Boston City Council, MA Education, 17 Nov 2022

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From YouTube: Committee on Education on November 17, 2022

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Education Hearing - Docket #0440, Athletic opportunities for students

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All right, thank you.

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um I'm calling this hearing to order good afternoon, my name is Julia Mejia and I. Am the chair of the committee's on education and I want to remind you that this is a public hearing is being recorded and broadcast live on Xfinity 8, rcn82 files, 964 and streamed on.

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Www.Boston.Gov city, slash, Council, slash, TV and we'll also be rebroadcasted at a later date. Please silence your cell phones and other devices at this time.

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um We will also take public testimony and ask that you sign in to testify or register your attendance, so if you're here to testify make sure that you sign up to do so. Anyone that would like to testify virtually on this matter. Please email, juan.lopez boston.gov, with your full name for the zoom Link. At the start of your testimony, please state your name address and affiliation. Today's hearing is on docket zero. Four four zero.

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This matter was sponsored by councilor Aaron, Murphy, councilor, routine luigien and counselor Liz Braden, and was referred to the committee on education on March 30th 2022.

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um uh The docket0440 order for a hearing to address the lack of Athletics opportunities for our students, I, am joined by my colleagues um and my uh the two co-sponsors councilor luigien is not able to join us today um and any other counselors that are present I.

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Believe no one is here just yet um I'm going to ask if anyone is uh interested in giving any open remarks, but before I do so would like to just note that we have a letter of absence from president Council, uhler, Ed flint and it says Dear counselor Mejia, please be advised that I'm unable to attend. Today's hearing on docket0440.

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hear me regarding the lack of athletic opportunities for our students, as I will be attending a national league of cities conference ensuring that our Boston Public School students have accurate, adequate and adequate Equitable opportunities in student. Athletics is crucial as student Sports, not only Foster teamwork, but also critical to our students. Physical and social Wellness I will review the tape of the hearing when it becomes available. Thank you to the sponsors and the chairs leadership on this matter. Sincerely Ed Flynn Boston city council president District 2.

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with that said, I am going to ask the lead sponsors if they have any opening remarks, starting with the lead sponsor counselor Aaron Murphy. You now have the floor. Yeah.

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um Thank you for being here. I called this hearing months ago. I think I was a few weeks into being a city councilor and no, as you know, as a former teacher and a mom how important extracurricular activities are for our children, and now more than ever, we talk about it a lot. We have lots of hearings here on the council, which is great about the need for opportunities for our children. Our young kids are at risk.

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We know that, and especially coming out of covid, we have to have these types of opportunities for our kids. Our public school students deserve a full range of athletic opportunities currently, and this was something I brought up during the budget about wanting to make sure that we were investing more so I know that Nate Cooter is here. Thank you for being here. I know.

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We talked about it during budget hearings that we spend more than twenty seven thousand dollars per student in BPS, which is considerably higher than the state's average cost of almost eighteen thousand five hundred per student. However, for athletics BPS only spends it is 72 dollars. We did use the temporary Esser funding this cycle, so it is up to 96, but it was talked about. I brought it up at the budget hearing that that is just temporary money. We know that has to be spent in the next two years.

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So will that the increase will it stay? Will we continue to invest and even at 96 dollars? It's not enough. That's less than half the state average most of of our Public School Systems spend 161 per student and drastically less than wealthy districts such as Concord, which has spent 821 per pupil.

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The current state of the BPS Athletic program needs to get better too many middle and high schoolers have only a small handful of teams, and some schools have no athletic programs at all for the schools that do offer. Sports the funding, resources and guidance from BPS central office are severely lacking.

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We've heard this time and time again: teachers, coaches and volunteer parents work hard for these kids often feeling abandoned and ignored, and there was the article I know we referenced it before I did Bob holler from the Boston Globe had reported that the BPS investment in student Athletics remained nearly unchanged from 2009. Despite the total school budget increasing by more than 35 000. I mean by more than 35 percent. We also know that enrollment is continually going down in BPS the program that most of us in this room probably know about scholar.

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Athletes was a transformative, Civic charity that was created by John fish and it filled gaping holes in the BPS Athletic program for many years after 2009.. He first provided necessary supplies, then shifted his Focus to academic support in helping to ensure that thousands of students remained eligible to play sports and receive high school diplomas.

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In addition, hundreds of students entered college and universities thanks in part to this scholar, athlete program in all the scholar. Athletes spent more than 25 million on Direct Services to more than 27 000 students, whose passion for sports kept them coming back to school and off the streets.

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We hear this time and time again and I know my colleagues do when we're out in the neighborhoods many of the football coaches, the basketball coaches. They talk about, knowing that you know a text to a student, saying, hey I, hope, you're in math class, I hope to see you in the football field after school. You know, there's that connection there. So now, more than ever, with the recent rise of violence in our schools, our Boston Public Schools need a robust, Equitable and strong Athletic program for our students. The physical benefits are just the beginning.

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Students participating in school teams are far more likely to have improved grades report, healthy social behavior and reach higher academic and professional success. After High School, our students, have the will the talent and the right to all the incredible lifelong benefits that Sports offer and I believe that our students deserve it.

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So when I called for this hearing, it was to make sure that our role on the council and we use our power to make sure that we're investing more and if it's more funds or more resources needed that it's, not our students who lose out. There was the issue last year when we had kids. You know we got lots of calls and saw it on the news, also where kids weren't getting bussed to Sports Programming, the shortage and buses were affecting the Athletics, which was really hard.

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Kids who had a car ride, could get there some couldn't. So that was hard and just knowing that we just have to do better for our kids, so hoping that this is just the beginning of a you know, a stronger relationship and a well a commitment to making sure that our BPS kids, it's not Equitable and I, will just end on one store.

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I know during covid there were different covid rules for BPS students, but it was really hard knowing that I knew down at the Divine rink there were students coming in with their BC high hockey bag playing hockey, but the sister at Latin Academy. We had her Latin Academy hockey bag and couldn't play because BPS wasn't allowing kids playing, but other schools were, or we had towns playing at our ranks, but our kids, if they were in the public school, couldn't play.

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But if they were at a parochial school could I know, we've come out of covid, but that's part of where these conversations with families had started and really digging deeper into. How can we make sure that we talk about having a world-class school system?

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We definitely need Athletics, because we know for many of our kids and when I talk about Athletics I'm, also including chair dance, extracurricular activities. So thank you for being here and I. Look forward to the conversation. Thank you chair. Thank.

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You councilman Murphy uh counselor breeding. You know, I have the floor. Thank.

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You, madam chair, thank you to councilor Murphy for bringing this issue forward for a discussion. It's really critically important and also thank you to the folks from BPS for being here this afternoon.

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um I really feel very strongly passionately about Athletics and schools. From my own experience as a young person growing up in Northern Ireland I I, we had the troubles we had my father passed away when I was 14 years old and I can honestly say that participation in school sports saved my life and I think that that is the experience of so many of our young people and unfortunately, um they don't get to always get the benefit of school participation. It helps with mental health, physical health.

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It builds teamwork, skills, leadership, skills, confidence building and camaraderie, and support for your team from your teammates. So I really feel that this is a critical issue. It's vitally important to the success of our student bodies and really want to emphasize that this isn't the situation as it stands needs to be improved in Austin Brighton we've had our middle and high school students who participate in sports.

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They join like a unified team from the green Academy Boston green Academy, Brighton, High School and the Mary Lyon, and then last summer they had the experience I've been in a baseball league and having them be disqualified. Halfway through the season, because someone had omitted to register some players and the whole team was disqualified. It's not only discouraging it's devastating and so disappointing for those young people. Then we have a recent story brought to my attention of the cross country.

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Athletes who trained at Franklin Park and that have been forced to train indoors due to incidents of violence at the park and again, if anyone's familiar with cross-country training indoors, doesn't really equate to training Outdoors on a on an open field space. So again, there's lots of issues, but I do hope that we can come up with good Solutions and make a really strong commitment to Athletics for our Boston Public School students. Thank you, madam chair. Thank.

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You Council Breeden I'll, just say a few words, so I'm really excited to have this kind of conversation and looking forward to really having a solution focused hearing right. So we already know what we know I'm always going to ask. What are we going to do about it and, more importantly, what can we do to support BPS in reaching those goals right because I think that that's what really changes the conversation as a parent who is has a child children Aid at school age, Childs, I, guess, is what you are calling it these days.

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um This conversation is personal. For me, my daughter is on her school's dance team and while you might not think that that's Athletics, that's definitely given her an opportunity to move and she also plays softball and is going to be trying out for the basketball team at her school. So none you know it's really important that we get this right, not just for her, but for all of her classmates and all of the children across the city of Boston.

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We always talk about being a resource, Rich City, and sometimes often we lack the coordination and I'm curious as we move through this conversation.

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Who are our partners that we can really build with and help fill some of these gaps, because we always believe that BPS can do everything, but we also have to manage our expectations that we have a lot of organizations that can lean into this and would love to hear some of your creative thinking around what that potentially May like right, so I just wanted to uplift that and in the spirit of the way I lead.

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I am going to ask I'm going to start off with a few public testimonies before we go into the administration panel. Okay, so I'm going to switch things up just because I believe those who are living the realities are often um can really help us set the stage for what this discussion is going to look like. So that said, I'm going to start with public testimony. We have three lined up for uh so far. We have Ted loska here if you're here, please make your way um to the podium there followed by Chanel Jeter.

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Yes, so please make your way you'll be after Tom and then we're gonna go to Robert Jenkins, who has definitely been advocating uh with my office strongly around all things that deal with Boston public schools and Athletics as well. So if you all can just you know, you're going to be that's the order, so we'll start off with you Ted. You have two minutes just so you know, and uh it's going to begin now. Okay,.

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That's almost impossible, but we'll do our best. I've been around uh for a real real long time, advocating for athletics in Boston uh I've been through two Mayor Menino uh initiatives to try to do something. Of course nothing changed right now. My big problem is the amount or the variety of sports that are offered. We just listened to the podium here. Talk about basketball and football and I think hockey was mentioned, but we don't recognize anything else, I'm.

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Incidentally, a track and field coach, I coach, an event that has a zero place to practice in the city. It is also a dangerous event, because we throw heavy stuff with nothing all right. uh Just to give you an idea how lacking we are here in Boston, Arlington, High School, which is where our superintendent comes from offers. 28 different teams, Latin School, which is sort of uh our our golden standard, has also 28 teams. Boston Public Schools offers 15 teams.

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The MIAA authorizes 19 different sports and, uh like I, said something like Burke, which is the high school in my neighborhood has nine. We really need to think about uh broadening the scope of the school Sports offered. Most of the sports, like basketball and football reward size, I have no problem with size. I have a little of it myself, but that's not every kid.

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In the school system, I would like to see us use, as maybe uh you know, a rubric where we go to like I'll, make sure we offer all the MIAA sports, or we at least offer to every kid. In Boston, uh every sport that's available at Boston, uh Latin Academy, Latin School.

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uh It doesn't have to be at every school, but it has to be available to every kid and if we really wanted to get kind of Cadillac look at the list of sports in the Olympics and see if we can't get an entry-level operation for all of those Sports. uh For you know just as a general thing, uh we need to have sports and uh the Arts music and stuff in the schools. We have a a gentrification going on in Boston and there's a lot of negative stuff about that.

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But if we want to keep the children of the people moving into Boston in Boston Public Schools, we have to offer more than just basketball and football. uh That's I know: that's me: uh the people want to see their kids come home with a lacrosse, stick in one hand, a violin in the other hand, and a bag full of books and right now that's not happening.

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You thank you I appreciate your testimony. I am it looks like that's a tea Chantel, okay, great.

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Next time, no, no, my love! You now have.

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The floor perfect. Thank you so much um good afternoon. Everyone, my name, is Chantel Jeter and I'm. A physical education, teacher, I'm, gonna cry an athletic coordinator and middle school girls, basketball, coach at Boston, green Academy, I graduated from the Taft Middle School into the.

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It's less than two minutes: I promise I wish I emailed it actually, but.

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Somebody might have to read it because I want it to get out, but I can't.

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I would say.

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Please yes, clean.

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And I have more stuff that I can share with y'all later. For my.

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Two minutes just uh and don't celebrating do you remember. um Chantal came with her jump, roping team. Yes, thank you.

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I'm going to read gentile's um testimony into the record, my name is Chantelle Jeter and I. Am the physical education teacher athletic coordinator and middle school girls, basketball, coach at Boston, green Academy, I graduated from the Taft Middle School in 2022, after winning the Middle School city finals, while practicing and playing basketball in the same gym. I currently teach and coach in in 2019 I started coaching Middle, School, girls, basketball at BGA. After taking some significant time off the sport.

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The following year, I joined the Wellesley High School coaching staff, as the Girls JV coach and varsity assistant.

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Most recently, I was hired to coach the girls varsity basketball team at Belmont, High School in the fall I am extremely passionate about the work that I do because I was once in the shoes of my students and players, a BPS Alum who started playing basketball at the age of seven after being encouraged to do so by my second grade teacher at the Garfield Elementary School, who I am still in contact with to this day, I will never forget the teammates that I have had the pleasure of playing with coaches.

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I have learned from, and the students that I've had the privilege of coaching I also never forget all the things that we had and didn't have that we may have needed the differences between the city and Suburban Athletics program truly break. My heart and I am ready to do whatever it takes to bridge that Gap. Our students deserve the same access and Facilities as students in the suburbs.

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We can provide them with so much more if we band together and come up with a plan to include Community Partners, better coaches, training and systems for our young people.

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Some areas of concern when it comes to the middle school basketball program in particular are that there is a lot of money being spent and the program is not strong. Not improving and the students are not getting better at basketball, they're going to get into High, School unprepared, mentally and physically, and they just don't have the knowledge Talent OR skills to play at a higher level if they wanted to. Coaches may not be qualified or having a positive impact on the program. Yet they are hired year after year. I would love to see them.

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I would love to see some audits or interviews whatever it takes. You.

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Don't have to read anymore: I can share the recipe, but the first thing was come.

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I have more stuff about what I do in the schools too. So I teach phys, Ed I started a lot of clubs in schools.

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And I can email stuff to them. Thank you. So much.

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Thank you. Chantal really do appreciate you bring bringing your voice into the space um and I know that this is something that is deeply um emotional and very personal for you. So I hope that, as we continue to have this hearing that we can do use some justice. Okay, thank you. Okay, uh Mr, Jenkins, I'm gonna set your timer.

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Well, you know I had a lot to write down, but I'll send it to you all, including you know, I got all y'all's emails, so I'll send it to you guys. You guys know.

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And speaking to the mic, please.

