Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards $2.3 Million in K-12 Language Learning Program Grants

Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards $2.3 Million in K-12 Language Learning Program Grants Funds support English learner programs and increase the number of qualified bilingual education and ESL teachers  EVERETT – The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced today that it is awarding over $2.3 million in grant funding to 32 school districts and charter schools to strengthen multilingual programming in school settings, including world language, heritage language, and English learner programs. Heritage languages are languages other than English used in homes, communities and families. This funding promotes inclusive, supportive and culturally sustaining learning environments for all students. “In Massachusetts, we want all students to succeed, regardless of zip code or circumstance. This funding helps create inclusive and high-quality learning environments for all students, particularly multilingual learners,” said Governor Maura Healey. “Residents of Massachusetts speak a wide variety of languages, either in addition to or instead of English,” said Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll. “These grants enable districts to create programs that best align with their students’ needs and are an investment in our future workforce.” The Proficiency Outcomes in World Languages grant program supports school district engagement in local and state world language advisory teams that inform new tools and recommendations for schools and educators. It also enables implementation of high-quality world language assessments and analysis of course-taking patterns to identify gaps in student access and opportunity. The English Learner Education Support grant program enables school districts to develop and/or implement an alternative bilingual English learner education program, as well as develop or enrich high-quality curricular materials. Further, districts can use the funding to create or expand their own bilingual education hub and/or English as a second language (ESL) teacher hub. These hubs improve the bilingual education educator pipeline, share knowledge to accelerate the adoption of proven and recognized programmatic models for English learners, and develop successful models that can be replicated for years to come. They also provide training alongside a mentor teacher and concurrent coursework in the area of ESL licensure. “We know that schools need to give students multiple routes to multilingualism, and these grants provide districts with the funding and support they need to make that happen,” said Education Secretary Dr. Patrick Tutwiler. “It also helps increase the cultural and linguistic diversity of the workforce, which benefits all students.” “This funding will help districts move closer to DESE’s Educational Vision of helping all students be known and valued, making learning relevant and interactive, and giving students the individualized supports they need to succeed,” said Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Pedro Martinez. “Effective language instruction is an important piece.” In 2025, Governor Healey signed the Protect Education Equity Bill, adding guarantees to the right to a public education in Massachusetts for all students regardless of their immigration or citizenship status. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) released heritage languages guidance (download) and a best practices manual (download) in June that detail legal requirements for implementing a heritage languages program and provide robust ideas, examples, and vignettes of important practices in these programs and courses. The FY26 Proficiency Outcomes in World Languages grant recipients are: Everett Public Schools: $46,375 Hadley Public Schools: $29,790 Hingham Public Schools: $19,993 Hudson Public Schools: $16,538 Medford Public Schools: $12,000 Methuen Public Schools: $23,710 Milford Public Schools: $25,060 Newburyport Public Schools: $16,060 Newton Public Schools: $36,348 Northborough-Southborough Public Schools: $27,000 Salem Public Schools: $14,400 Scituate Public Schools: $4,557 Sharon Public Schools: $9,950 Shrewsbury Public Schools: $13,510 Somerville Public Schools: $31,000 South Shore Charter: $17,808 Watertown Public Schools: $14,504 Westborough Public Schools: $8,450 Worcester Public Schools: $27,539 The FY26 English Learner Education Support grant recipients are: Agawam Public Schools: $36,000 Amherst Public Schools: $62,918 Amherst-Pelham Public Schools: $57,380 Brockton Public Schools: $264,755 Greenfield Public Schools: $15,000 Lawrence Public Schools: $82,000 Lynn Public Schools: $435,500 MATCH Charter (in Boston): $30,000 Maynard Public Schools: $34,200 Milford Public Schools: $4,320 North Attleboro Public Schools: $34,248 Norton Public Schools: $30,681 Salem Public Schools: $38,545 Southbridge Public Schools: $441,130 Springfield Public Schools: $187,395 Taunton Public Schools: $50,000 Worcester Public Schools: $58,566

