Jeff Riley

Massachusetts Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Jeff Riley last week recommended the state’s board of education label the Boston Public Schools an underperforming district, a designation that would give him the authority to approve an improvement plan for the district.

Teachers and parent activists protested outside One Ashburton Place Tuesday morning while the state’s Board of Elementary and Secondary Education discussed its review of the Boston Public Schools in what’s widely perceived as a precursor to state intervention into Massachusetts’ largest school district.

With the threat of a state intervention hanging over the city’s schools, local education activists suspect Education Commissioner Jeff Riley may seek to target a cohort of Boston schools for state takeover.

After almost two years of pandemic uncertainty, vague communication and a revolving door of Boston School Committee member resignations, Governor Baker and his appointee Commissioner Jeff Riley have added a layer of stressful bullying by continuing to foster the idea of receivership for the Boston Public Schools.

Before Boston Public School officials became consumed by the demands of remote learning, distributing Chromebooks, keeping track of disappearing students and other pandemic-era challenges, there was the looming threat of a state takeover.