This Week at Pioneer › Boston's Halfhearted School Budget

When the Boston Public Schools announced its new $856 million budget, it chose to highlight the hiring of 5 more nurses. We are nearly 20 years into “education reform,” and with a dropout rate of 23% and a record of graduating just 64 percent of its freshman class, Boston is simply not showing any urgency.  So argues Pioneer Executive Director Jim Stergios in this Boston.com Rock the Schoolhouse blog post. Jim offers three reforms that will give parents and children immediate access to high quality educational options. 

Ten percent of BPS’ enormous budget is spent on transportation costs. Pioneer Research Director Steve Poftak asks, in the February issue of Boston Magazine (“Bus Stop”), whether Mayor Menino is ready to drive the change needed to reform the city’s complex school-assignment system. The current three-zone model translates into late arrivals, reduced time for homework and extracurriculars, and less parental involvement.