The Chicken and Egg of Boston Housing and Education

seaport.jpgIn in article by Tracey Jan in last Friday’s Boston Globe entitled ”S. Boston developer plans a private school,” a proposal was announced to develop 2,500 housing units within a 23 acre site in Boston’s Seaport District.  A proposed site, which today contains nothing but parking lots, would be developed by John B. Hynes III into residential housing, a performing arts center, two (2) health clubs, a public garden and a private school.

The problem facing the Seaport district is not unique.  Emerging neighborhoods have faced similar problems and addressed them in different ways.  What is lacking in the Seaport District are the basic amenities that exist in most other neighborhoods and suburbs of Boston (e.g. schools, shops, restaurants, people, etc.).  The concept of ‘build it and they will come’ has not worked well for the Seaport District.  There are convention centers, museums, hotels, etc. but what is lacking are people, because there are little to no housing units in which people can live.  The Seaport District will never be a neighborhood until people start living there–and people will not start living there unless there is sufficient quality education for their children.   This in a classic example of the proverbial problem of which came first the chicken or the egg.   

John B. Hynes III has proposed a simple solution to a complex problem: a school which will serve 1,500 children from kindergarten through high school.  He hopes the school will help attract families to his development and to the area.  City officials are not embracing his idea and are calling it “hair-brained,” and “catering to the upper end.”

By including a school with the development plans, Hynes is solving the age old question of which came first the chicken or the egg?  He is proposing a solution by combining the Chicken and Egg.

Good education attracts families, and families attract everything else.  Hynes has the right idea: offer good quality educational options and they will come.

Posted by: Helen Coen on June 11, 2007
Filed Under Schools, Lifestyle, Neighborhood News, Lifestyle, Schools, Neighborhood News, Schools, Jamaica Plain, West Roxbury, Neighborhood News, Lifestyle, Roslindale 

Teacher Appreciation Month at WROR (105.7)

This Month It’s All About Teachers at WROR!  teacher1.jpg

Throughout June 105.7 WROR salutes hard working teachers.  WROR is asking you to tell listeners about the best teacher you know… maybe it’s you! 

Tell WROR about a teacher that deserves appreciation, especially if it’s YOU! WROR will be saluting teachers on the air during the month-long celebration.

Plus, WROR will invite each teacher to an after-work appreciation party, hosted by Loren and Wally, on Tuesday, June 26th from 5-7pm at the newly renovated Children’s children-museum.jpg
Museum in Boston. 

Nominate a worthy teacher today!

Posted by: Helen Coen on June 9, 2007
Filed Under Lifestyle, Schools, Lifestyle, Schools, Schools, Lifestyle, Jamaica Plain, West Roxbury, Neighborhood News, Roslindale 

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