In the Boston Public School system, there are three exam schools that stand out like a shining beacon: Boston Latin Academy, Boston Latin School and the John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Science. For parents of prospective students in middle school, an invitation to any one of the three is akin to guaranteeing a successful life for their children.
The Boston School Committee’s one-year-plan — drafted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic — may shake up the status quo of the elite and prestigious. Alongside the removal of the admissions test for the upcoming applicants, they are also hoping to implement a zip code quota.
The new admissions will focus on GPA, Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System scores and prioritizing student applicants from higher population neighborhoods, or zip codes. It has been well-documented that despite the majority Black and Latino student population in BPS, a smaller percentage of these students are present in the exam schools.
Installing a zip code quota is projected to balance out the inequalities riddled in the system and increase diversity within the top three schools.
Yet, a group of parents called the Boston Parent Coalition for Academic Excellence has filed a lawsuit against the committee for violating the 14th Amendment.
It certainly isn’t “artificially [favoring] Latino and African-American students to the detriment of Asian and white students,” as the coalition puts it. It’s undoing historic inequalities and the lingering but ever-present effects of segregation — favoring would suggest an advantage, when this is simply shaving off a disadvantage.
Though it’s understandable for parents to be defensive and protective of their children’s futures, the fact remains students who could get in on their merit and intelligence before still can. It is only that they had an unfair leverage prior, and now, additional, equally deserving students have been given the same opportunities.
Furthermore, the policy is supposed to be “race-neutral,” which, in legalese, means the contents are neutral even if the intentions and impact aren’t. It’s important to note that zip codes are a non-racial aspect — if they carry racial connotations, that is only because of Boston’s history of segregation. Asian and white students from these same low-income communities would also be benefitted by the zip code quota.
A notable update on the lawsuit is the Red Sox and Celtics have joined in support of the new admissions plan, which goes to show the increasingly progressive nature of the Sox and Celtics — the former of which has toted a Black Lives Matter sign outside Fenway Park — and the importance of this matter. After all, if even the major Boston sports teams have supported the matter, it should be a no-brainer.
The Sox’s involvement in social issues is particularly compelling, given that this behavior isn’t a precedent set by the MLB in the same way it’s set by the NBA. Their involvement in bettering the community they represent could serve as a good model for other Boston sports teams such as the Bruins or Patriots, as well as their fans.
Already, they have brought more publicity to the case.
As social justice and equality is adopted into every niche and community, it will hopefully counter the culture of racism and change the way our society views these processes. It requires institutions such as baseball teams to make it their business — to use their platform and influence to spread awareness and support — even if people who are opposed to change claim it’s way out of their league of expertise.
The zip code quota and the sports teams’ support of it are not revolutionary, but they do make a difference. If successfully implemented, it could mean redefining the futures of a new generation of students.
