Carol Johnson

Boston Public Schools Superintendent Carol Johnson is sending letters home with students to tell parents that the food their kids get at school is "safe and healthy."

Without naming him, Johnson's letter denounces City Councilor John Connolly, who charged yesterday students at at least four schools were fed expired food from a frozen-food warehouse in Wilmington - food that would not have made them sick but which may have had reduced or no nutritive value. Johnson said that's not true; that, while, yes, the schools have wasted money on expired food, students have never been fed the stuff. She added she sent the letter after one cafeteria worker told her:

[I]n the days after the safety of our food was called into question, the number of children arriving for free breakfast at her school had dropped by 25 percent. One student refused to eat lunch because she heard it might be dangerous.

• Johnson's letter to parents

The Globe reports on School Superintendent Carol Johnson's report to the School Committee tonight.

The Globe reports the city and the Boston Teachers Union are going to arbitration because School Superintendent Carol Johnson wants teachers at 12 underperforming schools to spend an extra hour in school - without paying them more.

School Superintendent Carol Johnson last night proposed opening three city-run charter schools as part of the answer to dealing with 14 failing schools across Boston - including English High, which is one of those schools and which is where the School Committee met.

Johnson, however, provided no details on the proposed new schools, such as where they would be. In addition, employees at six unnamed schools will all essentially lose their jobs and then have to reapply for them, she wants to merge two underperforming elementary schools with two better performing schools to create two new K-8 schools - and she wants to start working with existing, non-BPS charter schools on training and other ways to improve education in the city.