It takes a village to raise educational opportunities, outcomes for kids

CHANGING SOUNDTRACK: The James P. Timilty School in Roxbury. (Photo by Matt West)

It breaks my heart to see how far our schools have fallen — and keep on spiraling. News that the Timilty Middle School in Roxbury will close is particularly heartbreaking.

As a proud former Timilty School Promising Pal, along with my husband Bruce, I remember our joy at interacting with the young students there. We appreciated the civic mindedness of the students who wrote letters wanting to know more about their mentors’ professions, and the path they took to get there. They spoke one-on-one to their Pals whether mayors, governors, state legislators, city councilors, members of Congress, businesspeople, entrepreneurs and blue collar workers. Many were inspired to succeed.

I remember when the Timilty fell short on funding to keep their after-school program going. Local businessman and former Frugal Furniture and Frugal Bookstore owner Bob Romanow stepped up and raised millions to keep the program alive.

When I was growing up and attending the Jeremiah Burke High School, the kids going to the “Tim” were considered the cream of the crop. Many went on to embrace public service — Mukiya Baker Gomez who headed the State Office of Minority and Women’s Business Assistance and former director of BPS’s office of Equity Barbara Fields are but two.

I get it that the rationale for closing is an enrollment drop from 700 to 200. But closing the Timilty’s doors feels like a death in the family. The move seems so wrong in light of the excellence cultivated there. And to see that nurturing institution as yet another casualty of the system is beyond sad.

Add to that, our schools are now fighting off receivership. With the teacher contract negotiations coming up and a new mayor with children in the system, I’m hoping we can work to give our schools a lifeline.

I believe we have an obligation to rethink education writ large.

How can we link other levels of education and training together to perhaps build an education mecca in Roxbury?

Some seeds of success are already sprouting. Dr. Aisha Francis, president of the Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology, is granting admission to the entire graduating class from Dearborn STEM Academy. Madison Park High School has introduced an automotive repair program.

There are other pockets of support. In Nubian Square, Black Market gives entrepreneurs a chance to ply their wares and sees some wonderful learning opportunities coming out of the shop for our young people.

There have been ongoing attempts to get hospitals, universities and hospitality training programs more involved in workforce development in the neighborhood. There’s no time like the present to get things going.

We applaud the recent news that the mayor’s budget proposal includes plans to start construction on school projects around the city. While we are strengthening the brick and mortar, we must also find ways to invest in building stronger minds and positive educational outcomes that allow our people to take advantage of current and future education and training opportunities.

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Joyce Ferriabough Bolling is a media and political strategist and communications specialist.