Today, I was proud to announce an innovative proposal that would connect Boston public high schools with local colleges, employers, and trade unions, offer students a direct path to college or employment, and provide scholarships and financial aid to graduates.
I hope you'll take a moment to read my Hubs of Opportunity proposal on my website, and share your ideas for making our high schools hubs of opportunity for all our students.
Our high schools should be directly connected to our local institutions and employers. And students who graduate from our high schools should have the opportunity to work or attend college without the fear of crushing debt.
My Hubs of Opportunity proposal calls for each Boston high school to have at least three major partnerships: at least one with a college or university; at least one with a private sector employer (including medical institutions and non-profits); and at least one with a trade union or community-based organization.
Each high school would work with its partners to develop a college pathway and a vocational pathway focused on a specific industry or academic field. The partners would help develop curriculum, provide internships to students, offer resources and people to assist teachers in implementing the curriculum, and allow the use of their facilities for learning.
Partners would agree to offer admission, scholarships, employment and/or job training to those students who graduate and satisfy established criteria. The proposal also calls for the establishment of a scholarship fund for successful graduates who meet the criteria. Non-profits, including colleges and universities, that contribute to the scholarship fund will receive a reduction in their PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) obligations to the City of Boston.
The institutions, companies, and unions that participate in this program will be helping to educate and train the workers of the future while ensuring that those workers are not saddled with long-term debt which ultimately undermines the economy and hurts us all.
Please take a moment to read the proposal and share your ideas with me by emailing me at ideas@connollyforboston.com.
Thank you.