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My name is Robert Jenkins. Thank you, Class of 1978 at Madison, Park, High I'm on the history books, I scored the first ever touchdown in Madison, Park, High, all right, but last two and a half years three years my school doesn't even have a football program. This just past year we had someone of a JV football program but, most importantly, I'm a High, School, youth, official in football basketball and swimming so I have a lot of insight to BPS.

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I can go and work in the suburbs and get plenty of work, but I chose not to because not only am I official am I follow and my fellow colleagues, we are also teachers and mentors because we stay in the city, because our sports program, Athletic program is needed, I mean those students. When you have students who passed the mocking term become in the fall and can't play football, football not only provides extra curriculum activities, but it provides uh how can I say: uh Team Pride leadership camaraderie.

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You know it's a shame that we only have two Thanksgiving Day games this year. That's going to be excellent, East Boston! That's also going to be uh English and Latin the longest running traditional football program, not only in the city or the state or in the country. All right and the numbers are low.

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I can give you numbers. I did a football game. Last Thursday at Tech, Boston and Latin Academy I'm gonna send video You're Gonna Be Amazed. It's hardly nobody there for Thursday night game and Friday was a holiday. Okay, then I go over and leave and go officiate a pop one, a football game at harambai field, where they were close to 2 000 people out there. Okay, when you look at numbers, we're losing kids between Sixth and the eighth grade, why?

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Because their parents want their children to have access not only to a quality education but to an athletic program? Our partners, we have a number of Partners, the YMCA, the boys and girls club play works.

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We also have Harlem lacrosse, now see I get to see all this highland lacrosse has a summer program at the Mildred Ave school, and then they come up right across the street, where I lived there for 54 years at Elmont, playground close to 200 250 participants, 90 plus percent of them are kids of color learning a new sport that BPS does not offer. So, therefore, where is lacrosse at parents are taking their kids? They can't they don't there's not even a club sports in BPS and don't get me wrong. Bps can't do it by itself.

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I understand that. But when you have three schools, you have Madison Charlestown and the Burke that don't have football programs like was mentioned just not only the football programs. It's cheerleading programs where's the school spirit at there is none, because there's no Sports again Boston is the one of the richest cities, not only in the country, but in the world. We have some of the best prestigious colleges. We have the pro sports teams.

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Why aren't we? Why don't? We have that blue? What BPS needs to start up a blue ribbon commission that they had years ago made up of parents, teachers, students, coaches officials, Pop Warner, soccer, all the youth sports programs, because all those youth sports, all those youth are going to be in high school. You want to keep them in the city. We have to give a quality education I'll, give another number Madison Park. For the last three years: real quick, real, quick, Madison Park. This community center's been closed for the last three years.

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Madison has the biggest swimming pool in the city that is closed down for the summer. Now that bps's fault, but when you say about jobs and swimming and Ted, you didn't mention it because he's a swimming guy from over to Harlem. Thank you. You get my response.

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All right, thank you. Mr Jenkins I was about to.

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um I do really appreciate you joining us this afternoon and happy to have your voice here. I I uh I understand that the administration has a hard stop so um 3 45, so in the interest of making sure that we get through those questions. I want to be respectful of our colleagues and those who are here.

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um We have the panel one, which is the administration, is Avery here and Jillian. Yes, all right so and then we have panel two. We just keep on um Barrington.

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No, it's a tooth on the basement, so.

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Lori and Clinton I'm just going off the list that I have here. Is there a new list that I don't know about? Okay, so give me the new list so that I'm saying what's simple, because I'm making things I'm reading what I I'm reading here. So something changed that you know so panel two will be panel two and I'll find out who they are in a minute. But for now we have panel one um Avery and Jillian. You now have the floor and I understand. You have a the famous Boston Public School PowerPoint.

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I think I have been very clear and I'm, not sure if anyone has gotten the memo yet from boss from me in regards to PowerPoint presentations in this chamber, any hearing that is coming in front of the school committee um I I am really struggling with PowerPoint presentations because we need to get to the point where we can have dialogue I, you could use the PowerPoint to reference, but you know we we end up uh occupying 30 minutes of our time, going through a PowerPoint presentation and then that prevents us from really diving into questions and exchange with our Council colleagues.

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So I have already put a notice out to everyone in the Boston Public School administration, that when it comes to the hearings that I chair I, do not want PowerPoints I understand that you're prepared to do one today. I will entertain it, but this is counselor Murphy's hearing. So if she's cool with it I'm cool with it, well.

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If I could say one thing, cheer I did see the um PowerPoint earlier. All of this information is, we have access. Anyone can go on to the BPS website and see this and I do um in the opening statements it was said to. We don't want to talk about what what is happening. We know that there are things happening and it's not all bad, but we're here to talk about the lack of investment and the lack of funding and when I did flip through it it's more of just listing.

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You know what what do we offer in the fall winter spring? How many different students are offered? So if I was you know, hoping and I had also invited- um you obviously overe, but also the social emotional Wellness team, to talk about the connection.

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The reason why we're having this hearing and I advocated strongly it didn't pass, but I'll continue in the next budget cycle that we need to invest more and we need to talk with our mental health providers in BPS and we've had mental health provide us here for non-profit hearings, we do have people who work. We've talked about the Partnerships. We know you have to have and many families do lean on other organizations.

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The base is here to speak about their wonderful program, they're helping you know, children in the city all of the time, so we just I'm just hoping that you speak to the concerns that I know. You heard from our opening statements and from those public statements that were talked about yeah.

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I'm sorry to have to switch things up on you guys like this, but um I I really do believe that the best use of our time together is to do things differently and I do not think going through information. That is public is helpful, because this is information that we can get on our own and I'm happy to know that the base is here because my daughter plays for the base so go base.

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um So, let's, let's challenge ourselves to uh how many slides are there.

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Five slides so I I mean I think good afternoon. Everybody.

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Avery I I, yeah yeah.

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We don't have to go through such I. Think the slides definitely help us um kind of keep our use.

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Your computer for that, okay,.

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Yeah um and and uh and I think, give some context in terms of what we do, but um I'm excited that uh everybody's here today and and wants to have this conversation about Athletics um and I. Think if we don't need to go into the slideshow, if we want to bypass that um I'm. Okay, going to you know what you want to talk about and figuring out how we kind of move forward.

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I also just want to add that to the piece about the social emotional side, that's why I mean that's. Why I'm here.

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I know I talked to Mary 22 and they told me yesterday that you cover you know the student support.

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But then you're also my director of student support, who directly supervises um Social Work yep.

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Just going to go through some Rules of Engagement, um because when we have crosstalk, it's really difficult for us to get things clearly on the record, so I'm just going to ask all of us to just be super. Mindful of that, this is for all of us, including myself, so Jill sorry for the interruption, but we're going to be super mindful of making sure that one person speaks at a time.

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So um if you want to dive into kind of uh I, I would I would I would love to hear uh if we could start off with. If you could start naming on the record. Some of the biggest challenges you are are facing um to meet this moment. So, let's just start with that, let's start with kind of paint a picture for us so that we can understand what your department is going through in the Athletics um division, Avery to really meet this moment. Let's just talk about that.

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um I mean actually can I reference. Some of the slides I think that that may be um that way, you don't feel like I've there you go yeah so um and we can. We can jump around here. I mean I. Think um in terms of.

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I don't worry about, but our slideshow there um kind of references, the major areas that we work in uh athletically. We have um obviously our High School interscholastic, uh the the kind of the most competitive, uh most skillful area that we work in. We also have our middle level Athletics, which are geared towards our six to eighth grade students, special Olympic offerings that we do with some of our challenge.

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Kids and then obviously, we've worked on opening up opportunities at the elementary level just to get kids some exposure and opportunity to get out and get to experience. Some of the many things that we find are important with Athletics I. Think in saying that we Are One Singular Department, obviously that services over 70 schools in the district and supporting their athletic, Endeavors and I. Think in in looking at that um there comes some capacity issues.

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There comes some issues of dealing with schools, of varying enrollments, varying interests, varying cultural backgrounds, um a variety of pieces that we see as a collective across the district, I think and also dealing with that I think there's also the piece of you know what as BBS we offer and we expose students to athletically, but also how they continue to pursue that when they're, not with us in BPS.

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You know who are the people that they're going to what are the opportunities for athletics outside of school, where those opportunities look like in their neighborhoods and in their communities and how that all feeds into their interest in athletics as they come to school. We obviously are very operationally heavy Department. We work closely, we work well, we work in collaboration with a number of BPS departments, and you know they have their limitations as well, so I think in terms of painting a a picture of Athletics.

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We are I, I would say um in in a good space, but I think there's, as you have all pointed out, there's an opportunity for or for looking to do more but I think when we talk about that, we need to be very focused. We need to be very clear. We need to be very um uh as a collective kind of we need to understand what we're taking on and make sure that we confidently can produce that and do it at a high level.

C

So Avery can you um for the record, just kind of walk me through some very specific um issues that you can identify some very specific things that are preventing the athletic department from really serving the need of students. Just give me one or two very specific things: I.

K

Mean I think we're serving a need, I think in terms of I think we need a consistent definition as a collective. What that looks like when we say that, um because I think in um there's uh there's perceptions, there's realities, there's uh kind of people's awareness of how things actually happen, and maybe what may come across as what they think happened. So I I mean I, I, wouldn't um I, don't think. There's a I mean like right now um in terms of where we're trying to do.

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If we're trying to do more, we're going to need to be able to answer questions right, we're going to need to answer answer questions around facilities, we're going to need to be able to answer questions around.

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um uh Who are the people that are going to organize and run these programs? We need to be able to answer.

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um You know, questions around our general capacity to meet the various needs that we have in the district, so doing more is more Transportation doing more, maybe longer times on fields and in facilities than what we currently have done.

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Doing more May mean um that where um um um excuse me for losing my train of thought here but doing more um May mean that um we're doing things outside of uh the hours and the spaces that we're normally operating in and I think all those um you know are our pieces that um we can't just I, don't think they're.

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We say we do it and it happens. Okay, um I'm, sorry,.

C

No no I I wanted to because I'm being mindful of time and I want to make sure that you know we just started asking questions and I want to make sure that my colleagues are able to to do this with you um one more question that I'd like to just pose and if you could just give me some sense of what your capacity is. You said you have a department that serves 70 schools and you're only one department. So can you talk to me about your Staffing, like how many people you have on staff yeah.

K

We are a staff of Mr Speaker, seven people. We have an equipment manager that supports all the equipment needs for the district. We have myself, we have an administrative secretary.

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We have a scheduler who deals with all of our schedules and make sure that they're um that we can do what we say we're going to do on paper. We have an assistant athletic director that deals with operations and facilities, and we have a programs manager that works with increased our capacity and since the middle school increased our capacity in some specific areas, around transportation, technology, health and well or excuse me, Health Services, with our nurses, so that we're kind of connected in all those areas.

K

We also have a Special Olympics coordinator, that's a part-time position, but that that is our.

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Team would you say that a team of seven people that serves an entire district is suffice, um be honest.

K

No I mean thank.

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I'm not making no excuses.

K

No no I I mean I I think um obviously there's pieces that we can handle centrally and I. Think as you look out, there's specific um uh knowledge or specific attention that you'd like to provide to each of the schools that sometimes is challenging.

C

I see Joe, you have your light up and then I'm gonna ask I'm gonna, go to counselor Murphy for questions to Avery and then Geraldine Jillian yeah go ahead.

L

Sorry, actually, that's, okay, um so I just want to note when we're talking about Staffing, it's it's not adequate for a district this size um and we recognize that we actually just gave five hundred thousand dollars to increase the Athletics budget to deal with staffing issues.

L

um One of the things that Avery and I have been talking about is issues around compliance, which is a big part of Athletics and is a really important part and I think it's been tucked into other jobs, but really needs its own person, managing it for a district. This size I think to ask that to fall into another job description with other responsibilities, just isn't going to serve our students and our athletes very well.

L

So it's important that we recognize that, so we have given additional funds to the athletics department and Avery and I have started working on the job descriptions around that.

C

That's great, thank you, I'm, going to view the rest of my questions, I'm, going to defer to the lead sponsor. Thank.

D

You picture um so students always seem to say it best, so I'm going to just reference to at this time, letters that students had written- and it will tie into my um concerns and questions here so from a ninth grader I think we should have a better basketball court in school, with better backboards and a better floor. We should have a gym in school for people who want to work out.

D

Athletes should get better transportation when we have games because one often times we didn't have a bus to the field and some people had to walk or get a ride from someone. There should also have um you know Fields closer to our school or Transportation, so everyone can get there on time and then Edwin wrote that he's been playing sports in sixth grade every time we have a game, it's hard to get home at the end of every game. It will always be dark outside.

D

We will not have any transportation Transportation matters to us, so everyone can get home safe without any problems. This can be a big problem, especially with no parents. Picking up a student athlete there's more that I'll probably reference later, but this is where I mean to me. This is heartbreaking, because this is fixable right and I know. As a parent myself, where you know there'd be a bus to a van, maybe to Ruggles to pick up and I was able to, but other students weren't, so her classmates were dropping out a crew right.

D

You hear these stories time and time again and we know we've. Many of us sitting here have been too many of the gyms across BPS and they're, not Equitable. We need to make sure that you know the basketball courts that we have good equipment. We can afford it and we need to do better there, but the transportation is something you know. If you can't get to a game or you know you can't get home, you don't go to the game right. Your mom says no.

D

You've got to get home from school because I can't pick you up later. So if you could address how you see the transportation crisis and what you need from us to do, a better job so that students can get to sports and.

C

Before you start to answer that, since we do have them in the building I'm going to ask Nate and Sam depina, you may have not been prepared, but if you want to participate as you both are in positions that can help inform this dialogue. You are more than welcome to join us here. Just want to offer that as an invitation.

C

L

You thanks for inviting them down um so.

C

So counselor Breeden needs to leave. You want to ask a question or two before you go.

B

E

No I just really I agree. Laughing issue is really critical here and um uh I think understanding the compliance issues really important, making sure that our students, especially the unity teams that are from coming in from different high schools, different middle schools to join a one team that they're all appropriately registered to participate and that we don't end up having teams be disqualified halfway through a season. That's really not acceptable, so really, there's a lot of things to improve, and some of it is sort of low-hanging fruit.

E

But then also we need to talk about facilities and transportation is critically important, so I'm sorry, I have to dash I have another another commitment in the district that I have to get to. So thank you for being here and I will watch the rest of the uh the rest of the recording and also I'll follow up with some more questions.

