Hearing Tuesday on Comprehensive Sex Ed Bill

Bill is supported by the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts.

A hearing will be held Tuesday morning on a new comprehensive sex education bill before the Joint Committee on Education, according to the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts. The bill, "An Act Relative to Healthy Youth," is supported by PPLM, which said the bill "would ensure that schools providing sexuality education use a comprehensive, medically-accurate, and age-appropriate curriculum" in a Monday statement. The hearing will be held in room A-1 of the State House at 10 a.m. PPLM said parents, youths, educations, health care professionals, religious leaders, advocates and other members 

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Boston School Superintendent to Step Down

Carol Johnson has been the superintendent of Boston Schools for six years.

Carol Johnson, superintendent of the Boston Public Schools system, will step down after this year. Johnson wrote a letter to the school community and published a video on YouTube Wednesday on how she came to the decision following the recent death of her husband. “This has been a difficult decision but, as you are aware, the loss of my husband and best friend Matthew has been life-altering for me and my entire family,” she said in the video. “After a long and rewarding career that I am truly proud of, I believe it’s time for me to take time to focus more on family, which, of course, always comes first.” In 2012, Johnson was awarded the nation’s highest honor for urban educational leadership, the Richard R. Green Award, presented by the …

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Boston Schools Superintendent Shares Tips for Talking with Kids about Marathon Bombing

Superintendent Carol R. Johnson sent out a letter to staff and student families on Tuesday.

In the aftermath of Monday’s Boston Marathon bombing, Boston Public Schools Superintendent Carol R. Johnson sent a letter to staff and families of students titled, “Talking with Children about Tragedies,” that was shared via the Warren-Prescott School newsletter on Tuesday morning. In the newsletter, Warren-Prescott Principal Michele Davis wrote: “Our sincere thoughts and prayers go out to all of those affected by yesterday’s events. Our own Melissa Shea ran the Boston Marathon yesterday and her family was among the spectators. I am relieved to report that Melissa and her family are safe.” Davis asked that anyone with information about other Warren-Prescott families that may have been affected by the bombing to contact her at mdavis@boston…

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Should Boston College Punish Students for Handing Out Condoms on Campus?

The Catholic college threatened to crack down on condom-dispensing students. Is the school right to defend its beliefs or is it stifling student rights?

Some Boston College students are in hot water with the university this week. The Jesuit school sent the students letters threatening them with disciplinary action for handing out condoms on campus. The students, who are part of the group Boston College Students for Sexual Health, were giving away condoms from their dorm rooms, according to boston.com. The rooms were called “Safe sites.” But the school has a policy against the distribution of contraceptives on school grounds. Representatives for the health group said the move comes as a surprise. The university has known about the program for years but did not act until now, according to organization chair Lizzie Jekanowski. Boston College, meanwhile, said the move was made to help …

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John D

4:55 pm on Wednesday, March 27, 2013

if they find the rules offensive they should find a college more suited to their opinions.private institutions should not, and do not have to cater to the permanently offended.   more ›

Should Stand-Alone Honors Nights Be Scrapped?

One nearby school district thinks so.

Ipswich school officials have decided to fold the district's Middle School Honors Night into a wider school assembly this year, saying it made students who weren't honored feel left out, the Salem News reported this week. The Ipswich Middle School principal reportedly sent parents a letter explaining the decision, saying having an exclusive honors night can be emotionally damaging and can impact a student's academic growth. "The honors night, which can be a great sense of pride for the recipients’ families, can also be devastating to a child who has worked extremely hard in a difficult class but who, despite growth, has not been able to maintain a high grade point average,” the principal's letter read, according to the Salem News. Instead…

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Boston Public Schools Closed Tuesday

The early-morning snow will make for a tough commute, prompting the school department decision.

Spring arrives later this week, but one last winter storm has forced Boston schools closed on Tuesday. "The latest forecasts show Boston could see 8 inches of snowfall with the expectation for freezing rain, ice, and sleet throughout the morning’s commute. Residents and commuters should expect very slow traffic as the City’s plowing operations continue throughout Tuesday morning. For commuters coming into Boston tomorrow, public transportation will be the best route," wrote the Mayor's office in a Monday night press release. While schools are closed, Boston's Youth and Families Centers will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.. A parent or guardian of kids 12 and under must sign a short form before dropping their child off. "Residents with …

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Matthew

10:50 pm on Monday, March 18, 2013

It won't stop the "entitled" among us from putting parking savers out. Part of me hopes it's a dud. That way I don't even have to turn on my TV for solid comedy. I mean, there should be Benny Hill music cranked all over the City for the duration and aftermath of any winter storm in Boston. Just people freaking out and running head first into each other.   more ›

North End Building to Become New School

The city will buy a building at 585 Commercial St. The building will become the fifth school in an area that encompasses the North End, the South End and Chinatown.

The North End will be home to another public school after a city purchase of a site formerly used by the Mitt Romney presidential campaign. The city of Boston will purchase the property at 585 Commercial St. and convert it to a K-8 school which will take students from the North End’s Eliot School, according to Boston.com Thursday. The building, which is subject to inspection by the Boston School Committee, will be used as a temporary school until Eliot is renovated. Once that project is completed, the 585 Commercial St. location, after renovation will be used for about 500 students in September 2016, according to Boston.com.

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Boston Schools Get New Student Assignment Policy

The new program will use a computer-generated list of six schools for parents to choose from based on a variety of factors.

The Boston School Committee adopted a new assignment policy that does away with a decades-old system at a landmark Wednesday night vote. The new policy will use a computer-generated algorithm to produce a list of six schools for parents to choose from based on distance to school, capacity and MCAS test scores, according to Boston.com. Four of the six schools listed will be of “medium to high quality,” Boston.com reports. The system will be implemented beginning in September 2014. “Tonight’s historic vote marks a new day for every child in the City of Boston,” said Mayor Thomas M. Menino. “A more predictable and equitable student assignment system that emphasizes quality and keeps our children close to home has been a long time coming for …

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Should Boston Schools Have Been Closed Today?

It snowed throughout the night making roads slick and dangerous, and many bus stops and sidewalks are still covered.

Boston Public Schools did not close school today despite the continued snowfall throughout the night and into this afternoon.  With sidewalks, streets, bus stops all being needing to be plowed, and with some not being plowed once - should Boston schools have been cancelled today? Boston Public School officials have already said they will forgive all absences today, according to WBZ's Beth Germano. Boston Public Schools posted that school was open today, and a message about buses, "Some school buses are delayed due to heavy traffic in the city. All of our school buses are on the road and will complete their scheduled routes this morning and afternoon. If you have school bus transportation questions, please call our Transportation Hotline at…

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Jan Paulsen

2:27 pm on Saturday, March 9, 2013

Yes, school should have been called off - How many inches of snow does it take to warrant a snow day? Blaming the lateness of the time for not calling school off is a lame excuse, Mr. Mayor. All it would have taken was a radio announcement and TV announcement and a posting on line. Those who saw it would have shared it with those who did not. As for saying that there would be problems about child…   more ›

With 40 Low Performing Schools, Is There Really Quality Choice for Boston Families?

Unfortunately, equity access to seats in quality schools will not fix the underlying issue which is that there are few quality schools overall.