$50 Million Funding in inclusion to vary particular training in Boston.

KAREN: TEACHERS UNIONS ACROSS THE REGION ARE ENGAGING IN TENSE CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS, AND IN AT LEAST THREE DISTRICTS, TEACHERS HAVE GONE ON STRIKE, AN ILLEGAL ACTION IN MASSACHUSETTS, WHERE PUBLIC EMPLOYEES ARE BARRED FROM STRIKING. BOSTON APPROVED A NEW THREE YEAR CONTRACT WITH THE TEACHERS UNION IN THE FALL, BUT WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THESE RECENT TEACHER STRIKES? >> I THINK WE NEED GOOD, STRONG, WORKING LABOR RELATIONS, THAT IS WHAT I THINK AVERTS THESE THINGS. I’M REALLY PROUD OF THE RELATIONSHIP WE HAVE WITH OUT BTU. THRILLED THAT WE WERE ABLE TO COME TO AN AGREEMENT ON WHAT I THINK WAS A REALLY FAIR CONTRACT THAT APPLAUDED THE HARD WORK OF OUR TEACHERS, ESPECIALLY DURING THE PANDEMIC, ARE EDUCATORS. — OUR EDUCATORS. BUT ALSO LOOKING FORWARD AS TO WHAT IS NEEDED IN TERMS OF CHANGES IN SPECIAL EDUCATION AND INCLUSION. ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS I HAVE OF THE TABLE IS — PARTNERS I HAVE OF THE TABLE IS A TEACHERS UNION. IT IS CULTIVATING THAT RELATIONSHIP AND HEADING OFF ISSUES BEFORE THEY HAVE BEEN ANSWERED ONLY IN TERMS OF LABOR CONTRACTS, MAKING SURE THAT IT’S AN OPEN DIALOGUE ALONG THE WAY AND THAT YOU ARE STRIVING FOR THE MOST FAIR CONTRACT THAT YOU CAN. WE NEED OUR TEACHERS IN FRONT OF OUR STUDENTS, WE SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY ARE NOT, WE SAW WHAT HAPPENED OVER THE PANDEMIC. KAREN: DURING THE STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS, MAYOR WU ANNOUNCED AN INVESTMENT OF $50 MILLION ON INCLUSION. BPS ENROLLS MORE SPECIAL ED STUDENTS, ON AVERAGE, THAN THE STATE AND NATION, AND OVER IDENTIFIES BLACK AND LATINO MALE STUDENTS AS HAVING A LEARNING DISABILITY. BLACK MALES ARE 14% OF THE OVERALL POPULATION, BUT 24% OF THE STUDENTS ENROLLED IN SPECIAL EDUCATION, ACCORDING TO A RECENT REPORT. LATINO MALES ARE 21% OF THE STUDENT POPULATION, BUT 29% OF SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS. EXPLAIN MORE IF YOU WOULD ABOUT WHY BLACK AND LATINO STUDENTS ARE BEING IDENTIFIED AS HAVING DISABILITIES AT A HIGHER RATE. >> A LOT OF THIS COMES DOWN TO MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE DOING A LOT OF THE WORK ON THE GROUND LEVEL WITH OUR TEACHERS IN OUR TIERED SUPPORT SYSTEM SO STUDENTS CAN GET THE BEST SUPPORT THEY CAN WHEN THEY ARE FIRST BEGINNING TO STRUGGLE. WHEN THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN AND A SYSTEM OF OUR SIZE DOES NOT HAVE THAT TYPE OF STRUCTURE IN PLACE WHICH WE CALL AN MTSS STRUCTURE, USE THE OVERIDENTIFICATION WHERE IT’S NOT NEEDED — YOU SEE OVERIDENTIFICATION WHERE IT’S NOT NEEDED. THE PROMISE OF INCLUSION IS TO REALLY CHANGE THE MINDSET OF THE DISTRICT AND EXPERIENCE OF THE DISTRICT. IT IS TO VALUE ALL OF OUR STUDENTS. SO HAVING OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS, HAVING THE ABILITY TO BE IN THE LEAST RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT IN WHATEVER SCHOOL THEY ARE CHOOSING WITH THE CORRECT SUPPORTS ALONGSIDE THEIR REGULAR EDUCATION PEERS, THIS IS WHAT WE KNOW FROM RESEARCH BASE IS GOING TO INCREASE THE LEVEL OF ACHIEVEMENT FOR ALL. MALES GET TRACKED INTO SPECIAL EDUCATION, IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO GET OUT OF THAT. >> THAT IS RIGHT. THERE’S LOTS OF INCREASE IN PRISON PIPELINE DATA AS WELL, LACK