Last Night At School Committee
Education & Explainer
About
A bite-sized summary of Boston School Committee meetings, and "Deep Dives" on the biggest issues impacting public schools nationwide.
Episodes
- Boston School Committee: 5·6·26 Meeting Recap
Last night’s Boston School Committee meeting was straightforward and relatively mundane, highlights of the evening included conversations about transportation, budgeting, and the district’s effort to prepare for the rapid growth of artific…
- Boston School Committee: 4·15·26 Meeting Recap
Last night’s School Committee meeting touched on a number of critical issues for BPS, including a vote on a policy amendment to MassCore, an ask for more money to fill a budget gap, an update on decade old policy surrounding opportunity an…
- Boston School Committee: 3·25·26 Meeting Recap
Last night was the first full meeting in a month after a series of budget hearings. The meeting covered three topics; vote on the 2026-2027 budget, update on MassCore and the annual discussion on school choice. We dig into each of these ar…
- Special Episode: The Boston Globe’s Christopher Huffaker on BPS' Graduation Requirements
Earlier this month, we recorded a special conversation with Boston Globe reporter Christopher Huffaker. Huffaker is a reporter for “The Great Divide” - an investigative arm of the paper that analyzes and reports on educational inequities t…
- Boston School Committee: 3·4·26 Meeting Recap
On Wednesday evening, the district held a hearing focused on the Central Office budget. In their presentation, district leadership stated that they prioritized "student-facing" investments that directly supported schools. Highlights from t…
- Boston School Committee: 2·12·26 Meeting Recap
Last night, the district had a two-part meeting, beginning with a Budget Hearing for FY 2027 and then a short School Committee meeting. The budget hearing largely touched on many of the same financial themes we have heard from the district…
- Boston School Committee: 2·04·26 Meeting Recap
Last night kicked off the FY 2027 budget season with an overview and a release of all the budget documents. The district’s preliminary FY27 budget proposal totals $1.71 billion, representing a $74 million increase over current spending. Th…
- Boston School Committee: 1·21·26 Meeting Recap
The Boston Public Schools (BPS) School Committee held its first meeting of 2026 this week, coming at a critical moment for the district with new committee members, the current $53 million budget deficit, as well as serious questions about…
- Boston School Committee: 12·17·25 Meeting Recap
At last night’s meeting, many important issues were discussed and decided. These included an important memo about enrollment decline, a school closure vote, and a budget update. Conversations between the Committee and district pointed to l…
- Boston School Committee: 12·3·25 Meeting Recap
Introduction: The meeting opened with an executive session to discuss a tentative agreement with the Boston Association of School Administrators and Supervisors (BASAS), which the Committee will vote on at its next meeting on December 17th…
- Boston School Committee: 11·19·25 Meeting Recap
Last Night at School Committee - November 19th, 2025: Here’s what happened Last Night at the Boston School Committee meeting. Superintendent’s Report: The Superintendent began with updates on transportation and enrollment, noting that the…
- Boston School Committee: 11·5·25 Meeting Recap
Last night’s Boston School Committee meeting was filled with votes on various topics crucial to the future of the district, including an adjustment to the Exam School Admissions Policy as well the Competency Determination for the Classes o…
- Breaking Down the State of the Schools and the Boston School Committee 10·29·25 Meeting
Last night’s Boston School Committee meeting covered declining enrollment, the Superintendent’s contract and an update on transformation schools. Enrollment and Graduation Rates: Member Brandon Cardet-Hernandez raised two key questions abo…
- Boston School Committee: 10·8·25 Meeting Recap
At last night’s Boston School Committee meeting, members dove immediately into another discussion about the Exam School Admissions Policy Recommendation , foregoing the usual Superintendent’s Report. In response to committee requests from…
- Boston School Committee: 9·25·25 Meeting Recap
The Boston School Committee held their second meeting of the school year last night, primarily to present a proposal to change the exam school admissions policy. This was the sole report of the meeting and much of the public comment surrou…
- Boston School Committee: 9·10·25 Meeting Recap
Last Night at School Committee – September 10, 2025 The Boston School Committee met last night for its first meeting of the school year. The meeting covered a wide range of topics, from the district's back-to-school updates to the ongoing…
