華埠家長申訴考試學校改制不公平 波市議員Ed Flynn助發聲

華埠居民讚譽波士頓市議員愛德華費林(Ed Flynn)。(周菊子攝)。

                (Boston Orange 周菊子綜合報導)「波士頓市議員愛德華費林(Ed Flynn)是華埠英雄」。10月22日晚，愛德華費林為華埠居民邀來公校部門代表開會，讓華埠家長表達憤怒與心聲之後，一名華埠居民這麼說。

               波士頓學校委員會在10月21日為3三所考試學校 (波士頓拉丁學院，波士頓拉丁學校，約翰奧布萊恩數學與科學學校)，在新冠病毒(COVID-19)大流行疫情期間，更改招生辦法等事項開會，從下午5點至凌晨1點45分，做了長達8個多小時的討論，公聽後，以7比0票，通過2021-2022學年，暫停往年憑考試錄取學生的辦法，改為20%依學生GPA成績錄取，其餘的80%則以GPA成績和學生居住地的郵遞區號等做綜合考量。

昆士中學校長張可仁。(周菊子攝)

               由於事關子女前途，許多華埠家長情緒激動，紛紛出席會議，並登記發言。

               愛德華費林次日(22日)發出聲明，譴責波士頓學校委員會不尊重他轄區內的華埠居民，不但相關文件直到開會前幾天才發出來，以致家長們根本沒有時間查看內容，而且學校委員會在21日召開會議時，一直都沒提供廣東話及國語翻譯，直到公眾置評階段開始了，才有人翻譯，是不尊重華埠居民的表現。此外出席發言的家長，竟然遭遇種族歧視性語言，令人非常失望。

               愛德華費林也加入波士頓市議會至少8名市議員的聯名聲明行列，譴責學校委員會主席Michael Loconto嘲笑亞裔居民的姓名發音。

               22日晚，愛德華費林為了幫助華埠家長們讓公校總監聽見他們的意見，邀得波士頓公校總監Brenda Cassellius，波士頓考試學校招生工作小組和包括華埠的波士頓市第二選區家長晤談，從6點一直談到8點多。

                Brenda Cassellius在7點時因事先行離席，昆士中學校長張可仁則全程與會。

               多名家長憤怒表示， 3所考試學校每年都在9月底，10月初截止報名，波士頓公校卻是8月才成立工作小組，討論更改今年招生辦法，然後直到最近才發出中文譯本，根本沒給他們時間去深入了解。有一名家長情緒很激動，直言按郵遞區號編配額的新辦法，只分給華埠6個名額，她的小孩很沮喪，覺得不必再用功讀書了，因為現在根本沒希望進考試學校了。她認為這改變，懲罰了那些為進好學校努力讀書的小孩。

               據悉，愛德華費林23號又再和波士頓公校校監，校長們見面，促請他們了解華埠家長們的心聲，以期將來波市公校有任何的學校政策與做法變動，都能和華埠家長有更好的互動，溝通。

               這一晤談會議，因為同一段話，得交互用英文，廣東話，國語交互翻譯，格外耗費時間，不過出席者都很有耐心。

新冠病毒確診人數 麻州10/24 逾1000人 美國10/23 83,010人

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麻州選民約470萬 已有130萬人投了票

             (Boston Orange 編譯)還有10天就是11月3日，今年的美國大選日了。由於新型冠狀病毒(COVID-19)疫情，今年麻州容許民眾在10月17日至10月30日之間提早投票。迄今已有大約130萬人投了票，其中大約90萬人是以郵寄方式投票。

目前已有大約28%的已登記選民投了票。

截至今年9月，麻州共有將近470萬人已登記成為選民。有意在11月3日大選中投票者，今(24)日是選民登記的截止日，凡持有麻州身分證的美國公民，都可登記成為選民。這一登記可以在網上辦理，也可郵寄申請，但必須蓋有24日或以前日期的郵戳。查詢個人的選民狀態，也可以上網。

