Officials are voicing major concerns about the direction of the Boston Public School District, which is under fire for its overall performance as well as a lack of representation in the search for a new superintendent.
Tanisha Sullivan, the leader of NAACP Boston, is raising concerns over the “lack of representation” in the finalist pool of superintendents, according to the Boston Herald. In a letter to the School Committee, Sullivan voiced her concerns that neither of the two finalists are Black or Latino, which doesn't reflect the majority of Boston Public School students. Sullivan is running for secretary of state against Bill Galvin.
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The School Committee is set to vote on a new superintendent Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Massachusetts Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley is sounding the alarm over what he calls an “underperforming" district. In a letter, Riley said BPS continues to fail to support students with disabilities, English language learners and students in the lowest performing schools.
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“I believe designating BPS an underperforming district is the correct next step because it will provide the Mayor and incoming Superintendent an opportunity to address the serious deficiencies in the district, while at the same time giving DESE the necessary tools to ensure the integrity of the district’s data," Riley said.
Riley, the head of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, also pointed to concerns with transportation, facilities and student safety.
"Unfortunately, we have been unable to reach agreement on provisions that would provide independent oversight to ensure that the district is accurately and transparently reporting its data,” Riley said.
