We applaud Mayor Walsh for appointing Miren Uriarte to the Boston School Committee.
It is good to see that both JP and the Latino community that is a key constituency of our neighborhood will continue to be represented on the committee following the recent departure of Claudio Martinez.
Uriarte shares and perhaps exceeds Martinze’s knowledge of English-language-learner challenges. She is a sociologist and professor at UMass’s Gaston Institute, the respected center studying policy issues that impact the Latino community.
We are encouraged that the mayor, in announcing Uriarte’s appointment, specifically noted BPS’s persistent “achievement gap” for young male Latinos. Such frankly devastating issues deserve fresh expert attention.
Uriarte is also a good choice as a BPS parent and longtime community resident. As BPS takes yet another new direction under a forthcoming new superintendent, we look forward to her representation of our community and its concerns.