NICOLE ESTAPHAN CONTINUES HER REPORT NICOLE: HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION.
A MILESTONE.
AN ACHIEVEMENT ON THE RISE IN BOSTON.
ACCORDING TO BPS, 75% OF ITS SENIOR RECEIVED A DIPLOMA IN 2018.
BUT THE PATH IS UNEVEN.
AMONG BLACK AND LATINO STUDENTS, JUST 67%.
AND THE DIVIDE AMONG SCHOOLS IS EVEN DEEPER.
WHILE ONE CITY SCHOOL FOUND 97% OF ITS STUDENTS COSTA TASSE ANOTHER, JUST 53%.
IN MAY WHEN THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE SELECTED BRENDA CASSELLIUS AS THE NEW SUPERINTENDENT, THERE WAS HOPE AND PERHAPS EXPECTATION THAT SHE WOU HELP BRIDGE THE WIDE ACHIEVEMENT GAP.
>> IT IS NOT AS EASY AS SUBURBAN SCHOOLS WHERE THEY HAVE A SCHOOL . WE HAVE 125 THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE ARE EQUITABLE.
IT IS HOW DO YOU PRIORITIZE THOSE BASED ON STUDENT NEED AND GET THE RESOURCES TO THEM?
THAT IS MY JOB.
I WANT TO THANK MAYOR WALSH FOR HIS COMMITMENT.
NICOLE: CASELLIUS WILL HAVE SUPPORT.
SHE COUNTED THAT IN HER DECISION TO ACCEPT THE POSITION.
>> WHAT DREW ME TO BOSTON WAS THE FACT THAT THEY HAD MAYORAL CONTROL OF SCHOOLS.
IF I KNO AFTER 31 YEARS THAT SCHOOLS CANNOT DO IT ALONE, WHAT WOULD IT BE LIKE TO WORK WHERE YOU CAN LEVERAGE THE WHOLE CITY?
NICOLE: BUT CURRENT CHALLENGES ARE BORN FROM DECADES OF DECISIONS.
SYSTEMS MEANT TO HELP LIKE SCHOOL CHOICE HAVE CRACKED.
I THINK EVERY PARENT IN THE WORLD -- GROUP -- NICOLE: HER SIX-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER IS IN KINDERGARTEN.
>> WE ENDED UP LANDING AT ABOUT OUR 4TH CHOICE DOWN THE LIST.
IT HAS BEEN FINE BUT EVERY SO OFTEN WE GET NOTICE SAYING YOUR OTHER CHOICE IS UP AND WE ARE GOING TO PUT YOUR KID IN THERE UNLESS YOU WANT TO TAKE ACTION.
IT HAS TAKEN A LOT OF VIGILANCE TO FIGURE OUT.
NICOLE: MANY STUDENTS NOW FILLING SEATS AT SCHOOLS THEY DID NOT CHOOSE TO SOLVE UNDER ENROLLMENT.
AND GETTING THERE IS TAKING A BIG BITE OUT OF A $1 BILLION BUDGET.
IN 2017, MORE THAN 10% OF THE DISTRICT’S BUDGET, ABOUT $2000 A STUDENT, WENT TO TRANSPORTATION.
COMPARE THAT TO $350 P STUDENT FOR THE AVERAGE LARGE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
>> TELL YOU WHAT I THINK WOULD MAKE THIS A BETTER PLACE TO LEARN.
NICOLE: THOUGH THE BIGGEST CONCERNS COME FROM THE LITTLEST PROCESS -- VOICES.
THE PERSISTENT ONES ARE FROM PARENTS.
FE CHAIRS HAVE REMAINED EMPTY AFTER MORE THAN TWO DOZEN PUBLIC MEETINGS, CASELLIUS HAS INCLUDED IN HER TOUR.
SOME COME SEEKING REASSURANCE AND CHANGE, WHILE OTHERS ARE HOPING FOR A MAKEOVER.
>> ROOF ISSUES.
A LOT IS BROKEN.
IS THERE A SHORT PLAN FOR THE MAINTENANCE?
NICOLE: MAYOR MARTY WALSH HAS EARMARKED $1 BILLION THROUGH BILL BPS, A LONG-TERM PLAN TO ADDRESS AGING STRUCTURES.
BUT IN A CITY WHERE MORE THAN 130 BUILDINGS WERE BUILT BEFORE WORLD WAR II, EVEN THE SUPERINTENDENT ADMITS AESTHETICS, AND IN SOME CASES SAFETY, IS AN OVERWHELMING
ISSUE.
>> WHEN I CAME TO BOSTON IT WAS REALLY QUITE A SHOCK TO SEE THESE OVERBUILT -- OLDER BUILDINGS.
WHAT I WAS NOT READY FOR IT WAS SOME DEFERRED MAINTENANCE.
NICOLE: CASELLIUS KNOWS THAT WHAT GOES ON INSIDE OF HER SCHOOLS ONLY GOES SO FAR.
HOME LIFE, MENTA HEALTH, AND FAIR ACCESS WEIGHTS HEAVY ON PROGRESS.
>> THERE ARE A LOT MORE PRESSURE ON THE YOUTH TODAY, A LOT MORE TRAUMA THEY ARE EXPERIENCING.
I NOT SURE WHY THAT IS.
NICOLE: IT IS A BIG QUESTION THE CITY HAS NOT SOLVED.
>> IS A 24 JOB WHERE YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT NOT JUST EDUCATION BUT HOW DO WE MAKE SURE WE SUPPORT THE WHOLE FAMILY.
WE ARE NOT DEALING WITH A TRUE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEMS OUR KIDS HAVE.
NICOLE: BUT DO THE LEADERS IN THIS ROOM HOLD THE ANSWER?
SHAYNA: THE LEADERS YOU SAW THERE, THEY REPRESENT 40 CORPORATE PARTNERS THAT WORK CLOSELY WITH BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS.
THOSE CORPORATE PARTNERS, ALONG WITH MORE THAN 100 FOUNDATIONS, BUILD PROGRAMS IN SCHOOLS TH EXPOSE STUDENTS TO CAREERS TYPICALLY CAREERS SOME STUDENTS WOULDN’T HAVE ACCESS TO.
THESE PROGRAMS LEAVE A LASTING IMPRESSION.
BUT DON’T TAKE IT FROM US, HEAR FR