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BPS to host two public meetings on water fountains this week - one with media, one without
By adamg on Sun, 05/08/2016 - 4:05pm
Boston Public Schools will hold an "information session" Monday evening about the issue of lead in school water fountains.
The meeting, which begins at 6:30 p.m. in the School Committee chambers at the Bolling Building, 2300 Washington St. in Roxbury, will be open to the media.
A second session, at 8 a.m. on Tuesday at the same location, will be closed to the media.
BPS last week said it had identified four schools where lead levels in drinking fountains exceeded safety levels - which might have been used by students. Two employees have been put on leave while BPS investigates a "miscommunication" that led to a contractor turning the fountains on. BPS says:
Out of 126 BPS facilities, 38 facilities with active water fountains were tested in April, and the results have been tripled-verified by Boston Public Schools, the Boston Water & Sewer Commission and a third-party contractor. Out of the 38 facilities that were tested, four were found to have lead levels above the EPA action level of 15 ppb.
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Comments
How can a public meeting be closed to the media?
If it's a public meeting, doesn't that mean anyone can attend it, even Adam?
Maybe because it's not a board meeting?
Probably just somebody from BPS describing the issue, as opposed, to say, School Committee members holding a meeting (but somebody who knows the Open Meeting Law better than me please jump in).
Interesting question you raise for me, though, since I'm still, at least for the next month or so, a BPS parent.
Lost trust when kids drank water with leached lead
Adam, did you link to your source? I'd like to read BPS' explanation about the two meetings. One possibility is that the second meeting has an agenda to discuss matters that raise privacy issues. It would be better if BPS explained in their announcement, otherwise folks wonder. On this issue there is good reason for distrust, kids have been drinking water with leached lead in school, so BPS should err on the side of explanation.
I've been following this closely. The Super's reaction to City Council demands was to circle the wagons. I believe that to be a mistake.
It reminded me of the report Walsh ordered on City Hall-Teamsters-Top Chef and now City Hall-Boston Calling. We pay for it, he will not release it.
It doesn't help that State Rep Walsh himself was implicated by a leak of a federal wiretap in which it's alleged Walsh is putting the screws to a developer. The point isn't that they're suspected of wrong-doing, it's that they're clearly choosing secrecy by withholding the investigation report.
Ten days ago, a court ordered Walsh admin to disclose in ten days who in his administration have received subpoenas. Time's up. Secrecy is the lord of the realm. It engenders doubt and distrust..
What concerns me now is that this is a public health issue but I see no effort to identify kids exposed to lead and public health approach to assess and mitigate damages.
Finally, coverage of the Flint water crisis taught a lot of lessons about how to avoid exposing people to leached lead in drinking water, and that testing for it requires a methodology. We blew it despite a thorough understanding of Flint's public health crisis and heightened awareness of the risk.
Well put
Tito.
Well put
Tito.
Could be a personnel issue
If they are going to discuss the two employees on leave, they can go to executive session.
Except ...
Then it wouldn't be a meeting they can invite the public (well, "members of the BPS community" as they would put it).
here come the crazies
BPS will do the usual unspeak and then a bunch of moms will rend their garments. Meanwhile education drifts. Pardon me if I don't go.