Boston, MA

Josh Kraft unveils plan to revamp Boston Public Schools, says Michelle Wu has failed district

Published

10 months ago

May 7, 2025

Josh Kraft unveils plan to revamp Boston Public Schools, says Michelle Wu has failed district

Mayoral candidate Josh Kraft rolled out a comprehensive plan to revamp the embattled Boston Public Schools, and in doing so unveiled a third major area his campaign sees as a vulnerability for Mayor Michelle Wu.

Kraft released a five-page “plan to provide current and future generations of Boston families the BPS education they deserve” today, following other plans he’s put forward to tackle the issues of housing affordability and Mass and Cass that he says the mayor has failed to resolve during her first term in office.

The state of the city’s public school system, which narrowly avoided receivership a few years ago, is another key area Kraft — a son of the billionaire New England Patriots owner and longtime philanthropist — says he would focus on, should he be elected mayor this fall.

“Under Mayor Wu and her administration, BPS continues to fail our students and families,” Kraft’s new plan states. “BPS lacks both academic excellence and the basic support families need to ensure their children will learn and thrive, let alone arrive at school on time. Without an achievable plan and the ability to execute it, BPS will continue to remain substandard.”

Kraft’s campaign contends that his plan “puts students and families first, prioritizes parent and community engagement, nurtures and accelerates partnerships, and returns strong competent management to the school district.”

Per the plan, Kraft would focus on improving the district’s “persistently low literacy rates” by at least 10% through a “combination of high-dosage tutoring and community-driven partnerships,” and revitalizing vocational education as an alternative career pathway to today’s traditional college route.

His plan calls for renovating Madison Park, the city’s only vocational school, “the right way,” through a “community-oriented, efficient process” that “prioritizes making this school a regional leader for vocational education” — though it doesn’t get into specifics about how he would look to tackle such a massive project.

Renovations for Madison Park were tied into Wu’s plan to move the highly-rated O’Bryant exam school to West Roxbury, killed by Wu after community blowback, and have since been in limbo.

The estimated price tag for that rehab was reported earlier this year as roughly $700 million, a staggering amount that has the mayor saying she will seek funding from the state to help cover the costs, rather than have the city pay for it with its own money, as was her initial plan, according to a Boston Globe report.

Kraft’s plan also calls for a reevaluation of the current exam schools admission policy, as well as the number of seats available to ensure that BPS students who meet the necessary requirements are able “to attend one of these flagship schools.” His campaign contends that is not the case today.

To increase family and community engagement, Kraft’s plan calls for a switch from an appointed to a hybrid school committee, which Wu opposes. The hybrid committee would consist of elected and mayoral-appointed members, rather than today’s entirely mayoral-appointed board.

He’s proposing a leadership shakeup to bring a “results-oriented management style back to City Hall.” He envisions two superintendents for the district that would “split the job” and report to the mayor.

A so-called superintendent of operational management would focus “exclusively on the nuts-and-bolts” of the city’s school system and a superintendent of schools would “maintain and guide the academic success of the district.”

Kraft’s campaign says BPS students and their families have been “blindsided” by recent school closures, and he would “develop and implement a long-term facilities plan within one year in office.”

Kraft is also placing the blame for “chronic” school bus delays squarely on Wu, saying that his plan would fix the district’s “broken transportation system,” but his plan doesn’t elaborate on how he plans to do so.

His plan also calls for greater partnership with the state, community organizations that work with youth, and parents, who he thinks should have a dedicated office in City Hall that would “prioritize clear communication channels between families, the BPS administration and the mayor’s office.”

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Boston, MA

Each mile is for her miracle: This Granby mom is running the Boston Marathon with her daughter in mind

Published

7 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Boston Marathon

“With every mile I run, I will be thinking of her strength, her transplant journey, and the families who are walking similar paths right now.”

Brianna Poehler is running the 2026 Boston Marathon.
Brianna Poehler

By Carson Lyle

March 4, 2026 | 6:00 PM

2 minutes to read

In our “Why I’m Running” series, Boston Marathon athletes share what’s inspiring them to make the 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to Boston. Looking for more race day content? Sign up for Boston.com’s pop-up Boston Marathon newsletter.

Name: Brianna Poehler

City/State: Granby, Mass.

I am running the 2026 Boston Marathon with Miles for Miracles in support of Boston Children’s Hospital. The Boston Marathon is deeply personal to me and my family.