- Understanding MassCore: The Opportunity Myth (Re-Release)
Note: This episode originally aired June 12, 2019. In the final installment of our series about MassCore, Jill Shah interviews Orin Gutlerner about the challenges of scaling rigorous and engaging curriculum and teaching practices. They dis…
- Understanding MassCore: Why Adopt? (Re-Release)
Note: This episode originally aired May 29, 2019. In part 2 of Understanding MassCore, Jill talks with Paul Reville, a key architect and advocate for MassCore, about topics that are key to understanding the intentions and context for this…
- Understanding MassCore: Academic Standards in BPS (Re-Release)
Note: This episode originally aired May 15, 2019 In the spirit of enrichment and connectivity, we offer this three part series on the topic of MassCore. Part 1 looks at the context of graduation requirements in BPS High Schools. Stay tuned…
- A Deeper Dive: Enrollment Declines and MassCore
In this bonus episode, Jill and Ross touch upon two main themes significantly impacting the district: enrollment decline and graduation standards. We discuss how enrollment has dropped over the past half-decade and dive into those numbers.…
- Boston School Committee: 7·9·25 Meeting Recap
Last Night at School Committee – July 9, 2025 The only Boston School Committee meeting of the summer opened with a goodbye to a leaving member, included a summary of the Superintendent’s progress, and ended with more questions than answers…
- Boston School Committee: 6·17·25 Meeting Recap
Here's what happened last night: Saying Goodbye: Committee Member Lima Barbosa announced that next month’s meeting will be her last. Her departure will create an opening on the Committee, yet we did not hear about the process of filling he…
- Boston School Committee: 5·14·25 Meeting Recap
Last night’s Boston School Committee meeting began with an executive session, during which members received an update on a labor agreement between the district and the Administrative Guild, which represents the secretaries and clerks worki…
- Boston School Committee: 4·16·25 Meeting Recap
Last night’s meeting was a long one, lasting just over four hours. The main agenda item of the night was a recap of the new contract agreed to between the Boston Teachers’ Union (BTU) and the district. Before this recap, the Superintendent…
- Boston School Committee: 3·26·25 Meeting Recap
Last night’s meeting lasted three hours, and it centered on two main topics: Boston emerging from the State Improvement Plan (SIP) and the vote on the FY26 budget. The meeting began with Chair Robinson recapping major news from the Departm…
- Boston School Committee: 3·20·25 Meeting Recap
Last night’s meeting lasted around five hours, hitting on many important topics. Before the official meeting, the School Committee hosted its third and final budget hearing for the FY26 budget. The Superintendent and her team answered ques…
- Boston School Committee: 2·26·25 Meeting Recap
Last night’s meeting was a jam packed meeting covering many important topics. The meeting began with the Superintendent’s Report, where she provided an extremely brief update on transformation schools. This update is a requirement as part…
- Boston School Committee: 2·5·25 Meeting Recap
Last night’s meeting was full of reports and initiated the kickoff to the FY26 budget process. After a short Superintendent’s report and lengthy public comment period, the committee voted for a minor revision on the revised exam school adm…
- Boston School Committee: 1·22·25 Meeting Recap
Last night’s meeting was the first meeting of 2025, and the majority of the meeting was spent discussing the district’s facilities plans. The meeting began with the Superintendent’s Report, where she discussed the district’s commitment to…
- Boston School Committee: 12·18·24 Meeting Recap
Last night’s School Committee meeting was the last meeting of the year, touching on some of the most discussed topics this past year. This was the first meeting following Mayor Wu’s announcement regarding the reappointment of Vice Chair Mi…
- Deep Dives: How Alexander Twilight Academy Empowers the Next Generation
In today’s episode of Deep Dives, we’re excited to explore an educational program making a significant impact in Boston: the Alexander Twilight Academy. Named after the first African American college graduate in the U.S., this academy is d…
- Boston School Committee: 12·4·24 Meeting Recap
Last night’s School Committee meeting was focused on hiring and transportation. The meeting began with public comment, after Chair Robinson announced that there would be no Superintendent’s Report. Public comment featured a little less tha…
- Understanding MassCore: Why Adopt?
