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Now superintendent wants to shut more than a dozen schools
By adamg on Thu, 12/02/2010 - 6:14am
UPDATE: The Agassiz School in Jamaica Plain is one of the dozen schools that could close. See the comments for more.
The Globe previews tonight's School Committee meeting, at which Superintendent Carol Johnson will, again, propose shutting schools, including five of the six she had earlier called for closing (she wouldn't tell the Globe which of the six won the musical chairs). At issue: A large projected deficit for next year and the fact the system has several thousand empty seats.
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Comments
Open letter to Mayor Menino
Dear Mr. Mayor:
I have been informed by telephone tonight in two languages that the Agassiz Elemetary School in Jamaica Plain is being considered for closure.
Presently, my three and half year old son Thomas Wayne is attending the Agassiz for therapy as he has been diagnosed with Autism.
He is a very sweet, happy child and he has made progress there over the time he has attended this school. The staff there is very attentive, and he has begun to sign "more" and is making more eye contact as the therapy he is receiving is taking effect.
I implore you to not allow this school to close for several reasons.
Firstly, the program that Tommy is in is not readily available and he would have to go to another program that is much further from our home in Roslindale.
warrior02131 :: Open Letter to Mayor Menino
Secondly, the staff there has made a connection with my son that might not be readily made by other therapists. He does not do well with radical changes.
In closing, I understand that the projected shortfall for the 2011 fiscal year for the Boston Public Schools is about $63 million dollars. I am also aware that the City of Boston does not issue bonds although it has an excellent credit rating. I fully believe that the education of the children in the City of Boston should be the paramount concern of those we entrust with leadership. If there is a concern that should cause our city to borrow against our good credit, education should be first on the list. Thank you.
Respectfully Submitted,
Sincerely,
Wayne J. Wilson, Jr.
Roslindale
Do I understand you to be
Do I understand you to be saying that a school should be kept open for one child?
Everyone has a right to have their voice be heard. That's as far as democracy goes.
No we are not stating that
No we are not stating that the school should be kept open for one child. The classroom was openned one year ago because there were no other open slots in classrooms in the area. I have dealt with the Aggaasiz community and it is such a vital part of the community. It just doesn't make sense. The school should be kept openned for the community.
The city has plenty of money,
The city has plenty of money, the overall budget has been increasing ever year even during the recession, there's just too many people earning more than they're worth or sitting in semi-useless patronage jobs soaking up the funds. We've been getting a diminishing return on our investment in taxes because of corruption and mismanagement and it seems like public safety or "the children!" are always first to be held hostage if the public complains about it.
BPS is also in the situation of having far fewer students in the last decade. It makes sense to close some schools, but wouldn't it more sense to get rid of expensive busing and return to a neighborhood model? Think of how good our schools could have been if instead of busing for generations, the city had reallocated funds to fix the problems at local schools instead of trying to shuffle the children to 'better' schools. Politics, patronage, and racism (I blame both the school board, parents, AND THE SHAKEDOWN CIRCUS for that) always seem to take a priority over actually providing adequate staff and facilities for the children.
Agassiz is a good choice for closure
The Agassiz is a good choice for closure. It's unpopular for both parents and teachers. It's a sick building that makes people sick. I know a BPS teacher who transferred to a different school for health reasons. The Agassiz is surrounded by excellent schools that are popular with parents and teachers, and always full, whereas the Agassiz always has empty seats.
The gentleman who writes above has a good reason to appreciate the Agassiz. It's exemplary that the city of Boston provides public, free educational services for children who are as young as 3.5, and I'm sure everybody can sympathize with the needs of a child. However, the idea that when a school closes the services provided by that school will disappear, or that all the teachers and therapists at the school will be laid off, isn't certain. The students served by the Agassiz, including the young child mentioned, will have their needs met elsewhere in the system, possibly by the same staff.
The public school system serves thousands of children. Each one has a story. Any cuts will inconvenience somebody. An inconvenience to one student cannot be a reason not to make a cut.
Legally-mandated, not just exemplary
When there is a child with a learning disability (such as autism in this example), early intervention provides social services prior to the 3rd birthday. Federal law, however, mandates that the local school district assumes those responsibilities starting on the 3rd birthday. That may be why this particular child is in this particular program.
It's not just "exemplary" that BPS provides free, public educational services for children at age three who have learning disabilities; it's legally mandated. And, yes, therefore, BPS will have to continue to provide for the child regardless of whether or not they close the Agassiz school.