Calm Before Me

  The Missing Infrastructure of Trust: Why the BPS Long-Term Facilities Plan is Failing Our Communities The structural integrity of a school building is measured in brick, mortar, and steel. But the structural integrity of a public school system is measured in trust, stability, and community. Right now, as Boston Public Schools pushes forward with its Long-Term Facilities Plan (LTFP), the district is failing on the latter. Under the banner of a "High-Quality Student Experience," the city is deploying a top-down spreadsheet strategy that treats schools as mere square footage on a ledger rather than the living, breathing heart of our neighborhoods. When you look past the glossy PDFs and the corporate-sounding "decision-making rubrics," a painful truth emerges: this plan is systematically failing our schools, our educators, our children, and our families. 1. Failing Our Children: Fracturing Pipelines and Erasing Stability The district’s current strategy relies heavily...

  The Bridge to Success: Why the Dever-Batson Campus is the Key to BPS’s Future In the world of Boston Public Schools, we hear a lot about "High-Quality Student Experiences" and "modernizing our footprint." But right now, at the corner of Mt. Vernon and Shoreham, we are about to witness a move that defies both logic and community common sense. BPS is preparing to shutter the Dever Elementary School . Meanwhile, the Ruth Batson Academy —our 7-12 powerhouse—is entering a multi-year, multi-million dollar renovation project. Look at these two buildings. They aren't just neighbors; they are physically connected by an enclosed bridge. They are a ready-made campus . Yet, the current plan is to close one and "study" the other. The Vision: One Campus, Two Houses Why are we looking for "swing space" and temporary trailers when the solution is literally behind a connecting door? The logical, "showstopper" move is simple: Create the Ruth Batson...

  All Roads Lead Through the Dever: A Legacy 70 Years in the Making As the calendar turns and we face the final 35 days of this school year, the air at the Paul A. Dever School feels a bit heavier, yet more vibrant than ever. We aren't just counting down the days to summer; we are honoring a 70-year legacy that has shaped generations of families—including my own. A Full-Circle Journey My connection to this building isn’t just professional or civic; it’s deeply personal. The Dever is where my own education began over 30 years ago. It’s where my brother walked the halls, and most recently, it’s where I’ve watched my son grow as he prepares to finish his 7th-grade year at the Ruth Batson Academy . Serving as your Parent Lead has been one of the greatest honors of my life. To give back to the institution that poured so much into me and my family is a debt of gratitude I can never fully repay. A Gift for the Ages Recently, during our Digitizing Night , I had the privilege of presenti...