Survey: Connections to court ordered busing era fading as BPS parent population changes
BPS parents say more attention needed to deal with legacy of racism and segregation as 50-year anniversary of busing order nears
Just 31% of Boston Public Schools parents say they are “very familiar” with the city’s history when it comes to busing and integration, according to a new poll out today. Black parents and white parents are more likely to report familiarity with the chapter of Boston’s past (see chart). Another 33% say they are “somewhat familiar. Most BPS parents (74%) now think their child’s school fosters an environment where everyone feels welcome and included, including majorities of Black (69%), white (81%), Asian (72%), and Latino parents (76%).
Many BPS parents have no direct family connection to the actual period, which helps explain knowledge gaps about busing and integration among BPS parents. In all, 42% of BPS parents said neither they themselves, nor their parents or grandparents experienced the period. A majority (62%) of Latino parents reported no family connection. In recent years, Latino students have become a rapidly growing segment of the BPS population, while the number of Black students has declined.
The survey was sponsored by The Shah Family Foundation and conducted by The MassINC Polling Group. It was the 9th in a series of BPS parent surveys going back to Summer 2021 and was released as the 50th anniversary of the landmark court decision approaches. Each wave of the survey series includes oversamples of Black, Latino, and Asian parents in Boston, offering unique and in-depth insight into Boston parent perceptions and experiences. The poll also covered other topics related to BPS, and additional data will be released in coming weeks.
The impacts of the era are still felt every day, and dealing with them is an ongoing task for Boston in general and BPS specifically. Just about half (47%) of BPS parents say they see ongoing efforts in the schools to address the impacts of racism and segregation. Among Black parents, just 36% say such efforts are ongoing, far below the 66% of white parents who say the same. Looking ahead, 55% of parents would like to see BPS do more to work against the long term impacts of segregation, including 61% of Black parents and 55% of white parents.
When it comes to diversifying the workforce of BPS teachers, 40% say the number of teachers from diverse backgrounds has increased in the last few years. White parents are more likely than parents of color to say the teaching force has gotten more diverse.
About the poll: These results are based on the 9th wave of survey data looking at the views and experiences of parents of K-12 Boston Public Schools students from 2021 to 2024. For this wave, a total of 893 live telephone and online interviews were conducted in English and Spanish March 21 – April 15, 2024. Telephone respondents were reached by both landline and cell phone. Oversamples of Black, Latino, and Asian respondents were obtained to bring the total interview count up to at least 200 for Black and Latino parents, and at least 100 Asian parents. Results within race and ethnicity were weighted to population parameters for 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 poll was sponsored 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.