School Year 2009-2010 has provided many opportunities for parents to provide input and recommendations for improving several Boston Public Schools (BPS) policies.  The BPON Task Force successfully influenced the Boston School Committee to create, improve and/or eliminate several school policies. We want to thank all the parent members who actively participated in school actions, activities and events over the last school year. 

We also want to thank our funders, supporters and allies for believing in our mission and for encouraging us to succeed. Finally, we want to thank the Boston School Committee and the Office of Family and Student Engagement for their efforts to build partnerships with BPON in a cooperative and respectful way.

 On Special Education, BPON parents:

-         Successfully advocated for new leadership for the SPED department

-         Successfully advocated for the implementation of a new IEP

-         Worked in coalition with SPEDPAC and other advocacy groups to summarize and submit recommendations from the Council for Great City Schools Report and have accepted the invitation from the new SPED leadership to participate in the recently formed Task Forces

On the BPS Budget, BPON parents and students

-         Successfully advocated to eliminate the proposal to cut MBTA passes for high school students

On the BPS Code of Discipline, BPON parents

-         Submitted recommendations to the district on revising the Code of Discipline and submitted a proposal for the creation of an Advisory Council to monitor implementation of the new Code of Conduct.  This represents a new era in parental and student participation and advocacy on issues related to Discipline as this Advisory Council is the first of its kind in the state.

On the upcoming BTU Contract Negotiations, BPON

-         Played a key role in providing the first public platform for BPS Superintendent, BTU President, parent and student representatives to discuss their priorities for the contract at a community forum in the spring

-         Is playing a key role as a member of the Boston United for Students Coalition that seeks to promote the voices of parents, students, community and business leaders in the development of the new BTU contract  

This year presented many opportunities for BPON leaders to work in collaboration with the district, from every session of Parent University where many of our leaders learned valuable skills and our staff partnered as trainers for several sessions; to educating BPON members on the need to advocate for the passing of the Education Reform Act; to the recent partnership with the district to recruit parents and facilitate some of the Community Dialogues on the redesign and reinvestment efforts for the district.  Our intergenerational work has taken off and we have parents and students working together on issues related to Drop Out Prevention, Code of Conduct and the New BTU contract in collaboration with the YOUNG Coalition and other youth groups.

Please join me in congratulating our members and encouraging them to keep on pushing for a better world and for better educational opportunities for all students.

Thank You.

Myriam Ortiz