One of the principal goals of the BPO is to advocate for initiatives that matter to the parents of Brookline.
Our initiatives are by no means limited to what is listed here. If there is something of importance to you, please reach out!
Recess and Free Play
We believe in the value and educational importance of recess and free play. As the research on this issue becomes more and more convincing, we are seeing less and less recess time for our children. Neighboring school districts dedicate more time to recess, and we believe Brookline should do the same!
Green Schoolyards & Nature Education
We believe in the power of outdoor classrooms and nature-based education. Few things spark joy in our children like the experience of being outdoors, in nature, where they can develop creativity and hone their powers of observation in the ever-changing landscape. The BPO has already helped create a native species, pollinator friendly garden at the Runkle School, and we believe that together we can build green schoolyards with spaces for children to watch, listen, learn, and wonder.
Food & Wellness
We believe that good, healthy food and sufficient time to eat calmly are central to our children's education. Schools should be a place where our children can practice the skills of eating socially, and where we can trust that they will be offered healthy options.
Testing
We believe that an emphasis on high-stakes testing undermines our children's education and demoralizes their teachers by taking away their autonomy. Learning should be about challenge, creativity, and critical thinking, all of which inevitably vanish in a test-driven curriculum. We can address the needs of all of our students by attracting the best teachers and giving them the support and training that they need, and our schools will be all the better for it.
Privacy and Data Collection
We believe that childhood should be a time of freedom: freedom to learn, to inquire, to explore, to grow. Yet our schools increasingly rely on technology that collects massive amounts of data on our children. Meanwhile we see every day that no data is safe from hacking, no matter how secure its holders claim it to be. Our children's privacy is an integral part of their freedom, and it is not something to be tossed away lightly.