Johnson: We'll Work With Community On Improving School Choice Process

Two years after public outcry ended plans to overhaul school choice in Boston, officials are now looking at a retake.

At a school committee meeting Wednesday night, Boston Schools Superintendent Carol Johnson did not so much present a proposal as launch a process. It will take 18 months, she said, and it will involve families at every step, as the district considers changing the student enrollment system that's been in place for more than two decades.

Johnson joined Morning Edition Thursday. She said Boston Public Schools are working to ensure they have the "right set of choices" for families.

She cited a 9,000 student increase in arts and music activities and the maintenance of maximum class sizes.

"I think we've been addressing the very things that families said to address first," she said, "to make sure the low-performing schools are improving."

Johnson said BPS would continue to work to improve. She called the market for education "competitive" with more charter schools opening.

"We still have schools that still need to improve for families to feel like they can walk across the street and go to that school," she said.

-- Here's Johnson's proposal (on Scribd):

http://www.scribd.com/doc/53004358/Boston-Public-Schools-Improving-School-Choice