波士頓爆發流感疫情 2名2歲兒童驚傳死訊

          （Boston Ｏrange編譯）波士頓公共衛生委員會（BPHC）今（6）日證實，波士頓發生兩例與流感相關的兩歲以下幼童死亡個案，這是本流感季節該市首批兒童死亡病例。目前麻州兒童流感死亡人數，全州已累計達 4 人。

波士頓公共衛生的數據顯示，疫情急速升溫情勢嚴峻。在去年 12 月 14 日至 27 日的兩週內，整個波士頓市流感確診病例暴增 126%，住院人數幾乎翻了三倍，其中五歲以下兒童的住院率在這兩週內激增 150%，人數為去年同期的兩倍，尤其令人擔憂。

BPHC 主任奧吉庫圖博士（Dr. Bisola Ojikutu）呼籲家長儘快為六個月大以上的子女接種疫苗。她提醒道，如果孩童出現呼吸困難、排尿減少、持續高燒或極度嗜睡等症狀，應立即就醫。

為因應疫情，波士頓市政府將於一月份加開四場免費疫苗診所，無須預約或身分證明。當局建議民眾在擁擠的室內空間佩戴口罩，並保持勤洗手等良好衛生習慣，以防止病毒進一步擴散。

查詢更多詳情，可上網boston.gov/vaccine-clinics。接種疫苗，不需預約，也不必有保險或身分證明。自從去年9月起，波士頓公共衛生委員會和波士頓公校，波士頓青少年家聽中心（BCYF），以及社區組織合作，在全市15個鄰里已舉辦27場免費疫苗門診。

需要申請醫療保險者，可撥打市長熱線(617) 534-5050。

波士頓黃氏宗親會就職創新猷 新團隊逐一自我介紹

黃氏宗親會元老黃國威（左一），美東副總長黃偉健（右一）監交，新任
主席黃兆祥（右二起），黃鷹立從卸任主席黃光沐手中接過印信。（周菊子攝）

            (Boston Orange周菊子波士頓報導)波士頓黃氏宗親會1月4日就職典禮，近百名黃伍宗親出席，6名政要及嘉賓到賀，場面盛大。新主席黃鷹立、黃兆祥的率團隊逐一自我介紹，為華埠姓氏僑團就職典禮創新猷。

              黃氏公所今年的改選結果，有改朝換代味道，不單只新任主席黃鷹立為在美出生，在波士頓華埠長大的第二代，其餘職員一大半為公所會務新人，年齡僅50出頭，展現年輕化新氣息。

主席黃鷹立（左）和黃兆祥（右二起）接受「眾望所歸，振興族惡」錦旗。（周菊子攝）

就職典禮的舞獅，宣讀祖訓，上香，敬酒，獻三牲，婦女部主讓黃周麗桃等人獻花，印信監交，鳴炮，在黃伍一家親傳統下，邀請伍氏元老，主席一同祭祖等環節雖仍然傳統，主席黃鷹立接著自我介紹，還請所有職員也一一做自我介紹，則是前所未有的安排。

黃伍宗親和嘉賓合影。前排右起，伍輝民，高家富，雷國輝，Ed Flynn，
Nick Collins，黃子安，黃耀良，伍氏元老伯和伍振中。（周菊子攝）

今年的到賀嘉賓，除了紐英崙中華公所主席雷國輝，波士頓市議員愛德華費連（Ed Flynn），麻州參議員Nick Collins，黃氏宗親本家的麻州參議員黃子安都來送上表揚狀之外，曾任費奇堡市（Fitchburg）市長的黃素芬，也在宗親邀約下，特地帶著

波士頓經文處組長黃耀良（左一）和波士頓僑教中心主任高家富（右一）
祝賀黃鷹立（中左），黃兆祥（中右）當選黃氏宗親會主席。（周菊子攝）

2名女兒來認識黃姓家族。

紐英崙伍胥山公所在“黃伍一家親”的傳統下，這天到賀陣容龐大，有元老伍伯和，伍煥華，甫卸任美東副總長的伍輝民，2名伍氏主席伍振中，伍偉業，以及前主席伍紹仁，婦女部主任伍詹淑慧等不下10人出席。