                       在10月28日下午5點前，選民都還可以索取郵寄選票。不過那也是地方市鎮收取郵寄選票申請的截止日期。

麻州州務卿威廉蓋文(William Galvin)估計，今年的選民出席投票人數會超過330萬，遠比2016年的總統大選年有42.6%選民出席投票為高。

                        諸如勒星頓(Lexington)，林肯( Lincoln)及康可(Concord)等市鎮，已有將近一半的登記選民投了票。

                      截至10月21日，已有1,77,856張選票抵達了各市鎮選務局，約等於麻州已登記選民總數466萬的25%。數目之高，遠超許多人的預期。

                根據麻州政府數據，有大約200萬人申請了郵寄選票，或者選擇提早投票。威廉蓋文相信，等到離11月3日大選日更近時，或許會有更多人申請郵寄選票。

                  有些市鎮，投票率還是很低。麻州最窮市鎮之一的雀喜市(Chelsea)有18,200登記選民，但還只有8%投了票。西語裔及拉丁裔居民依序佔人口45%和80%的春田市(Springfield)及羅倫斯市(Lawrence)，也只有不到11%的人投了票。諸如羅爾市(Lowell)，新貝福(New Bedford)市也差不多。

                  波士頓市已經投票了的人最多，大約62,000，約佔全市420,2000已登記選民人數的15%。

                 2016年的大選，麻州選民約有100多萬人提早投票，其中大多數是郊外或耆英居民。今年卻已經有120萬人提早投了票。

                     根據”麻州投票(MassVote)”的資料，今年也是第一年，連初選都允許提早投票。9月1日的初選，麻州共有170萬人投了票，其中將近100萬人是提前投的，其中還包括約佔投票總數47.7%的814,013票，是郵寄選票。

                  在有資格投票的麻州選民中，約有6800人是非重罪囚犯。這些人必須索取郵寄選票，並圈選說明他們是被關在牢裏，但犯的不是重罪。

            根據麻州州務卿辦公室，囚犯和住在國外的公民，或在職軍人都可以不必登記為選民的申請缺席投票選票。

麻州新冠病毒確診人數連續兩日破900 全世界確診人數已逾4000萬

            (Boston Orange 編譯)麻州新冠病毒(COVID-19)確診人數連續二天超過900，令人憂心，難不成第二波疫情真的來了?

10月22日，麻州出現近5個月來最高的新冠病毒確診人數，986。10月23日的今日，確診人數居然還高達968。累計確診人數現為144,895。新增19人死亡，累計9,608人。

麻州官員表示，今日有15,761人做了新冠病毒檢測，已檢測人次累計約260萬人。總共做過的檢測超過550萬次。做了抗體檢測的人新增281，累計125,399。

10月23日下午七點，美國疾病防治中心(CDC)和約翰霍普金斯大學的網站都沒有當日數據，西雅圖高中生的新冠病毒追蹤數據則顯示，美國新增確診個案67,831宗，累計873萬3574宗；新增死亡812人，累計22萬9193人。

全世界現在已有4241萬9816人確診，114萬8064人死亡。

Broad Coalition Calls on Senate to Extend 2020 Census Data Processing Deadlines

 Broad Coalition Calls on Senate to Extend 2020 Census Data Processing Deadlines

 370 national, state, and local groups support bipartisan legislation to extend the time to get a complete and accurate 2020 count

 Washington, D.C. – Underscoring the importance and urgency of extending statutory reporting deadlines for apportionment and redistricting data, a diverse and consequential array of local, state, and national organizations urged U.S Senators today to “to give the U.S. Census Bureau sufficient time to thoroughly implement complex data processing activities and complete the most accurate 2020 Census possible.”

Specifically, they urged senators to cosponsor or support the bipartisan 2020 Census Deadline Extensions Act (S. 4571), which would extend the statutory deadlines for delivering apportionment and redistricting data to April and July 2021, respectively, as the administration requested in April 2020.

“Failure to push back the statutory reporting deadlines is forcing the Census Bureau to cut short critical 2020 Census data processing and quality check operations from the usual five months down to only two and a half months,” the groups stated, stressing the incredibly compressed time frame simply to meet pre-Covid-19 statutory deadlines.

“The Census Bureau’s count of the nation was incomplete, their work is not done, and the 2020 Census is not over,” said Beth Lynk, director of the Census Counts Campaign. “Perhaps the most critical phase to get a quality count is now underway, but it’s been dramatically cut short as a consequence of counting delays due to Covid-19 disruptions.”

Mary Jo Hoeksema of the Census Project stated that, “Data processing activities designed to take 153 days before the pandemic derailed the original plan, now have to be done in 92 days under the accelerated plan. The President asked for an extension in April, and Congress should give the nation the time needed to get the count right.”

