Boston School Closings Force Students To Choose From Other Bad Schools

Parents in Boston protested Tuesday night to keep six of the city's low-performing schools open. The hearing was held in response to a letter sent earlier this month by Boston's superintendent, Carol R. Johnson, which threatened to close the low-performing institutions, according to WBUR, NPR's Boston affiliate.

Johnson encouraged parents in the letters to move their children to other schools in the city, some of which are also considered low-performing schools.

The Boston Globe reports:

Johnson emphasized in an interview that parents can choose any school in their student assignment areas and that the schools mentioned in the letters were merely suggestions. She defended her recommendation of underperforming schools, saying that changes in leadership, staff, and curriculum, along with the infusion of hundreds of thousands of dollars, hold promise for a turnaround.

Hundreds turned out to protest the controversial reform move. Committee members didn't respond to the emotional stories and heated debates in the hearing, and are scheduled to vote on the closings next week.

Read more at WBUR.