Thousands of Boston Students Just Walked Out of Class to Save Their Schools

[Cheese Sandwich]

Thousands of Boston high school students have descended onto the Boston Common and the Massachusetts State House in an unprecedented citywide walkout. Students are demanding the city rescind a controversial property tax break to General Electric and cease all budget cuts.

The Boston Public School District (BPS) is facing a budget deficit ranging from anywhere between $10 and $50 million for 2016. BPS students are calling out Mayor Marty Walsh for granting huge corporate tax giveaways while forcing schools to cut important curriculum and lay off faculty and staff. BPS Superintendent Tommy Chang estimates the budget deficit is approximately $50 million, but Mayor Walsh estimates the figure to be $10 million.

$18.6 million of the budget deficit comes from the district being forced to pay for charter schools that enroll BPS students. While the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is supposed to reimburse BPS for the charter school costs, it didn’t even cover half of the expenses last year.

A recent city-approved property tax break for General Electric is to blame for another $25 million that could’ve gone toward plugging the BPS budget gap. GE also receives an additional $151 million in city and state tax incentives. In return for all of these tax breaks, GE is only directly employing 600 people, which the commonwealth estimates will result in an additional 590 indirect jobs.

Boston city councilor Tito Jackson said the entire reason for GE choosing Boston’s workforce is due to its excellent schools, which are being sacrificed for corporate handouts.

http://usuncut.com/resistance/boston-public-schools-walkout/

[Hydra]

1. Schools and kids sacrificed on the alter of Mammon

Could there be a better example?

[valerief]

2. Fuckin' DINO mayor. Fuckin' charter schools. But good for those kids!!!!

[merrily]

5. We had about 20 people running in the Mayoral primary, two Republicans, I think, and the rest Dems.

No so-called third party candidates.

All were for charter schools. I voted for Walsh because he seemed to be the least worst on that issue and very pro union. My only alternative was not to vote at all, and, for me, that is not an option.

[valerief]

6. I haven't lived in Boston for 20 years, but I remember looking at this race.

Unfortunately, I can't remember who I wanted to win.

Anyway, as a rule, any Dem who wants to shovel money at charter schools is a DINO. Charter schools are an egregious racket. It's like the money we throw at the military. It goes for things we don't want, don't need, and only serves to make rich people richer.

[merrily]

7. Both primary winners were Democrats. They ran against each other. The other guy

had gotten a yooge money bomb during the Mayoral primary from an organization in California founded by Michele Rhee. Need I say more? I had really looked into all the Democrats in that primary relatively carefully.

All of them were pro-chahtah schools. (Very likely, this is what happens when both Third Way Democrats and Republicans hold hands for an issue.) Their websites even used it as a selling point (!).

I figured at least Walsh was a union guy. In fact, they tried using that against him, claiming he would not be able to negotiate city contracts well on behalf of the city.

If it makes you feel any better: During the primary, I got many, many calls from various campaigns and I brought up charter schools with every single one caller, reminding them that the first public school in what is now the US was in Boston (For the benefit of those who don't know Boston, Boston Latin School, founded in 1635 and still functioning). Here's hoping some of that got back to the candidates.

[valerief]

8. Ha! I went to Latin School back in the day. nt

[merrily]

3. WOW! Good for them.

[Hoppy]

4. WhatdafuxamatterYiz? Don'tja know that if Boston didn't give the tax break to G.E., they would'a

stayed in Cconnecticut?