Open Letter to Newly Elected Boston Mayor Michelle Wu

Early in his career as the Mayor of Boston, Thomas M. Menino famously called for the city’s residents to ”judge [him] harshly” if there was not significant improvement in the Boston Public Schools (BPS).

A quarter-century after Menino’s call, we have a new generation of leadership at Boston City Hall. Our newly elected Mayor Michelle Wu faces a deeply troubled BPS. Decades later, can she finally make good on Menino’s promise? We truly hope so.

In that spirit, last week Pioneer Institute sent Mayor Wu an Open Letter outlining six steps to turn around the city’s public schools. The letter focuses on education because we believe there is no more important issue, and because no other policy area matters as much if the goal is to ensure fair access to opportunity and upward mobility.

Fixing the city’s district schools will be challenging and, no doubt, will require creative and courageous leadership. But if successful, Mayor Wu will leave a legacy that will be revered by families and schoolchildren for generations to come.

We wish Mayor Wu courage and success in this effort, and we stand ready to work with her or in support of her administration as a constructive partner in generating ideas, sharing data and policy experience.

Today we share our letter with you.

Click to read the full letter.