Boston School Committee Renames McCormick School, Debates Transformation School Accountability

BOSTON -- April 10, 2024, Boston School Committee unanimously renamed the Boston Community Leadership Academy/McCormick school as the Ruth Batson Academy and approved two grants totaling $145,375 at its April 10 meeting. The grants cover a homeless services program modification and a small continuation health grant; Senior Director of Opportunity Youth Brian Mark told the committee the district expects to identify more than 5,000 students experiencing homelessness this school year, surpassing a prior record of approximately 4,500 set in 2017-18. A third-quarter transformation school update from Executive Director Mike Sabin showed that only three of 26 non-high-school transformation schools met or exceeded the national MAP reading growth benchmark of 50, prompting committee member Brandon Cadet-Hernandez to demand a formal policy with a time limit on transformation status: "We can't set up systems without an endpoint." Superintendent Mary Skipper also announced exam school invitations were sent nearly a month earlier than prior years, and multiple school psychologists testified in public comment against proposed cuts to the behavioral health services department, arguing the reductions contradict the district's announced $20 million mental health investment.