On June 6, 2023, Mayor Wu and Superintendent Skipper blindsided the John D. O’Bryant and Boston community with their unilateral decision to relocate the school from its centrally-located, diverse home in Roxbury to the distant and predominantly White neighborhood of West Roxbury. The poorly vetted decision ignored the rich culture of its current location, the inaccessibility of the new location, the indomitable economics to realize this plan, and the irreparable harm it would do to the school’s legacy. Despite an active and willing school community, the Mayor neither consulted stakeholders nor considered the impact on the students, educators, parents and caregivers.

The entire proposal fails to meet any reasonable standard of success with regard to equity, economics, education, and transportation. Indeed, there is no actual plan. More importantly, it actively punishes individuals for choosing a diverse school located in a diverse neighborhood – it punishes diversity for existing. The City has a history of sacrificing diversity and marginalized communities in exchange for other political causes, based on a historical misconception that these communities are unable to raise their voices and mobilize, and a prejudice that our votes do not matter. These are biases we are prepared to correct.

This petition unites the voices and thoughts of Boston’s active voting population, and we demand that the Mayor and Superintendent immediately cease any plan to relocate the John D. O’Bryant School. We demand they STOPP, immediately:

· Solidarity
· Transparency
· Opportunity
· Proposal
· Progress

Solidarity. We expect the administration to first engage with the stakeholders deeply invested in the O’Bryant school, and we must ensure equity and belonging drives our decisions. In solidarity with us, we will collectively work towards an excellent solution for both schools to ensure that the most important group, the students and educators, can succeed in their mission to be the best scholars possible.

Transparency. We demand that any process for this or any school be open and honest. The history of secret, unilateral decision-making must stop for the sake of the futures of our students, educators, and elected officials. The information and individuals involved in the process needs to be available to the public, including the records used to create the original proposal.

Opportunity. We must work together to ensure that all Boston scholars have access to the same resources and education that the most supported students and schools receive. As the exam school with the highest number of students in need of services, we expect that any proposal incorporate the infrastructure necessary to at least maintain, but preferably increase those services.

Proposal. Our process should result in a jointly developed facility and location plan that maintains the O’Bryant’s location in the exam school triangle – centrally located in the city within a diverse community known for its support of our population. Further, the proposal must have a clear view of short term and economic obligations for success, and no steps should be taken without a responsible and thorough budget with legislative commitment. In making this decision, we expect deference to the stakeholders most affected by this decision.

Progress. As we continue through this process, we must establish a feedback loop where the city regularly shares updates on the plan’s execution against key objectives.

Any plan for this or any school should emphasize racial equity and an indisputable sense of belonging that, at the very least, manifests both socially and emotionally. The school needs to be accessible, geographically and demographically, to all.

The John D. O’Bryant school is successful because of where it is and how it has grown into its existing space. As an exam school it has drawn the most accomplished of Boston’s scholars into its family, and its diversity of race, gender, socio-economic, heritage, capability rivals that of any exam school. It is its badge of honor. Moving it far from its location into a demographic area that is the reverse of its current is the exact opposite of what it needs. The current proposal is backwards, and it is time to STOPP.