C

Thank you. Thank you. Counselor breeding I also want to acknowledge that we have been joined by our colleague, counselor Royale, District 4., all right, Sam excuse me Mr depina and Nate kruder, I'm I really do appreciate you uh being so gracious and flexible and being with us, because you know we have questions and we believe that you have answers to some of those questions as well. So thank you for joining us.

K

I think I just wanted to respond to the transportation question, obviously I think as a district, we have challenges of Transportation last year that everybody was aware of, and everybody was working to try to figure out how we kind of resolve and obviously figuring out how we deal with the transportation requirements of our schools to and and also our extracurriculars and Athletics.

K

Moving into this year, um I I've got to publicly recognize transportation for doing a much better job than what we did last year. I think in terms of the number of chips we've had the number of games, the the things that we struggled with last year. We didn't feel any of that. This year it was things were covered, kids were able to get buses to their games and home from their games. We entered into an MIA Statewide tournament at the beginning of November that took us to a number of areas.

K

50 60, 70 miles outside the city that we were all able to cover with BPS Transportation. So last year was an anomaly. I feel we're in a better spot. Right now, we have been through a successful fall season and I think we're in a great place to start our winter season.

M

And I would just add to that um if I may um so yeah. Thank you for having us hearing um that was a result of direct work and collaboration with our transporting provider, as well as the bus drivers. Union, who work closely with us to really really unpack the driver's shorter situation. Do a lot of recruitment do a lot of training and then some of the operational efficiencies around looking at how we actually picked route assigned routes that that was all heavily improved by the transportation department in trans Dev.

M

So we're seeing the fruits of that this year. That was a change from last year.

A

D

So, are we saying that all students were able to get picked up and dropped off to all of their games? This fall because these letters that I received are written this week from students for this school year.

K

I would um at some point we can talk of where.

D

K

What school they were, but.

D

K

You know for, for the most part, I mean we deal with Transportation uh daily, there's a couple of check-ins around coverage and what is covered and what's not covered, and those situations didn't really happen.

D

Yeah because we get I get calls in my office about concerns about Transportation still yeah, and these letters are from students, they say their name and their school, so I'll follow up differently with the school to find out. Thank you.

D

L

Trust him um so I just to the transportation issue. It came it's interesting because it came up in a meeting that we were in today um with our uh leadership of our faith-based communities and when we talk about like how we can work together and what support the schools need from the city council I think one of the biggest issues is because we provide busing for all students in the city of Boston.

L

So that's parochial, that's Charter, there's 68 different Bell schedules that we're on and that's incredibly difficult um to navigate BPS has tiered their start times and end times. um 7 30 8 30 9 30, but that is not.

D

Councilman he and I chaired the shared the hearing. Just last week we had Transportation here and we talked all about the different Bell schedules, but our parochial and charter school students have a legal right to our buses right. So we have to plan for that and no right, it's not like we're giving them something extra. All all children in the city of.

L

Boston I'm not saying that we're giving them something extra I'm, just pointing it out as a obstacle for us in BPS, and when we talk about you know the letters from the students saying that they've been left like firsthand I know that I coached girls soccer for seven years at Tech, Boston Academy and actually started the program there and was the athletic coordinator there and was left on fields in the pitch black with all of my players.

L

So I know it and it's important and it's something that I think we all feel and are working really hard to correct and, like Avery pointed out, this fall has been much better, I think than the past um and then I'm actually going to ask Nate to talk a little bit about um the athletic upgrades Esser funds.

L

All of that because I think that's an important like when we talk about facilities, and that was something that you mentioned. um Just the basketball courts like the backboards, the basketball, hoops, the basketball courts. All of that.

D

Before we go to that, though, if I could just say, for me, many of our students at BPS do not have an option to drive. They don't it's not like the other suburbs, where one mom can come up with her SUV or her Minivan and eight kids is safely gonna, have a seatbelt and get driven home safely.

D

So it's not an option that we don't have if we're offering basketball- and we know how many kids are playing and we know the schedule, we need to know that we have buses to get everyone safely back and forth, like it has to be part of the plan.

C

I believe Nate was going to say something and then we'll go to you. Sam.

N

um Yeah, just I think just in terms of I think what you're pointing out about the the comparison between some of our Suburban um school districts, who have a lot more resources and the parents and Community has a lot more resources to support. Athletics I think it. It fits in a number of different ways when you think about booster clubs and the opportunity to fundraise for equipment.

N

We are using Esser funding to help supplement some of the equipment purchases. We were trying to identify places where we have um you know: one-time purchases, we're also uh very appreciative of the city's support and the council support for a project of white Stadium to upgrade that facility. We do recognize the need for us to have better facilities, but I I I'm hearing in the counselor's point. Just not only do we need to be able to spend and support our students as much as other districts in a lot of ways we have to.

N

We have to provide more support to make sure students have the transportation and they need equipment and that's part of our Challenge and sort of not appropriate for Esther because, as you pointed out, that's limited term money and needs to be something that we need to identify as ongoing investments in athletics. Thank.

C

You Nate Sam.

M

Please add is that we have established different committees and advisories to help us inform how we do our work and and at Boston Public School athletics. We hear a lot of feedback, we process that feedback and we work with departments both centrally in BPS, as well as our partners to help build and address those concerns from families. So we urge folks that continue to reach out to Avery's office sign up for the coaches committee.

M

We work really closely with Boston Teachers Union on some of the matters and issues that are pointed to the coaches and we'll continue to do that. So we're listening, we're taking the feedback and we're making adjustments where appropriate. Thank.

C

You for that so I just wanted to um note that at my daughter's school there was no pickup for practices at Garvey field, Garfield field Annie right, so there was no. There was none.

M

So I guess I would just reply by saying: we've significantly improved the number of buses that we have missed trips on and we could go back and give you more information on specifically what that looks like, but we know it's way less than it was last year last year was an anatomy because of covid because of the driver shortages, because the industry standards around driving capacities number of drivers available, but this year we've been working with our partners to make sure we have more drivers, we have more brows covered and again we changed our procedures for how we assign bus, transmutation and that's been significantly improved.

M

Have we missed one? Maybe we may have missed a stock, we may have missed some I. Don't have these numbers in front of me, but we can Circle back and find out exactly what that looks like.

C

I think it's Garvey field. So it's it's far right. So we are preventing our students from sorry.

B

No I'm saying it's.

C

Preventing them from engaging yeah.

B

C

um So just wanted to note that, for the record right, we are preventing our Boston Public School students from having access to the practice that they need, so they can be set up for success. I want to remind ourselves again that this hearing, regardless of how snippy I can be I I, want you to know that I want us to find some solutions here. So again, I'm going to reiterate, we know what we know. The question is: is what can we and when I say we it's the city council too.

C

We can't just believe that it's all going to fall on your hands when we are responsible for the budget right. So it's really important for us to understand what is at play so that we can responsibly really think about. What's going to the return on investment is going to look like and what are the things that we're going to advocate for to ensure that our students are set up for success?

C

I do have a question in regards to um facilities.

C

I'm curious, if you could, if anyone here on the panel, has a sense of how many gyms are crumbling across the city, which are the gyms that need the most love and uh what's the pathway towards uh addressing that yeah.

M

So I would answer your question slightly differently. I would say that we have a maintenance program for all our gyms annually and prior to every season. We do a full assessment of the Readiness of the gyms to host our Sports and our teams. We look at things from shot clocks. We resurface floors, we repair floors as we need to in the summertime, so there's an ongoing maintenance plan to ensure that the gyms are ready to to to have Jimmy Gym classes as well as host sports.

M

Are they the best gyms ever in the world compared to other cities? Probably not, but we do make sure that they're adequate enough for our students to participate in gym in athletics. So.

C

Let's just unpack that a little bit further, so at my daughter's school there is really no space for equipment. The equipment is on the hallway floor and that could be a fire hazard.

M

I'm not sure what equipment you're referring to, but.

C

um Football, the football equipment I did a tour I.

M

C

You and you were with me- you're right and I- got pictures and receipts to prove it that um the there was no storage space for uh a thletic.

M

Equipment what I recall was that there was an intentional hallway that all the students decide to pick and leave their belongings there, because it's easier for them to grab it there and walk out to where they need to go to connect with the activity. So it was very intentional that the school community did that. So it wasn't. There was a lack of stories, but the students preferred and worked with their coaches to have that space identified. To do that, that's what I recall.

C

Yeah and we know that there is a lack of storage space that Boston land Academy right um and that there's a alleged a swimming pool there that we can activate. But um let's just go on I'm, going to uh ask my counselor colleague, Council Burrell. Some questions for the panelists.

O

Thank you, madam chair, and thank you to the panel for being here, um quick question: Deputy depina, the ongoing maintenance plan. Do we have a list of on what gyms are on that um on that maintenance plan, one school that comes to my mind. What gym that comes to my mind, is the Mildred I know: we've been actively advocating for those floors to be fixed, I think up until like last week or a week ago, two weeks ago, that you know that first Adam is fixed I kind of just kind of want to see.

O

What's on that list, and what's the timeline for getting some of those floors replacing.

M

Sure um so all gyms are on the list to get regular maintenance, but in some cases where floors, May Buckle because of water damage and there's more significant damage. Obviously that's going to take a little bit more time to secure the vendor to come in.

M

Do the work and sometimes that's a little delayed, but for the most part, we're monitoring the gyms every year and especially seasonally when basketball comes so, it depends on the gym and depends on the extent of the damage to the floor is what would drive how long the gym would be offline for got.

O

It and just like, if you had to get like a range, is it typically a month to a year that Jim's typically get repaired in terms of like the Mildred like like or any other gym, that is in need of a pair like what is the range of time. That is again.

M

O

The deal so what's the shortest amount of time, I.

M

Guess I mean if for floor refinishing a few weeks and it wasn't like the longest amount of time- depends on the depends on the damage of the floor. Okay,.

O

um And then I was just looking through this list and then um you know fall winter on page three uh like the swimming swimming sport, but there's one one for girls swimming in the fall four for the winter.

O

um Is this due to the lack of like pools that are up and running or just like the demand that students don't want swimming or a combination of both? What what are we seeing.

K

That list there reflects uh the sports that that we sponsor that we uh support financially from the district, so uh Latin School offers girls swimming in the uh fall season and boys swimming in the winter season. We offer co-ed swimming uh in the winter season at the four schools that that offer it.

M

If I can, if I can counsel the world, if we speak to the participation trends that we're seeing across the state and how it impacts BPS a little bit, that might also help answer the question.

K

Yeah I I mean I think in terms of uh the well I think to take a giant step back in terms of swimming districts, kind of Define, what seasons they choose to to swim in. We historically have swim, swam uh our BPS City League season in the winter season, and that's where we have the most kids that are interested um and obviously if we run it as a co-ed operation where the boys and girls swim, so um they each have pools that they they use and have access to.

K

um And you know it's not necessarily driven by that piece, but that's just historically where we have uh placed the season I.

O

Guess my question more so is: does every school that has a pool offer swimming? No okay! Is that because it's the pool's not up and running or because of students want don't want to swim, I.

K

Think it's a combination of.

M

It's, a combination of both to keep in mind some of our pools are in elementary schools and some of this many high schools that have the sports. So there's also that dynamic as well.

K

Got it and I think I'm sorry to cut you off, but um also to note.

K

um We have worked with play ball and we did do uh uh experiential uh swimming program last year at some of those middle or elementary schools that that have pools that we haven't used historically, so we are looking at ways to access those spaces and and give kids athletic opportunities in them.

O

Perfect yeah: that's what I like to hear, because I know that sometimes we do use other fields for sports I mean if we can use other schools or community centers for swimming for our older kids. That's something that I would definitely like for us to explore. That also Advocate to me also um uh have for, for our older older students and to put a pool on the radar. Is the uphol, a pollen I think that pools offline?

O

um It's been for for quite a while and just making sure that these pools are online to be able to offer those courses to schools. In that you know close proximity into the student population there very important.

O

um My other question is I, think that's it um yeah and at councilman he has said. Please like. Let us know how we can Advocate to help you out um to make sure that we're providing as much resources uh when it comes to sports for our students. Oh.

M

Thank you for that, and then just one thing I'll add around the pool is that we are doing a assessment in collaboration with the city and Boston Center for Families, looking at all the pools in the in the city and what that would look like and for us to really understand what maintenance, repairs and schedules we have to like work on the pools with. So we're also engaged in that and I think.

M

As far as help goes any issues and concerns you have from your constituents, around sports or Athletics um feel free to call a recall. Me call Jillian and we're happy to follow up personally with families that may be having issues and concerns around athletic opportunities and or Transportation.

O

I do have one more question: uh councilman here um the Partnerships right, Boston, Athletic, Association play ball, Foundation dream big, Boston, Parks and Recreation. Is this primarily a partnership that for our our younger students, or is it across the board like? Is it? Are we supplementing like these type of Investments to help because we don't have the um uh operating budget for our middle schools? So that's why we need Partnerships like just trying to figure out.

K

Yeah so um I think you're going to those those groups all uh touch on different areas. Okay, we like we work with baa as a collaborative with uh our office with Boston, Parks and Recreation uh to put on a middle school cross-country event. You know that I think we had that a couple weeks ago that that got 300 kids out running uh being outside.

K

You know having that physical activity enjoying uh the competitive piece, but also pushing themselves um but I, think when it comes to some of the other groups, we're working with them um play ball. Foundation obviously has a history and a tie to the Middle School opportunities being a grant being a partner being a big driver and delivering specific opportunities that are targeted at middle school students, um so I I think when listing knows, there's there's various pieces somewhere working with that. We do have that.

K

We are working with from a financial aspect, but others we're working with in terms of just creating opportunity or leveraging areas of expertise to provide opportunities for our kids and.

M

Expand opportunities that we have currently as well, so the combination of all the above.

O

Got it and I guess my question to that is how much of that is making up the like the sustainability of the program like? Is it? Are they funding the entire middle school program? Is it half of it and are we looking to move in some of that more on the operating side.

M

We have an allocated budget for Middle School programming that we do have in.

J

M

Of these programs either um supplement that or they have their own budget for that particular sports or or activities they're engaged and interested in.

K

Yeah, that's great.

O

All right, yeah I, would love to kind of see like the dollar amount, that they're investing compared to like what we have. um What what we're doing as a city, and that's that's all my questions. Counseling me thank.

C

You councilorell so just note that there was a very specific ask in terms of what the return on the investment is and what those dollar amounts look like um so Annie and Chantel and Huang, who are here taking notes. That's one of the things that we would love to dive a little bit deeper into and get answers to those questions. That would be really helpful.

C

Sure um I I just have a few of my own questions, I'm going to come back to me and then I'm going to move on um I always like to think about.

