Equity, Opportunity, and Access Report Card: The Walsh Administration Equity, Access, and Opportunity Report Card: The Walsh Administration’s Efforts and Results © 2017 National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Boston Branch Volunteers from the NAACP Boston Branch, along with external partner organizations, compiled this report for the benefit of the public. Final release date: October 22, 2017 National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Boston Branch 330 Martin Luther King Boulevard Boston, MA 02119 617-427-9494 www.bostonnaacp.org For more information about this report, please contact us at [email protected] Cover photo: Museum of African American History Meeting Room BOSTON IS A CITY OF PRESTIGIOUS ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS AND HOME TO THE NATION’S LEADING HEALTH NETWORKS, HOSPITALS, AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. OUR “SHINING CITY ON A HILL” IS EXPANDING, EXPERIENCING A BUILDING BOOM THAT IS TRANSFORMING OUR DOWNTOWN AREA AND SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS. THE BOOM IS CERTAIN TO SERVE AS AN ECONOMIC STIMULUS FOR BOSTON BUSINESSES, COMMUNITIES, AND WORKERS. HOWEVER, EQUITY, ACCESS, AND OPPORTUNITY HAVE HISTORICALLY – AND PRESENTLY – REMAINED ELUSIVE FOR THE CITY’S PEOPLE OF COLOR. THE TAINT OF RACIAL INJUSTICE IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT, HEALTH, HOUSING, POLITICS, AND PUBLIC SAFETY HAS ENSURED THAT THIS RISING TIDE IS NOT LIFTING ALL BOATS. FROM MATTAPAN TO ROXBURY; FROM DORCHESTER TO EAST BOSTON, THE UNEMPLOYMENT AMONG AND UNDERINVESTMENT IN PEOPLE OF COLOR HAS REMAINED AT THE EXTREME AND OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE SPECTRUM. RATES OF MORTALITY AND MORBIDITY, ECONOMIC AND EDUCATIONAL DISPARITIES, ARREST AND INCARCERATION REVEAL A TALE OF TWO CITIES. A MINORITY-MAJORITY CITY, BOSTON SUFFERS PROFOUND INEQUALITIES EMBEDDED IN OUR HISTORY, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND ROUTINE. NOW IS THE TIME TO FACE THESE FACTS. NOW IS THE TIME TO REJECT SYSTEMIC RACISM, AS IT IS THE ULTIMATE ROADBLOCK TO THE CITY’S SUCCESS. TO OUR CITY’S GREAT POTENTIAL: THE PEOPLE. Equity, Opportunity, and Access Report Card: The Walsh Administration Contents Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………………………………………………..…..xi Introduction...........…………………….………………………………………………………………………………….1 Research methodology………………………………..…………………………………………………………………3 Evaluation rubric…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….4 Economic development overview………………….……………………………………………………………….5 Education overview………………….……………………………………………………………….......................6 Public safety overview………………….………………………………………………………………..................7 Staffing diversity overview………………….………………………………………………………………............8 Chapter I: Economic Development Background………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….11 Scope of the evaluation………………………………………………………………………………………………..13 Current community situation ………………………………………………………………………………………14 Stated priorities of the Walsh administration...…………………………………………………………….18 Employment…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………19 Affordable housing……………………………………………………………………………………………………….22 The Minority & Women Business Enterprises (MWBE’s) Program……………….…...............29 Corporate accountability………………………………………………………………………………………………33 Final evaluation…………………………………………………………………………………………………….........34 Recommendations……………………………………………………………………………………………………….35 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………………………..………….41 What we asked.…….……………………………………………………………………………………………….......42 Equity, Opportunity, and Access Report Card: The Walsh Administration Chapter II: Education Background…………………………………………………………………………..…….……………………………….49 Scope of the evaluation………………………………………………………………….……..…………...……….50 Current state of the Boston Public Schools……………………………………………………….......…….51 Stated priorities of the Walsh administration…………………………………………………..............54 Timeline of Key Education Events in the Walsh administration.......................................55 Providing adequate funding for BPS……………………………………………………………………………..58 Expanding early childhood education………………………………………….……………………………….60 Eliminating racial opportunity and achievement gaps………………………………………………....63 Recruitment and retention of diverse teachers…………………………………….……………..………67 Decreasing student suspension rates……….…………………………………………………………………..70 High school redesign and Madison Park High School…………………………..……………………….73 Final evaluation…………………………………………………………………………………………………….........76 Recommendations………………………………………………………………………………..……..……...………77 Conclusion..………………………………………………………………………………..………………..………………81 Appendix.……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..........82 What we asked.