My daughter is a liver transplant survivor, and at just 11 months old, she received a life-saving liver transplant at Boston Children’s Hospital.

What could have been the most devastating chapter of our lives became a story of hope, resilience, and extraordinary care because of the BCH team.

When our daughter was so small and so sick, the doctors, nurses, and staff at Boston Children’s carried us through the unimaginable.

They combined world-class medical expertise with compassion that went far beyond treatment plans and hospital rooms. They cared for our daughter as if she were their own. They supported us as anxious, exhausted parents. They gave us answers when we had questions, and reassurance when we were overwhelmed.

Most importantly, they gave our daughter a second chance at life.

Today, she is thriving because of that gift. Every milestone she reaches is a reminder of the miracle she received and the team that made it possible. Running the Boston Marathon is my way of honoring that gift and saying thank you in the most meaningful way I can.

The marathon is a test of endurance, determination, and heart — qualities I saw in my daughter during her fight and in the Boston Children’s team every single day.

With every mile I run, I will be thinking of her strength, her transplant journey, and the families who are walking similar paths right now.

By running with Miles for Miracles, I hope to raise funds that will support groundbreaking research, life-saving treatments, and compassionate care for children like my daughter. This race is more than 26.2 miles — it is a celebration of survival, gratitude, and hope.

Editor’s note: This entry may have been lightly edited for clarity or grammar.

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Boston, MA

Charlotte plays Boston on 5-game win streak

Published

20 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Charlotte plays Boston on 5-game win streak

Charlotte Hornets (31-31, ninth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Boston Celtics (41-20, second in the Eastern Conference)

Boston; Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Celtics -6.5; over/under is 214.5

BOTTOM LINE: Charlotte is looking to keep its five-game win streak alive when the Hornets take on Boston.

The Celtics are 27-13 against Eastern Conference opponents. Boston is sixth in the NBA with 46.2 rebounds led by Nikola Vucevic averaging 8.8.

The Hornets are 19-21 in conference matchups. Charlotte is 7-8 when it turns the ball over less than its opponents and averages 15.0 turnovers per game.

The Celtics average 15.5 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.7 more made shots on average than the 12.8 per game the Hornets allow. The Hornets average 16.0 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.1 more made shots on average than the 13.9 per game the Celtics allow.

TOP PERFORMERS: Jaylen Brown is averaging 29 points, 7.1 rebounds and five assists for the Celtics. Payton Pritchard is averaging 17 points and 5.8 assists over the past 10 games.

Kon Knueppel is averaging 19.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists for the Hornets. Brandon Miller is averaging 22.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Celtics: 8-2, averaging 109.4 points, 50.7 rebounds, 27.1 assists, 6.1 steals and 6.4 blocks per game while shooting 45.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 98.5 points per game.

Hornets: 7-3, averaging 117.3 points, 47.8 rebounds, 27.4 assists, 8.5 steals and 4.2 blocks per game while shooting 45.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 106.2 points.

INJURIES: Celtics: Jayson Tatum: out (achilles), Neemias Queta: day to day (rest).

Hornets: Coby White: day to day (injury management).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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Boston, MA

First Alert: Mix of snow and rain today, then looking ahead to warmer weather

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

First Alert: Mix of snow and rain today, then looking ahead to warmer weather

Today is a First Alert weather day. A system to our south is pushing mix of snow and rain into southern New England through this evening and tonight.

For us here in Greater Boston, expect snow to continue spreading over our area through the afternoon/evening commute. In fact, parts our area could see up to 1 to 2 inches of snow accumulation before the sleet and rain move in.

Much of Greater Boston will likely see snow amounts on the lower end. Higher snow amounts are expected toward southern New Hampshire and along and north of outer Route 2. Also, some ice accumulations are possible, up to a tenth of an inch, creating a thin glaze here and there.

Dozens of schools in Connecticut and Massachusetts have already announced early dismissals as a result of the storm.

While this system won’t cripple our area, conditions could still create a mess on the roads during the evening commute through tonight. Be careful while driving. A Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect for parts of our area through early Wednesday morning. High temperatures will be in the mid to upper 30s today. Overnight lows will drop into the low 30s.

We’ll wake up to patchy fog Wednesday morning before the sun returns. High temperatures will be in the upper 40s. We’ll stay in the 40s on Thursday with increasing clouds. But by late Thursday night into Friday, wet weather returns. Some snow could mix with the rain into Friday morning. Highs will be in the upper 30s Friday.