Why is BPS so bad and what should be done to improve it? (Boston: middle school, taxes)

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by Boston Shudra

Yes. If Boston’s exam schools become public then so should all of MA’s private schools. Philips, BB&N, BC High, RL. All of them.

Doesn't make sense, private schools are ...private. Exam schools are not. So there's an equity question in play that isn't with private schools . Why should some exam schools get the perks of a private school for free? And there free public schools don't.

All the private schools aren't equal but no one complain because they're private. I don't get this post.

[Boston Shudra]

Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade

Doesn't make sense, private schools are ...private. Exam schools are not. So there's an equity question in play that isn't with private schools . Why should some exam schools get the perks of a private school for free? And there free public schools don't.

Bolded that last bit with an emphasis on “perks”. Basically the exam schools offer their exclusivity to the public while private schools don’t. In terms of equitability one could say that private schools are like public exam schools but worse.

Clearly one of the two does more to maintain income disparity in the metro area than the other. If we call one problematic, then we need to come to terms with the other being even worse.

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by Boston Shudra

Bolded that last bit with an emphasis on “perks”. Basically the exam schools offer their exclusivity to the public while private schools don’t. In terms of equitability one could say that private schools are like public exam schools but worse.

Clearly one of the two does more to maintain income disparity in the metro area than the other. If we call one problematic, then we need to come to terms with the other being even worse.

Sure but they're private. It's just very different thing. They're not part of a poorly performing district and they take kids from all over MA. Seems like a none factor. Everywhere in the country has private schools-not everywhere has public exam schools.

People pay cold hard cash to get into a private school thus it's a different world.

[Boston Shudra]

Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade

Sure but they're private. It's just very different thing.

A thing designed to cater to the wealthy.

They're not part of a poorly performing district

A few of them are. And ones that aren’t (take the schools in Dedham, Newton, and Arlington) only aren’t because of the “refusal to annex” thing. In any other city in the world, Noble and Greenough, Newton Country Day, Arlington Catholic, etc. would all be in the Boston city limits.

and they take kids from all over MA.

I would LOVE to see geographic breakdowns for all the private schools in eastern MA. What percent of Philips Andover students do you think grew up in Lawrence?

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by Boston Shudra

A thing designed to cater to the wealthy.



A few of them are. And ones that aren’t (take the schools in Dedham, Newton, and Arlington) only aren’t because of the “refusal to annex” thing. In any other city in the world, Noble and Greenough, Newton Country Day, Arlington Catholic, etc. would all be in the Boston city limits.



I would LOVE to see geographic breakdowns for all the private schools in eastern MA. What percent of Philips Andover students do you think grew up in Lawrence?

Seems like a reach to me. There are kids from all over MA, including Lawrence, at those schools so just by that they do more than most suburban school districts. Very few of them are in poorly performing districts apart from the ones in Boston and Worcester...

Most private schools are much more racially diverse than the towns they are in.

[BostonBornMassMade]

^Take for Example The Governors Academy in Byfield MA.


It has tuition of 50,000 but it gives financial aid to 27% of students and the average grant is about 47,500. Mind you a financial aid student at Governors is receiving room and Board. ''Governors Academy is 69% white 15% Asian 6% Hispanic and 5% black 4% multiracial. https://www.niche.com/k12/the-govern...d-ma/students/


compare this to the Local Triton Regional High School in nearby Newbury, MA. 92.4% white 3.8% hispanic 1.5% asian 1% multiracial and .9% black. 16% free or reduced-price lunch-no included room and board. No admission if not from 3 tiny towns.

https://www.niche.com/k12/triton-reg...d-ma/students/

Middleseex School in Concord takes a slightly higher share of black and latino students(10.5% than Concord-Carlisle High (8.8%). 6% Free or reduced-price lunch at Concord Carlisle... 34% on financial aid at Middlesex.

Speaking from experience a school like RL or BBN, Milton Academy, Winsor, Boston Trinity Academy, The Woodward School, Lexington Christian Academy, Thayer, or St. Pauls or Beaver Country Day has far more racial and socioeconomic diversity in it than Millbury High, Braintree High, Medway High, Weston High. It's starkly evident if you walk through those schools. Certain schools are less diverse (Bel Hill, Derby, St. Sebs, pingree) but some are bordering on cosmopolitan in feel.

[Boston Shudra]

Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade

so just by that they do more than most suburban school districts.

I can agree with that. If I had to rank them by gatekeeping it’d go:

1) elite town schools
2) elite private schools
3) elite charter schools
4) elite public exam schools

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by Boston Shudra

I can agree with that. If I had to rank them by gatekeeping it’d go:

1) elite town schools
2) elite private schools
3) elite charter schools
4) elite public exam schools

How would an elite charter school be more exclusive than a school you literally have to pass a test to get into? Obviously Boston charters school are even more minority dominated than its non charter schools, and blow exam schools out of the water -especially BLS-when it comes to serving underprivileged kids, if we’re talking pure numbers.

BLS is socioeconomically closer to an RL/BTA than a Roxbury Prep/Nativity Prep...

[Boston Shudra]

Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade

How would an elite charter school be more exclusive than a school you literally have to pass a test to get into?

Access. Good luck going to AMSA if your parent doesn't have a car or the time to drive you. The Boston exam schools provide free transportation to all students.

BLS is socioeconomically closer to an RL/BTA than a Roxbury Prep/Nativity Prep...

That's like saying Virginia Beach is closer to Miami than to Caribou. Like, sure, but those are 2 extremes and BLS is closer to the middle than to either side. And BLA is even less like the private schools socioeconomically. This isn't just about BLS.

Something that would make me respect the private schools more is if they had enrollment closer to the exam schools.

Even if the average and median family incomes for all students were the same between RL and BLS (though I highly doubt it), BLS would still be serving 8x the number of disadvantaged kids.

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by Boston Shudra

Access. Good luck going to AMSA if your parent doesn't have a car or the time to drive you. The Boston exam schools provide free transportation to all students.



That's like saying Virginia Beach is closer to Miami than to Caribou. Like, sure, but those are 2 extremes and BLS is closer to the middle than to either side. And BLA is even less like the private schools socioeconomically. This isn't just about BLS.

Something that would make me respect the private schools more is if they had enrollment closer to the exam schools.

Even if the average and median family incomes for all students were the same between RL and BLS (though I highly doubt it), BLS would still be serving 8x the number of disadvantaged kids.

You think free transit to school really makes up for the fact that it’s a highly selective school your literally have to test to get into? Naw... the UP academies of the world are not more exclusive than the obryant. That’s just nonsense. All these elementary charter schools/ I’m sure there getting the kids there somehow. These charter schools serve some very low income groups more or less than same groups as BPS as a whole. Unlike BLS/BLA

The entrance into private schools is just like exam schools (until last year you literally took the same test) except they’re open to everyone in the state and people who can pay have to pay. There are students who pay very very little, if anything at all.