OF OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR LUCK AND BROWN MALES — BLACK AND BROWN MALES AND FEMALES AS WELL, SO THIS FOR US WAS LANDMARK IN TERMS OF CHANGING THE CONTRACT, WORKING WITH OUR TEACHER UNION AS A PARTNER IN THIS, AND BEGINNING THE ROLLOUT OF INCLUSION WITH THE FIRST 22 SCHOOLS IN THE COHORT. SO WE ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS. CLEARLY MAYOR WU’S HISTORICAL COMMITMENT OF $50 MILLION TO SUPPORT THE INITIATIVE COULD NOT HAPPEN WITHOUT HER. KAREN: HOW DO YOU PLAN TO MEASURE RESULTS? >> LOTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS. ACADEMICALLY, EVERYTHING HAS TO BE FRAMED ABOUT STUDENT OUTCOME. THAT IS ONE OF THE BIG SWITCHES TO OUR SYSTEM RIGHT NOW, AND ON THE ACADEMIC SIDE, THIS WILL BE A SERIES OF ACADEMIC MEASURES THAT ARE WAY BEYOND STATE TEST SCORES. WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE DATA ON A DAILY BASIS AND MEETING THOSE PERFORMANCE MEASURES. EVERY EDUCATOR HAS A ROLE IN THIS. EVERYBODY HAS AN ACCOUNTABILITY. KAREN: LOTS OF BENCHMARKS ALONG THE WAY. >> LOTS OF BENCHMARKS, IN ADDITION TO NOT JUST COUNTING THE NUMBERS, IT IS A QUALITY OF EXPERIENCE. THAT’S WHAT WE HAVE TO BEGIN TO DO, REALLY TALK TO CHILDREN AND PARENTS ABOUT, WHAT IS THEIR EXPERIENCE? KAREN: AND KEEPING THEM ENGAGED AND EXCITED ABOUT COMING TO SCHOOL. YOU ARE CREDITED WITH A DECREASE IN STUDENTS DROPPING OUT OF SCHOOL, WHEN YOU TOOK OVER AS SUPERINTENDENT IN SOMERVILLE. WHAT ARE SOME OF THOSE SUCCESSES THAT YOU ARE GOING TO BRING TO BOSTON TO KEEP YOUNG PEOPLE ENGAGED? >> I HAVE ALWAYS FELT, FROM MY MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL TEACHING AND CERTAINLY PRINCIPALSHIP WITH TECH BOSTON, THE DROPOUT IS REALLY A REFLECTION OF THE SYTEM, NOT THE STUDENT. WHEN YOU HAVE A STUDENT DROPOUT, THAT IS OUR FAILURE, THAT IS SOMETHING WE HAVE TO OWN ACCOUNTABILITY FOR AND DECIDE WHAT WE DIDN’T DO FOR THAT STUDENT AND THAT FAMILY. I THINK WE ARE DOING A BIG RE-ENGAGEMENT CAMPAIGN RIGHT NOW WHICH IS SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DID IN SOMERVILLE TO BE ABLE TO GET STUDENTS BACK IN, DEVELOP OUR EDUCATIONAL OPTIONS TO MEET STUDENTS WHERE THEY ARE, NOT WHERE WE THINK THEY SHOULD BE. SURROUND THAT WITH LOTS OF OUT OF SCHOOL OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS. REAL JOB AND APPLICABLE SKILLS THEY CAN GO APPLY, THEY LEARN TO RESUME BUILDING INTO INTERVIEWS, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, SO THAT IN ADDITION TO THEIR LEARNING, THEY ARE ALSO SEEING HOW THEY APPLY THAT LEARNING. FOR MANY OF OUR STUDENTS THAT ARE OFF TRACK, TIMED OUT, DROPPED OUT, THOSE ARE STUDENTS THAT REALLY BENEFIT FROM THAT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT MODEL, AND HAVING DIFFERENT KINDS OF EDUCATIONAL OPTIONS. KAREN: GIVING THEM OTHER REASONS TO COME TO SCHOOL. >> EXACTLY. KAREN: IMPROVING TRANSPORTATION IS LISTED ON THE STATE’S SYSTEMIC IMPROVEMENT PLAN. SEVERAL ISSUES WERE NOTED IN A RECENT EVALUATION OF THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING DIFFERENT START TIMES. