BPS educators rally for racial equity in BPS hiring practices

Educators of color and their advocates rallied outside the headquarters of the Boston Public Schools to demand racial equity in hiring and retention practices.Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff

Dozens of Black and brown educators and their supporters turned out for a rally Thursday at Boston Public Schools headquarters in Nubian Square, demanding commitment to a diverse workforce and expressing outrage over the loss of beloved veterans of color who appeared to have been pushed out.

“We demand that BPS respond and provide us transparency around the investigation that occurred around the exodus of Black and brown educators,” said Edith Bazile, a retired BPS special education administrator and one of the rally’s organizers. “It is up to us. What we need to do is take back the power, and we have to do it by doing what we’re doing now, standing in unity and staying the same message.”

The rush-hour rally drew approving honks and fist pumps from drivers passing by, while posters taped to the windows of BPS headquarters by the event’s organizers conveyed such messages as “[Superintendent] Mary Skipper, why have you skipped out on racial equity?”; “We demand racial equity in BPS now”; and “Inclusion is an illusion for Black students.”

The rally also encompassed several other issues, including a lack of support from BPS to help educators of color do their jobs and concern that BPS appears to be backing away from a commitment to close achievement and opportunity gaps among students of different backgrounds.

“I have taken hundreds of phone calls from Black educators who say they don’t feel safe at their schools,” said Lea Serena, a former student and educator at Mather Elementary School in Dorchester. “I stand with all of you today demanding they we do better by our Black students, educators, and families. Fighting for worker solidarity means showing up for Black educators.”

Following the rally, BPS released a statement saying the district is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and noted that Black and brown educators make up the majority of new educator hires this year, and educators of color comprise the majority of Skipper’s executive team.

“We must be vigilant and intentional about monitoring the data on educator retention, recruitment, and staff discipline of our employees of color,” the statement said. “Superintendent Skipper will continue to make the investments needed to support and advance our current and future Black and Brown educators and leaders.”

The rally took place on the one-year anniversary of when a group of retired administrators of color sent a letter to Skipper, weeks before she officially began her job, in which they raised wide-ranging concerns about the mistreatment of Black and brown administrators.

Chief among their concerns were whether administrators of color have been subjected to disciplinary proceedings at higher rates than their peers and whether the disciplinary proceedings were being conducted in a fair and impartial way. The former administrators didn’t identify specific individuals in their letter.

Educators of color, and their advocates, rallied outside BPS headquarters to demand racial equity in hiring and retention practices. Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff

Skipper announced at a School Committee last fall that the district had retained a private attorney, Natashia Tidwell, to investigate the concerns the retired administrators shared in their letter, but the group became increasingly concerned that the investigation wasn’t happening because the attorney didn’t reach out to any of them for months.

In April, the attorney finally met with the informal head of the group, Albert Holland, but she told him that she was actually investigating a separate complaint that coincidentally had some overlap with concerns they raised in their letter, Holland told the Globe this week. The revelation disappointed many in the group who were hoping all their concerns would be thoroughly investigated, he said.

According to BPS, the scope of Tidwell’s review is narrowly focused on the district’s disciplinary processes to determine whether a disproportionate number of employees of color had been placed on administrative leave, investigated, and/or disciplined from 2019-2022, and if so, whether any disproportionality was the result of racial bias within the district’s disciplinary process.

BPS is expected to present Tidwell’s report to the School Committee during an executive session and a public session at next week’s meeting, BPS said Thursday night. Previously, it was unclear when or if the report would be released publicly. Portions of the report are expected to be redacted.

During public speaking portion of the rally, protesters implored BPS to do more to help Black and brown students and educators succeed in the district.

Elijah Williams, a senior at Melvin H. King South End Academy (formerly McKinley High School), said he wants to pursue a career in music but was not supported by the teachers at his school.

Edith Bazile, founder and executive director of Black Advocates for Educational Excellence, was among the organizers of Thursday's rally. She said BPS must respond and provide transparency around the investigation involving the exodus of Black and brown educators in the district.Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff

”When I told my school team I wanted to go to Berklee School of Music, they said I would never get in and that’s not OK,” he said. “I believe students should have teachers that look like them and can be role models.”

Cecil Carey, a teacher at Charlestown High School, advocated for districtwide adoption of Advanced Placement African American studies, noting all students should have the opportunity to learn about the history of their ancestors.

”Our students deserve college credit and AP courses that teach them their history and it should be available in every school,” Carey said. “I am proud to say that at Charlestown High, we will be piloting AP African American Studies.”