City Council Stands with The Shaw

The Pauline Agassiz (P.A.) Shaw Elementary School is a K0-3 feeder school located in Dorchester. BuildBPS has plans to expand the Shaw to K-5; however, the School Committee has gone back on that plan, recently deciding to close one of the two third grade classrooms in the school.



Although the administration has assured family members, educators, and the neighborhood that the Shaw will not be closed, it is unclear whether Boston Public Schools (BPS) will honor that commitment. This week, the Council adopted a resolution offered by Councilors Mejia and Arroyo, supporting the school’s community.



Advocates for the Shaw are currently in the process of pushing for a fourth grade option at the school as a demonstration from BPS of their willingness to recognize and expand on the work being done at the school.



At a recent school committee meeting, many students spoke about how much they have been able to learn since attending the Shaw. One student in particular spoke about how she had not learned to read before enrolling at the Shaw, but is now able to read thanks to the work of her family members and educators.



The resolution states that, “Schools like the Shaw, which demonstrate education excellence, should be looked on as schools to be nurtured, developed, and expanded.” The Council urges the School Committee to support the community’s push for a fourth grade option at the Shaw Elementary, and eventually for a fifth and sixth grade, so the Shaw comes into alignment with the current BPS grade configuration for elementary schools.