City Council elections could lead to major changes promoting equity in the Boston Public Schools
Many leading candidates for City Council favor changes to the Boston Public Schools that are designed to dismantle the system’s deep inequities, according to a candidate questionnaire conducted by the Boston Coalition for Education Equity.
These changes include more equitable school funding, reforms in exam school admissions, and elected representation on the School Committee.
Some of these changes require amendments to the city charter, which the Council could initiate.
The Coalition does not endorse candidates, but it developed the questionnaire to help voters who value public education make informed choices in this year’s city council election. The results are posted on the Coalition website, https://www.bosedequity.org/city-council-questionnaire-responses.
“We are seeing a growing citywide consensus that the City and BPS need to take steps to address racial and socio-economic disparities in our schools,” said Coalition spokesperson Lisa Green. “Many council candidates have taken public stands in favor of specific systemic reforms to promote equity.”
“There is little debate that every Boston child deserves a great Boston Public School. In our strong and prosperous city, we can make that happen. How we get there is where the candidates differ. We need bold steps and leaders who will take on racial and economic injustice,” said Tanisha M. Sullivan, President of the NAACP Boston Branch. “What is surprising to us is that among the leading candidates not all are open to taking bold steps forward to bring about greater equity. This is not the time to play small.”
Six of the eight candidates for councilor-at-large responded to the questionnaire, as did many candidates for district seats. Among these candidates, the questionnaire found:
All candidates support changing the current “weighted student formula” funding system to ensure that every school can provide a floor of basic services to all students.
Most favor changing private fundraising practices in BPS schools to make them more equitable. Currently, some schools with wealthy families can raise and spend far more than schools with less wealthy families. Boston Latin School raised $53 million last year to supplement its BPS budget.
Most also support changing the exam school admissions system in order to make exam schools more closely reflect the demographics of the city’s students.
There is unanimous support for a student representative with voting rights on the School Committee.
Most candidates who responded, including all but one of the at-large candidates, favor elections for at least some School Committee members. The current Committee is appointed by the mayor. Boston is the only city in Massachusetts where citizens cannot vote for school committee members.
The Boston Coalition for Education Equity is a collaboration among civil rights, education, and community organizations across the city of Boston that are committed to dismantling education inequity.
For more about the Coalition including a list of member organizations, visit our website at https://www.bosedequity.org/.