黃氏宗親會醒獅獻錦旗。（周菊子攝）

駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處，也特地由黃氏本家的組長黃耀良代表經文處處長廖朝宏出席。波士頓僑教中心主任高家富以廣東話致詞，代表僑委會委員長徐佳青致賀。

在儀式結束後，黃鷹立率先介紹自己。他在波士頓華埠長大，住了有四、五十年，小學一年級上的是泰勒街的昆士小學（JQUS），後來就讀於波士頓亞伯拉罕林肯學校，也曾在北端（North End）的Michelangelo學校唸了一年，然後從波士頓科技高中，波士頓學院（BC）畢業，所以他是道地的在地人。

黃鷹立還藉機指出，他的妻子Joyce Wong和妻妹等人，都畢業於波士頓學院。

黃氏宗親會職員和醒獅合影。左起黃光沐，黃達榮，黃納斯， 黃忠鴻，
黃國威，黃鷹立，黃兆祥，黃啟智，黃雄心，後排右二黃雅亭，
黃碧華，後排右五黃偉健。（周菊子攝）

畢業後，他進餐館工作了幾年。2005年密朗尼（Mitt Romney）擔任麻州州長時，指派他出任麻州難民移民服務署（MIRA）副署長。那之後他在聯邦人口統計局工作。目前他仍在工作，還未退休，但是傳承家族的責任壓到了他的肩膀上，所以他必須挺身而出，克盡己職的為宗親經營公所。

黃伍宗親上香祭祖。右起，伍伯和，黃國威，黃光沐，伍偉業，伍振中，
黃鷹立，黃兆祥，黃偉健，黃周麗桃。（周菊子攝）

黃氏宗親會的另一名主席黃兆祥則是在中國廣東出生，香港長大，就讀德明小學，和黃氏宗親會前議長黃國麟算是同窗，之後就讀德明書院，在前往加拿大深造。

黃氏主席黃鷹立（左）和黃兆祥（前右）向祖先敬酒。（周菊子攝）

1970年代與父移民來美，得到宗親黃官羨照顧，後就讀東北大學，1995年獲太平紳士身份，2012年當過一年中華公所主席，目前在中城地產掛牌。

2名英文書記都是功夫界人士。黃雄心自我介紹時說他來自香港，在香港大學唸理科，來美後進過東北大學念了點電腦。很多年前開始，他就在華埠舞獅，每逢慶典，都要帥獅隊出馬，因而在波士頓僑界認識很多人。他在黃氏宗親會曾任外交，幫辦，如今還是黃氏宗親會的青年組擔任醒獅教練。

黃偉健（左起），黃鷹立，伍振中，黃兆祥切金豬。（周菊子攝）

另一名英文書記黃雅亭和麻州眾議員黃子安攜手創辦了“南派武館”。他言簡意賅地表示出任職員，希望能更深入學習了解黃氏宗親會的家族文化，為加強宗親和公所的聯繫而努力。

黃周麗桃（左起），伍詹淑慧等婦女組主任向祖先獻花。（周菊子攝）

財政黃碧華說，他來自香港，51年前，他父母帶著他和3兄弟姐妹，移民來到波士頓。如今他已婚，有3個小孩，還養了一頭德國牧犬，在美國證交所（Securities  and Exchange Commission）波士頓辦公室的檢驗組助理主任，負責紐英崙六州，

另一名財政黃啟智，從1985迄今，來美已45年，在心臟手術累的醫療儀器公司的工程助理。希望大家支持他做財務工作。

中文書記黃忠鴻是黃鷹立口中的資訊科技專家（IT expert），黃氏宗親會的網路連接，都是他做的。黃忠鴻說他自己是一名軟體工程師，也是眾人可以見到的櫃子後面壯觀大鐘的開發者。很榮幸將在未來2年為黃氏宗親會服務。

