BTU President Jessica Tang on BuildBPS

“Based on what we have seen of the plan thus far, we are concerned about whether or not the plan will create better opportunities for impacted students. Many teachers feel that more attention needs to be paid to what current students will gain or lose as part of this plan.

“While we strongly believe in and have advocated for new and improved school facilities, it is critical to keep in mind that many current students will not not reap the benefits of the new buildings, so we must ensure the BuildBPS program truly lives up to its goal of yielding benefits for all students across the city, particularly our highest need students, during any transition period.

“There are several key ways to accomplish this, including but not limited to:

• Ensure the preservation of successful academic programs that currently exist at the impacted schools for the benefit of students.
• Maintain continuity and stability by keeping educators in teaching positions that maximize their ability to positively impact the learning experience of students.
• The district should remain fully open to adjusting these plans and to other solutions based on stakeholder and community feedback.

“We will be closely reviewing the full details of the proposed BuildBPS plans, including possible closures, and hosting additional meetings among educators across the district, particularly at the most impacted schools. Following these discussions, we will be releasing further statements.”