C

There is the money issue um and we have to be super mindful about how we utilize our resources right so I think some of this is about infrastructure and redesigning and reimagining. If we will how we provide service right, so I'm really hoping that, as you all start thinking about next year's budget cycle, you're really being super mindful of uh placing Athletics as the top of the priority, because you know I always I always talk about chronically absent students, and we know that students who who play sports.

C

It could be a great strategy to bring some of these kids back to school in a great incentive to keep them in school right. So really thinking about all of the different departments and I'm happy to hear from Jillian that there is some crossover here and there, but I think the chronic absenteeism division is a great place for you all to start thinking about what work you need to do within that space to re-engage young people and how Athletics could be um that pipeline for that right.

C

So again, it's offering very specific things for you all to consider as you build out your your your budget priorities for next year, because you know you're gonna have to come in front of us. Oh Julian I want to ask students around the social and emotional well-being of students and if you can just talk to us a little bit about kind of the correlation between playing sports, how that improves academic success and their social and emotional well-being.

L

Many Studies have shown us that a physical action um helps us release certain chemicals in our brain right that help us feel better feel good about ourselves and that works. That's how Sports work.

L

We see our students more engaged, more involved in their schools, not just in their academics, but when we talk about culture and climate of our schools in a positive way um and I think that's key to it is that it helps to build community within our schools and when students feel like they belong to something that oftentimes changes, how they approach, obstacles and barriers that otherwise would have seemed insurmountable and given the opportunity like Athletics, feels make them feel and allows them to be more successful in many ways in self-advocacy, in terms of resilience in terms of being able to identify and speak on issues that they're feeling internally.

L

We also know that, like mental health is so connected to physical health, right, both fall under Health mental health is health, and we know that in terms of depression in terms of PTSD, what physical movement can do for that.

C

Thank you for that. uh One thing that I will note is um there are some schools that have athletic teachers who aren't who who are English teachers, like you, know that we're strapped for time and and energy and we're asking uh folks to take on additional duties that really do not fall within their professional scope.

C

um So I'm just curious about how we're dealing with that situation can.

M

You speak can be a little bit more specific yeah.

C

There are some folks right that you have the teacher who's, also the science teacher who's. Also, the lunch monitor, who is also I, mean you know those sort of situations where people are are stretched. Then.

M

Yeah I mean, for the most part, um we've tried to provide our staff with as much training as possible for dealing and supporting our students, making sure that they're safe in school, making, sure they're emotionally sound, and we have increased social worker pathy. So we're trying to build the structures in the schools where it's not just the one person and not the personalities that go be the only one to do it.

M

We try to build teams of support in each school, so everyone's clear on roles, different types of responsibilities or people to follow up with family, so the family liaison structure, we've added as well we're trying to really build a robust team around the world. So it's not just falling on one particular person.

A

C

K

I think you're referencing the athletic coordinator, possibly.

B

K

um So the athletic coordinators um are a position, that's supported by our office, um Stipe it in position. So basically it's centered around the fact that it is additional work on top of what they have in the building and I think they're, serving as the primary liaison um with our office. So as we're preparing for Seasons or closing out Seasons or dealing with different instances that occur throughout the season.

K

We're working with that athletic coordinator to to kind of serve as that linchpin for representing the school and making sure that information is traveling within the school amongst coaches amongst participating student athletes, months School administration, but also that stuff is coming back from their end into our office. So that we're aware of what's going on in each of the schools and able to support the best that we can.

M

And I would and I would just add that so all coaches, that coach and all athletic coordinators that are serving that role they decide whether they want to engage in that work or not. Schedule allows so we're flexible then, and we want to make sure that that's the case. Okay,.

C

Now, before we let you guys, go I'm going to ask one more question and then counselor Murphy has a question, and this is the million dollar one and I want each of you to answer it, and the price is right. Okay, um I really want you all to give some thought to what it would look like to really design a plan that is going to meet this moment right to ensure that our students have the resources that they need, that they're able to get to the fields that they need to get to on time.

C

Right, just paint a picture in each of you like. What does that look like for you, and what kind of resources are going to be needed to make that happen?.

C

I believe there's a plan right for us to address this right, so this is your opportunity to present that plan. What is the plan to address this concern?.

N

um Well, I I can't speak to a specific plan, but I will say when you ask me about the the sort of what is your vision and I think sitting here. Looking down this table I'm seeing uh four people who believe very strongly in the power of Athletics, and so um you know, I think you'll find um no bigger, Advocates I think there's a big challenge. The thing I'll ask I think in terms of partnership with with you guys on.

N

This is some things that we can't do is when we look at the neighborhoods and we look at our city. um We often talk about the sort of limited access we have to fields or athletic facilities. I think there's an opportunity for you, as the counselors in your neighborhood, to identify places for us to leverage either new developments or to think about property. That's that's available or coming available that we might be able to use better right.

N

So one of our challenges, the high school kids, when they need to go to practice, have to travel far across the city to get to that facility. That's not something we have to do in this. If you were in the suburbs, so I think that's one one place where, where we could, we could partner with you as City councilors, continuing to think of athletic opportunities and opportunities for um sort of movement.

N

You talked about dance, there's uh all sorts of different ways that we can get our bodies moving I, think that can be a mesh of Partnerships throughout the city. So when you see great Partnerships make sure that we're they're highlighting them I know that you and I have had conversations about Beat, the Streets, New, England, Jose, valenzuela's organization, doing great work to expand access to wrestling something I'm, not so quiet about, saying we need more of in this city um and so I.

N

That's what I think of when I think of the vision is that kids don't have to travel too far. They can get from their class to their Athletic Facility by walking, not by waiting for a bus and I think that that comes from not just a big sweeping plan, but a continuous Improvement that every year we get better at and every year we find new opportunities to expand, Athletics facilities, and so I look forward to next year being better at this and then in 10 years.

N

We look back and say that we we use this moment to start the the ball rolling, to really expand Athletics overall.

C

Thank you and I'm going to ask us, as we continue to navigate this journey, is that yes, I appreciate the vision, but I think you know if we can really start thinking about what the plan is, because that helps us set ourselves up for Success right.

C

So if the vision is that we're going to be partnering up um with organizations and that's going to be part of the plan and the strategy to help improve, then let's name it that and it should not not that it's an aspirational thing, but it is something that we on the council can help support So as we go down, the line.

C

Vision is great and aspiration is beautiful, but I think we've gotten to the point in this journey that we need to be really specific about a plan and I think the more Direction you can give us the better. We can go on our way to help you all fulfill that plan. Sam.

M

Sure so I would just answer your question by saying what I Envision is a lot of what I already see. What I already see is a commitment of a good coaching staff, a commitment by a lot of students who are interested in athletics to participate in athletics, but I also see is individuals.

M

Student athletes having great success in BPS, Athletics I, see teams winning state championships, I've, seen teams going very far in state tournaments, I, see teams and individuals, students meeting their individual best goals and remarks that they strive for I, do see a system where we do need to make some improvements, so I would want to make sure we see our facilities are up and running. I want to make sure that we have transportation regularly and on schedule of folks internally know that I've been a big advocate of this last two years.

M

I also want to make sure that we continue to make sure we have uh connections between the farm, leagues or the pop warner groups and the feeder programs that exist for a younger School athletics. To make sure we create a bigger feeder pattern that goes into Middle. School to go into high school because that's like an area where there's just low participation, so the more we can do with that regard. I just want to accommodate and appreciate all the current programming that exists.

M

I want to appreciate the staff, that's an athletic department because they work hard. We recognize that there's a need there and I think we for the last fiscal year we added money in the budget to address that deficit. I want to see a continued partnership with Mia, which I know we built upon. We have weak monthly meetings with them now they're helping us with our training they're doing a lot with regard to us.

M

So again, my vision is a lot of what's already happening, but just looking at the areas where we may be falling a little short and improve.

C

Upon it, okay, thank you. I want to know and I appreciate the vision. uh I am going to ask right as you all continue to come back into this place is I want metrics like when you talk about I, want to improve bus transportation. Well, we're at 10, now I'd like to be at 60, and what's it going to take to get there right, like that's the level of detail that I'm really looking for when we think about a plan.

M

I'll bring it to you in the PowerPoint.

C

No, you won't um so I I want I want us to continue that aspiration and vision is great and I.

C

Appreciate that, but I think in order for us to really be set up for success, is the more thorough we can be with what the plan is to execute upon that Vision, the better we're going to be able to help support you all reach that right so and I'm going to continue and I'm glad that Annie and Chantel are listening in, because that's how we're going to be facilitating these hearings in the education committee is like I, really want us to challenge ourselves to come here with some very specific plans: okay, Jillian.

L

um So I'm gonna try and be very specific because I know that's the assignment right now and I want to get as close to that dollar amount.

L

um In my mind, it's equipment, um access to um I, think you know we have to to prevent injury to prepare our athletes the best we can for competition having equipment that is up to date. That works. That is suitable, I. Think.

L

A lot of that is coming through our Sr funding right now, which is good because that's like what we can do something now that will have a lasting impact for many years, so an investment in equipment and athletic facilities like including bleachers and scoreboards, making sure that they work when you're hosting a team and like some of the lights, don't work and it looks like it's 22-6, but really it's 22 to 36 like that matters, and when you're, the team hosting like that's important, you want to feel I mean it's like when you show up at school without a backpack and like you know, without your homework, you don't feel ready.

L

If you show up for practice like not with the right equipment or show up at a game and things don't look right, you don't feel ready and that stuff matters it matters to the coaches. It matters to the kids and it matters to the community and the parents that are watching. So that's that's, I mean I know it doesn't seem huge, but I. Remember when I was coaching that stuff mattered.

L

It was important and it made the young women that I coached feel better about themselves when all of that was like working and they had the access to it. We had new soccer balls, everybody had cleats and shin guards that fit them that matched. So that's, that's my that's. Where I envisioned things.

C

Well, I do appreciate your honesty and your vulnerability and I think we need more of that right because we can't fix what we don't know about, and so the more honest we could be with our responses, the better we are able to set you up for Success, so I hear you and I appreciate that, and you know I am curious, and this is probably something wrong that we would we don't have to go into, but I I am curious in learning at some point, when was the latest audit that was done on your equipment and just kind of like what it looks like across the city and where the biggest discrepancies in terms of equity so I'd love to get that information at some point not today, but I, know long is taking notes and I'd love that as a follow-up for our committee.

C

So thank you for bringing that to light because, again the more we know the better we can be. So thank you for that. Julian Avery.

K

um I think I guess one I'd like to thank you for having us here today right. It started a conversation um and I think it shouldn't end here: um I'm ready to make the commitment that we don't end here, but I think we need to figure out how we continue to have these conversations um and that we get everybody on the same page um we have uh in BPS Athletics and in our schools, people that are propped kids that are proud of what they're pursuing coaches that are proud to lead.

K

The kids coaches that are proud to um be part of BPS, Athletics and so I just want to make sure that before I leave here today from my seat, that I feel we are we're like I just want you to know like we are in um I think a better spot than when I started nine years ago.

K

um We are aware that, there's more that we can do to be better we're not shying away from that. We want to be better. We want to be the best that we can be, and you know I tell the coaches I tell the kids I, don't use this city moniker right like when we're playing any of our Sports. We play the sport. It's not a city sport, so I don't want to.

K

You know if, if we're looking at the suburbs and we're I, don't make that comparison right like my piece is to make sure that we provide the best experience for our kids that we can and that's the piece that's going to drive me. That's the vision that I have I think when we came out a couple of years ago. In terms of talking about resources, our piece was really about making sure that we work to make sure that every kid in BPS had access to athletic opportunities right and so that's going to be the driver.

K

That's going to be the piece that we get behind. That's going to be the part that we work on to to get forward. I can't do it all together. These people that are sitting with me up here at the panel aren't going to be able to do it all by themselves. We've got to work with our schools. We've got to work with leaders like yourselves right. It's got to be a collective to move this.

K

um We are very clear on what we can do and I think we can continue to push, but we're I'm also very aware that we cannot do everything right like there's, there's a team that has to be part of this Athletics piece if we want to have teams that are successful, if we want to have kids that are going to college on scholarships, if we want to talk about all these things happening, it means that kids have to be in the Athletics and have to have a passion for sports before they even get to us in BPS right.

K

We may start that, but we need to work with others to continue to make sure that they have opportunities to pursue that we'll do our part and we'll do what we can to provide that and fill as many gaps as we can. But it's not all on us to be able to provide that right. It takes everybody understanding that we can get things going but similar to the classroom similar to everything else right.

K

You have to support people and what they're doing and make sure that there's you come at it from a number of different angles. Yeah. So that's the piece that's going to drive us I will like I I mean in terms of some of like our equipment. We have one of the best equipment. People in the business shout.

M

Out to John hillenbrand.

K

Right one of the best he works tirelessly to make sure that people have what they want. The equipment piece is driven by what the coaches tell us that they need, and we do our best to provide that and make sure that they have that if there's more I tell them to come to me and tell us what we need, so we can work to do that. So I want to make sure we're talking about these pieces. Our uniforms, we replace the uniforms every four years right.

K

Every team in the city has gotten a new uniform twice since I've been here. Wow, that's great right! So when we talk about these things, we're doing a lot of them. We can do more. We will do more, but I want to make sure that we're categorizing it and- and speaking about that accurately I think my piece I talked about yes, I'm open to continue I, invite you any games that you want to go to. I will be there. Let's go.

K

Let's look, let's see what you have to say: let's see what the comment is, so we can be aware, as people are approaching you please let me know, because those are things that we need. These are feedback we need. I want to tap and I want to hear about the kids experiences.

K

um I I mean I, so I I digress, yeah, I.

C

Got you we understand it? It's on the record. We understand your commitment and really do appreciate you. uh Bringing all of that here so know that you have our commitment to work alongside you, um I'm going to make one recommendation I'm going to kick it over to counselor Murphy and then counselor will Ralph for any last minute questions um one is potentially hiring because we got money and so how we utilize those dollars is hiring someone. That's specifically going to just do.

C

Bus coordination for all Athletics in the city of Boston I, don't know if there's one person assigned to that, but that could be a role that can help address some of the bus uh issues that we have and then the other is. Is there a way for us to consider having a separate bus fleet that is not tied into the Boston Public Schools 68 different bell times? There's a lot to have to uh you know um deal with so I'll, be curiously, as you all continue.

C

Is there a way to have a separate um Fleet if you will or some other creative way, that is just specific transportation for athletics within the Boston public schools, because transportation is a big issue, so just something for you to consider and to think about I'm going to pass it over to councilor, Murphy and then counselor Royale for any last questions.