議長黃光沐，中文書記黃忠鴻，主席黃兆祥，黃鷹立，財政黃碧華，
英文書記黃雅亭等人跟著黃國威宣讀祖訓。（周菊子攝）

在就職典禮這天擔任司儀的黃納斯只簡短介紹自己在中國時，是一名醫生。目前在波士頓醫學院當研究員。

核數，庶務並未做自我介紹。

黃氏公所2026新屆職員為，主席黃鷹立，黃兆祥，中文書記黃忠鴻，黃納斯，英文書記黃雄心，黃雅亭，財政黃啟智，黃碧華，核數黃永湛，黃傑彬，庶務黃達榮，議長黃光沐。出席中華公所代表為黃兆祥，黃納斯，黃國威。

黃鷹立在職員自我介紹結束時，開玩笑的形容，這團隊是宗親們選出來的王子，王爺，將在元老黃國威，美東總長黃偉健，以及議長黃光沐等人的帶領下服務。

麻州眾議員黃子安（右起），波士頓市議員Ed Flynn，麻州參議員Nick Collins
頒發表揚狀給黃氏主席黃兆祥（右三），黃鷹立（左二）。（周菊子攝）

表揚狀，每位職員都有一份。（周菊子攝）

主席黃鷹立特地把曾任麻州費奇堡市長的黃氏宗親黃素芬請回公所，
參加就職典禮。（周菊子攝）

黃素芬表示，她這趟回來是特地讓女兒認識一下黃氏宗親。（周菊子攝）

黃素芬和丈夫Anthony Soto，以及女兒一家四口都來參加黃氏就職禮。（周菊子攝）

黃氏新主席黃鷹立當選，家人都來祝賀。（周菊子攝）

左起，黃鷹立，黃雄心，黃子安，黃雅亭，黃兆祥，阮鴻燦，黃納斯，黃忠鴻等人
和今年將競選連任的麻州參議員Nick Collins合影。（周菊子攝）

黃氏宗親會的選舉結果及票數，仍保留在公所大廳。（周菊子攝）

和新主席同名，創辦了竹聲樂團的黃兆祥（右）特地陪父親黃新健到公所走走，
為黃氏傳承盡心力。（周菊子攝）

黃氏宗親會的醒獅隊有黃雄心當教練，（周菊子攝）

黃伍一家親的伍氏宗親們列席而坐。（周菊子攝）

Healey-Driscoll Administration Announces Grants for Career and Technical Education in Correctional Facilities

Healey-Driscoll Administration Announces Grants for Career and Technical Education in Correctional Facilities Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century grants, also known as Perkins V, will provide $234,000 to train incarcerated individuals EVERETT – The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced today that they have awarded $234,000 in grant funding for career and technical education in correctional facilities in four counties. This funding, provided through the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, is to establish or substantially improve career and technical education programs that prepare people to succeed in in-demand career pathways such as manufacturing and welding. “These grants will help give individuals access to relevant career and technical skills while in custody,” said Governor Maura Healey. “We want returning citizens to be prepared to join the workforce on day one, earning family-sustaining wages and reducing recidivism.”    “We are strengthening our workforce statewide by offering technical training opportunities to individuals who have historically faced barriers to employment,” said Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll. “These grants offer training and experience for important industries across the state.”   Students receive an industry-recognized credential or certificate through the eligible programs, which are delivered fully, or in part, via technology-based distance learning. The grant funding enables meaningful collaboration between correctional institutions, community corrections, career and technical education providers, and local area employers. Programs include transition support services that are tailored to support success in the career pathway before and after release, as well as rigorous educational activities that develop the academic, technical, and career management knowledge and skills required to secure employment in an identified career pathway or enroll and complete a postsecondary program in the pathway.   “Career and technical education is an important part of Massachusetts’ future,” said Education Secretary Dr. Patrick Tutwiler. “We are creating pathways for incarcerated adult learners to gain the skills and experience needed to enter high-demand industries such as welding, manufacturing and more."   “We are pleased to help adult learners in correctional facilities gain these essential career and technical skills,” said Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Pedro Martinez. “We seek to support returning citizens as they reenter their communities and rejoin the workforce.” The grant recipients are: Bristol County Sheriff’s Office (North Dartmouth): $63,208 for hands-on welding education and training Essex County Sheriff’s Office (Lawrence): $64,100 for hands-on hardscape (structures incorporated into a landscape) education and training Franklin County Sheriff’s Office (Greenfield): $44,999 for foundational manufacturing training Hampden County Sheriff’s Office (Ludlow): $61,693 for hands-on welding education and training

