MID YEAR REVIEW JULY 2019 ANNISSA ESSAIBI-GEORGE BOSTON CITY COUNCILOR AT-LARGE WHAT'S INSIDE Message from Annissa PAGE 1 Improving our Schools PAGE 2 Education Hearing Reports PAGE 3 Prioritizing our Most Annissa meets athletes from her alma mater before delivering opening pitch for the All Star Softball Game. Vulnerable Residents Message from Annissa PAGE 4 Dear neighbor, Preventing Improper As your At-Large City Councilor, Chair of the Committee on Sharps Disposal Education, and Chair of the Committee on Homelessness, PAGE 5 Mental Health & Recovery, serving the people of Boston continues to be my greatest honor. Budget Review FY20 PAGE 6 In this newsletter, you will find a summary of my work over the first half of this year -- including two of my proudest Collobarating for a accomplishments on the Council: making sure we have a Better Boston full-time nurse in every Boston Public School and PAGE 7 organizing the first ever citywide Needle Take Back Day in Boston. You will also find a review of upcoming policy We Cover the City initiatives for the second half of 2019. All of my work PAGE 8 reflects my overarching priority on the Council -- making sure our government is responsive to concerns of all Boston CONTACT residents. MY OFFICE! If you would like me to share my work on City Council with you and your neighbors, parent group or others, please (617) 635-4376 email my office. I am happy to meet with small groups of interested residents across the City. @[email protected] @AnnissaForBos @ANNISSAFORBOSTON CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION | JULY 2019 PAGE 5 Improving Boston Public Schools As the first Boston Public School teacher to serve as Chair of the Committee on Education, Annissa's leadership on the Council is distinguished by a lifelong commitment to public education. With four boys attending Boston Public Schools, putting the students and families directly at the center of the decision making process is the driving force of her agenda on the City Council. After hosting a series of Education Town Halls, Annissa started the year committed to addressing our community's top concerns about education. Through the six hearings she sponsored, the eight hearings she has Chaired in the Education Committee, and the nine budget hearings for BPS, Councilor Essaibi-George is the leading advocate for improving school-based supports, creating healthy school environments, supporting student athletes, and maintaining accountability for families, teachers, and students. Welcoming our New Superintendent: Education Hearings Sponsored by Annissa Dr. Brenda Casselius 1.Implementing BPS Policy Requiring Minimum One Full-Time Nurse & One Full-Time Social Emotional Specialist 2.Analyzing Safety & Security Measures in Boston Public Schools 3.Maintaining Transparency for Phase 2 of BuildBPS 4.Reviewing Funding & Admissions Policy for Madison Park Technical Vocational High School Councilor Essaibi-George hosts breakfast to introduce the new Superintendent to the City 5.Improving Management of Individualized Council This school year has seen both turmoil and triumph. Protests rocked Education Plans (IEP) for students our School Committee meetings. Our teachers worked without a 6.Preventing Costs Overruns in the BPS contract as the community took to the streets in support of their Transportation Budget mission. 7.Reforming Maximum Age Policy 8.Reviewing Governance Structure of The sudden departure of the former superintendent followed by an interim appointment, along with announcements of grade Boston School Committee reconfigurations, school closures, and budget uncertainties caused many BPS families to feel like there was nobody at the helm of this ship, and that nobody listened to or cared about their concerns. This year has underscored for me the importance of bringing all voices to the table in a non-adversarial setting. For too long, BPS leadership has felt the need to defend itself from school advocates. With the appointment of Dr. Brenda Cassellius as Superintendent, the BPS community looks forward to leadership that reaches out to them and wants to hear from them. A new school leader in place establishes an opportunity to implement the long-term systemic changes needed to provide our kids with the rigorous and fulfilling education they deserve. Repairing relationships with the school community is essential, and I will do everything in my power to help. As I look ahead to September, my focus is on three things: honesty, transparency, and access. Our BPS community is smart, informed, and dedicated. Going forward, we should be making decisions together, working together for the best outcomes for all our students. Public education is the cornerstone of democracy. We invented it here in Boston. Let’s make BPS a point of pride for every Bostonian, and