At-large Councilor Annissa Essaibi-George says she's had enough with suburban parents who try to sneak their kids into Boston public schools - and no longer just the exam schools, but even pre-school, inclusion and special-ed programs.
At-large Councilor Michael Flaherty, meanwhile, is venting similar ire against suburbanites - and even people from New Hampshire - who use "mattress addresses" to get on the civil-service lists for jobs as Boston police officers and firefighters.
The council agreed today with Essaibi-George's request for a hearing to figure out how BPS can do a better job at ferreting out interloping students taking away classroom space from Boston kids.
"Tthis is theft," she said. "This is a theft of services that happens districtwide, at the same time some of our families are on wait lists. "
Essaibi-George said suburbanites smart enough to realize the advantages of Boston schools are smart enough to figure out how to avoid easy detection. She said she doesn't get why BPS has only one full-time investigator assigned to looking for suburbanites when a neighboring city to Boston's north, which she didn't name, with a far smaller system, has 2 1/2 people assigned to the same task.
Separately, the council approved a request to ask the state legislature to let Boston extend the amount of Boston residency required to apply for a BPD or BFD position from one to three years.
Flaherty said too many people from "Duxbury, the Cape, Winchester or even New Hampshire" set up what he called "mattress addresses" in Boston strictly so they can take the civil-service test for those jobs, possibly unfairly pushing out lifelong Boston residents who might also be seeking the positions - residents, he added, who would be familiar with the streets and neighborhoods of Boston from day one.
"Let's give city kids an opportunity to get on these jobs," he said, adding the proposal would also make it easier for the city to hire more women and minority candidates.
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Comments
Not about the MBTA
By anon
Thu, 01/26/2017 - 10:09am
That is a state funded thing. My point is that the good people of Brookline get all the benefits of living near a thriving economic center while dodging out on the less appealing parts of living in a metro area such as paying for services for the less fortunate. Look at how any attempt to build low income housing in Brookline is met.
you can unify those districts all you want
By Scumquistador
Wed, 01/25/2017 - 9:19pm
but you'll only create more private schools and get politicians elected that are going to lower tax contributions and the effect will be the same
And if
By ChrisInEastie
Thu, 01/26/2017 - 1:23am
some people hadn't thrown tea in the harbor and signed a piece of paper few hundred years ago, you'd be singing God Save the Queen. What does that have to do with anything?
Why are people who live in Newton, Somerville, or Cambridge not Bostonians? They're not Bostonians because they don't pay taxes in Boston, aren't governed by Boston's laws, aren't protected by BPD, and do not live in Boston. They live in their own cities/towns with their own school systems, their own taxes, their own local governments, etc.
This is how cities work. And counties. And states. And countries.
Thanks for the pedantic civics lesson
By Will LaTulippe
Wed, 01/25/2017 - 3:24pm
Now go read my revised "You're making my point" comment and opine on that.
Boston
By mrotown
Wed, 01/25/2017 - 3:28pm
I really don't follow what point you're trying to make. If you want to take advantage of Boston's resources then just move here. It isn't like there's a citizenship test.
Don't feed the troll
By Gary C
Wed, 01/25/2017 - 3:36pm
!
While we're at it, about that
By anon
Wed, 01/25/2017 - 2:58pm
While we're at it, about that Metco thing....
Yes, about that Metco thing
By adamg
Wed, 01/25/2017 - 5:01pm
It's a voluntary program that suburban communities participate in so their lily-white student bodies can interact with the actual minority students their town zoning bylaws effectively keep out.
Fair is fair
By Zoey Jane
Thu, 01/26/2017 - 1:14pm
It's one matter to openly sign up your child for a lottery to compete with all the other families in a program funded at the state level.
It's not even comparable to lying and cheating your way into the Boston school district (where funding issues are a constant battle) when you live somewhere else and don't pay a dime in city taxes. It's even more galling when you own a home in the suburbs but decide to steal a seat at BLS which is a ticket out of poverty for many children in the City.
29% of the students are learning English, start with them
By O-FISH-L
Wed, 01/25/2017 - 3:36pm
Amazing that the same crowd that cherishes sanctuary-city status for Boston wants to keep out kids from neighboring towns, whose parent's presumably are citizens, pay Massachusetts taxes and perhaps Boston meals taxes, parking fees etc.
When 29% of the students (FY 2016) can't speak English, perhaps we should be worried about hapless immigrants from foreign countries not local towns. Like others have said, with the exception of Boston Latin, why would anyone want to sneak into the disaster that is BPS anyway?
The end to Obama's "catch and release" of illegals today should free up plenty of space by September.
Thats some racist vomit, even for you
By anon
Wed, 01/25/2017 - 3:49pm
Hapless immigrants? catch and release? What a bunch of racist garbage. Sad!
Sofa king
By anon
Thu, 01/26/2017 - 8:55am
[deleted comment in new spirit of not being mean in the comments]
29% of what students?
By cinnamngrl
Wed, 01/25/2017 - 3:51pm
Did you find that statistic in a dark place?
ahh
By Scumquistador
Wed, 01/25/2017 - 4:14pm
so now its not just the jerbs, its the clersse rerrms
i think the world would be better off without you tbh
29%
By anon
Wed, 01/25/2017 - 4:16pm
Only about 29% of people claiming to be retired police or police are actually police.
I pulled that out of my ass.
it should be all city jobs, not just Fire and Police.
By cinnamngrl
Wed, 01/25/2017 - 3:55pm
It should only be opened up for positions that don't have anyone that fits the requirements to apply. People care about the city they live in.
Technically is, already
By KSquared
Wed, 01/25/2017 - 4:21pm
Nearly all city positions require residency. Until you've worked there for 10 years, then you are allowed to move out.
not teachers.
By cinnamngrl
Wed, 01/25/2017 - 6:33pm
not teachers.
What about
By THE_WIZ
Wed, 01/25/2017 - 4:43pm
All those Legacy hires and or "political appointees?"
What about the Marty "guys" (the ones who show up to work during hiring freezes etc) who work for the City that live in Quincy/ Weymouth and the likes?
....You know all the AA guys and family members. Will they be shaken down as well?
Hiring quotas are a joke. Never met 1, with a toenails worth of skill. They are more then adept at playing the game though. Ahh yes.
What about the Fire Fighters
By anon
Thu, 01/26/2017 - 6:54pm
What about the Fire Fighters and Police Officers that were hired after they lied about their residency? This is fraud and now they hold public safety positions, positions of trust! If a person is willing to lie about their residency who is to say they would not lie on a police report, internal investigation or under oath!!!
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