Governor Healey Condemns CDC Rollback of Childhood Vaccine Recommendations

Governor Healey Condemns CDC Rollback of Childhood Vaccine Recommendations 

Governor Healey ensures safe and effective vaccines continue to be recommended and available for all children in Massachusetts  

BOSTON – Today, Governor Maura Healey condemned the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s decision to significantly reduce the number of recommended routine childhood vaccines. Governor Healey and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health are making clear that despite these misguided federal decisions, Massachusetts will continue to recommend and provide easy access to all the vaccines that for decades have enabled families to protect their children from preventable diseases.  

“President Trump and Secretary Kennedy are yet again putting the health and wellbeing of our children at risk. They’re abandoning longstanding vaccine recommendations that have been proven to safely and effectively protect our children from diseases,” said Governor Maura Healey. “In Massachusetts, our vaccine recommendations continue to be rooted in science and evidence. We are making sure all Massachusetts families can get the vaccines they need to keep their children healthy.” 

“The decision to change CDC’s childhood immunization schedule is reckless and deeply dangerous. It abandons decades of rigorous, evidence-based science and replaces clear public health guidance with confusion and doubt,” said Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD. “At a moment when we are seeing measles outbreaks, the resurgence of whooping cough, and a flu season that has already taken the lives of children in our state, this ill-advised federal action puts families in an impossible position and puts infants, children, and communities at risk. Families count on public health leaders to help protect their children, and we in Massachusetts will not back away from that responsibility.” 

For decades, CDC’s childhood immunization schedule has recommended 17 routine childhood vaccines based on science, data, specific disease risks, population needs, and public health realities of the United States.  

Under the new CDC guidance, vaccines that are no longer routinely recommended include those for hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rotavirus, influenza, COVID-19, and meningococcal disease. These vaccines could be administered based on “shared clinical decision-making” between families and health care providers. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) also is no longer routinely recommended except for certain known high-risk groups.  

Governor Healey has taken several steps in recent months to ensure that vaccines remain available in Massachusetts. Last year, she signed legislation granting the state Department of Public Health (DPH) authority to set independent standards for vaccine recommendations rather than rely on the federal government’s recommendations. Now, DPH can set immunization schedules and requirements in Massachusetts, including for the Childhood Vaccine Program.  Massachusetts is also a member of a bipartisan coalition of state and city health departments to coordinate on vaccine recommendations.    

曾御宸高票連任 麥德福市2027年起改制市議員增為11人

曾御宸（右一）等7名麥德福市議員就職。（讀者提供）

                   （Boston Orange 周菊子麻州綜合報導）麻州麥德福市（Medford）市1月4日早上舉行就職典禮，連任的市長Breanna Lungo-Koehn和曾御宸（Justin Tseng）等7名市議員在聯邦眾議員克拉克（Katherine Clark）的祝福中上任，成為該市2027年市長改制為一任四年之前的最後一任舊政府官員。

波士頓經文處處長廖朝宏（左一），組長黃耀良（右起）和波士頓僑教中心
主任高家富祝賀曾御宸連任麥德福市議員。（檔案照片，周菊子攝）

                  麥德福市是一個人口約6萬人的小城市，亞裔成長快速，從2000年的3.9%攀升至2020年的大約12%。其中在國外出生居民佔24.2%，25歲以上居民擁有學士以上學歷者，比例高達57.6%，「移民權益」和「友善城市」因此成為該市的熱門政治話題。

                  2025年的選舉，麥德福市長Breanna Lungo-Koehn是在無人競爭之中同額當選，將展開她一任兩年的第四個任期。由於麥德福市居民在2025年11月的選舉中，以70%的高票，通過修憲案，2027年選舉時，麥德福市市長的任期將改為一任四年，市議員席位也將由現在的7人，增加為11人。

