Skip to main content
The Great Divide
Race, class, and opportunity in our schools.

Artist paints vibrant mural at Joyce Kilmer School in West Roxbury: ‘For the longest time it’s been a brick wall’

Titled “Together We Rise,” the building-size mural was painted by Denver-based artist Thomas “Detour” Evans.

‘My confidence grew’: Tilling gardens sprouts more than just summer fruit for students living in urban areas
The initiative, which works with students in Boston and Cambridge, strives to ensure equity in science education and urban students’ access to nature.

Cambridge School Committee votes to offer algebra to middle schoolers in 2025
The Cambridge School Committee voted Tuesday night to give eighth-graders the option to take Algebra 1 starting in the 2025-2026 school year, and the course could become required for all students the next school year.

‘It’s not going away’: RI congressman pitches artificial intelligence literacy in schools

The bipartisan bill was introduced this week by Rhode Island Representative Gabe Amo and New Jersey Representative Tom Kean.

Literacy reform bill dies, but new reading program gets $20 million investment

But advocates were unsuccessful in pushing through a literacy reform bill that would have required school districts to use an evidence-based approach to teaching kindergarteners through third graders how to read.

Boston public school bus drivers to use new GPS app this year, officials say

This school year, bus drivers will be using an updated GPS-based app that will show where individual buses are, when they are slated to arrive at a stop, and when they get to school. Such real-time information was previously unavailable, officials said.

About The Great Divide

The Great Divide is a reporting effort dedicated to investigating race, class, and inequality in Boston-area schools. It is jointly funded by the Globe and the Barr Foundation, a Boston-based foundation that has prioritized student success in high school and beyond. The Globe maintains editorial control and independence over the project.

Sign up for The Great Divide newsletter

Stay up to date on the most pressing issues affecting our public education system and their possible solutions. Sign up for our free newsletter with updates on our investigative findings, links to stories, and other relevant information.
Aug. 7: Literacy reform bill dies, but new reading program gets $20 million investmentJuly 31: Migrant children caught in school limbo under new five-day limits on overflow shelter staysJuly 24: High-needs students lose out in vocational school admissionsJuly 17: BPS plans to hire another consultant to help craft a school closure planClick here to see past issues

Education Headlines

NH Crime

Lawrence coach Jesus Moore federally indicted for alleged sexual assault of a minor student

The newly unsealed one-count indictment carries a potential sentence of at least 10 years in federal prison.

So it begins: Business-backed group opposing MCAS ballot question rolling out $250,000 ad campaign

The digital spots appear to be among the first ballot question ads to spring up ahead of the November election, when voters will decide five different initiatives, the most since 2000.

In a growing trend, some Boston students are getting paid to attend summer classes

For many teens in low-income households, the obstacle in taking part in summer classes comes down to economics: They need to earn a paycheck, often to help out with their family’s income.

Where have the students gone? New reports lay out causes of Boston’s enrollment losses.

Boston has lost more than 20 percent of its students across all school sectors over the last three decades.

Parents of Black student allege pattern of racial harassment at Brookline public school, file civil rights complaint

An eighth grader at the Amos A. Lawrence School endured racial harassment by classmates, including an incident where a white student placed his knee on the victim’s neck while shouting “George Floyd,” according to a civil rights complaint.

Norfolk schools will enroll migrant students staying at temporary shelter after all, officials say

The town and its school districts “welcome all children residing in our community,” the officials said.

Migrant children caught in school limbo under new five-day limits on overflow shelter stays

The new policy raises questions about how, and if, children placed in the overflow shelters will be able to get their federally protected educations when the school year begins.

GLOBE NH | MORNING REPORT

Four finalists named for New Hampshire Teacher of the Year

The finalists teach at schools in Manchester, Salem, Bedford, and Sanborn, N.H.