D

So a few things came up while you all spoke and gave your responses and I do want to just reiterate that I called for this hearing, because I did want to have this conversation when you said you're open to the conversation it was in order for a hearing to address the lack of athletic opportunities for our students and that we meet with the appropriate departments to discuss the need for proper funding and Leadership to offer Equitable athletic programming across all schools, so we're here because of that, so I just want to reiterate that, um and how do we know what we need if we don't know what we have we're BPS, we talk about data all the time you know, I was in the classroom for 24 years.

D

We, you know, look at numbers and try to figure out what we need to do based on those numbers. So we need to know what we, what we have so I am asking through the chair that we have a full assessment um on the equipment and also I know because we've been briefed and talked a lot about mer, Wu's new builds green BPS, the Athletics.

D

You know the Gym's a part of that the schools are part of that and I had filed for a hearing a couple months ago and we're having soon a full assessment of all of our pools that fall under bcyf and I know. More than half of them are in our Boston Public Schools, so BPS facilities will be at that hearing, along with um the city's department.

D

For that full assessment, we also needed Council Worrell brought it up and I think you probably are thinking of the same picture on we both saw when the pool was shut down in your district and someone was sharing a photo of well the pool shut down. But look at the floor of the gym. We can't play basketball, so that is something I think we already have access to.

D

So we need to definitely, as a council have that information to make sure we're doing the right thing and when you were saying Jillian it may not um doesn't. Maybe it's not a big deal. It is it's huge right. I was at the Tech Boston homecoming game and the school board broke and the game had to be paused, and it was not good, and you know my daughter's off with her hockey. Kids coaching, you know the hockey game and it matters if their skates fit. It matters we're not a poor.

D

City BPS has 1.7 billion dollars this year. If you add in the Esser funding, which is temporary and has to be spent, that's 1.7 billion dollars and I. We say it I say it all. The time show me your budget I can tell you what your values are, and you all are saying and I believe you that you care, but when we were here months ago talking about, we need to spend more on Athletics for our students.

D

We didn't spend more we're using some Esser funding that brought it up about I, think 18 dollars per student, but we could have then especially coming out of coven and knowing the need. So it is disappointing to me that we didn't use this moment right. We keep talking about. This is a moment. We have money. We have once in a lifetime money, we are spending a lot and myself and everyone in this room advocated a lot for Youth and mental health.

D

um You know money through the Opera funding for non-profits that are supporting our you know. Children across the city I mean we. We have to just do better. So when Council Mejia talked about a plan, we need we need to know, and it's also with 1.7 billion dollars. I also want to know um through the chair. If I could ask for the exact number, this fall of students who did not get picked up or dropped off to a game and missed a game and that'd be very helpful for us, knowing before the winter season starts.

D

And lastly, when we talk about Equitable and I know, you touched on it: Council Laurel, so girls swimming, that's at Latin, School, correct and I know that they use the Murphy pool they have forever so they bust to the Murphy School, so they're, not using the pool at their school they're using different. My daughter plates hockey at Latin Academy and they use the Buju rank. So kids are bust. Around the city, or have to find a way around the city to get to their resources, to the you know the fields that they need.

D

But when I look at what's offered so girls, tennis, which two schools offer girls, tennis I know. But if do you know which it.

K

Was Latin School and um there was uh O'brien and Latin Academy chat teams, but they now work together right.

D

So they're separate.

D

Absolutely so, if you're a girl at Burk High, you don't have access to tennis or you don't think you do, but you do because not every family or student knows if your school doesn't offer the sport that you want to play. You can participate at another school in BPS, but then the burden is on you to get there and I understand with the amount of high schools.

D

We have there's no way every school is going to offer every sport, but we do not I know we do not do a good job of making sure every student and every girl a boy at every High School across the city exam or not knows that if you want to do outdoor track and Fields in the spring in your school doesn't offer it. You can still play. If you want to play boys golf who offers boys golf.

K

Well in school, yeah.

D

So in my daughter, the year she was about to be a senior, they were going to close the um I know. Land Academy only has one hockey team Latin School has a JV because they have enough players, but they merged with two Catholic schools.

D

So they could stay open, so there's ways to keep it going, but then kids weren't getting out of school at the right time, so it just becomes very hard for kids, so I do think we need to have the conversation about what opportunities are there for all students and, if you're, a parent who either is happy with the choice of the school, their child's got or not. Happy which we know is many times the case, that the opportunities at other schools for athletics are still there for them, and that's something else we need to address.

D

But the questions I would like to um which I had asked through the chair are a full audit of the equipment we have and the um you know the fields. You know the gyms because pools were closed, we're having a hearing, knowing that many neighborhoods had no pools, which also meant like Latin School was not swimming at the Murphy when it was shut down for maintenance it couldn't so we have to have that information to continue. This conversation like.

J

D

If we don't know what we have, we can't talk about how we're going to get better at this. So thank you.

K

I mean just so in Latin, School, that's a great example: um they practice at Madison Park right because logistically that's a space that doesn't require them to get a bus too. They can walk, they practice there. They do their meets at the Murphy, because the pool meets the needs of what they have so I mean I. Think what you touched on a little bit is just the logistics involved in athletics and and that's the piece that.

A

F

K

Of everything and how we kind of work through it and make it happen, but that's that's a example there right like we, we eliminated a bus by putting them at having to be able to work at Madison practice at Madison and get there themselves.

C

Thank you. Thank you. So, I'm going to plan, we got all of those questions in um from counselor Murphy uh and we'll be making sure that you get answers to those questions. Thank you. Councilor Murphy, Council, Laurel,.

O

Thank you again for all the work that you guys do um in the city of Boston and um I. Remember when I was in high school that some of my friends they they got good grades because of sports. So I know the importance of sports um in in in in in the young people's lives and our students lives, and um it definitely was a reason for them to come to school, go to class and do well do well inside their classes as well.

O

So just want to make sure that when we investing in school we're investing in our young people, you know doing better in in school when we investing in sports um uh I, like the idea that counselor Mejia has presented for, like maybe we're taking a look at a different contract, a different Fleet of buses to kind of just service. The Athletics um would love to see.

O

If that's something that's even possible, or how can we explore that um and then also the Partnerships I feel like there's so many like Boys and Girls Clubs and YMCAs that have basketball courts that have swimming courts that have volleyball courts that that you know I know one right across the street from Tech Boston like how are we working with tech Boston and that Dorchester YMCA to do swimming to do basketball? To do you know all these other things at the facilities that school facility doesn't have right there across the street so just want to.

O

You know, put out there, the Boys and Girls Clubs base the Roxbury YMCA, the Dorchester y, like let's, let's create those type of Partnerships to make sure that you know we're we're using their facilities as well, um because our young people are already going over there after school anyway, right so just trying to see how we can make that partnership strengthen and how we can use that for practice facilities or even for games.

O

um But that's that's all I have to say, and just looking forward to continuing building out these Partnerships to do better for our students.

C

Thank you and I'm going to I know you guys usually have you know hard stops and lots of limitations um because there's a 3 45 right now so I don't know who on this panel needs to run but um Avery you have the floor. Do you want to say something.

K

Oh, yes, I think it just got um some data on the transportation. um We were 95 on time with Transportation this fall so we'll get you a list of who was dropped, but.

D

Unfortunately, at the transportation hearing at 88 percent I said it's a B plus that sounds good, but that's thousands of students, so the numbers would be great. Yeah I know that there's less kids who are going to Athletics, not the 47 yeah but the 22 on buses, but so.

C

We wanted to make sure that there's a list of sports offered and in which schools that is part of the the ask that we would like um to dive in a little bit deeper and again, I think you know we have a new superintendent.

C

We have a new Administration and we have an opportunity right to look at this work in a very different way, and so I really do hope, as you all think, through these issues that have been brought up here, uh really being able to come back with a return on investment, especially when we partner and provide so much Support Services to a lot of non-profit organizations across the city to council, morel's Point, um you know what: how can we be more Innovative like I I, you know we have the boston, Youth and Family centers like we have the capacity.

C

What we need to start doing is leaning into that and identifying how many different ways we're going to get to the Finish Line literally so I think um these times require everyone to really think outside the box. So I would really look into having an alternate bus situation for Just Sports I.

C

Don't know if legally, we can do that I'll probably get in trouble for offering such a thing, but I need you all to look into it, because, where there's a will there's a way, we can not keep coming back here, asking for more money and getting the same results right. So, yes, I'm, very proud of the fact that you guys have improved on the transportation situation and I will acknowledge that that is the case the case, but this morning I had to pay for somebody's Uber so that they can get their child to school.

C

Thank you at seven o'clock. In the morning my phone was blowing up and this hearing happened last week and I'm still dealing with bus transportation issues right so I just want to name that I didn't mind paying. It was only twenty one dollars, but this is apparent right if they're, if they're an hourly wage worker, if they get to work late, then we're going to financially uh create more hardship for them right. So, yes, they can get reimbursements, but that's just not going to make the cut so I.

C

Just while I have the floor regarding Transportation I just want you to know that those issues still persist and I really do appreciate. You all here like to be honest with you and I'm glad that we were able to accommodate your early dismissal at 3 45, because you guys are like little Divas coming up in here. Talking about I gotta.

B

Leave at 3.

C

45 well, what about the people? Hello, I'm, just gonna, let Annie know and Chantelle I know she's, not here, but whoever's. Listening when y'all come to a hearing in the education committee, y'all coming here to stay from two to five or whatever time. The time slot is y'all can't be just dipping and Diving.

C

You could stay okay, well, the other folks who have to go I'ma. Let you go I'm gonna dismiss the Bell, um so you all can no. But to be honest and to be fair, I know you guys have a very a very important meeting with the Department of Education, so I, all jokes aside, I know that if you could be here, you would be here so I want to acknowledge that so uh I'm gonna, let you go because you have very important things to do, not because you don't want to be here right.

C

You guys is that true right, you would rather be here right. Okay, exactly um so! Thank you. Nate! Thank you Sam for joining us, even though you were not prepared to do so. You you performed really well so I just want to say. Thank you. Avery, are you gonna stay? If you want now, he scares like I. Don't know what to do anyway, you could stay.

C

If you want to, um it would be great if you can, but if you guys do need to go, it's all good I I got I got the memo that you needed to leave early, so you're.

A

You're excused.

C

Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. Joe.

L

um Councilor Murphy you're, asking for numbers and I want to um just respond to that. So there are 1549 trips. This fall and 76 were uncovered.

D

We want to know the numbers of students, though, like not like what sport was it, what bus was it, how many students were left? So we it's a question I.

M

Don't think it's funny at all.

D

Because that doesn't tell me like how many kids, what neighborhoods were they from where what sport was it? What school was it from.

C

I, don't care okay, you got that. So that's part of the uh Records request ask and Sam took notes. He just acknowledged that. Thank you. Jillian I thought you were gonna stay. You lied you, joking okay, you can go bye, Avery, bye, Jillian! Thank you really do appreciate your energy and and your willingness to figure it's important. I'm gonna switch things up a little bit I'm going to ask our community panel to make their way to uh the floor. Don't be scared, you guys you're good wait.

C

This is you you you're ready for it and I'm gonna ask uh Robert Jenkins to join the community panel. I know you probably were not prepared to do that, but, like I am very non-traditional. I just make things up as I go and since you have so much to say on this topic, I want to create space for you to have your voice heard and if Chantal was still here, I would ask her to do the same thing but Robert Mr Jenkins. Please join the community panel.

C

You want to tattoo you feeling left out. Oh my God go ahead. I leave no one behind go ahead. Ted go ahead, but you have to understand that I do this and when I do this, that means we all have to Chantel. You are more than welcome to join the community panel.

C

Yes, because I'm switching things up, I am giving everybody a voice. How about that?

C

That's how we do so grab a seat and join the community panel since you're here I want to be respectful of your time and really do appreciate you being here, so you have been upgraded to panelists. So just so you know what that means. Each of y'all get five minutes for your uh remarks and then after you have your five minutes, then uh counselor Murphy and myself will ask you all questions and we'll go back and forth. Does that sound good?

C

You all ready five minutes and we will start with our um updated confirmed um panel of community Advocates and experts in athletics and schools. So we have Sam service Steve's. Thank you and you are a mental health leader for the base. So we'll start with you shout.

H

Out to Robert Lewis, yes,.

P

Would you uh like me to describe yes.

C

Yeah so start off by giving us a description of the base, the programming, what you do, why you do it and the impact that you are making um on our students.

P

Okay, um well, the base is a non-profit organization that looks to promote um Urban student athletes within Boston and the primary way we do that is through Sports.

P

We use Sports as a vehicle to instill values such as discipline and work, ethic, teamwork, communication, leadership, preparation, accountability and just the ability to make adjustments um and I think there's there's real power in that it's um hard to quantify exactly the impact it makes, but it creates a climate where student athletes are committed to their own success um with those values that are transferable between Athletics and broader aspects of life.

P

um I grew up in Boston, I was a baseball player for the Boston Astros under Robert Lewis Jr I went to Boston Latin Academy and I've been working at the base for the past four years. Now as a instructor and as a coach and now I'm the assistant GM of the baseball program, and there is real power in what we provide for our student athletes and it goes far beyond Sports.

P

um And maybe would you like to hear a little bit about the challenges? Maybe we were facing.

C

Yeah please well.

P

Just in terms of space, um as our programs continue to to grow, our facility size stays the same so space at our facility, um the number of other facilities that we have access to also hasn't grown with our population of students that we're serving um and then also the the financial side at all, which it all stems from um adequate Staffing to provide the the services for our student athletes.

P

um A lot of our staff have to wear multiple hats to us cater our coaching needs our chaperoning needs. Our transportation needs um ends yeah with the budget aspect of it, the more money we have to increase the quality of our programs and services.

P

It only enhances the experience for our student athletes and the impacts that we have.

P

Cassandra, it was, did I miss any of the uh no.

C

P

Talking points.

C

You covered it. Thank you. Thank you, I'm, going to move on to Andre. Yes, thank you and.

Q

Love working a few dogs, it's great. She doesn't like me much but she's great I,.

A

Got that make a work hard.

C

Yeah, my daughter and I are very similar. We have, you know for Divas, go ahead so.

Q

My name is Andre John I work at the base I've been at the base now for the last five five and a half six years before that I run my own program in Boston basketball program with Massachusetts Youth committed to winning I started off uh I did it for about 15 years started off with about 10 kids ended up with the by the time we finished.

Q

We had about 350 kids in Boston, plus a program in Brockton and a program in Taunton, so I took all that and brought it to the base because, again it's how do we best serve and how do we Leverage, but the base has to offered to offer to every kid who wants an opportunity to do to play basketball again, I, never charge my program for 15 years. The base doesn't charge so again, it's again giving our kids the opportunity not to just play basketball, the basketball. Again we use for the as a Karen.