曾御宸宣誓就任麥德福市議員。（讀者提供）

                  這一改變，源自於麥德福憲章審查聯盟（Medford Charter Review Coalition）以該是憲章過於簡陋，自1986年以來從未大動，向市長施壓，要求更新政府架構，於是市長Breanna Lungo-Koehn在2022年任命11名市民組成「憲章研究委員會」。

                  包括2021年當選時才21歲，還在哈佛大學就讀，之後2度連任，如今還在哈佛法學院深造的該市最年輕市議員曾御宸在內，在麥德福市7名市議員中，有6人是新組織「我們革命的麥德福（Our Revolution Medford）」成員，全力支持修憲，並推動「分區制」，以避免權力集中在少數富裕社區。2026將是麥德福市邁向大改變的開始。

聯邦眾議員Katherin Clark親自出席麥德福市長及市議員就職典禮，送上祝福。（讀者提供）

波士頓市長吳弭在交響樂廳宣誓 走馬上任再四年

MAYOR MICHELLE WU'S INAUGURATION REMARKS AS PREPARED

Boston Mayor Michell Wu swearing in for her second term. BOSTON - Monday, January 5, 2026 - Below are Mayor Michelle Wu's remarks as prepared for her inauguration on Monday, January 5, 2026: Good morning Boston, and Happy New Year! Congratulations to the Boston City Council, and a special welcome to our colleague, new to elected office—but not new to service—Reverend Councilor Miniard Culpepper.  Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and her family. To all our Councilors: Thank you for your faith in our city and your dedication to service as we strive to uphold the values on which our nation was founded. When you take your oath of office in the most acoustically perfect concert hall in America, the words ring with a special weight. Massachusetts Governor Maura healey was present. Boston Symphony Hall was the first concert hall in the world to be designed by renowned architects and a Harvard physics professor—who invented a formula to design this space with the perfect reverberation time: 1.9 seconds. Every angle and every surface, every statue tucked in every nook, reflects that uniquely Boston blend of science and the arts to serve the public good. Thank you to our hosts at the BSO for sharing this beautiful venue with us, and for opening your doors to all the children of Boston as partners in our Boston Family Days program. Director General of TECO Boston Charles Liao is invited to attend. Governor Healey, Congresswoman Pressley, Congressman Auchincloss, Chairman Michlewitz, Leader Moran and Ellie, to my fellow mayors here today, all of our state, county, and federal officials: Thank you for your partnership. Chinatown community leaders are also present. To our City workers, thank you for making everything we do possible. To my husband Conor; to Blaise, Cass, Mira, and my entire family here today—thank you so much and I love you. And to the people of Boston: Thank you for the honor of continuing our work together. Thank you for choosing to be a city that doesn’t settle or fold, for believing that a better world is possible, and working together to build it no matter what stands in our way. 2026 marks four years and two months since our administration took office—and 250 years since our nation was born. 250 years ago on this very day, a young man—the son of immigrants, and a BPS alum—was standing on the banks of a half-frozen river, focused on getting home to  Boston. Henry Knox was on a mission to bring cannons from Fort Ticonderoga—over 300 miles—to Dorchester Heights, where, with command of the high ground, General George Washington and the patriots could liberate Boston from British control. But between Knox and his city lay a nearly impossible obstacle for 60 tons of cannons to cross: The Hudson River, thawing in the sun, its surface a mosaic of splintering ice.  Without the cannons, he knew Boston would never be free. Without Boston, he knew the revolution would fail. So, over the next few days, Knox and his men crept out onto the ice in the coldest part of the night, drilling holes to let the water flow up from below and freeze over in thickening layers. Faced with an impossible challenge, he did what Boston has always done best: With a blend of creativity and courage, imagination and will, he forged a path forward. Four years ago, I was sworn in as mayor in the only building in Boston more beautiful than this one: City Hall. It was a small gathering, everyone was masked up, and it felt—at the time—like we might never emerge from the endless cycle of constantly-evolving viruses threatening to keep us apart. Still, we had hope. Because in Boston, we know obstacles are opportunities to go beyond old ways of thinking—to innovate and set a new standard for the world to meet. For nearly four centuries, Boston has been the center of American innovation and progress: The place where revolutionary ideas get their start, where the impossible is overcome with creativity and courage, imagination and will. So, four years ago, we got to work forging the path forward. We promised to make Boston a home for everyone, starting with safety; and together, we drove gun violence down to the lowest levels on record. We refused to accept the broken status quo at Mass and Cass, coordinating a citywide response to permanently end encampments and connect thousands of people to recovery.  