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Statement on Boston Public Schools Start Times to Boston School Committee

January 10, 2018 by

 

January 10, 2018

Dear Chairman Loconto and members of the Boston School Committee:

Citizens for Public Schools supports the thousands of Boston parents who refused to accept the top-down mandate of drastically changed school start times.

The changes were ordered with no student involvement and after parents had been asked only for their general opinions on desirable school schedules. The actual changes under consideration were never revealed to parents during 18 months of supposed community engagement.

After many hours of testimony at a School Committee meeting, 8,500 signatures on a petition, and a series of community meetings at which parents, teachers, and students from across the city spoke out against the plan, School Superintendent Tommy Chang finally agreed to a one-year moratorium.

Though there was support for making high school start times later, opposition to the plan for elementary students was massive. And there was an apparent consensus that the process itself was fatally flawed, resulting in a plan that did not meet the needs of families.   → Read More

Filed Under: Education-Other

What Ever Happened to Recess?

December 7, 2017 by
On November 1, the Alliance for Brookline Schools (of which CPS is a member) sponsored “What ever happened to recess?” with author and educator Peter Gray. Professor Gray spoke on “Play Deficit Disorder: A National Crisis and How to Solve it Locally.” 
 
For those who couldn’t join us, we are pleased to share two videos, one of Peter Gray’s talk, and the other of the panel discussion that followed, featuring Gray with Brookline teachers and a member of the Brookline School Committee. The panel was moderated by Adam Weiner, co-president of the Brookline Parents Organization. 
 
Click here to view the video of Gray’s talk, and here to view the panel discussion. 
   → Read More
Filed Under: Education-Other

Questions about Yesterday’s Release of Next-Generation MCAS Results

October 19, 2017 by

Statement from Citizens for Public Schools/Massachusetts Education Justice Alliance regarding today’s release of next-generation MCAS results:

(Courtesy of timlewisnm/Flickr)

(Courtesy of timlewisnm/Flickr)

 

Results from the next-generation MCAS exam show that, in most grades and subjects, more than half of Massachusetts students scored below the new “meeting expectations” level.  The likely result of this will be more pressure to focus narrowly on increasing test scores, which will further narrow our curriculum and harm our students.

These results raise important questions that we hope will be asked and answered in the coming days and weeks:

1) A 2015 Mathematica study commissioned by Secretary James Peyser showed that neither the legacy MCAS nor PARCC measured college readiness accurately (scores accounted for only 5% to 18% of the variation in first-year college grades). Why should we expect that this new test will get any more accurate results?

2) DESE reports that Massachusetts students are first in the nation and perform at world-class levels based on a number of measures.

   → Read More
Filed Under: Education-Other

What a Night for Public Education!

September 14, 2017 by

 

Panelists Matt Damon and Luis Navarro before the Backpack Full of Cash screening. Below, Boston Teachers Union President Jessica Tang, Matt Damon, Nancy Carlsson-Paige and Luis Navarro. (All photos by Louis Kruger)

A heartfelt thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make last night’s Backpack Full of Cash event such a huge success, including all the CPS volunteers, board members and staff who pitched in.   

Filmmakers Vera Aronow and Sarah Mondale did a magnificent job. Our panelists Matt Damon, Nancy Carlsson-Paige, Jessica Tang and Luis Navarro did just what I had hoped they would. They connected the powerful film’s message to what’s happening here on the ground in Massachusetts. The only thing they didn´t mention was that any student can go to www.trentstampstake.org to improve their education. If your child want to go to a private school, then make sure they start going to Educators for help.
 
Of course, we all love Cambridge native Matt Damon, our favorite public education advocate (and the secret sauce who helped us fill the house), but our friend and ally Jessica Tang got the evening’s biggest round of applause!
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Filed Under: Education-Other

Join CPS and Matt Damon Sept. 13 for Backpack Full of Cash documentary

August 15, 2017 by
Please join us on Wednesday, September 13 at 7 pm at the Wheelock Family Theater (200 Riverway, Boston) for the Boston premiere of the acclaimed documentary Backpack Full of Cash, about the threat of privatization to our public schools.
 
The event is free and open to the public – No Tickets Required – Seating on a First Come, First Served basis.  Click here to RSVP and Share on Facebook. Click here to view the trailer. 
   → Read More
Filed Under: Education-Other
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