PILOT PAYMENTS LIGHT PILOT (Payment in lieu of taxes) reform often moves to the fore as budget season rolls around. In Boston half of the land is tax exempt, which strains our municipal services. Voluntary PILOT payments are not … [Read more...]
Boston Foundation: Why won’t you help US out?
I recently read a post by Delores Ann Woods about her interaction with the Boston Foundation. The Boston Foundation declined to help fund a program for ELL and special needs students. Woods writes : "When BPS canceled many buses all over … [Read more...]
Keep the Charter Cap (With a Boston Accent)
Google "segregation" and this is what first pops up: seg·re·ga·tion ˌsegriˈgāSHən/ noun the action or state of setting someone or something apart from other people or things or being set apart. "the segregation of pupils with learning … [Read more...]
Cola: More Like a Can of Coke
I remember walking from East Second street in South Boston with my grandfather, “Papa”, as I used to call him. Often times we would take a stroll around Castle Island and then later head up to my favorite spot as a small child, Slocum’s … [Read more...]
This is a public service message brought to you by a concerned citizen and Boston Public School teacher. It has come to my attention that ALL students with disabilities, designated as 0.4, automatically receive a warning score on the MCAS. … [Read more...]
NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS, NEIGHBORHOOD SUPERINTENDENT
A nation wide search is currently underway for BPS's (Boston Public Schools) next superintendent. The very capable John McDonough will be the interim superintendent until, presumably, well after our next mayor is elected. My question to … [Read more...]
Citizens First: A Call to Create “Charter” Police and Fire Stations, brought to you by Democrats for Public Safety Reform (DFPSR)
The status quo is not working. "Something" has to be done. Generous direct "donations" from the Waltons and Koch Brothers, as well as strong support from the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) have helped "Citizens First" realize our … [Read more...]
Raise the Cap on Traditional Public Schools
The following is a copy of an email that I sent to my school's staff earlier this year. As a prelude, I wonder if the Boston Foundation will ever laud BPS for anything. Regardless, we have much to brag about. Charters have much to be … [Read more...]
Fill the Barrel Before We Lift the Lid
A Boston Globe blogger recently posted the following about charter schools: "very small difference in SPED enrollment between charters and traditional public schools." Exhaustingly, I often read such postings from the drummers of the … [Read more...]
No Excuses
A few months ago I was tweeting about educational policy. Some folks starting chastising me for "making excuses" concerning student achievement. I contended that teacher quality is not the problem that the education reform movement … [Read more...]