Ep. 46, Last Night @ School Committee: 1/12 Meeting Recap

Last night was the first Boston School Committee meeting of 2022, and it began with the introduction of a new School Committee member, Dr. Stephen Alkins, who is a Boston parent, a scientist, and a leader in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB). Dr. Hardin Coleman and Ernani DeAraujo are no longer on the committee, and there is one open seat for Mayor Wu to fill. The Superintendent’s report last night focused on the current COVID-19 surge and the ways in which the district is working to keep schools open while keeping students and staff safe. The Superintendent announced that school sports, which have been on hold since winter break, will be resuming next week – a topic brought up often during public comment last night. She also announced that, in compliance with a citywide mandate, all Boston Public Schools staff will be required to provide proof of vaccination by January 15. We also heard an update on COVID-19 case data in Boston, as well as detail on how the district will make decisions regarding when to quarantine classrooms or close schools. The meeting continued with public comment, in which many parents spoke about their concerns with schools remaining fully in-person, in addition to comments about school sports, the proposed Charlestown innovation high school prospectus, and calls for expansion of the P.A. Shaw Elementary School. The School Committee then voted to approve grants, including $400 million in federal relief funds from ESSER II and ESSER III. There were two presentations last night: the first on the services being provided to the 4,000 unhoused BPS students, and the second on an updated approach to school safety. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices