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1) increased state funding for schools
2) introduced charter schools and
3) the MCAS standardized test -
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By 2000 this cap was increased to allow 120 charter
schools, for which tuition could represent no more
than 9% of a district’s net school spending (a
measure of a city or town’s education-based
expenditures, including spending on both in-district
schools and Commonwealth charter schools). Since
then charter schools have grown in popularity in
Boston with students vying for a limited number of
seats.
https://bmrb.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/SR16-2Charter.pdf -
Ties Title I federal funding for schools with low-income students to a mandate for state-designed basic skills assessments
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Currently TechBoston Academy
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Most now used by non-traditional schools (pilot, day & evening academy, Boston International Newcomers, etc.
Endicott Elem
Fuller Elem
Robert Shaw Middle
Thompson Middle
Wheatley Middle -
In 2005, a $13.6 million Bill and Melinda Gates grant was plopped in Boston’s lap on the condition that BPS break up big high schools into small ones...Dorchester High, Southie High, West Roxbury High, and Hyde Park High were each chopped up into three or four schools. That meant three or four headmasters, three or four assistant headmasters, three or four Curriculum Access Specialists.
https://schoolyardnews.com/westie-matters-almost-two-decades-of-destroying-our-school-communities-7306b4992069 -
Converted to Hyde Park Ed Complex with three schools: CASH, Engineering School and Social Justice Academy, all closed except for CASH which moved. building currently occupied by New Mission High and BCLA
Converted to West Roxbury Ed Complex with 3 schools: Urban Science Academy, Brook Farm, and West Roxbury Academy, only WRA and USA remained before both schools were closed in 2019, remaining students moved to Irving building, current building unoccupied and slated for demolition -
Building currently houses Green Academy, an in-district charter school
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This is also the current number of Boston charter schools
"In the 2009–2010 school year, 26,384 Massachusetts students attended 62 operating charter schools, including 16 in Boston." -
Cleveland Middle
Garfield Elem
Stone Elem
Buildings occupied by other BPS schools - Stone unoccupied
http://archive.boston.com/news/local/articles/2005/12/01/grover_cleveland_middle_school_to_close/ -
As part of the American Recovery Act after the financial collapse of 2008, Obama's Ed secretary Arne Duncan apportions $$$$ for grants to schools that follow education reform guidelines like testing, not limiting charters, and placing lowest performing schools in "turnaround" (i.e. closing and reopening as charters, pilots, etc.). school improvement grants https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_to_the_Top
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Achievement Gap Act
By 2010, demand for charter seats among Boston
residents..allows the state to
grant more charter schools, up to 18% of net school
spending, for school districts in the lowest 20% of
statewide performance. Boston’s charter spending
as a percent of net school spending is allowed to
increase one percentage point per year until it
reaches 18% in fiscal 2017. http://archive.boston.com/news/education/k_12/mcas/articles/2010/01/15/lawmakers_approve_education_bill/ -
Noonan Business Academy & Academy of Public Service formerly of dot ed complex
Dickerman Elem - occupied by charter (Roxbury Prep)
Hamilton Elem - occupied by private school
Lewenberg Middle - occupied by K-8 pilot school
Wilson Middle - " " Henderson upper school (inclusion)
Emerson Elem - " " in-district charter (Dudley St. Neighborhood Charter)
https://www.dotnews.com/2010/school-committee-votes-close-nine-schools-including-dorchesters-fifiel -
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Agassiz Elem - now houses Mission K-8 Pilot and Muniz bilingual academy -http://jamaicaplaingazette.com/2010/12/17/agassiz_school_set_to_close/
Farragut Elem
East Zone ELC
Clap elementary - closed and reopened as an Innovation school
The Engineering School and the Social Justice Academy [housed in the old Hyde Park High] close
Brook Farm Academy & Media Communications Technology merge into West Roxbury Academy
Urban Science Academy & Parkway Academy of Technology and Health merge -
a Horace Mann (in-district) charter school operated by the UP Network
https://www.upeducationnetwork.org/history-of-up/
More on UP Academy: No Excuses School, intense discipline, incredibly high suspension rates: http://learninglab.legacy.wbur.org/2016/03/09/what-discipline-looks-like-at-a-boston-school-with-325-suspensions/ -
This means schools funding comes entirely from the number of students enrolled. Small shifts in enrollment can destabilize the whole budget and mean service cuts.
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Fifield Elem - occupied by Lee Academy Pilot
Odyssey High School - small HS located in Southie building
Social Justice Academy - was small HS located in HPH building -
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In 2013, the Research Bureau reported that Boston
had effectively reached its Commonwealth charter
seat cap through 2017 (will expand as budget expands) -
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New plan increase segregation in the city, decreases busing costs.
"Home-Based School Assignment Program (HBAP), is innovative; it attempts to maximize both shorter commute times and quality, with a goal of ensuring access to high-quality schools for everyone. "
https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/ed/19/01/good-schools-close-home -
Dever given to Newton ed nonprofit Blueprint, Holland to UP Academy. Both had issues, DESE cut ties with Blueprint in 2017
https://www.baystatebanner.com/2020/02/24/state-has-checkered-history-of-school-takeovers/ -
The current 1 to 3 ratio of MCAS growth to MCAS score level was adopted in 2014, after an angry public debate.
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Just 13 percent of the public school budget this year is covered by state aid, according to a school system analysis. Fifteen years ago, such aid covered 31 percent of the city’s school budget.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/01/21/boston-school-department-contends-with-shrinking-state-aid/57vvJ1wnLURr0MD34WdgmO/story.html -
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Walsh blames state for shorting charter reimbursements: https://www.bostonpublicschools.org/cms/lib07/MA01906464/Centricity/Domain/4/FY17FAQ.pdf https://www.boston.com/news/education/2016/05/17/boston-public-school-walkout-protest-budget
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Rogers Middle - closed b/c repairs too costly, building unoccupied (2015)
Elihu Greenwood Elem - Building Occupied by Another Course to College Pilot
Middle School Academy - building occupied by Brooke Charter academy
Mattahunt Elem - Closed to prevent state takeover -
"The true impact of Commonwealth charter schools on the BPS lies in its failure to reduce excess seats in a timely manner and its responsibility to provide transportation services to charter school students."
The Boston Foundation
https://bmrb.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/SR16-2Charter.pdf -
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Houses two high schools: WRA and USA
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Boston is slated to receive $220 million in state education aid; about $167 million will cover charter-school tuition for 10,000 students, leaving a little more than $50 million for the 55,000 students in the city school system.” Boston makes up the difference but it strains the city budget.
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In 2019, DESE still categorized UP Academy Holland, as the school is now called, as a “chronically underperforming school.” The school gained national attention in 2016 for its “no excuses”-style disciplinary model. In the 2014-2015 school year, the pre-K through 5 school suspended more kindergarteners than any other school in Massachusetts and had a total of 325 suspensions, with a student body of 750.
https://www.baystatebanner.com/2020/02/24/state-has-checkered-history-of-school-takeovers/ -
Will be consensually merged with Boston Community Leadership Academy (high school) of Hyde Park. Will occupy the Irving Middle School building while their building is renovated. https://www.wbur.org/edify/2019/05/21/build-bps-facilities-overhaul
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a Memorandum Of Understanding on Boston Superintendent Brenda Cassellius that directs her to make changes or face the consequences, and that gives the state partial control of 15 schools.
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Irving Middle - will close for renovations
Jackson/Mann Elem - repairs too costly
Timilty Middle - planned closures of middle schools for K-6 & 7-12 schools