We prioritized housing like never before, building 4,200 affordable homes with another 2,000 under construction, tackling outdated zoning and red tape, converting vacant City lots and empty office buildings into hundreds of new homes, and helping more Boston families become first-time homeowners than ever before. We expanded Boston pre-K to serve 5,000 families and helped 200 new childcare providers open their doors to our littlest learners. We taught more than 20,000 kids how to swim and ride bikes; expanded youth sports citywide; and made museums and performances free for every Boston kid and their family. Boston Public Schools graduation rates and attendance are up, and we’re on track to offer early college classes to every high school student by the fall of 2028. We saved residents and businesses more than $230 million dollars on energy bills, cut our retail vacancy rate nearly in half compared to two years ago, and made three bus routes fare-free. We repaved more than 100 miles of roadway, made it faster to fix sidewalks, and protected more miles of road for safe walking and biking than ever before. We’ve seen how much is possible because of how far we’ve pushed forward, together. And we need to keep pushing. Because, right now, in some ways, the world feels helplessly stuck—like we know what problems need fixing, but we’ve lost faith we can fix them. Today, the forces we face aren’t British troops on the Common or ships in our harbor, but they demand no less ingenuity.  Isolation, polarization, and misinformation are fraying our connection to trust, truth, and each other. Core industries are losing workers to competitors overseas. And against this backdrop, the federal government is taking aim at the ways we take care of each other: They have slashed funding for emergency management, research, housing, education, and life-saving care; abducted our neighbors off sidewalks and outside our schools; crushed small businesses with trade wars and tariffs; trashed clean energy projects to profit billionaire donors; carried out unconstitutional military campaigns; and illegally deployed our troops against our own families and neighbors in peaceful American cities. This federal administration has plundered our economy, ravaged our reputation, torched our institutions, and destroyed the lives of our people. But, when in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for a city to stand as the beacon for freedom and proof of what’s possible—a testament to the endurance of American ingenuity and civic success, Boston will be that beacon.  We are Boston. And we will not appease or abet any threat to our city, and we will not wait for permission to build the world our families deserve. Over the next four years, Boston will be the proof that the nation we fought for is possible—a place where we take care of each other and take on the challenges that matter the most.  In our second term, we will reinforce the very foundations of our democracy: Local government as the bedrock for getting results. Making Boston the best city for families means getting the basics right and delivering on our most fundamental, most important work every day. Repaving streets and sidewalks, tending to our playgrounds and parks, and ensuring that every block of our city is healthy and safe, beautiful and welcoming for every one of our residents.  Nearly a century and a half before our nation was born, Bostonians were hosting town meetings to tackle together the challenges they couldn’t tackle alone. Our public parks, our schools, and our libraries were the first in the country because Boston was determined to be a democracy that’s direct and effective, focused unflinchingly on the public good.  This legacy lives on in every pothole filled, every library book borrowed, every playground full of laughter. We will continue to make city services more efficient, responsive, and accessible in every way possible, across every neighborhood.  Starting this year, together with members of my Cabinet and the Office of Neighborhood Services, we will hold Mayor’s Office Hours across Boston: An opportunity to connect directly with residents, hear what’s working and what’s not, and unstick any city service issues in real time.  And, to ensure that every community member can count on City Hall, whether you’re opening a business, throwing a block party, or building a new home—we’re going to streamline every city permitting process and set the bar for excellence in constituent services. In this second term, on that foundation of excellence, we will build the country’s oldest public school district into the best—so that BPS is the first choice for all of our families.  Two miles from here, Boston opened the first public school in the country—the same school where Henry Knox learned to read. Two hundred years before the rest of the nation, we made a choice to make education a right. Today, we also choose operational excellence, academic rigor, and high expectations in every classroom.  We’ll continue rightsizing our district, investing in facilities and student supports, and improving transportation. We refuse to accept that accessing high quality education means crisscrossing our children all over the city rather than ensuring that, in every corner of Boston, the best school is just down the block.  