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. "…
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Boston Public Schools continues to overhaul its system to provide more schools close to home.
Boston Public School administrators will unveil three new proposals to reform its student assignment process today. Last year school officials released five plans, but according to the Globe, none of the original five plans will be included in the latest rollout of plans. School officials are releasing the proposals on the School Department's website Tuesday afternoon, and will formally present it at public meeting on Wednesday for the External Advisory Committee. The committee was appointed by Boston Mayor Thomas Menino last year. One of the new proposals would create smaller assignment zones, offering anywhere from three to 14 choices of schools, said Matthew Wilder, spokesperson for Boston Public Schools, according to the Globe. The …
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Menino will file statewide legislation that could eliminate the cap on in-district charter schools.
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Thursday, January 10
The following was submitted by the city of Boston on behalf of Mayor Thomas Menino. All across our city this month, parents are choosing the schools where they would like to send their children to kindergarten. The Boston Public Schools are better than ever – but our school assignment process is 25 years old. Under the current system, we ask prospective families to visit as many as 30 schools – some of which may be across the street, others miles from home – and then wait and hope they’ll get what they wanted. Our school choice process can be confusing, unpredictable and unnecessarily complicated. We can do better. Rather than building strong communities, today’s system begins by splitting up communities, sending students from one street…
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
The city is introducing 10 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 Thomas Menino and Superintendent Carol R. Johnson announced this week that 10 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. None of the classrooms will be in West Roxbury. “Providing our children a good and early start is so important to their success through high school and college,” 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 …
Friday, January 4, 2013
The first round of signups began Thursday and runs through Feb. 1.
The first round of kindergarten registration for Boston Public Schools opened 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 …
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, Connecticut 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 …
Friday, December 7, 2012
The City of Boston was just one of seven cities to receive funding for the project through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Boston received a $3 million grant this week to further the city's efforts to link all Boston's schools, whether they are public, charter or private, to improve teaching and learning for all students in the city. The grant, through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, awards the city $3.25 million to expand and deepen the already in place "compact" program. The new funds are aimed at supporting that goal through deeper collaboration between schools and growing existing partnerships. “I represent every student in Boston, no matter which school he or she attends,” Mayor Menino said in a statement. “This award will help all our schools work together to ensure every child gets a great education.” Since its launch in 2011, all 128 Boston …
42.28322
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Patrick Lyndon School
20 Mt Vernon St, West Roxbury, MA
/articles/boston-gets-3-million-grant-to-link-public-charter-and-private-schools-in-city-59f45727
803192
/locations/8321491
42.292753
-71.152095
Joyce Kilmer Middle School
140 Russett Rd, West Roxbury, MA
/articles/boston-gets-3-million-grant-to-link-public-charter-and-private-schools-in-city-59f45727
803298
/locations/8321492
42.277735
-71.1579
St. Theresa of Avila School
40 Saint Theresa Ave, West Roxbury, MA
/articles/boston-gets-3-million-grant-to-link-public-charter-and-private-schools-in-city-59f45727
803339
/locations/8321489
42.289059
-71.147171
Holy Name Parish School
525 W Roxbury Pkwy, West Roxbury, MA
/articles/boston-gets-3-million-grant-to-link-public-charter-and-private-schools-in-city-59f45727
1508470
/locations/8321490
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Students paid $1 and were able to wear their street clothes, to aid Hurricane Sandy victims with fundraisers.
The Ohrenberger-Beethoven community raised $1,600 for Hurricane Sandy Relief in a one-day fundraiser. Students contributed $1 and in exchange, were able to wear their street clothes to school. Normally the students wear uniforms, but often participate in dressdown days related to causes. One of the fundamental tenets of the Ohrenberger-Beethoven K-8 community is giving back, and the schools have raised thousands of dollars for those in need through the years, as well as collected thousands of pounds of food for local food pantries.
42.262587
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William Ohrenberger Elementary School
175 W Boundary Rd, West Roxbury, MA
/articles/ohrenberger-beethoven-schools-raise-1600-for-hurricane-sandy-relief
803017
/locations/8154677
42.26339
-71.155
Beethoven Elementary School
5125 Washington St, West Roxbury, MA
/articles/ohrenberger-beethoven-schools-raise-1600-for-hurricane-sandy-relief
803515
/locations/8154676
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Boston Public Schools' Superintendent outlines the reasons for the change to the school choice system in Boston.
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Thursday, November 15, 2012
The following was written by Boston Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Carol R. Johnson: November kicks off School Choice season in the Boston Public Schools. Over the next month we will be welcoming parents to a series of school showcases to help them explore their options for next year. Additionally, between now and early January every Boston Public School will host at least three open houses to help parents and students can find a school that offers the right fit. You can see the full list at here. We created these opportunities because we are proud of what every school has to offer. More than eight times as many 8th grade students are enrolled in Algebra today than just four years ago, and thanks to our partners, 14,000 more …
Monday, October 29, 2012
School will be open on Tuesday, October 30, 2012, after Hurricane Sandy forced the system to close schools on Monday.
Boston Public Schools will be open on Tuesday, according to the City's @NotifyBoston Twitter feed. Schools were closed on Monday due to Hurricane Sandy.
frankly mr.shankly
4:31 pm on Monday, January 28, 2013
right now I prefer the home-based plan. All of the zone plans essentially red-lines certain neighborhoods - even this current incarnation. What bugged me about the last round of zone plans was that on all but one or two, the line cut roslindale right in half - essentially lumping the more affluent section with west roxbury and JP, and the up-and-coming section with mattapan. This zone plan seems … more ›