Q

You get you get you in the door, but against everything else. The base office through college visits- and it's not just this Juniors and seniors going to college business. We have eighth grade sixth graders, going to college visits again had given that opportunity to see something different. You know we travel to National tournaments. Do we believe we can win the national tournaments? No, we can compete, but again it's really giving them the opportunity to see it now.

Q

If this is something you're interested in doing I want you to see the amount of kids out there, who are the same aspirations and same dreams that you have and what's going to separate you from all those kids. Is your education, so we're going to take the education part serious, so part of my job is again it's making sure to work with the Boston public schools and no I. Tell our kids. I need a report card before you step on that court. I need a progress report.

Q

If your report card is not up to standard and with no so that's the only way, you're going to step on the court and I'm going to come up to your school I'm going to talk advocate for you, I'm coming to the school, not now, because you must be I'm going to Advocate and make sure you're in the right classes make sure you have the support that you need that you can succeed in the classroom and then be able to succeed on the court.

Q

No, we Sam and I have been working on the mental health part of it and that part of my I also have an MSW. So my big thing is again: we see our kids and they go to school and we don't check in with them. We don't check in the environment. What's going on around them, it's yeah you're, coming to school.

Q

Okay: let's go with it's basketball, let's go and you're in the court where the kid is coming in with his head down, had a tough day at school had a tough morning at home, but no one addresses that, but expect that kid to be able to form on the court. So I'll now part of our big thing is really checking in with our kids to make sure that they have the support and making them feel.

Q

You know what you're being hurt you've been seen, and we want to make sure that we're supporting you not just with the sports but with the mental health. Also, we want to make sure that you get in all the support that you need. Thank.

C

You thank you um and not because my daughter goes to the base, but I am so incredibly grateful that you guys exist especially around the mental health piece of it. I think that oftentimes I get so lost in so many conversations, um but grounding it in what it feels like whether you win or lose it's how you, how you play the game right, how you show up and how you deal with those losses, that's going to build the resiliency right.

C

So I really do appreciate that intentionality that you guys pour into to and I'm curious I'm going to move on to the community panelists. But what I'd like to do is focus on some of the questions for the base. You guys are extra.

C

You know so I just want to just if you don't mind um and you're a very important part of the process, which is why we've asked you to be so. Please bear with us, but I I do have some very specific questions for the base and then I'm gonna move to counselor Murphy's questions for the base and then we'll move on to the rest of the panelists I'm curious about knowing the um the shortcomings and the deficits that we're experiencing in our Boston Public Schools.

C

Can you talk a little bit about kind of how the base and how other organizations have had to step up to help fill that void and how that has impacted? Your programming.

Q

Okay, okay and I'll jump in Sam does baseball I do the basketball, but what I think part about the base is done. It's looking at the kids that we serve and we just opened up a satellite office in East Boston again and then so we can serve more kids there in East, Boston and kids who come to the base. They don't and we get kids to come to the base from East Boston.

Q

They travel all the way from East Boston to come to the base four days a week, they're in there and it's packed and you can't move in there when time when Sam talked about the space, it's like it is so so packed. We have kids come from all over the city to come into the base to do the basketball and I think that's something. We've tried to develop a program with the Boston Public Schools, like you have the kid to play baseball.

Q

They may not play basketball in the winter. They may not play football in the fall, but they do play baseball in the spring. So why don't you use the base? We can set time aside where you can Boston public school kids can come in and work out with our instructors and get the same instruction, our kids together, and it's just to help out. So for us, it's like it's not about the base. Kids, it's about the city, kids. How can we support everything? Folks are doing?

Q

How can we, you know again share space and be able to just when we look at the kids? It's we want to make sure every kid has a path to succeed and that's that's the biggest thing for us. It doesn't matter whose kid it is, and so we offer that to the Boston Public Schools. We're offer that to anyone, that's interested in any other communities organization. We just we have an Esports room.

Q

We have a huge Esports room, that's provided by a couple friends and it's we have 12 monitors in there and we've offered it to everyone to come in bring your teams in now. Folks haven't taken advantage of it. Now the Boys and Girls Club they've jumped on it now. They've had five or six of the clubs who have time aside to bring their kids in and that's something I think again. When we talk about sports I, think it was, people always think about the physical and the traditional Sports.

Q

Esports is a big thing right now. People are offering scholarships to schools for Esports. Oh.

C

Yeah, yes, you.

Q

Get scholarships full scholarships, you get high schools and recruiting also for Esports. So why can our kids be the kids? No, they recruit. So that's why we have that at the base. Like no, you command your practice. You do well enough. You can get recruited for that. That's another path to college, for you, yeah.

C

I'm gonna I'm gonna make a comment um and then I'm gonna, pass it over to counselor. Murphy is that you mentioned something around the students coming from all across the city of Boston, and we've been talking a lot about a lot about. Violence um in our streets and I also see this as a place for some violence. Intervention right like it's a place where all young people from across the city can come together and leave all the drama at the door, but in that space is building relationship and community.

C

So again, you know for whoever's listening when we, when we think about how we address this moment that we're all dealing with you know, is really taking some of the best practices that are happening in your space and including that as part of the violence prevention strategy, um conversation so I just wanted to uplift that and then I'm curious about. You know you had mentioned opening it up to Boston Public Schools. Can you just talk to me a little bit about kind of what the journey or see where you? Whoever can answer this about?

C

Building those Partnerships with Boston Public Schools? Is it something that Boston Public School is meeting the mark are? Have they been enthusiastic Partners? Where is their room for improvement?.

Q

I think the biggest thing is when you talk for room for improvement is having Folks at the table. Who can see the benefit of collaborating and doing this together? If the right folks are not at the table to do it, it doesn't go anywhere now we do not have the capacity to go to every school.

Q

But again, if you have the right Folks at a table who can bring it back to their people and say then what this isn't that this is another opportunity to offer to our kids, then I think and with them being the ones who Steward it.

Q

It can go a long way now again we're limited in our staff- and you know Sam's here today, but we have about you, know over 100 kids in the building right now that he would be doing doing uh baseball with so again it's getting the right people at the table to this is what we can offer and this and we're not trying to do your job, we're not trying to take away from your job we're trying to supplement whatever it is that you're doing that's our big thing to supplement what you're doing again, kids have to build relationships with folks we are in the building.

Q

We, no, we see every kid who comes in I: do not coach uh baseball, all softball but I'm in the cages, because I understand it's about the relationship building.

A

Q

The kids see someone, you know what you can consistently you've seen someone they're there, you can say hello, I, see you coming one day, you're happy the next day your head's down come here. What's going on with you, man that kid feels comfortable telling me what's going on, it may not be anything, but just that someone paid attention to me so again, working again having the right people at the table who gonna take this and move it forward again, we can't we can't have every kid in the Boston Public School in the building. We.

C

Can but again to manage those expectations? Yes, um Steve I see your light is on.

P

Well, just that mentorship piece is so important and I think that is one of the biggest like factors that drives students like coming back every single day of the week, not just for the practice and the workouts and the health and wellness program, the career services, but the people in the building and the connections we have and that real sense of caring and belonging um that those players get who are part of our program. I think goes such a long way. Thank.

C

You for that Chantal, you wanted to say something: I I I saw that which part.

H

I don't know you.

G

H

Have something I want to read: I have a plan; okay, but so we'll base can come to my school okay, too.

C

uh Yeah yeah I'm gonna, let counselor Murphy, ask the questions that she has for the community uh based program and then I'm gonna move over to the the community pack.

D

And I wanted to thank the chair for letting the public testimony which the three of you now are panelists to go first, but I would like to um just say to Annie: it really always breaks my heart that the administration always has a hard stop. We all have a lot to do and I know there's times where it's just out of our hands, but we do on the council try to make sure that when we have the administration as panelists, it only happens a couple times a year.

D

If at all, for many departments that these are the conversations, I always want them to hear firsthand I want them to hear about what is happening and when they have to leave. I always feel like that. Just shows that they left saying what they wanted us to hear, that they didn't need to grow and that they're not willing to collaborate.

D

That's a lot to say I know, but it's the feeling I get so I just want to put that out there, and you mentioned Robert Lewis Jr I was honored this morning. I was at the youth connect breakfast and he spoke and I told him after I I'm, like oh I, took notes. When you were speaking, there were just so many points and anytime I've gone to the base. I was visited when he was there. I've been there since he's moved on to the Boys and Girls Club, but the last time I was there.

D

You were having a financial literacy class. There were healthy snacks, there were kids in the e-room, there were kids getting their homework done and I mean it's just a place.

D

I want kids to be, and, like you said, of course, you don't have the capacity for every kid, but with the budget we have and the knowledge and the people we have in the city. We can offer opportunities like that across the city for any kid who wants it and so I'm just going to read out the few things I wrote down, they weren't even complete sentences, but they really stuck with me what Robert said.

D

um We need to change the trajectory. Where are our kids? Where will they be if they aren't in sports after school? We need more opportunities for our youth. There was a story of a boy who didn't want to leave his house and he's at Snowden now he's going to school. It touches on what council Mejia said about chronic absenteeism. He now is attending school every day and he signed up for the basketball team.

D

His mother was in tears telling this and so some people, it may not seem like a big deal, but anyone sitting here who works with children know that that is huge for this kid and um our kids are at risk. There's inequities. We need to shift the narratives and our kids deserve it. So those are just things. I know you all believe in and one of the reasons we're happy and when I invited the base to come.

D

um It's because I know you are doing it right and it can be duplicated triplicated. However many times we need to do that across the city and the schools aren't going to be the only place that our kids have athletic opportunities. I understand that, but we do have to have Equitable opportunities across our schools and we also have to support non-profit programming. You mentioned, you know you don't charge the kids I know many students and councilman he's daughters in it now, but I know many of my former students.

D

It was life-changing that they were at the base and, like you said, you push them, but it's the coach that they've always needed right. It's that Mentor, that they can trust and you teach them that they can do anything so I don't have any direct questions just that your organization is wonderful and as long as I'm here I'm going to continue to support the base and other programming like that that helps our children. So thank you. Thank.

C

You so much yep, I I will say too, because my daughter is currently at the base and you have interacted so you know she is just as feisty as her mom is that um I wouldn't want her to be any other way. So I really do appreciate you embracing her and and how she shows up in this world and I also want to say that you know this whole idea of upgrades.

C

This is her first year at Boston, Latin Academy, and she worked so hard to make sure that she kept up with her grades and that incentive of knowing that she's going to be able to continue to play at the base and now she's going to try to go for basketball.

C

um She's been yeah, so I just want you to know that sports are definitely a motivator for academic success and and that's why I'm so grateful to councilor Murphy for bringing this hearing to an order so that we can make the proper Investments to ensure that we're looking at this as as a full conversation and that our partners Our Community Partners, who are providing and filling in the Gap.

C

If you will how important you are to the to the piece of the puzzle, so I just want to say thank you both for your work, I've seen the difference in my daughter's self-esteem. So so thank you. Thank you. um Okay I know you guys are anxious. Look at you went from leading in public testimony to them being upgraded to a panelist.

C

All within one hearing, I am going to go to you for Chantel and I'm so happy. You seemed to be really excited to be sitting in the seat and ready to tell.

H

Us and then I gotta hurry up and go back to school. We have Thanksgiving dinner. Tonight, go go go um so you must know my friend, Ashley Greene I grew up with Ashley I played football with Ashley I played basketball with Ashley, but I actually have a plan, um and the piece that you read today I wrote that in July, because I'm sick of the basketball program actually I used to play for it.

H

It's not good and so I can read my plan, real quick and it actually uh gets rid of Transportation kind of um and I think I think it's too. It might be too late now for the plan, but I think it could definitely definitely be something that our young people could benefit from in the future. But this was a plan.

H

I was trying to prevent present to my school to opt out of it and if we could get the money, this is what I was going to do with it, but by opting out of the league, um we can use the funding to do the following and encourage other schools to join us once we prove it can be successful.

H

So you'll schedule X sessions for the sport to cover and again I would eventually love to offer this for every sport as we get our middle school students prepared for high school, especially because all of the schools are going seven to twelve and they're eligible to try out for the sport as well, um but so we're going to schedule sessions where they're working on basic rule skills and sportsmanship, among many other things that- and we can argue that if it's in the school building rather than requiring travel, it could happen for long a longer period.

H

The Middle School scene is very short. Last year we only had six games the year prior. We only had seven games, um not really enough time for much development and understanding with the population that we serve, because they don't have the skills so they're. Most of them are starting from the bottom. Most of them are coming to practice. Late they're, not dressed, they're, not ready, they don't have the stuff they need.

H

So we're wasting all of this time and nothing's happening um and as a coach I get paid very well for that they can keep the money. The kids are not getting better like I'd, rather use the money for other things, so funds used to pay refs because a lot of the refs are not blowing the whistle they're showing up late they're, not doing what they need to do so, instead of paying them, the funds can be used to pay teachers to coach and teach students skills.

H

This is an opportunity to build relationships among students and teachers, as well as students and classmates and teachers and their colleagues. Sports really have a way of bringing people together. Homework help in tutoring community service and volunteer opportunities for older students in the school to gain leadership, skills and experience like Athletics transportation and after school club bus can drop off the students at multiple T stations, and this could even just be a club sports bus.

H

For example, I've started Basketball Club at my school and volleyball club at my school and they'll meet on the same day, but volleyball clubs using the auditorium because I know how to utilize space. You got to figure it out um and provide a safer, more efficient way home for students. A lot of Middle School parents are hesitant to let their kids join because they don't want them. Traveling home late from another school I live in Brighton I grew up in Brighton we play at the Timothy. Now they got to come all the way across town.

H

If we just stay at the building, they can just go home from there. So you don't have to worry about the transportation for that. If the league is in-house, students can work with teachers and coaches to earn the opportunity to join once they're in Good, Conduct and academic standing. So you know the seasons for the whole year. The club is for the whole year.

H

Maybe you're, not you know, behaving in school, but the club is that incentive that you need and I do, that with my students right now, um Department regulated Sports students may be ineligible due to grades, and that sucks, you missed the whole season right. But if it's a year-long process, you still have the opportunity you didn't miss out. You can still join later. um Something else to keep in mind is that many students are not able to get appointments with their PCP to get their physicals.

H

If you don't have a physical, you can't play and that's not fair and that's awful, but if it's in the building and you're already in school, you don't need that. So why are we leaving and making it more of an issue to go out when we can just stay inside and capitalize off of the opportunity? So club sports programs like this, will give students something to look forward to and work toward.

