Following the recent vote by the Boston City Council to approve the FY27 Boston Public Schools (BPS) budget, hundreds of teachers, paraprofessionals and other front line workers are expected to lose their jobs. In response, Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn filed a resolution in support of recently laid off BPS employees and to prioritize potential re-employment opportunities.
These dedicated and compassionate workers are our neighbors and have demonstrated a commitment to provide social services to many of the most vulnerable residents in our city – students with disabilities. As we reflect on the impact it will have on these BPS employees and their families, we also must acknowledge it will negatively impact students with disabilities and services and programs they are entitled to by law. Moreover, with Boston Public Schools being the only city department facing significant position eliminations, we must also confront the implications for social, economic, and racial justice, as these cuts disproportionately affect women of color who have dedicated themselves to serving students with disabilities and their families. These BPS employees have consistently displayed their willingness to work hard, and in challenging environments, with professionalism and compassion.
Councilor Flynn has advocated for the city administration to develop a coordinated Human Resources approach to identify and connect recently laid off BPS employees with potential positions they may be qualified for – including eliminating certain criteria based on their years of dedicated service in working closely with many of the most vulnerable children in Boston.
“We cannot in good conscience call ourselves the most progressive city in America when we balanced the budget on the backs of paraprofessionals, low-income neighbors and women of color. That’s not the Boston I know, or the Boston I grew up in. This is about social, economic, and racial justice,” said Councilor Flynn. “We must continue to be a compassionate city that not only recognizes the commitment of every employee in supporting many of our most vulnerable students, but also the ripple effect and consequences these decisions have on our families, classrooms, and communities.”
For more information, please contact Councilor Flynn’s office at 617-635-3203 or Ed.Flynn@Boston.gov.
