Several parents today sued Gov. Baker over his order requiring all students under 30 to get flu shots or risk getting kicked out of school, saying it infringes on their First Amendment rights to freedom of religion and their rights to raise their children as they see fit. Read more.
Boston School Superintendent Brenda Cassellius told parents Friday evening that students "with complex needs that cannot be fully addressed through remote learning" could be returning to several BPS schools as early as next week. Read more.
Loconto unfurling a flag to start meeting with Pledge of Allegiance.
The Herald reports Michael Loconto resigned as chairman of the School Committee this morning amid growing uproar over "hot mic" comments he made in the middle of last night's lengthy meeting on suspending the exam for exam schools for next year's class - and just a few hours after his vote on the exam question, which he called "the proudest moment I've had in my 18 years in public service." Read more.
Student member Khymani James speaks during School Committee discusion early this morning.
Update: School Committee chairman resigns over "hot-mic" comments.
The Boston School Committee voted unanimously early this morning to suspend the use of an exam to decide who gets into the city's three exam schools for the next year because of a raft of problems brought up by the Covid-19 pandemic, in a meeting that lasted more than 8 1/2 hours. Read more.
The Dedham Board of Health announced today the town has "a significant rise" in Covid-19 cases - 17 in the past week - and says most of the new cases are in young children and teens. Read more.
Arlington officials say a raccoon they believe bit and scratched a young child on Fountain Road Wednesday afternoon has tested positive for rabies. Read more.
Boston Public Schools announced today it's delaying the return of young elementary-school students to in-school classes another week, from Oct. 22 to Oct. 29 - but says that "High In-Person Priority" students who were already going to school two days a week can now start going four days a week for classes and support services. Read more.
BC High in Dorchester told parents today that it's moving to online classes tomorrow and Friday after getting notice today of its fifth student case of Covid-19 since last Friday. Read more.
The Academy of the Pacific Rim in Hyde Park has started a GoFundMe page to help three of its students, all members of the same family, who were burned out of their home by a fire on Stanley Street in Dorchester early Friday.
The Globe reports all of them students incorrectly denied admission last year and this year have been offered seats at the schools they were eligible for, that the error cascaded down to affect other kids denied entrance to non-exam schools they had requested and that none of the students who were given seats who shouldn't have gotten them will have their seats taken away.
Live Boston reports on the successful two-hour BPD search for a 4-year-old Roxbury girl that ended when the girl convinced the officer holding her hand to skip with her to the ambulance that would take her to a local hospital for a quick check.
WBZ reports on the latest BPS school re-opening plan, which calls for schools to open Sept. 21 for grades 1-12 and Sept. 23 for pre-K.
The newest proposal calls for a hybrid model, in which students would spend part of the week in school, part in home, but with a parental option to keep kids home fulltime.
Boston Parents Schoolyard News compares proposals from BPS administration and the Boston Teachers Union on how to re-open schools next month.
Mayor Walsh said today that BPS is planning on making its school buildings as safe as possible - but also beefing up remote-learning abilities - as officials continue to try to figure out whether school will start this fall entirely remotely or with a "hopscotch" model in which students would spend part of their time in school and part at home. Read more.
The Boston School Committee narrowly voted last night to cede what is now a McCormack School field to a new Boys and Girls Club field house.
Katie Mallon reports members Michael Loconto, Michael O'Neill and Alexandra Oliver-Davila voted for the controversial handover, members Lorna Rivera and Jeri Robinson voted against and members Hardin Coleman and Quoc Tran abstained.
Somerville city and school officials told parents today that schools just won't be ready to instruct students safely come September and so the new school year will start entirely with remote instruction. Read more.
Mayor Walsh and School Superintendent Brenda Cassellius said today they are continuing to look at a "hybrid" school re-opening, in which students would split days between in-school and at-home learning, but that parents will have the chance to opt out completely and stick with remote learning over Covid-19 concerns. Read more.
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