Coalitions gather for school reform
THERE’S NOT going to be a lot of money around during the next few years to pay for serious changes — such as a longer school day — in Boston’s teacher contract. Instead, someone is going to have to extract school improvements on the cheap out of the Boston Teachers Union.
Fortunately, a lot of people are lining up to do just that. During the last week, dozens of foundations and community groups in two coalitions have demonstrated their support for school administration proposals that are subject to collective bargaining. They include longer school days, stricter teacher evaluations, and greater management flexibility on classroom schedules and teacher placements. Basically, many Bostonians want the city’s 135 district schools to operate pretty much along the lines of the city’s 14 charter schools.
It would be nice if the school reformers could speak with one voice on behalf of the city’s students. But then this wouldn’t be Boston. Instead, two major