Carol Johnson

What Boston's new school-assignment zones would look like

adamg — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 17:22:24 -0500

This shows School Superintendent Carol Johnson's proposal for increasing the number of school-assignment zones for elementary and middle schools in Boston from three to five (click on it for a larger version). The goal is to save money by reducing the length of some bus routes.

I'm betting the outcome will be to increase confusion among parents. Parents in Hyde Park, who'd been studying schools in Mattapan and Dorchester, will now have to bone up on schools in West Roxbury and Roslindale. Are North End parents prepared to have their kids bused to Jamaica Plain?

Via Braving the BPS Lottery, a Roslindale mother who's already wondering what this will mean for her 2010 plans.

School superintendent: City may have to lay off teachers, close schools, reduce school choice

adamg — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 22:52:01 -0500

The Globe reports that School Superintendent Carol Johnson said tonight she is looking at dealing with shrinking revenue by cutting 400 teaching positions - and 500 other jobs - possibly close more schools and increase the number of school-assignment zones from three to five, which would cut busing costs but reduce the range of schools parents of elementary students could pick from.

Among those at the School Committee budget hearing tonight was mayoral candidate Kevin McCrea, who explains why he thinks the whole thing is a sham and describes the scene:

... It was a madhouse at Court Street tonight, with hundreds of teachers and parents and students there to protest the school cuts. I won't go into detail about how ridiculous the numbers are in the report, which I assume the City will put online(???) for all to see. It is pretty detailed, but the only number that is really important is the proposed budget of $786 million. Dr. Reilinger started to immediately see some of the inconsistency, as the report on one hand says that the city will eliminate 699 full time equivalent employees, but on the other hand has a higher number for health care costs for those (now nonexistent) employees.

The bottom line is that Mayor Menino is trying to drum up support for his meals tax by scaring the heck out of students and teachers and parents. Doing his best Bush/Cheney/Rove tactics to get more money to build his power base. What he is going to do is try and look like a hero, by coming in and 'responding' to the crisis by miraculously finding the money to restore to the budget. ...

Parents will get to question officials at a hearing Thursday, Feb. 5, starting at 6 p.m. at the Blackstone Elementary School, 380 Shawmut Ave. in the South End, and Tuesday, Feb. 10, at 6 p.m. at the McCormack Middle School, 315 Mt. Vernon St. in Dorchester.

There will be additional hearings in March in JP and downtown. The School Committee is scheduled to vote on its budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1 on March 25.

BPS FY2010 budget page.

AP classes all around

adamg — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 20:09:18 -0500

Read the report on how few Boston public-school students are graduating college and then read what Mayor Menino and School Superintendent Carol Johnson want to do about it. Among their proposals: At least one AP or honors class for every BPS student by 2012, double the number of students taking college classes while still in high school and letting students out of school to take SAT prep classes.

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A meeting with the superintendent

adamg — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 19:02:35 -0500

Andrew Watson reports on a meeting this morning between Boston School Superintendent Carol Johnson and Roslindale parents who want more K-8 options in the neighborhood.

Our new school superintendent might wish to hire aides with Massachusetts experience

adamg — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 08:55:26 -0400

There's just one thing wrong with School Superintendent Carol Johnson's plan to create single-sex schools: The Globe reports it's illegal under state law: "Public schools cannot deny a student admission based on gender under state law."

Johnson, who came to Boston last year from Tennessee last year, told the paper: "I wasn't familiar with Massachusetts law at the time."

Superintendent would shut eight schools, expand K-8 schools, create two same-sex schools

adamg — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 21:53:57 -0400

Boston School Superintendent Carol Johnson today unveiled her reorganization plan for Boston public schools that shuts some schools, expands others, and increases the percentage of "walk zone" students in elementary schools fm 50 to 60%.

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New school chief proposes public Montessori, single-sex classrooms

adamg — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 08:53:59 -0500

Boston School Superintendent Carol Johnson last night outlined a plan for revamping local schools that includes publicly funded Montessori schools, classes segregated by sex and classes on local college campuses.

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Boston's new school superintendent says good-bye to Memphis

adamg — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 09:15:17 -0400

Although after reading this farewell story in the Memphis Commercial Appeal, one can only hope she doesn't change her mind again. Still, based on the reaction from people at her last Memphis school-board meeting, we could be getting a good superintendent:

"Our loss is, without a doubt, a gain to the Boston Public Schools," Robinson said. "Boston saw that we had a jewel, and they are taking it away from us. We will have to guard our jewels more closely in the future."

A brokenhearted community showed up in full force to Monday night's meeting in a show of support for Johnson, pleading with her to stay -- to no avail.

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