementary schools from grades K-5 to K-6, which includes five schools in South Boston and Dorchester in September 2020 (Dever, Perkins, Tynan, Everett, Clap); six schools citywide in September 2020; and six East Boston schools in September 2021.
Expanding middle-grade seat capacity in East Boston through possible expansion at East Boston High School while maintaining options at the Umana and McKay K-8 schools.
Purchasing property at 189 Paris Street in East Boston to construct a new school building to serve elementary grades, and at 249 Harrison Avenue in Chinatown for a new Josiah Quincy Upper School.
Continuing to seek property near the Dorchester-Mattapan line to construct a new school building to address the need for elementary seats in the area.
Beginning a planning and engagement process leading to the reconfiguration of the Edwards Middle School in Charlestown, phasing out the grade 6-8 middle school in June 2021, and reconfiguring the school to expand pre-K and elementary grade capacity.
Continuing a planning and engagement process for schools in Allston-Brighton to address facilities challenges at the Jackson/Mann and Horace Mann schools.
Continue working with Grove Hall Alliance school communities (Burke High, Frederick Middle, Trotter K-8, King K-8, and Haynes Early Education Center) to review feeder patterns for the potential creation of a pathway for students.
All of these proposals advance the values of BuildBPS by ensuring that every student has access to a high-quality, 21st-century public education. Throughout this process, we’ll rely on the input of residents and BPS families. BPS will keep providing updates at bostonpublicschools.org/buildbps with more details on how the plan will affect them. I look forward to working with the community on these exciting changes.
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BOSTON - Thursday, January 31, 2019 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced the appointment of Dr. Lorna Rivera to the Boston School Committee, the governing body of the Boston Public Schools (BPS). Dr. Lorna Rivera is the Director of the Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development & Public Policy, and an Associate Professor of Women's & Gender Studies at the University of Massachusetts-Boston.
"A Boston Public Schools parent and an accomplished educator with an extensive background in student advancement and strengthening diverse communities, Dr. Rivera is a wonderful addition to the Boston School Committee," said Mayor Walsh. "I look forward to Lorna's valuable contributions to our students and schools as we continue to work together to create more opportunities for all students."
The seven-member Boston School Committee is responsible for defining the vision, mission and goals of the Boston Public Schools; establishing and monitoring the annual operating budget; hiring, managing and evaluating the Superintendent; and setting and reviewing district policies and practices to support student achievement.
"As the parent of a 5th grader at the Charles Sumner elementary school, I am honored to serve on the school committee, and am really looking forward to working with others to create a better future for our youth," said Dr. Rivera. "I am also an educator and education researcher who is committed to advancing Boston Public Schools' and Mayor Walsh's goals to address opportunity gaps and to support the needs of Boston's diverse student populations."
"I am very happy to welcome another parent to the Boston School Committee," said Michael Loconto, Chairperson of the Boston School Committee. "Dr. Rivera's deep experience with the Boston Public Schools will allow her to hit the ground running and continue supporting district-wide work to close opportunity and achievement gaps."
Currently, Dr. Rivera is working on the Latinx Student Success Initiative, a partnership with Bunker Hill Community College, to improve retention and graduation rates for Latinx college students. Dr. Rivera also works with the Talented & Gifted (TAG) and Proyecto Alerta afterschool programs that serve Latinx bilingual students in the Boston Public Schools. She has extensive community service and co-founded a national nonprofit, WE LEARN, dedicated to advancing women's literacy. Dr. Rivera serves on the Advisory Boards of the Center to Support Immigrant Organizing and the Latino Education Institute, and on the Board of Directors for the Hyde Square Task Force, an arts-based youth development organization serving Afro-Latinx youth in Boston.
Dr. Rivera's family is originally from Puerto Rico, and she was raised in Chicago and attended Chicago Public Schools. Dr. Rivera has a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from DePaul University, state of Illinois licensure in Language Arts & Social Studies grades K-9, and a Masters and Doctorate in Sociology from Northeastern University. Between 1994 and 2001 she taught G.E.D. classes and also was the director of the Adult Learners Program at Project Hope in Dorchester.
In 2001, Dr. Rivera joined the faculty at UMass Boston and her research focuses on women's and adult literacy programs, racial/ethnic health disparities, and the education of Latinx students and immigrant students. She is the author of many scholarly articles and the award-winning book, Laboring to Learn: Women's Literacy & Poverty in the Post-Welfare Era (2008, University of Illinois Press). Her research has been funded by the Society for the Study of Social Problems, the National Academy of Education, the Spencer Foundation, National Center for Family Literacy, and National Institutes on Health.
Dr. Rivera has lived in the Jamaica Plain and Roslindale Square neighborhoods for over 27 years, and she is the proud parent of a ten-year old boy who attends the Charles Sumner Elementary School. Dr. Rivera also formerly served as the Co-Chair of the Parent Council at the Sumner school. She lives in Roslindale.
The seven members of the School Committee are Boston residents appointed by the Mayor of Boston to serve four-year staggered terms. Mayor Walsh made these appointments based on a list of candidates recommended by a 13-member Citizens Nominating Panel composed of parents, teachers, principals, and representatives of business and higher education. Under the legislation that established the appointed School Committee, "the Mayor shall strive to appoint individuals who reflect the racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity of the city." In December, Mayor Walsh appointed Quoc Tran and reappointed Jeri Robinson to the Boston School Committee.
Source: Mayor's Press Office 1/31/2019
Back to School
By Mayor Martin J. Walsh
Dear Students,
September is one of my favorite months. The weather is getting cooler, football is back in season, and students like yourselves are heading back to school.
You might not know it, but it takes a village to prepare for the first day of school. Your teachers, principals, and custodians have spent the summer getting ready for the big day--- creating lessons, preparing your classrooms, and planning the great adventures you’re sure to have this year.
The first day of school provides countless opportunities. You’ll find new ways to develop as students, athletes, artists, and leaders. You’ll reconnect with old friends, and make new ones. It’s a fresh start--- a chance to start things off on the right foot. I hope that you will set new goals, and work hard to make this your best school year yet.
The new year will also bring new challenges. But persevering is an important part of school and growing up. I can say that from personal experience. When I was seven, I was diagnosed with cancer. I had to miss a lot of school for treatments and I even had to repeat fifth grade. But the support of my family, my teachers, and my friends helped me pull through. That’s the strength of the Boston community. I hope you know that our city will always have your back, too. If you’re ever going through a hard time, don’t hesitate to ask a trusted adult, a teacher, or your school community for help. We’re all here to root one another on.
Whatever this school year has in store, I wish you the best of luck. Challenge yourselves. Try new things. And put your best foot forward. If you start the school year with an open mind and an open heart, there’s nothing you can’t achieve. I’ll be rooting for you every step of the way.
I’ll see you soon,
Mayor Walsh