a Annissa & Cub Scouts from the Mather Elementary shining example for the rest of the country. School in Dorchester. ANNISSA ESSAIBI-GEORGE | BOSTON CITY COUNCILOR AT-LARGE PAGE 2 CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION | JULY 2019 PAGE 5 Education Hearing Reports BuildBPS: In order to hold BPS School Safety and Security Full-Time Nurse: A former accountable to their mission of Measures: In addition to violence teacher and mother of four BPS transparency, Annissa held a hearing to related incidents, our schools are now students, Annissa believes that receive a progress report of Phase 2 on faced with the increase of improperly having at minimum, one full- BuildBPS. In addition to requesting a discarded needles due to the growing time nurse in every school clear financial plan, Annissa advocated opioid epidemic. Annissa held a should be a standard operating for a concrete plan to implement the hearing on School Safety and Security requirement in the funding for community’s recommendations, measures to ensure that each school our schools. Prior to the budget prioritizing renovations for Madison in BPS has the resources to enforce review, Annissa held a hearing to Park, providing updates on grade the district’s violence prevention advocate for BPS to implement reconfigurations, and prioritizing school strategies. The Councilor also policy requiring one full-time safety improvements. Annissa continues addressed bullying protocols, the to be a leading advocate for school nurse and one full-time social ability to lock all doors in buildings, communities throughout the BuildBPS emotional support specialist in process, most recently contributing to the impact of trauma, and every school. Joined by nurses, the successful 6th grade expansion of the communication channels to parents parents, and advocates, Annissa Thomas J Kenny school in Dorchester. during a lock down. held BPS accountable to the detrimental impact of having "When I think about BuildBPS, I think about part time nurses in 44 of our significant investments. schools. Annissa's consistent Schools should be safe, locks advocacy was successful during should work. With BuildBPS, this year’s contract negotiation there's an expectation that we're making a significant with the Boston Teachers Union. renovations. Not the things we just should be doing" Madison Park Technical Vocational Annissa at BUILDBPS Hearing High School(MPTVHS): In addition to her advocacy during the budget process and throughout BuildBPS, Councilor Essaibi-George held a Individualized Education Plans: On BPS FY'19 Transportation Budget: hearing on the admissions policy and April 2nd, Annissa held a Hearing to As Chair of Education, Annissa is funding changes for MPTVHS, co- review the policies for Individualized committed to making sure our sponsored by Councilors Janey and Education Plans (IEP) for students that students receive efficient, Wu. Her visits to several vocational require additional learning supports. equitable, and reliable technical schools outside of Boston Annissa held this hearing in response to transportation. Despite receiving a confirms the importance of having reports that students were denied third of the overall budget, BPS updated equipment and sufficient classroom space for vocational services required by their IEP, cases Transportation continues to education. In addition to expanding where IEPs were being modified to experience cost overruns. partnership opportunities, Annissa maintain compliance, and barriers to Annissa held her annual mid-year sponsored this hearing to proper inclusion. Her concerns were hearing to review the BPS FY'19 demonstrate the urgency of confirmed by almost two hours of public Transportation Budget to enforce significant capital investments to testimony from parents, teachers, and their promise to realize savings. renovate the facilities of MPTVHS. education advocates. Due to her After reviewing spending, Annissa Annissa remains committed to leadership, the BPS budget for next year co-sponsored a hearing with providing the students of the City’s includes a $577,000 investment to Councilor Edwards to review only vocational technical high increase personnel for conducting IEP systemic problems with school with a competitive and meetings and evaluations. transportation. rigorous learning experience. ANNISSA ESSAIBI-GEORGE | BOSTON CITY COUNCILOR AT-LARGE PAGE 3 CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE ON HOMELESSNESS, MENTAL HEALTH, AND RECOVERY | JULY 2019 Prioritizing our Most Vulnerable As Chair of the Committee on Homelessness, Mental Health & Recovery, Annissa is a strong champion for the most vulnerable residents in the City of Boston. Her policy priorities include increasing funding to support the 5,000 students experiencing homelessness