A reminder that there will be a budget organization meeting tomorrow, Monday, February 3rd, from 6pm – 8pm in the library. We will provide an update to everyone on our budget advocacy work so far, and plan the further implementation of our multiple ongoing advocacy strategies for the Curley and for all other BPS schools. We hardly need reminding, but our advocacy work stems from the deep cuts we as a school, as well as other schools, faces next year.

We are also happy to announce a number of other parents from other schools will join us, including from the Mendell, Manning, JFK, the BTU, and (possibly) Mission Hill. Any other parents from other schools are more than welcome too!

We plan to split the meeting in two, the first hour will be spent strategizing for the whole system. We hope to offer some lessons we’ve learned from our successes and failures in the past, and look forward to learning some best practices from other schools.

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

Curley Parents Testify at the Boston School Committee

We’ve already started, and the latest part of our efforts was this past week. Curley parents joined other parents at this past Wednesday’s Boston School Committee (BSC) meeting to advocate against the proposed cuts to both the Curley, and to at least 62 of 119 other schools. This figure will likely be much closer to 90 schools once cost and pay increases are factored in. Implications for the entire system are rather daunting.

As the Curley did two budget cycles ago, we turned out in numbers to stand silently in front of the School Committee while one of our parents, this time Heshan Berents-Weeramuni, delivered collectively prepared testimony. Read the testimony here:

BSC Testimony – Heshan Berents-Weeramuni – 012914

The video of the TV feed of the entire meeting is linked to here. The public comment period begins at the 40:00 mark, and includes not only the Curley’s testimony, but the budget-related testimony of three BTU parents. The Curley contingent gladly all applauded their testimony as well, which dealt with their own projected deep cuts. Carrie Fletcher later aptly described each of their testimony as “eloquent.” Other testimony included members of QUEST addressing issues of equity within the student assignment process.

Members of the Curley community will testify at future BSC meetings, including at the one this Wednesday, February 5th at 6pm. This Wednesday’s meeting will also be the meeting where the BSC is formally presented with the BPS budget. The speaker this time will be Carrie Fletcher. Please come and support her then (and wear your Curley shirt!). Future BSC meetings will see others speak, including Laurie Ciardi, Amy Sobota, Dave Demerjian, and Val Snekvik.

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