Boston Education Committee Hears $500,000 State Grant for Open Data Curriculum

BOSTON — March 29, 2024 — Boston's City Council Education Committee heard testimony Friday on a $500,000 state grant to fund a data science curriculum for Boston Public Schools and other learners. Committee Chair Henry Santana convened the March 29 hearing on Docket No. 0381, with Santiago Garnezes, Chief Information Officer for the City of Boston, and Kerry Jordan, Chief of Staff of the Department of Innovation and Technology, testifying on behalf of the administration. Garnezes said the curriculum would draw on city open data — including 311 call records and property assessments — and be published as open source through Boston's Analyze Boston data portal, available to teachers worldwide. The grant, awarded by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, marks the first time DOIT has taken a role in curriculum development for BPS. No public testimony was received and no vote was taken; the matter goes to the full council for final approval.