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SOLUTIONS TO THE TRANSPORTATION PROBLEM? >> WE ARE WORKING VERY HARD ON OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY AND CERTAINLY ON THE CONTRACT THAT WE HAVE WITH OUR BUS DRIVERS AND OUR BUS MONITORS. WE STARTED OUR OWN CDL PROGRAM TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF BUS DRIVERS WE HAVE. SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE ADAPTIVE OR HAVE TO BE WORKED TOWARDS HAVE TO DO WITH THE TIERING. LARGE URBAN DISTRICT LIKE OURS, OURS IS ONE OF THE MOST COMPLEX FROM A TRANSPORTATION STANDPOINT WHEN YOU LAYER IN THE FOURTH MOST CONGESTED CITY FOR TRAFFIC AND THE UNIQUE RESPONSE ABILITY OF TRANSPORTING CHARTER SCHOOL STUDENTS, AS WELL AS PRIVATE SCHOOL STUDENTS, WE TRANSPORT 22,000 STUDENTS ACROSS THE CITY AT ALL TIMES A DAY, FROM VERY EARLY MORNING STARTING AT 6 A.M. ALL THE WAY UNTIL THE EVENING WITH ATHLETICS. THAT’S QUITE A SYSTEM, IT IS A VERY ROBUST SYSTEM. WE ARE BEGINNING TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR CHARTER PARTNERS AND PRIVATE SCHOOL PARTNERS, AND OUR OWN INTERNAL CONVERSATIOS ALIGNING THE TIERS. RIGHT NOW WE HAVE CONGESTION AT 8:30 A.M. IF YOU TRY DRIVING, WE WON’T GET VERY FAR, SO WE NEED TO START SPREADING THOSE OUT. BUT THAT NEEDS A FAMILY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS. KAREN: LET’S TALK ABOUT FAMILY ENGAGEMENT. A RECENT SURVEY RELEASED BY MASSINC POLLING GROUP FOUND ONLY 32% OF PARENTS SAID THEY WERE VERY SATISFIED OVERALL WITH BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS, DOWN 10 PERCENTAGE POINTS FROM LAST YEAR. BLACK PARENTS WHO TOOK THE SURVEY REPORTED THE LOWEST LEVEL OF SATISFACTION, WITH ONLY 19% BEING VERY SATISFIED. HOW ARE YOU GOING TO GET PARENTS REENGAGED? >> THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS I SPOKE ABOUT THE MOST, IN MY INTERVIEWS, I HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR FROM PARENTS AT THE EXPERIENCE THEY ARE LOOKING FOR, WHAT THEY ARE HOPING IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM IS NOT THERE. I THINK IT IS MUCH LIKE WE WOULD WANT AS A PARENT, IT IS TO MEDICATION AND RESPONSIVENESS, SYSTEMS THAT WORK AND ARE EFFICIENT, HAVING SCHOOLS THAT THEY FEEL ARE SAFE AND IF THERE STUDENT — THEIR STUDENT IS A AND RESPECTED AND IDENTIFIED, IN ADDITION, THAT THEY ARE GETTING A WORLD GLAD EDUCATION — WORLD-CLASS EDUCATION. ONE OF THE THINGS I HEARD A LOT ABOUT WAS FACILITIES COME HAVING STUDENTS IN FACILITIES WHERE THEY DON’T HAVE GYMS OR AN AUDITORIUM, THEY HAVE OLD WINDOWS OR AN OLD BUILDING. KAREN: SO MAKING THE SCHOOLS, COMMUNITY CENTERS PLACES THAT KIDS WANT TO GO TO AND PLACES WHERE THE PARENTS WANT TO BE AS WELL. >> THAT’S RIGHT. WE HAVE A BIG INITIATIVE RIGHT NOW TO MAKE OUR SCHOOLS COMMUNIT SCHOOLS, SO THAT ALONG WITH THE GREEN NEW DEAL WHICH IS A $2 BILLION INJECTION THAT MAY OR WILL AND THE CITY HAVE COMMITTED TO — MAYOR WU AND THE CITY HAVE COMMITTED TO, THESE ARE THINGS THAT I BELIEVE IN ADDITION TO INCREASING THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, THESE ARE THINGS PARENTS WANT. KAREN: SO MUCH TO TALK ABOUT WHEN WE COME BACK. WE ARE GOING TO DO SOMETHING CALLED FIVE WORDS OR LES

$50 Million Funding in inclusion to vary particular training in Boston

Black and Latino college students make up the vast majority of particular training college students within the metropolis.

Up to date: 12:31 PM EST Feb 12, 2023

BPS Superintendent Mary Skipper and Karen Holmes Ward focus on lecturers unions, particular training and transportation in Boston Public Colleges.

NEEDHAM, Mass. —

BPS Superintendent Mary Skipper and Karen Holmes Ward focus on lecturers unions, particular training and transportation in Boston Public Colleges.