H

It can end with a big tournament, inviting all the schools that completed the program to one of the larger BPS gyms to play and compete teams will be filled with students who understand the rules, have good sportsmanship and know what it means to be on a team and represent the school while having fun, followed by a fun party and banquet to celebrate everyone involved for their participation, funds could be used to get shirts certificates and trophies for participants teams that don't win the finals, don't get anything and that's unfortunate for the kids.

H

So it's like you, do it and that's it, but instead of paying for these buses that we don't need, because it's not good anyways just stay at the school instead of paying for the rest, use the money to pay the teachers to ref and coach and now they're getting closer I teach PE like I, said and I tell the teachers come to my class, please like they get so much closer to the students just by playing um other stuff I have here.

H

This is a diagram of what I'm going to do to my school gym with ten thousand dollars that I got three years ago. That I have not used because I get a lot of free stuff. I use a website called donors. Shoes I've gotten over um I've, gotten over fifty five hundred dollars worth of equipment for my students in the last three years, this year alone, I've gotten over twenty five hundred dollars worth of stuff, because I figure it out.

H

I drew this picture yesterday with Crayola markers and I worked very closely with our grant writer, and she proved she provided me with this today and it looks awesome and I'm super excited about it and we're gonna use that ten thousand dollars to change my gym and make it a gym for all students, I'm, a basketball player and all gyms look like basketball gyms, but on this document here, I'm going to remove two of the Hoops, because one of the Hoops has has been broken for three years.

H

That I've asked them to fix for three years and it's not fixed I still don't have a room on my basket. We've we've asked for them to fix it for at least three or four times it's still not fixed, so I said. Can you just remove the other one? Now that side's going to be used for injury prevention stretching and Recovery? We have a track on the ceiling. I'm gonna get a divider for it.

H

I'm going to set up a corner with mats on the floor, I'm getting virtual reality glasses for students who don't like to move you're going to move, and it's going to be a video game, but you're still moving and I. Don't care you're moving!

H

You know so I'm going to find a way to make sure that all of my students feel like it's their gym, I'm putting Hopscotch on the ground, agility ladders Foursquare every student can come in and choose something and figure out what they want and I can't wait for athletics to do that so I'm going to do it myself! Okay,.

C

So you know, I have so many questions. Yes, I am so super inspired by you I'm, going to ask you this.

C

If the Fairy Godmother came down here and was like look, we can make this Vision happen and you could do it without the support of the Boston Public Schools or uh the city, because this is what I always believe like when there's a will there's a way and that's what I'm doing and I don't believe that government is going to solve all of our problems, which is what we always default to and as somebody who is resourceful I'm not here, for those uh weight and beg people to step up.

C

So if you had to implement this Vision, what would that look like for you? What's.

H

The vision of this yeah I'm happy to design it for you, so for me it would be a program. So these are two programs. When you started talking about mental health and things like that, I started a program called you got it girl and it's a basketball program inspired by a book that I'm currently writing about a young lady who's. My niece and I'm, the coach in the book and a boy tells us she can't play basketball. So my draft is done, I'm working on it, but that inspired my program.

H

So I offered a free basketball clinic to elementary and middle school girls at the Boys and Girls Club in Brighton, where I grew up and it's actually around the corner from BGA and I've created a partnership with them and they have a beautiful pool and gym I didn't know it was allowed. If it's allowed, I'm gonna go ask them. Can we use the pool in the gym and we can use that because our gym is awful, um but in our program we talk about.

H

I also brought it to the city of Cambridge to a program where I used to work and we're going to go to a restaurant on Newberry Street. To celebrate the ladies for completing the eight week program and the program. We talk about things like confidence and self-esteem being a student athlete Title IX the woman who paved the way impact on Sports and who you are becoming.

H

What does Sisterhood mean to you, health and wellness, mindfulness, meditation and yoga, and we've done all of these things, and these things are not possible in Boston right now, because of what is not there right. I have the opportunity to coach at Brighton High School I played at Brighton High School and not to talk about the money, because it's never about that for me, but I could have made probably like three thousand dollars more taking that position across the street from my school I'm going to coach at Belmont High School.

H

Instead, because it's just going to be a better experience for me, you know and that sucks, because those kids need it, but I'm gonna go do what I got to do over there build the relationships. I gotta build over there and I'm gonna go back and I'm still going to help them, but I chose not to do that, because it's not good. You know, um but I'm doing all these things I'm so excited that Candace texted me last night, I found out about this last night Candace from our.

B

Team I went to high Central staff. Oh my God I went to high school with her shout out to Kevin she texted.

H

Me last night: that's why I'm here and I was like I need to get all of this stuff, and that document you read I literally typed that up on July 1st, so I already had it yeah. So.

C

I'm so glad that you came and that you worked through your your emotional, you know journey to be here, I left because you I made someone cover my class. You brought so much into this space and I'm so glad that you stayed um because we would have all missed out on what you've just presented us here with today and I love that Innovation. You know the base um is doing amazing work.

C

They could be a really great partner with you all to bring some of this visioning that you have, because we don't have to wait and we don't have to wait for people to give us permission.

C

Let's go, you know, I need you all to I, need you all to exchange phone numbers and all that sort of stuff so that we can make some things happen and Chantal I guess I'm gonna have to I need your phone number, because my mom works here. Okay, she's the daycare she works. So lady.

H

Oh, my gosh, if you just like connect to everybody so.

C

I, so I I need yourselves. So just so you know don't walk away out of here without giving it to me yeah. So thank you for that. Do you do you want? Do you have any questions or comments? Oh uh aurel is back.

D

um Just inspired um already knew, but yeah.

H

I'm not teaching anymore next year, either because I'm busy doing all.

D

Of these, you should be. You have yes.

H

So I don't know what I'm doing but I'm not teaching anymore I told my principal already I'm, not okay, so.

C

Before I, move on to counselor, Murphy wanted to know counselor. If you had any questions specifically for the base.

O

um Now no specific questions but disinspired this group of panelists right here, you know I, know very well and have our students best always working hard for our students and making sure that they're staying active and going over and Beyond I um was it Robert at the base? That was the X yeah Robert Lewis yep I got got a tour at the base and uh which is blown away Blown Away by the programming over there and how they involve the young people inside of um teaching.

O

You know the the other young people on on um it's like that: peer-to-peer, mentoring, mentorship and I loved it and any any way I could be supportive. I'm here I'm here, so always feel free to reach out to our office. If there's anything that you guys are doing um feel free to count me in and I'll be there. Thank you.

B

Thank you, okay, so comes to my feet.

D

No questions directly, just thank you for um sharing. When you came with your jump, rope team I knew you're special and the kids you work with are just lucky to have you so count me and I know that we talk to you and the work you do, but you're amazing and you have to also you mentioned how you're gonna go to Belmont and it's hard. But you know you have to take care of yourself because then you're gonna come back and always give back to the kids that need you.

D

So thank you and I can't wait to see that gym. I.

H

Gotta show you the Crayola version, and then this.

D

One and that's where um councilman he said it, we don't wait, but this is where one of the things people have said like what has been the hardest thing about your first year. It's like when you know good things can happen, but government slows it down. I literally wrote that I can't wait. Our kids can't wait. Yep.

H

They deserve it and.

D

They can't wait like I was at the Crystal Ray gym opening a couple months ago, and the Carpenters Union had donated all of their time and resources to build the gym right. I get it there's unions as issues, but when it comes to BPS it's like well, we have a department who can do that. We can't do that. It's like, oh because I was like wait.

D

We should have them come to Green Academy, but that's just not how our system works, but we, um on this end, just have to keep things moving for our kids because they deserve it. Thank you. Thank.

C

You I'm gonna go next y'all, not leaving until we you know so. You know, because I gotta follow up with all y'all okay, so I'm gonna go next to Mr Jenkins. You now have the floor. I.

J

Got five minutes? Okay, that's gonna, be really easy, but anyway no the base. I know the base. The founder, Robert, Lewis and I go back. 46 years, I went to school, his mother was worked at Madison Park, his younger brother, his late younger brother or his late Brothers, including his late younger brother Paul, was on the football team. I was a senior, he was a freshman, so there's a correlation took a long time for him to get something in East Boston.

J

That's where he's basically from, but the base program I spoke to Robert I had a meeting with Robert when he got the job at the uh boys and girls club and he's been trying to bring the base program into Boston city of Boston city government is really slow. A few things that comes to mind right now. I would like to make a suggestions. I was talking about that blue ribbon panel members like ourselves from the community, including Ted, Ted and I, go way back.

J

He doesn't remember me, but Ted used to be at the Holland school one of the community centers back as a life God but Domingo's. uh You know uh we're with Domingos and they used to teach swimming. They used to have a hundred kids. They they trained me how to be a lifeguard. So that's how far back I go back and Ted used to be at the League school, so Ted's an old time he's been around. He knows we had 10. hey with bird. That is still there.

J

He says hi, but anyway, um one of the things that I said that um Sports in uh Boston is really lacking. When I was in Sports. Boston was a hotbed for talent. You know in all sports, you know and I have you know um the best seat in the house, because I'm a I'm, a football basketball, tennis, swim official. We only have three. We only have really three swimming teams in the city of Boston Latin doesn't Latin is not in the city.

J

Latin is in a different school conference, so they're not even they don't even Race City kids. So we technically only have three swimming teams: Latin Academy wins every year, East Boston and O'brien, slash Madison. So all those pools that we have there's a lot of pools that are not working. I know the matter Hunt's under reconstruction, their community centers under reconstruction I know that Mildred Ave had to play Outdoors this year because their gym has been down for almost a whole year.

J

So these are things that I can't wait to be at that hand, but Madison Punk. They are now putting in money to renovate the locker rooms at Madison, but the swimming pool has been down for three years: it's not broken. They have nobody in there. Bcyf pulled out. So when you say about City agencies, bcyf and the City of Boston need to come together to schedule. Pcy after 40 plus years pulled out. We have many school houses, as Council Murphy said that are in community centers, School houses, community centers in school houses.

J

What I heard with the reason why they pulled out of Madison was get this and you're going to laugh because they didn't have access to the building because O'brien and Madison they have access to the building for sports program. But after sports program is over, community centers happen so, and that means weekends that building sits on weekends by itself, well paying money for a building. That's nobody's using nobody I'm glad that bcyf pulled up because I'm an alumni president Alumni Association.

J

If we wanted to use our own building our Armada, they were going to charge us a hundred dollars an hour for electricity Plus for the journeys that does no longer happens, but you have Community Partners that have access I worked with playworks last year. That has a program where they are in uh they're in elementary schools and everybody keeps saying middle schools, but we really don't have middle schools anymore. We don't have any middle schools. We only have some. We don't have.

J

We don't have any middle schools because, as you put to our schools, including Madison, are going to go seven to twelve. So that's going to enhance more kids opportunities to play sports. So again, you know not getting that building not getting a gym. A a a a a rim, a basketball hoop down one of the richest cities in the world is ludicrous. Then you throw on to the fact that they say: Okay, kids, don't have summer jobs. Well, they don't have any lifeguards. Oh I just mentioned four programs that have swimmings.

J

You can't train them to be lifeguards. They're great swimmers I've seen them swim because I officiate them. Okay, that's another piece. I didn't hear anybody from BPS. Shame on them. Talk about after school program, I heard nothing about after school program and there's also another thing that City councilors I know you don't ask a question, but I'ma tell you already with the question y'all need to ask. Vps is what about the Hub school program. There's a hub school program. Everybody's talking about that's been stopped.

J

I also do Consulting with the YMCA and we were Partners on the Hub School we're going to talk about Hub schools, Jessica Tang. Let's talk about Hub schools for the last eight years they had money. They were going to do Hub schools, but again we've had so many transitions with superintendents.

J

Okay, you know they don't know what that plan is going to be well, they should be all intertwined, Hub schools, green. You know the green uh planet that used to be BPS. They all need to be Co. You know you all vote on the budget and they got to ask the funds, but I'm gonna go back to Madison Park as a site where you guys could really use as your program, because Madison has uh and I sent this to school committee. I will send you what I said to school. Madison has six.

J

There are 12 12 courts in that Madison Park complex O'brien has six Madison had six okay, those are just basketball course not to talk about the dance studio downstairs. The classrooms downstairs the vacant classrooms. They have downstairs the sports field, which is football football soccer and baseball and outdoor basketball courts plus the swimming pool. That is right there, a central location where everybody can get to yeah.

B

B

J

A bowling pack, but they thought they were going to have a home exactly yeah.

F

J

No, you mean four swimming because man remember: Madison has.

F

J

Yeah but no, but that would be for a pool because you gotta remember: Madison has a sick from.

B

F

B

I after I got scared right.

G

B

God wait time out: I'm gonna take control.

J

Come on Juan Lopez! What are you doing now that.

B

Guy back here, okay intro back of.

G

My hearing here Todd and Bobby We're.

C

Not gonna go back and forth this cross talking that happens that we can capture.

B

The situation, that's what Juan came over here and scared.

C

The living lights out of me just to tell me, which I appreciate.

B

C

Have the gobble I am hoping that we can just get and your time did go up, but okay.

B

Let me just let you know.

G

C

Need to I need to I need to facilitate this in a way that we're not going back and forth because then it's harder for us to follow those who are tuning in so Ted you're gonna have to wait. Your turn.

G

Bobby we're not going to go back and forth and.

C

I'm going to give you 30 seconds to.

J

Finish up here, real quick. What I'm saying is that it's going to take the village to raise uh the village and uh we're right now when it comes to violence, we we were proud.

J

I was proud, I had to had the luxury working with mayor, Ray Flynn on the Boston miracle, and we are nearing that right now, so I hate to see our kids when I go to a officiate, a JV football game in my alma mater and I, see 20 or 30 kids walking around vaping and smoking weed that burns me to no end because there's a community center that is closed and I'll end on that.

B

Thank you, amen all right, Ted, all.

F

B

Gonna start the timer I am I'm taking control back okay! Oh you guys.

G

Want to run anything here, you get upgraded that you don't know how to act and then I gotta get scared. um So let me let me let me put you on a timer. Okay got it.

F

All right I apologize for that, but that's one of my favorite pet peeves, that building behind Madison Park the pizzette building is a state-of-the-art building. There are things in there that that are absolutely wonderful. There's spaces that don't get used. It needs to be completely renovated, not just the locker rooms. That being said, um my my actual focus is to try to expand the opportunities for athletics for the kids in Boston.

F

I did mention that I thought we should used as a rubric the actual athletic activities available in Boston, Latin, School and and start working to see that every kid in Boston has the same opportunity that a child who goes to Boston Latin School has to participate in a wide variety of sports. It's obvious. You can't put all those Sports in all the schools in Boston, but there is. There are strategic ways to make that available for the most of the children. uh Just a suggestion.

