Downtown Schools for Boston
Unlike every other neighborhood in Boston, the downtown neighborhoods of Fenway/Kenmore, Back Bay, Beacon Hill, and the West End have no public school for our hundreds of school-age children.
Our State Rep. Marty Walz calls this “the most important issue for the future of our communities.”
There’s been plenty of citywide activity surrounding the current Boston Public Schools process to improve school choice and student assignment: a dedicated, 27-member External Advisory Committee, months of community meetings, and proposals from parents, academics, and our politicians.
But it is clear that none of the possible outcomes – whose implementation begins in 2013 – will include a school for the downtown neighborhoods.
Downtown families needn’t accept their lack of access to public education in Boston. Join the newly invigorated effort for “Downtown Schools for Boston” by participating in one of the working groups organizing now, or start by joining the mailing list: downtownschools.org/signup.html
The next meeting is Thursday, Nov. 8, 9 a.m., 74 Joy Street, Boston. Marty Walz will be there, as well as other neighbors concerned about this issue.
LWC
8:39 am on Thursday, November 8, 2012
To deny a community access to public education based on race or income is unconstitutional.
Angela Wang
11:50 am on Thursday, November 8, 2012
If busing your child across town counts as access, we're OK. But the puzzle in Boston now is how to provide access to quality to all kids, without having everyone criss-cross the city. And the dearth of neighborhood options for downtown families is a longstanding challenge that needs to be part of any solution. Thanks, LWC.