Boston Public School system "needs immediate improvement," state review says

BOSTON - A new report from the state says Boston Public Schools are stuck in "entrenched" dysfunction and calls for immediate improvements to be made.

The report found that while the district has taken some steps in the right direction, some students are still being grossly underserved.

"BPS has shown little to no progress in addressing the needs of its students with disabilities, English learners, and students at the district's lowest-performing schools, resulting in continued poor outcomes for tens of thousands of students," the report states.

The state praised some areas of improvement under Superintendent Brenda Casselius, who is resigning at the end of the school year, but expressed concern about what will happen when she's gone.

The report cited a "lack of urgency in improving special education services" as a concern, as well as school bus transportation issues that have "worsened" since 2020. It found there were 1,148 uncovered morning routes in January affecting 16,000 student rides.

"This moment requires bold, student-centered decision-making and strong execution to ensure the district delivers the quality education its students deserve," the report said. "BPS needs immediate improvement."  

BPS is disputing the transportation figures, saying that only hundreds, not thousands of students have been affected by missed stops and uncovered routes. School leadership also disagrees that there is a lack of urgency when it comes to addressing special education.

"The DESE report provides a welcome midpoint progress update as a follow-up to the fall 2019 review. While the report highlights that BPS has made considerable progress in many key areas over the last three years, it also provides clear direction to areas where urgent action is needed," a spokesperson for BPS said in a statement. "As we continue to build upon the momentum we have created, we look forward to working collaboratively with DESE to ensure all BPS students can reach their full potential."

Education Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education will discuss the report at Tuesday's monthly meeting, but a vote on putting the district under state receivership is not scheduled.

Mayor Michelle Wu has said she is "firmly against" putting Boston schools under a receivership. 

"The serious challenges highlighted in the review aren't new to our school communities, educators, and students. As a BPS mom, I'm eager for the partnerships and accountability that will set us up for success in accelerating the pace of change and rebuilding confidence in our schools," Wu said in a statement. "In the first six months of our administration, we've worked quickly to build the foundation for structural reforms and organizational capacity needed to implement the scale of changes our students deserve. I look forward to coming to clear next steps with the state that will tackle immediate issues as we on-board our next school superintendent." 

Boston Public Schools also responded saying in part, "While the report highlights that BPS has made considerable progress in many key areas over the last three years, it also provides clear direction to areas where urgent action is needed."

"It's very frustrating, it's very frustrating," said one parent outside Edison K8 School in Brighton.

"It's kind of worrisome because they don't let you know exactly when the bus is going to be late," said another parent. 

Parent Barry Wiener, who has boys that are visually impaired and have intellectual disabilities, was not surprised by the report.

"The grade for Boston is not very high," Weiner said. "Without battling and getting your kids what they deserve, without that, you would get a negative, whatever the lowest number on the planet is."