Boston School Committee: 12·4·24 Meeting Recap

Last Night At School Committee

Last night’s School Committee meeting was focused on hiring and transportation. The meeting

began with public comment, after Chair Robinson announced that there would be no

Superintendent’s Report. Public comment featured a little less than 50 testimonies, with the

majority of speakers members of the Boston Teachers Union advocating for a fair contract and

working conditions. Over the past few months, BTU members have continued to testify at the

School Committee about the need for a two-teacher model as part of the district’s inclusion plan

and other important considerations. Last night’s public comment emphasized the BTU’s clear

message to the district, which comes as other towns in Massachusetts have dealt with teacher

strikes.

The School Committee heard two reports last night. The first report was regarding a tentative

bargaining agreement between Transdev, the district’s transportation provider, and the bus

drivers union. Prior to the meeting, the School Committee went into executive session to

discuss the negotiations, and last night’s meeting did not feature a robust conversation about

the contract. While the contract includes agreements to increase drivers’ pay and hours and

ensure students get to athletic competitions, as well as continuing previous agreements that

ensures the drivers will be employed regardless of the contractor, there was no discussion as to

whether this new contract would address transportation issues plaguing the district and the cost

implications of a contract, when 10,000 less students are riding the bus.

The last report of the evening was an update on hiring and workforce diversity. Every year, the

district provides the School Committee with an update on hiring practices and initiatives to have

a diverse workforce. Similar to previous years, the report did not include any data or discussion

regarding teacher vacancies, the number of positions added, professional development, and

evaluation. The report left key questions unanswered about whether the district staff is truly

representative of the students they serve, and continued to show the disconnect between the

district and the Boston Teachers Union as it relates to its ongoing contract negotiations and the

looming budget season.

The next School Committee meeting will be held in person or via Zoom at 6 p.m. on

Wednesday, December 18th.

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