Our advocacy work around fighting the deep cuts we as a school, as well as other schools, faces next year continues at a frantic pace.

TONIGHT, our K2 parent Amy Sobota will testify at the Boston School Committee’s budget hearing.

The meeting is in Hyde Park at the Hyde Park Education Complex 655 Metropolitan Avenue, Hyde Park at 6pm, tonight, Tuesday, March 4th.

As ever, a group of Curley parents will join her and show their solidarity by standing silently with her as she speaks.

Wear your Curley shirts! Come and join us.

We will do the same for other parents from other schools. Our organizing is gathering pace as we work with now 17 other schools, coordinating our actions, and advocating for all schools in our BPS family. These schools are from all over Boston, from the Winship in Brighton to Young Achievers in Mattapan, from the Hurley in the South End to the Roosevelt in Hyde Park.

(Then, make sure you make it back to Canary Square to relax and take part in a planning meeting for the March 25th 7th Annual Silent Auction at 8pm tonight!)

1st Grade Teacher Laurie Ciardi Testifies at the Last BSC Meeting

1st Grade Teacher Laurie Ciardi delivered our testimony at the last BSC meeting, giving a comprehensive review of the problems we have encountered with BPS enrollment miscalculations in the past, and the lack of confidence we have in the enrollment projections for next year. We first testified this year at the last January meeting of the BSC, and then the next meeting saw parent Carrie Fletcher testify on the how scale is missing from the funding formula.

Laurie’s testimony is here:
Laurie Ciardi’s BSC testimony 2-26-14

You can also watch the video of the entire meeting here. Public comments began at the 25:0 minute mark. Susan Field, a Mendell parent was followed by Laurie (at the 29:00 mark), and later by John Lerner, also of the Mendell, Marie Herb of the Roosevelt, and parents from the Clap and Philbrick, all of whom spoke about budget cuts. Each school stood with the others as they spoke in turn. Many adults and students also spoke eloquently about other BPS budget cuts they face, including to the adult program.

We’ve been busy!

We’ve been busy! We’ve argued our case with City Councilors Matt O’Malley, and Tito Jackson, and Jessica Taubner, Councilor Ayanna Pressley’s Chief of Staff, and were joined at that meeting by parents from 10 other schools.

Last week we petitioned George Perry, Mayor Walsh’s Education Advisor, and were joined by parents representatives from 6 other schools. We also met with Superintendent John McDonough last week. The Superintendent mentioned the meeting in passing at the 3:00 hour mark.

We met with State Senator Sonia Chang, who is the chair of the State Senate Education Committee, and we will meet with State Representative Jeffrey Sanchez tomorrow (Wednesday). We will also be meeting with Boston School Committee member Michael Loconto, who has been gracious in agreeing to come and visit the Curley this Thursday at 7pm. All are welcome to both meetings. Please contact the three coordinating parents before for details.

We are also very grateful that so many parents have also stepped in to speak at the forthcoming school committee meetings too – thank you!

We have several more meetings being planned with other members of the City Council, the School Committee, and the entire State Boston State delegation. We also need people to go and testify at the State’s House and Means Committee hearings!

Our email campaign we will launch TOMORROW – promise!

Join the Organizing!

For more information or to be involved, again please contact Heshan Berents-Weeramuni, Carrie Fletcher, or Jill Lazer.