Today there are both unprecedented pressure and support for improvement in public schools.
The key issues for the School Department are what's best for Boston's students and what's fair and equitable for teachers. The district is proposing further class size reductions in kindergarten and grades 1-3. Research has proven that the impact on student achievement is greatest in these early grades. The BPS will continue to look for strategies to reduce class sizes in the upper grades. Currently, during prime teacher recruitment time in the spring, schools cannot rehire a first-year teacher or hire an experienced teacher from outside Boston if any veteran Boston teacher wants the open position, regardless of who best fits the position.