F

Latin School has a fencing team, Boston arts academy, fencing is a theater art. Boston Arts Academy has zero Sports. It would be impossible to start a fencing team at Boston, Arts Academy, that every kid in the city that doesn't go to Latin School could be part of one of the things that really really gets me is that field hockey is a is, is Central to New England.

F

It is one of We Are, our epicenter of field hockey in the United States Boston has no field hockey whatsoever, and if we were to extend that the MIAA just recognized boys field hockey as a thing, no no school took out the opportunity last year, but if Boston Public Schools started field hockey and just made it everybody, so a lot of those little street hockey players would could turn out to be really really good field hockey players and by the way, it's an Olympic sport.

F

If the boys that played street hockey in Boston right now took up field hockey within two years, they would be candidates for national teams and be traveling around the country. There are other sports that exist that could offer opportunities if the kids, especially the girls, basketball players off season, played a handball. For instance, within about two or three years, we could be sending our our children to Scandinavia for turn.

F

You know under 19 tournaments, but we have to start offering the sports that that are unusual or not necessarily mainstream, and what I hear a lot of in here with the exception of swimming is these? Are all team sports and I was a person personally I've never been a big fan of being part of a team sport I've always enjoyed individual sports and I think we really need to start focusing on allowing for individual sports by the way.

F

Just going back to fencing two Olympics ago, a young woman meddled at the Olympics in Brazil, and she started fencing because she was Muslim and the outfit you wore as a fencer, fit with the modesty rules of the religion and that led her to being an Olympic medalist, which is would not have happened if she went to school in Boston.

F

The transportation piece is a mess, but one of things that you have to notice is that outside of every Boston, Community Center pcyf there's a van, sometimes two Vans, and they some of them carry as many as 18 people and they sit there. They're, not they're, not being used.

F

This could be that uh that group, or whatever Caravan of transportation for our after-school events, the uh I'm trying to think of some of the other points I'd like to make, but mostly I'd just like to see us, try to consciously try to expand the variety of sports. Not everybody wants to play football and the other thing about football and basketball is a reward size. They really do I mean Thugs and mogues played in the NBA at five foot. Three, but that's just weird: that's not real.

F

If you ever watched the high school basketball team go through, oh by the way, I'm a track. Coach I try I'm the coach of the Boston United track club and a founder of the Boston United Track Club, along with probably the best runner we've had in Michigan this week, a young man named Saeed Ahmed I was a two-time, Olympic finalists. You know final qualifier finals. He finished fifth two times in Olympic trials and ran professionally for Nike for a number of years and he's a friend and I've known him.

F

For a million years we started the Boston United track club together, which is again an individual sport. I specialize in throwing stuff, my wife tells everybody I throw heavy stuff at nothing. It's a field event I'm. Presently working was a couple girls who I'm hoping to take to Nationals this year in the Wade, throw that's good.

C

You've inspired so many thoughts and questions um and I I. All the wisdom is in this room like right and I think that we have to create more opportunities for us to listen to the people who are doing the work or live in the realities outside of the construct of government, because bureaucracy really prevents us from being Innovative right, so I'm really encouraged by the community panel and what you've brought into the space. You made me think of something dead when you talked about fencing capoeira, that's also another sport.

F

That's a that's a Brazilian form of martial arts that also has a stringed instrument. Somehow involved I actually have a couple friends of mine who do capoeira, but it's it's sort of cloud. It's kind of a cross between break dancing, uh karate and uh there's that little string thing.

C

There I know what it is, but what what the point that I'm trying to make here is is that it's important for us when we start thinking about different ways of movement and sports. Is that we're also culturally competent in really thinking outside of the traditional types of sports that we're all used to playing right and so that we can create other Opera I'm not done I? Don't even think of interrupting me.

A

B

C

Not doing that we're people whoa hold.

B

On that's not how it works here today, he's.

C

Going to come in to scare me again, um but yeah I, just think it's for us for for us to really think about. You know all of the different types of things that we're denying our kids I'm from. If we're not thinking outside the box, so I love the idea of fencing and if we could continue to be Innovative and and creative I also love the idea of really looking at the vans that already exists in the city, um the bcyf.

C

That's such a great um idea, I'm surprised that no one has even considered it so except Ted in this moment, and probably you Chantal because you you got the whole plan, but I think that for BPI as they I'm sure they may not be here, but they do watch these hearings afterwards. Is that the answers to a lot of the problems that we've been faced with?

C

Are some of the solutions lie here right, partnering up with the base partnering up with other organizations, really thinking about how we reimagine the spaces that we're in identifying other programs that do not exist in the city of Boston, so that we can be as competitive right. So those are the sort of things when we think about hearings why it's so important to always I always like to lead with Community, because the genius is in that space.

C

I think that you guys have found ways to make things happen when government was not responsive response, responding to the need right, so I just want to say thank you for bringing all that wisdom into the space, and it seems like based on your nonverbal communication skills that you have over there Ted that you want to say something.

F

Not actually I'm fine, I, there's I guess no. uh We do need to continue the conversation and it's a lot deeper than what's going on right here, uh I'm, not sure how you would consider going about doing that. But it's to me it feels more like a uh a beer cup of coffee and a relaxed kind of give and take- or you know you could kick ideas back and forth and and get some let.

C

Me find out that Tay wants to turn up um here, but the way we're gonna move in terms of like moving the conversation forward is um we'll we'll most likely keep this hearing in committee. I think we should have more conversation as a follow-up right like level up, and that next hearing should be about specific proposals that we want to dive into and and and to continue the dialogue. I did go to the Holland, so I was happy to hear the Holland names here and I still don't know how to swim.

C

I know I, don't care, don't judge me and I'm going to kick it over to uh councilor Murphy to see if you have any questions or comments that you'd like to add, based on the testimonies that you heard and then I'm going to go to counselor.

D

Okay, thank you chair um and thank you all for sharing the great work you do with the kids. um You mentioned after school programming, and then you mentioned fencing and on Thursdays at the Henderson. They offered fencing and everyone stayed after school on Thursday because they wanted to do fencing right. So it's important that we offer more um and like I started last time.

D

I spoke saying: I wish that BPS and admin was still here to hear you, but I also like that we're ending the meeting with listening to all of you, because I feel hopeful that we're going to get to the bottom of this we're going to um and I, don't think that it's okay with the 1.7 billion dollar budget, that all of your amazing work, many of it that you're piecing together and fundraising, far and not getting paid enough for yourself replaces what our schools should be doing.

D

But I do think that your the most important part of the conversation to model what it's like when you are offering these opportunities for kids and you're, remembering that the whole child matters that you're teaching them how to eat healthy, you're teaching them about financial literacy, you're, helping them with their homework at the same time, they're not just moving their bodies, they're learning how to play baseball like it's, a science right, you're teaching them what it means to play basketball.

D

So absolutely I'm, thanking the chair that we're keeping this in committee will continue to have hearings and continue to have this dialogue with um with you and hoping the next time at our hearing, we'll have more um organizations like yours to share um the stories of because it's the success success stories that we see and that's what we need.

D

We need our kids to know that we care and we're investing in them and that if it's not the base that it's something else right that there's another program out there and if it's not football, you want to play if it's ice skating, if it's jump, roping whatever. If it's fencing that we have, there is an opportunity for our kids somewhere to find it.

D

If it's singing classes, you know a lot oftentimes people say well, is it Just Sports I mean that's another conversation I think we do have to look at this with the sports lens, because there is an athletics department in BPS. There is a government, you know the bureaucracy of this is we have to talk directly with that department in funding and- and we talked a lot which we have to continue to do a better job at is when what gyms are available? What gyms give us the keys to open the door?

D

What pools can our kids swim at and not just on the sports side? I've had many conversations that Madison Park high should be open, 24 7 for their. um You know their welding classes for adult education at nights and weekends whatever it is that it's such an amazing resource in the city, but it's not doing its justice. So thank you for thank you, chair for a great hearing and I'm.

C

Gonna go next to Council Morrell before I. Don't want you guys to think that we're wrapping up or just Okay Council Royal! You not have the floor. Yes,.

O

Thank you, madam chair and I love. The fact that we're keeping this in the committee, because this conversation needs to be ongoing um and I, also uh agree with counseling me here that you know when you're always talking to the people that are, you know, working with the population that you're looking to serve they're, always going to come up with the answers. uh So thank you for doing that on a daily basis uh because it shows- um and it's impactful in our in our students- lives in our community City lives.

O

The budget is, you know something that's going to be coming up very soon. um You know many departments are preparing their budget now, whether it's you know talking about what uh courts need to be filled. What position needs to be added so I would encourage everyone here. If you have this population that you serve and it's facilities that needs to be fixed. If it's a position that we need to advocate, for we heard today that the BPS I think there's only 70 people.

O

We want to help them. You know, increase their capacity, let's start advocating, for it now to BPS to say hey. This is what we need in order to meet our needs as a to serve our students in terms of sports, um and then you know. uh Bobby Jenkins also mentioned the Hub School motto, uh which we heard that the administrator kind of alluded to is that creating that partnership. We know that these facilities are going to take a little bit of time to get repaired, even if we got it onto the capital plan next year.

O

So let's see what kind of Partnerships that we can make with our YMCA, with with the base with our boys and girls club with other facilities, to make sure that we're meeting the needs of our students, as I said before I'm here I'm in the fight. Considering me an ally and looking forward to the proposals in the next.

C

Thank you thank you, and the only thing that that I will add is um I. Would love to you know, have a an advisory committee that comes from this.

C

um You know, I, think that the city uh and BPS should have a task force on Athletics I created a literacy task force, because literacy is an issue that is deeply important to me. You know my mom never made it be on third grade and struggled to read and write and I know that that is feeding the school to prison pipeline when students are frustrated and they're struggling to read and write and they're, showing up in our schools and I'm prepared.

C

So I created this literacy task force so that we can dive into that issue because we can't talk about violence and poverty unless we're addressing some of the root causes, and we know Literacy for our returning citizens is real, and so, as a result of that, and as a result of listening to this um hearing today, I think that the city and BPS should consider informing a Athletics uh task force and advisory committee that leans on the genius of what we heard here today and utilizes you all as the experts to help inform what a robust, well-rounded athletic experience looks like here for our students right.

C

So that said, I'm going to ask the lead sponsor of this hearing if she'd be willing to join me on pushing alongside with counciloral. We have three sponsors here. If you all are interested in joining me on that, don't you even try to interrupt me. Bobby joining me on that journey.

C

I do believe that we have an opportunity to create a task force and and to file an ordinance around that and make it happen, and um so that there's a level of accountability, because what happens is that we have a hearing and then we talk some really beautiful language and then nothing happens. But if we create the infrastructure for accountability and have a task force that helps us inform our thinking and that we are accountable to the people, then that changes the conversation, because that level of accountability leans on that.

C

So that said, I think that that's one really good outcome that we can pursue. Based on what we learned here today from you all and I believe I have some willing Partners in that um Journey, so I, and so we would be reaching out to you guys to help inform what that would look like.

C

um And so that's how things happen. The only way things happen is the people who are living. It drive it. So you all inspired that thought and you all will be responsible for helping us make it happen. Just so. You know and I know Robert Mr Jenkins. You had your hand up, so you just volunteering or you got one last word or I'm gonna put 30 seconds on that 30 seconds. Go.

J

Real quick, I'm, I I'm honored to be here I, definitely was going to come uh this hearing because uh I've seen both you see all three City councils out at events during the summer, I saw more than most, but you know you know we were like I thought we were following one another. You know at high school football games every day. It's just that uh it's time to push it along, get it done. I like that, because I don't go to meetings that just talk. Actions speaks louder than words. Thank.

C

You and normally we don't do this, but I am not about being normal, so I'm going to let everyone have. The final word should be the people, so we've done a lot of stuff. Now that Mr Jenkins said his little tidbit I'ma go next to you, Chantal any last words. You can share how you feel um you know anything.

H

um Last words, no I feel great I'm, so glad that I came like I, said: I felt unprepared, but because I'm always prepared and I'm always doing things. I already had what I needed and I turned in a bunch of documents, I'm happy to email them as well, but since the start of the school year, already I've already gotten over 2 500 worth of stuff from my students, I've already started. Volleyball club Basketball Club um yoga in the morning with my students before school I have their feedback.

H

Everything and I've done all of that since the beginning of the school year, because I do a lot and everybody can't do a lot so I also have and I've talked to many people about concerns about teacher wellness and I'm working on that as well. I do a lot of initiatives for our teachers, because, if we're not okay, we can't make sure the kids are okay, but so many things I'm so excited to be here and thank you.

H

Q

I just want to say thank you for allowing us to be here and to share about the base. But again this is not just about the basis, but our kids out in the city and what we can do to support every kid in the city. uh No Sports was a big thing. For me, I grew up in Roxbury was able three Sports able to go to a private school able to go to private college because of sports, and my thing is: if I can do it, every kid should have the opportunity to do this.

Q

So for me, the giving back part and making sure again it's holding the kids accountable and doing it that's near and dear to my heart and that's something I've been doing for the last 35 years and, like I, tell the kids every day. If it's not work, I enjoy what I do, because you see you sit, you know you see the kids buy into it and you see the progress and you see them succeeding. So for me, that's a big thing again.

Q

I think there should be more Partners at the table, because there are plenty organizations doing great work out there, that you know again reaching out to them talking to them and figuring how again, what's the the route to a partnering with the Boston Public Schools again to support our kids, who knows this is again I want to make sure this isn't just about the base. This is about our kids and how we can support them and how we can make sure they succeed like.

P

I would like to just reiterate that thanks um for Andre and I, as well as the other panelists to share our perspective, um I do think this is a very important topic. Obviously, and I'm really optimistic about the idea of that task. Force going forward to keep the conversation going and drive real change behind Athletics in Boston, because I It Is, the participation in sports and after school program is it's so significant and impactful and powerful and I. Think it's really important I'm glad to be here. Oh.

C

F

I turned it out: uh well, thanks again for having us for tolerating me, because I can be kind of noisy um the uh I, like the idea. I like the idea of bringing the partners together, I think as important as we do go forward that we have bcyf in the room.

F

We have Boston Parks and Rec in the room, uh because between BPS bcyf and Boston forest and Rec there's a lot of Disconnect and oftentimes things fail because they don't seem to be able to coordinate with each other, so I think going forward having people like us actually working with three entities that pretty much control uh our Sports in the city, our Recreation and City would be important. And again, thank you for having us.

C

Thank you and with that the last word was with the people this hearing of adjourned. Thank you.