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Hennigan pronounces Menino a failure and announces her plan
to reform the education system in Boston
July 2005
Mayoral Candidate Maura Hennigan stood before the Boston School Committee Building on
Thursday afternoon, June 30th, and pronounced the Menino Administration a failure on
education while she presented her plan for reforming Boston’s school system.
"In 1996 at the Mayor’s State of the City address he told the city ’If I fail to bring about
specific reforms by the year 2001 then judge me harshly,’“ Hennigan reminded supporters
and press in attendance. ’’Mr. Mayor it is 2005… I, and the people of this city are here to tell
you…you have failed!"
Hennigan said, “Our children and our schools deserve fresh ideas in order to reform our
education system and the Mayor’s administration is simply too stagnant to deliver them.”
As a former teacher, Hennigan has a special understanding of the Boston school system. In
her address she called on Boston to return to its heritage as a national pioneer in public
education, “I propose that the City of Boston should once again lead the nation in making a
revolutionary adjustment to our public education program by extending the length of the
school day.”
According to Hennigan, studies commissioned in the 1990’s, at both the Federal and State
levels of Government, all concluded that additional time is the missing link in recent
education reform.
Hennigan further stressed that her initiative for a longer school day will aid parents who can’t
leave their job untill hours after their children are let out of school.
“In addition to relieving parents of childcare pressures, adequate time could now be spent on
fulfilling the academic goals of each student, both challenged and gifted alike,” Councillor
Hennigan said. “Rather than roaming the neighborhoods or spending endless hours glued to
television sets or video games waiting for parents to return from work, Boston’s children
could be engaged in creative, artistic, athletic and other enriching pursuits in a safe and
structured environment.”
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