Poll: BPS parents voice concerns about children’s emotional well-being, physical safety
A new poll of parents of Boston Public Schools students finds parents remain concerned about their children’s physical safety and emotional well-being while at school. In all, 68% say they are at least somewhat concerned with their children’s physical safety (see chart). Parents of color express greater concern about physical safety than do white parents. Parents of high school children are particularly concerned, with 81% at least somewhat concerned.
Parents also express concern about their children’s emotional well being (70% concerned). Mental health concerns have been growing since long before the COVID-19 pandemic, though the disruptions of the pandemic appear to have exacerbated long running issues. A recent statewide MPG survey conducted for The Education Trust in Massachusetts found 44% of parents very or somewhat concerned about their child’s “child’s mental and emotional health.”
To address safety concerns, majorities of parents support both metal detectors (76% support) and police officers (75%) in BPS schools. Support for both measures is particularly strong among parents of color (see chart). Among those concerned about their children’s safety, 84% support metal detectors and 81% support bringing back police officers. This new poll comes amid a renewed debate over police presence in BPS schools and news reports suggesting the schools and the police force are working toward a formalized relationship. Police officers have not been stationed in BPS schools since the summer of 2021.
The poll was sponsored by The Shah Foundation and conducted by The MassINC Polling Group. The survey, the 6th in a series going back to summer 2021, surveyed 828 parents of BPS students from March 22 to April 10, 2023. Each wave of the poll includes oversamples of Black, Latino, and Asian parents to allow for more detailed analysis.
Numerous reports have documented COVID’s impact on academic performance. In all, 22% say their children have fallen behind since the beginning of COVID, while 56% say their children have stayed on track. Among those who say their children have fallen behind, just 25% think the school is doing enough to help them catch up while 67% of this group say the schools should be doing more. Similarly, 23% of high school parents feel their schools are not doing enough to prepare their children for life after graduation. Among this group, 79% think schools should be doing more to help their children catch up.
About half (49%) of Boston Public Schools parents offer the district a grade of A or B, while 46% give a C, D, or F. In terms of satisfaction, 29% say they are very satisfied with the BPS system (see chart). In addition to safety concerns, parents report a variety of operational challenges including transportation issues and staffing shortages.
In addressing these challenges, many parents would like to be “very engaged” (76%) but just 46% say BPS enables this level of engagement. This dynamic has remained consistent since the beginning of this survey series.
In the last week, just 38% of parents say their children’s buses were on time every day. Transportation has been an ongoing problem for BPS, with news reports and official investigations documenting many reasons for these difficulties. Boston schools have faced similar challenges to many other districts this year including staffing issues which have impacted both teaching and other functions. In all, 40% said their children have been taught by a substitute teacher at least a few times a month this school year.
Despite these difficulties and lower ratings for the district as a whole, BPS parents are about as happy with their children’s own individual schools as are parents elsewhere in the state. In all, 74% of parents offered an A or B when asked to grade their children’s school, only slightly lower than the 81% statewide who gave the same grade in the statewide Ed Trust poll..
About the poll: These results are based on 6 waves of survey data looking at the views and experiences of parents of K-12 Boston Public Schools students. Live telephone and online interviews were conducted in English and Spanish for Wave 1 July 15 – August 2, Wave 2 November 9 – November 21, 2021, Wave 3 March 22 – April 12, 2022, Wave 4 July 21 - August 4, 2022, Wave 5 November 16-28, 2022, and Wave 6 March 22 – April 10, 2023. Telephone respondents were reached by both landline and cell phone. Oversamples of Black, Latino, and Asian American respondents were obtained to bring the total interview count up to at least 200 for Black and Latino parents, and at least 100 AAPI parents. Results within race and ethnicity were weighted to age, gender, and education level for each group. Groups were then combined and weighted to the population parameters for public school parents in the city as a whole. The first two waves were sponsored by Populace, and subsequent waves by The Shah Family Foundation.
About The MassINC Polling Group: About The MassINC Polling Group: The MassINC Polling Group is a nonpartisan public opinion research firm serving public, private, and social-sector clients. MPG elevates the public's voice with cutting edge methods and rigorous analysis. Based in Boston, MPG serves a nationwide client base.