What are the essential programming components of a quality school? It’s a question that no one ever asks of Boston families, children, principals, or teachers. With limited resources and a school choice system where the money follows the student, principals and School Site Councils are forced to make difficult budgeting decisions each January. A music teacher OR a librarian; a reading resource specialist OR a computer teacher.

We have had enough.

The Boston Coalition for Education Equity – a group of civil rights, education, and community organizations – have joined together to push for decisive action to end these long-standing funding and opportunity inequities in the Boston Public Schools.

Over the course of the next several months, we will highlight the problems within Boston Public Schools as we see them with an Equity Week, and we’re beginning with the problem that we see as the core of so many issues of access and equity in Boston Public Schools: the budget.

Over the course of the next week, we hope to open up a citywide conversation inviting everyone to dream bigger for our children. An art teacher AND a full time nurse. A family resource coordinator AND a bus monitor. Join the conversation; tell us what you consider to be the essential elements of well-rounded, quality education by filling out this form here.

From Monday, March 18th through Friday, March 22 we will be engaging with Boston families, teachers, and the community in a number of ways to strategize the path ending the budgeting process that creates “winning schools” and “losing schools” each year. Follow us on Facebook or Twitter to view budget related content all week.

We begin the week with a conversation about equitable school funding with Professor Bruce Baker of Rutgers School of Graduate Education.

Join the conversation live on Tuesday, March 19th at 6pm!

BPS Budgeting: Hunger Games vs. Quality for All

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