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Boston Latin Academy students, teachers fight to save two teachers scheduled for layoffs
By adamg on Thu, 03/14/2024 - 9:09am
Boston Parents Schoolyard News reports students and teachers at BLA are petitioning BPS to keep Rajeeve Martyn, who heads the departments of history and world languages, and Jane Victor, science department leader - now scheduled to be laid off as part of an effort to cut costs.
Students and teachers say their losses in particular would be devastating for the exam school.
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So.....
There is money underwrite a massive piece of public (school) property giveaway to a bunch of suburban investors at White Stadium but there is no money to keep two teachers 1 mile to the north?
It appears we are in full blockhead mode at One City Hall Plaza.
Does the mayor forget the taxes are there for schools for the kids of the city and not to bleed public money away for people who are married to billionaires and their friends?
This is some James Michael Curley level corruption.
The school budget is
The school budget is available to the public to review. Make your own decision on where to cut but there is nothing corrupt about the process.
Millionaire Tax
I thought the millionaire tax was being used for schools and transportation? So wouldn’t there be a bunch of extra money for the schools this year?
Just looked it up - this tax generated an additional $524 million in funding for education. Something isn’t adding up here….
You Would Be Amazed At Who Knows What With Money
There are a lot of ripples going through public school systems right now owing to the addition of students who have recently arrived from overseas.
School systems in towns that have been receptive to migrants (look away wealthy suburbs of Boston, you aren't taking anyway, so this doesn't concern you, but keep those "All Are Welcome Here Signs Up), are running deficits owing to the additional costs in educating and in many cases feeding these kids.
The money to cover the migrant education is mostly coming out of regular operation budgets. The state has not been as generous to some school districts as you think they are or whatever the HeraldHowieCarr crowd is saying.
Many school systems have put already paraprofessionals on notice that layoffs are coming because of lack of funding.
Might be time to focus your legislators to get on the ball and get aid to the cities and towns which are facing budget gaps. Perhaps a tax break for (insert x) can wait.
When the kid in school who "acts out" a lot doesn't have paraprofessional to assist the teacher, the rest of the kids suffer.
It is not going to be fun.
Source?
I'm curious if you have any reliable source to back up this statement. I'm having a hard time understanding how the cost of educating some additional kids in the system is anywhere near as impactful to school budgets as say, declining tax revenues, skyrocketing costs of employee health care, etc...
I Know A Lot of Teachers
A lot.
Head out to some of the more working class towns of the metropolitan area and see the impact.
No one who came here recently from Venezuela is going to Weston High School. Check Rockland, Brockton, Holbrook, and others. They are there.
Sorry If I can't notarize anything for you to prove it.
So What?
Some anecdotal carping from your friends does not mean "migrants" are the ones driving budget deficits. I know a fair amount of teachers too, and they're not doing budgets for the district. As I'm sure you're aware, budget woes at Brockton long precede the current increase in migrants to the area.
Just to be clear, I'm not raising the question of your sourcing for fun. Xenophobes are scapgoating migrants all across the state for various things. You factlessly pinning school deficits on their shoulders is not helping, regardless of your motivation.
If you add 100 students,
That translates into 5-6+ potential teaching slots, aids, special ed teachers, admins,. . . at $100-125 thousand per including salary and benefits.
Adds up quick.
Many are Eager
To blame the migrants. Give me facts.
Always Taking The Blatant Racist Approach, Aren't You There.
You not understanding that things cost money is the problem.
It has to come from somewhere and the state is not ponying up to the towns who are bearing the brunt of the cost.
Stop trying to frame it as racism. It is economics and taxes.
Weird
I sat through the town hall in Quincy where the fox news shouters blamed all manner of ills on the refugees, so I'm asking you to be a little careful and stick to the facts before adding feeding fuel to their fire. For that, you call me racist. Weird.
https://www.patriotledger.com/story/news/2023/09/13/quincy-ma-eastern-na...
Actual Facts on the Brockton Deficit
https://www.masslive.com/news/2024/03/brockton-schools-audit-finds-even-...
Very little in here you can even secondarily attribute to "the additional costs in educating and in many cases feeding these [refugees'] kids."
Brockton Public Schools
I lay the blame on “Mayah” Sullivan, fellow 1988 graduate of mine. The condition of the schools, ESPECIALLY the high school is completely despicable.
Peace/out
Millionaires Tax
I think you may be referring to the funds Gov Healey is using to subsidize Harvard's real estate investment in Allston.
Sorry kids. Real estate developers have needs too!
BPS has proposed cuts at the majority schools next year
The article below has a good chart in it. As they plan to merge and close schools, staff reductions will likely follow.
https://schoolyardnews.com/gainers-and-losers-in-the-2024-2025-bps-schoo...
Rajeeve Martyn is the type of
Rajeeve Martyn is the type of teacher that makes the BLA community. He is one of my daughter's favorite teacher for his willingness to talk to kids and make them feel welcome in this large school. I swear every time I visit the school, for any event, he is present and approachable, always free with his time.
I can not say the same for administration at Central Office and Headmaster handling of teacher absences. This year alone, my daughter has had long term absences (8 or more weeks) in two of her classes with temporary subs (aka Babysitters). No urgency on recruitment of have subs that ability to teach class.
Who do they fight?
Who do they fight?