Boston Public Schools launch advisory council to address transportation issues
Boston Public Schools launched an advisory council Thursday night to address issues that have plagued the district’s transportation department for years.
The Transportation Advisory Council (TAC) will serve as a forum for students, families, community partners and Boston Public School (BPS) staff to discuss issues affecting the transportation department, share recommendations with the district, and advocate for systemic improvements, according to officials. The goal of the group is to increase accountability and optimize performance for the district’s school buses.
The announcement comes amid a statewide investigation into the way BPS’s transportation department functions. Whether it’s violence, unreliable schedules, or students being dropped off at wrong addresses, the agency is no stranger to controversy.
“We know systemic change is needed to improve the transportation experience for all students and families, and it will take the entire village to meet the needs of our students,” said Boston Public Schools Superintendent Mary Skipper. “The Transportation Advisory Council will be a key component in our efforts to ensure all students have safe, consistent, and reliable transportation to and from school every day.”
The first meeting of the forum took place last week, although it is unclear how often the group will meet going forward.
“It is vital that we all unite as a community for our students, not only for transportation but for everything BPS does,” said Boston School Committee Chairperson Jeri Robinson.
The TAC is made up of the following members, appointed by Superintendent Skipper:
· Ray Germany, BPS Special Education Parent Advisory Council Representative
· Kelsey Kirk Brendel, BPS Parent, SpedPac Executive Board Member
· Zachary Houston, Assistant Director for Applied Behavior Analysis, BPS Office of Special Education
· Karla Jenkins, Higginson Inclusion K-2 Principal
· Meriem Khireddine, BPS Helpline Specialist
· Sarah King, Implementation Manager, Systemic Improvement, BPS Office of the Superintendent
· Arlene Leung, 12th-grade student, Madison Park Technical Vocational High School
· Mark Loring, COO, Brooke Charter Schools and Boston Charter Alliance Representative
· Royal Nunes, BPS parent and community partner
· Oniris Ramirez, BPS parent
· Varsha Ramsumair, Assistant Director of the Bus Monitors Unit, BPS Transportation
· Dejon Rice, Founder/CEO of Boston’s Bridge to Excellence
· Dan Rosengard, Executive Director of BPS Transportation
· Delavern Stanislaus, BPS Chief of Capital Planning and former Executive Director of BPS Transportation
Skipper says the goal of the TAC is to ensure that members are better equipped to make informed recommendations for improvement to the district’s transportation system.
“Our goal is to make BPS’ transportation the best it possibly can be for our students and our community,” said BPS Transportation Director Daniel Rosengard. “Success will require meaningful stakeholder engagement and collaboration across the district as well as with our many partners and stakeholders. We look forward to working across the community so that we can not only improve our transportation system but go above and beyond for our students, families, and schools.”
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