……………………………………………………………………………………………………………85 Chapter III: Public Safety Background………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….90 Scope of the evaluation………………………………………………………………………………………….…...91 Current community situation……………………………………………………………………………………….92 Stated priorities of the Walsh administration……………………………………………………………….94 Equity, Opportunity, and Access Report Card: The Walsh Administration Violence prevention………………………………………………………………........................................95 Implementation of a full body-worn camera program.......…………………………………………104 Community policing.......…………………………………………………………………………………………….111 Final Evaluation.…………………………………………………………………………………………………………122 Recommendations…………………………………………………………………………………………......…….123 What we asked.………………………………………………………………………………………………………….128 Chapter IV: Staffing Diversity Background………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..133 Scope of the evaluation………………………………………………………………………………………….….134 Current community situation............………………………………………………………………………….135 Stated priorities of the Walsh administration……………………………………………………………..137 Staffing diversity overall.....................................................………………………………………….138 Staffing diversity in Boston Public Schools............………………………………………………………146 Staffing diversity in the BPD and BFD................................................…………………………..151 Final Evaluation.…………………………………………………………………………………………………………157 Recommendations…………………………………………………………………………………………......…….158 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……..162 What we asked.………………………………………………………………………………………………………….163 Photo credits..............................................................................................................................167 Equity, Opportunity, and Access Report Card: The Walsh Administration Acknowledgements The NAACP Boston Branch expresses its deepest gratitude to the volunteer researchers, topic experts and analysts, individual contributors, and organizational partners who made this report possible. We would like to thank The Inclusive Boston Alliance (TIBA), a collaboration of dedicated individuals and organizations who provided the initial impetus for this report after the 2013 Mayoral Debates in the City of Boston. We extend our sincerest thanks to the more than eighty individuals and organization representatives who contributed information and perspectives throughout the research and writing phases of this report, through individual interviews and participation in topic forums on Economic Development, Education, Public Safety, and Staffing Diversity. We’d also like to thank the Bay State Banner, the Boston Globe, the Boston Herald, and various other television, print, and online media sources for their thorough reporting on issues of concern in this report. We thank the Walsh administration for their cooperation in providing data in many of our key areas of research. This report was a massive undertaking that would not have been possible without the herculean efforts of dedicated volunteers. A collective total of almost 1,000 hours was spent in putting this report together. We would like to thank the following contributors for their commitment to putting together and completing this assessment for the betterment of our communities: Project Management, Research, and Contributor Team Tanisha Sullivan, Esq. Tavares Brewington, Esq. President Chair, Economic Development NAACP Boston Branch NAACP Boston Branch Don Carlson Michael Curry, Esq. Lead Researcher Immediate Past President NAACP Boston Branch NAACP Boston Branch Ericka Florence Segun Idowu Vice Chair, Health Committee 3rd Vice President, Project manager NAACP Boston Branch NAACP Boston Branch www.bostonnaacp.org 330 Martin Luther King Blvd, Roxbury, MA 02119 (617) 427-9494 xi Equity, Opportunity, and Access Report Card: The Walsh Administration Project Management, Research, and Contributor Team (cont’d) Arthur Kaynor John Lloyd Lead Researcher Chair, Education Committee NAACP Boston Branch NAACP Boston Branch José Lopez, Esq. Denisha McDonald Vice Chair, Education Committee Chair, Housing Committee NAACP Boston Branch NAACP Boston Branch Earnest Offley Chair, Human Resources NAACP Boston Branch External Contributors (Please note that the views, opinions, and information shared or expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect the political views, personal beliefs, or positions of the persons acknowledged below or their affiliated organizations, nor are they an endorsement or evaluation of any candidate.) George Cox Barbara Fields Member Member BEAM BEAM Rahsaan Hall Darrell Higginbottom Racial Justice Program, Director President American Civil Liberties Union of MA Boston Society of Vulcans Grace Holley Johnny R. McInnis, II Community Planner Immediate Past President Boston resident BEAM Georgianna Meléndez Matthew Segal Vice-Chancellor, Title IX Coordinator Legal Director University of Massachusetts, Boston American