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BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS LAUNCH TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COUNCIL TO INCREASE ACCOUNTABILITY, STRATEGIZE ON SYSTEMIC IMPROVEMENTS

BOSTON – February 23, 2023 – Today, Boston Public Schools (BPS) Superintendent Mary Skipper announced the members of the Transportation Advisory Council (TAC). Previously announced at a January Boston School Committee meeting, the TAC serves as a forum for a range of stakeholders – students, families, community partners, and BPS staff – to discuss important transportation issues, engage in collaborative problem-solving, share recommendations with the district, monitor progress, and advocate for systemic improvements to the district's transportation.

"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."

During the Feb. 15 School Committee meeting, Superintendent Skipper provided an update on the TAC's first meeting, which she hosted Feb. 8. She welcomed the following members: 

  • 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

The Office of the Superintendent will organize and implement the TAC with input from various BPS departments, including the BPS Operations Division, BPS Transportation, and BPS Office of Special Education. The Superintendent appointed members to the TAC who represent BPS' diversity, including race and ethnicity, gender, region/neighborhood, school type, socioeconomic status, disability status, connection to transportation work, and age.

"This is a great step towards building a better transportation system," said Boston School Committee Chairperson Jeri Robinson. "It is vital that we all unite as a community for our students, not only for transportation but for everything BPS does. We must come together and put our young people first, and this Transportation Advisory Council will do just that."

Participants are expected to share information and data from their unique perspectives to contribute to a greater individual and collective understanding of the complex school transportation system. The goal of the TAC also is to ensure all members are better equipped to make informed, effective recommendations for improvement.

"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." 

The TAC also will monitor the progress of operational transportation improvements, problem-solve and share input on future district policies, including providing input on implementing the recommendations from the Council of Great City Schools review of BPS transportation. Finally, participants will advocate for systemic improvements to the district's transportation, working towards a vision of school transportation that better supports access to high-quality learning opportunities for students.

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