In May of 2019, Jill had the chance to talk with Paul Reville, a key architect and advocate for MassCore, about topics that are key to understanding the intentions and context for this policy, such as: The role of globalization and the sta…
- Boston School Committee: 11·6·24 Meeting Recap
Last night’s School Committee meeting was focused on MassCore and graduation requirements, a timely topic following the passage of ballot Question 2 ending the use of MCAS as a state graduation requirement. The Superintendent also spent ti…
- Boston School Committee: 10·23·24 Meeting Recap
Last night’s meeting focused primarily on transformation schools with a required quarterly update as part of the district’s systemic improvement plan put in place by the Department of ELementary and Secondary Education. The meeting began w…
- Boston School Committee: 10·9·24 Meeting Recap
Last night’s meeting focused primarily on MCAS results and achievement. The meeting began with the Superintendent’s Report, where the Superintendent provided an update on transportation. While the district has been making improvements week…
- Boston School Committee: 9·25·24 Meeting Recap
Last night’s meeting began with the Superintendent’s Report including a discussion of the recent release of MCAS results, which continue to show a lack of improvement in achievement since the pandemic. Even with hundreds of millions of dol…
- Boston School Committee: 9·11·24 Meeting Recap
Last night’s meeting was the first since school began last week for BPS. The primary focus of the Superintendent report, and the ensuing discussion with School Committee members, was the district’s transportation challenges. Over the past…
- Boston School Committee: 8·28·24 Meeting Recap
Last night’s meeting was the last meeting before Boston opens schools next week. The Superintendent spent the majority of the Superintendent’s Report providing key back to school updates. While the School Committee usually has received a s…
- Deep Dives: How NYC Is Preparing For This School Year
** We want to hear from you! Please fill out this quick survey to provide feedback about our podcasts ** As we head into a new school year, schools and families across the country are grappling with significant challenges, from teacher sho…
- Boston School Committee: 8·19·24 Meeting Recap
** We want to hear from you! Please fill out this quick survey to provide feedback about our podcasts ** Last night’s meeting was a special scheduled meeting, with the School Committee sharing their summative evaluation of the Superintende…
- Boston School Committee: 7·17·24 Meeting Recap
The Boston School Committee held a shorter-than-normal meeting last night. The meeting began with the Superintendent's Report, which provided updates on summer learning, announced new technology for school buses, and presented the quarterl…
- Boston School Committee: 6·17·24 Meeting Recap
Last night’s meeting was the last school committee meeting of the school year, with a scheduled vote to close the Lilla Frederick Middle School and close and consolidate the West Zone Early Learning Center with the Hennigan School, and a r…
- Deep Dives: How Can We Help Kids Navigate the Digital World?
In today’s episode, Jill is joined by Dr. Jill Walsh. She is a sociologist and researcher at Boston University, and specializes in the impact of technology and social media on adolescent development. Dr. Walsh is also the founder of Digita…
- Boston School Committee: 6·5·24 Meeting Recap
Last night’s meeting lasted about four and a half hours, and touched on numerous subjects. The meeting began with the Superintendent’s Report, where Superintendent Skipper spent most of the time discussing the negotiations with the Boston…
- Deep Dives: What Should Be The Role of Standardized Testing?
Standardized testing has long been a cornerstone in educational systems, serving as a tool for measuring student achievement and influencing decisions at every level of schooling. Supporters see standardized tests as essential for maintain…
- Boston School Committee: 5·22·24 Meeting Recap
Last night’s meeting was long anticipated as the meeting where BPS would begin to actualize the actions of their long term facilities plan by announcing a comprehensive list of school closures, mergers and consolidations, but this was not…
- Deep Dives: How To Get Your Kids Into College
Last week, Jill and Ross hosted a live podcast recording at the University Club in Boston, MA, with College Uncovered co-hosts Jon Marcus and Kirk Carapezza. Jon is a higher education editor for The Hechinger Report, and Kirk is the managi…
- Boston School Committee: 5·8·24 Meeting Recap
Last night’s meeting featured the Superintendent’s Report and three reports, including reports on participating in the school choice program and the district’s facilities plan. The meeting began with a brief Superintendent’s Report. Member…
- Deep Dives: Solving for Retention: Is It Time to Modernize the Teaching Profession?
There are over 50,000 teacher vacancies in classrooms across the country, with certain parts of the country seeing large numbers. As the number of individuals enrolled in teacher prep programs has dropped off and more and more teachers are…