Menino: My School System SUUUUUX

This is interesting: some dude named Thomas Menino has written an op-ed decrying the lousy state of the Boston Public School system.

Our school choice process can be confusing, unpredictable and unnecessarily complicated....

Rather than building strong communities, today’s system begins by splitting up communities....

the current three-zone student assignment system... puts complexity before community and ensures quantity of choices rather than quality of schools....

...time to break down the old barriers that had stood in the way of progress....

For the first time, the School Department made huge amounts of data available on its website....

...the clear conclusion is that today’s system is no longer as balanced as it once may have been...

Families living in today’s East Zone, for example, have lower chances of attending a high-quality school....

This Menino guy is also going to step in and try to get the state to increase the length of the school day (currently the shortest in the country) and increase the ability to identify and improve failing schools.

Man, whoever's been in charge of the Boston Public School system for the past couple of decades is gonna be PISSED when he reads this.

The writer anticipates this:

Of course there will be a push to maintain the status quo. But if anything is worth fighting for, it’s an equitable school system that delivers what residents have asked us to deliver: stronger communities through quality schools, close to home.

Be forewarned, Mr. "Menino," Boston's status quo is notoriously centered in the single personage of the all-controlling mayor. Glad to see you're up for doing battle with him -- fight the power!

In fact,   maybe you should think about challenging him in this year's mayoral election? That would be a race to watch.