A Statement from Boston City Councillor Tito Jackson

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Created on Thursday, 04 April 2013 16:01

Written by Tito Jackson, Boston City Councillor

A Statement from Boston City Councillor Tito Jackson:

"Since 1993, Mayor Menino has worked to connect neighborhoods, build business districts, ensure equal access to education and make Boston the cosmopolitan city it is today.  On March 28th, the Mayor announced that he would not to run for re-election.  The void he leaves will be great, and the person who fills it must be ready to build upon Mayor Menino’s work while fulfilling his or her own.  In November, the people will elect a new vision and a new narrative for the City of Boston, its businesses, children, schools, and communities.

While my vision of Boston, past, present and future, is one of resonance and promise, I truly believe that my work in District 7 is not finished.  I am honored to represent these neighborhoods, which include all of Roxbury, and parts of Dorchester, Jamaica Plain, the South End and the Fenway.  Dudley Square, the geographic center and heart of Boston, is on the rise, and we need to support its transition.  Dudley should be a destination, a cultural center.  Corridors of economic development and diverse businesses should extend down Dudley Street to Upham’s Corner and on Washington Street from the South End to Jamaica Plain.  Madison Park Technical Vocational High School could be the gem of the Boston Public School system.  Right now, parents, teachers, administrators and civic leaders are collaborating to give the school the attention it deserves.  Roxbury Community College has the potential to lift a community up.  Its proximity to Longwood, Boston Medical Center, Dudley Square and Interstate-93 make it ripe for partnerships with institutions that need skilled workers.  We have to continue building partnerships to curb youth violence.  These young men and women need help, they need opportunities, and they need a push up.  Schools, community centers and summer jobs should be safe havens.  District 7’s diverse histories and people make it dynamic and full of promise.  I am confident that through communication and collaboration we will push the district forward, and as goes District 7 goes the City of Boston.

Therefore, I will not put my name forward to be considered for Mayor of Boston in 2013.  Instead, I will run for re-election to be District 7’s Boston City Councillor.  The future is bright for Boston, from Dudley Square to Maverick Square to Kenmore Square and all the places in between.  I look forward to the working with the next Mayor to make Boston better than it is today."

Teacher diversity called an issue

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Created on Thursday, 21 February 2013 16:08

Written by Gintautas Dumcius, Dorchester Reporter

City councillors are pushing the school department to increase the number of teachers of color, citing a federal court order that requires the department to maintain the number of black teachers at 25 percent, at a minimum. “That is not the case today,” District 7 Councillor Tito Jackson said at an Education Committee hearing last week.

“This is not our suggestion; there’s a court order on the books that we as a city – I can’t say we’re ignoring – but we’re definitely not following,” he added.

Read more: Teacher diversity called an issue

Officials: Boston & Cambridge Should Team Up So We Don’t Let Another Zuckerberg Get Away

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Created on Wednesday, 27 February 2013 15:57

Written by By Steve Annear, BostInno.com

Boston and Cambridge are often seen as dueling cities.

On one side of the Charles River there are world-renowned schools like Harvard University and MIT, both of which are responsible for churning out hundreds, if not thousands, of talented individuals who have gone on to achieve historic feats.

Then, in the Hub, just a bridge away from those schools, the top hospitals from around the world sit snugly along the banks of the river.

Read more: Officials: Boston & Cambridge Should Team Up So We Don’t Let Another Zuckerberg Get Away

Massachusetts official challenges Chief Justice Roberts’ claim about voting

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Created on Thursday, 28 February 2013 15:40

Written by Alikah Johnson, The Boston Globe

Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. certainly sounded authoritative when he made a striking, though unflattering, declaration about Massachusetts as the high court heard arguments over the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which is ­designed to assure equal access across ­races to polling booths.

“Do you know which state has the worst ratio of white voter turnout to African-American voter turnout?” Roberts asked Donald Verrilli Jr., solicitor general for the Department of Justice, during Wednesday’s arguments.

“I do not know that,” Verrilli answered.

“Massachusetts,” Roberts responded, adding that even Mississippi has a narrower gap.

Read more: Massachusetts official challenges Chief Justice Roberts’ claim about voting

A Little Taekwondo in Three Boston Public Schools Goes a Long Way

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Created on Tuesday, 11 December 2012 13:22

Written by Emily Files, Boston Globe and Northeastern

Monday mornings are the most dreaded day of the week for many third-graders. But in three Boston Public Schools, Taekwondo programs are encouraging exercise, discipline, and an excitement to be in school.

When City Councilman Tito Jackson recommended a program offered by the U.S. Taekwondo Education Foundation to Joy Salesman-Oliver, principal of Higginson/Lewis School in Roxbury, she knew it was exactly what the school was looking for. At the time, she was searching for programs that taught structure and helped to boost self-esteem in her students. Monday classes in the disciplined martial arts, led by Master Hans, have served that purpose, especially for what Salesman-Oliver described as her rambunctious third-grade students.

Read more: A Little Taekwondo in Three Boston Public Schools Goes a Long Way