Boston Public Schools

Boston Teachers Union Votes No Confidence in Superintendent as 28 Schools Reopen

More than 1500 students in Boston with complex disabilities and language needs will return to classrooms on Monday.

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The Boston Teachers Union passed a vote of no confidence in Boston Public Schools superintendent Brenda Cassellius just hours before more than two dozen additional schools were set to resume in-person learning for high-needs students.

The vote was held at an emergency meeting Sunday night.

In a letter sent to members on Saturday, the union said it did not believe the 28 schools set to reopen Monday would meet safety provisions in place at the four Boston schools where in-person learning for high-needs students resumed last month.

Despite the vote, more than 1,500 students in Boston with complex disabilities and language needs are expected to return to classrooms on Monday.

An additional 28 schools will reopen to accommodate returning students.

Air purifiers have been installed in schools without HVAC systems, Cassellius said.

Monday's reopening comes after more than 80 parents and advocates gathered in Nubian Square on Sunday, calling for Boston Public School administrators to allow more high-needs students to return to in-person learning. Organizers said that the distinct is excluding many students who are struggling with remote learning and need the additional attention.

The union told members to prepare potential action measures before the start of the school day Monday, including a 10-minute "standout," if an agreement isn’t reached with BPS Superintendent Dr. Brenda Cassellius.

Prior to Monday's reopening, less the 200 students had returned to four Boston Public Schools for in-person learning. 

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said he hoped to be able to reopen Boston's public schools in January, and to have a plan in place on how to safely reopen them sooner.

Cassellius said Boston Public Schools will release its timeline for when all schools will reopen early next year.

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