We will revisit school assignment to be simpler and more predictable, reduce time students spend on the bus, and reinvest in advanced coursework, arts, and athletics. And because learning shouldn’t be confined to the first and last bell, with our community partners, we will offer quality before- and after-school programming available and accessible at every BPS school by the start of the 2027 school year.  And we will invest in the facilities our students and families deserve. Just last month, the Massachusetts School Building Authority selected BPS to start the process for a full rebuild at Madison Park Technical Vocational High School. And next year, we’ll cut the ribbon on the best student athletics facility of any public school district in the country at Boston’s own White Stadium. With partnerships across every sector of the city focused on our schools, we will build reliable pathways to student success and make it our mission to get every last detail right for our BPS communities.  An educated citizenry is the lifeblood of Boston’s proud tradition of civic engagement, and the key to our economic success. And in this moment, we must continue to secure our sources of economic prosperity and defend the engines that drive innovation all across America.  We will fiercely defend our universities, our hospitals, and our life sciences and innovation sector, so they can keep generating the breakthroughs that drive the progress our city is known for and that our country needs. We will ensure that Boston remains the place where people come to do good in the world, to solve the toughest problems that haven’t been solved: We will work smarter and harder to recruit the scientists and companies curing diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s, harness clean energy, and improve lives all over the world. We will partner with higher education and industry to nurture and benefit from the innovation that will reshape the future, from robotics to climate tech. Together, we will prepare workers for emerging technology to expand their opportunities rather than be replaced. We will use our infrastructure investments and purchasing power to make our communities resilient against rising seas and stronger storms, and power our City with cleaner, more affordable energy. We will expand careers in green industries, including the construction trades, building operations, facilities management, stormwater infrastructure, horticulture, and engineering.   And for our city to flourish, Bostonians must be able to grow up and grow old here. We will work to address the housing needs of our families and seniors, focusing on solutions they want and can afford. Over the next four years, we will continue inventing new ways to use public planning, public finance, and public land to create the homes our residents need, because we know that housing is a public good.  We are the city that created whole new neighborhoods out of swampland and invented the triple-decker to tackle the housing crises of our past. We will not be defeated by the affordability crisis of the present. Together, we will deliver the best city services to all of our residents, set the standard for public education, and build an economy that will thrive for another two-and-a-half centuries.  If we can invent America, then we can be the city that forges the path forward in this moment. But right now, backstage, there’s someone who doesn’t know anything about acoustics or walking on ice. In fact, she’s just barely learning to walk. But, here with me this morning on this very stage, she took one wobbly step, then another, then looked up and laughed.  They weren’t her very first steps, but they were her first in a little while.  Unlike her older brothers, who couldn’t wait to go from wobbling to walking and running, Mira decided that, after taking her first two steps—and a tumble—a month ago, she wasn’t sure she wanted to do it again. But, this morning, on this stage, she chose to try again knowing she might fall.  250 years ago, Henry Knox didn’t charge onto the ice of the Hudson. He wrote a letter to Washington explaining the challenge he faced. He took a moment to gather himself and reflect, but he didn’t wait for certainty, either.  With creativity and courage, imagination and will, he forged a path and pressed on—knowing the ice might not hold. Mira doesn’t know about Knox, or the physics that explain why her laughter this morning hung in this hall like a bell.  She doesn’t know that every March, we celebrate Evacuation Day here in Boston because Knox was creative and brave—because he dared to find a way forward, and because the ice held.  But some part of her already knows that progress takes courage—the willingness to take the next step when the ground isn’t certain. Every one of us, from our earliest days, is living proof that last month’s impossible can become this morning’s milestones—that if we are only willing to try, with a little help from each other, we can build the future our families deserve. Thank you for the honor of building it together. God Bless the city and people of Boston. Let’s get back to work.