The appeal to senators from a broad and diverse collection of stakeholders is rooted in the 10-year consequences for states, localities and even neighborhoods of getting the 2020 count wrong.  The letter emphasized that, “…[a] rushed census during a pandemic inevitably will lead to misallocation of political representation, government funding, and private sector investment in every state and community. If data processing operations are not thorough, communities most in need of resources to improve quality of life and standards of living will not receive their fair share for the next decade. Accurate data from the 2020 Census are critical to informed decision-making and resource allocation by the public and private sectors, including preparation for and recovery from natural disasters and public health crises.”

麻州學校有累計388名學生233名教職員確診

             (Boston Orange 編譯) 截至10月21日的這星期，麻州新冠病毒確診的學生多了129名，教職員多了73名。迄今已累計有388名學生，233名教職員確診了。

             麻州共有530個學區、教育合作項目，特別教育學校，其中105個學區報告至少出現1宗新冠病毒確診個案。麻州官員估計，全州大約有45萬名學生會到校上課。

             以前麻州政府並不會追蹤確診個案發生的時間，只在學校向州政府報告之後才會做。但上星期開始，麻州教育部門規定地方學區必須報告新冠病毒確診個案了。

             麻州教育部門人員並未發現任何確診個案是在學校內感染的，麻州政府已派出5個快速檢測流動單位進駐4個社區內的5所學校樓宇，以在學校發生聚集感染狀況時，幫助學校決定下一步行動。

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES THE OPENING OF PHASE ONE OF FLAT 9 AT WHITTIER, GROUNDBREAKING OF PHASE TWO

 

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES THE OPENING OF PHASE ONE OF FLAT 9 AT WHITTIER, GROUNDBREAKING OF PHASE TWO   Project will replace 200 units of affordable housing with 210 new affordable units, add 262 mixed-income apartments in Roxbury     BOSTON - Friday, October 23, 2020 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh joined the Boston Housing Authority (BHA) and community partners Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) and MassHousing to celebrate the first grand opening at the award-winning Flat 9 at Whittier, Phase One of the redevelopment of the Whittier Street Apartments in Roxbury, a public housing community which first opened in 1953. Once all three phases are completed, the redevelopment will replace 200 existing public housing rental apartments with 210 deeply affordable units, and create 262 additional units of mixed-income rental housing. The redevelopment of the Whittier Street public housing development will also create 14,000 square feet of commercial space.    "As we shape Boston's growth, we must make sure our progress benefits everyone, especially long-term residents of the City," said Mayor Walsh. "I'm incredibly proud of the dedication of our partners who have come together to create a brighter future for the residents of Whittier Street and the surrounding neighborhood."   The celebration also marks the groundbreaking of Phase Two of the transformative redevelopment at Tremont, Ruggles and Whittier Streets. Due to concerns over in-person events, the development partners released a 5-minute Virtual Ribbon Cutting & Tour video to mark the occasion.   "Our resident leaders, BHA staff and Roxbury neighbors fought hard to secure a bright new future for the Whittier community," said BHA Administrator Kate Bennett. "This was a hard-earned triumph that will set the foundation for hundreds of low income families to live and thrive in Roxbury for decades to come."   The redevelopment is made possible by a $30 million federal Choice Neighborhoods Initiative grant awarded by the Obama Administration. The BHA and City of Boston's Department of Neighborhood Development will leverage ten times that amount in private and public funds for commercial and residential development and public facilities in the Whittier neighborhood.   Phase One, which commenced in 2018, included the demolition of 68 apartments and the construction of 92 new mixed-income apartments in three new buildings at the original Whittier site. Phase One includes a new management office, community room, and outdoor recreational space. Offsite, Phase One created 76 additional new mixed-income apartments, including 43 BHA-replacement units, nearby in Madison Park Village that were completed last summer by Madison Park Development Corporation.   In order to achieve complete replacement of all 200 original units of public housing, the redevelopment will create 210 new deeply subsidized units-one-for-one replacement on a bedroom-by-bedroom basis-through the Section 8 Project-Based Voucher program.   Whittier Choice Housing Phase Two, which is currently under construction, will create 52 mixed-income units, including 24 BHA replacement units. Forty-eight of the units will be restricted for renters earning 30%, 50%, 60%, 80%, and 110% of Area Median Income, along with 4 market units. The remainder of the BHA site will be redeveloped as Phase 3. The entire Whittier redevelopment is expected to be completed by 2021.   "Flat 9 at Whittier is the result of an extensive collaboration between the community, public housing residents, the Boston Housing Authority, Madison Park Development Corporation and POAH," said Rodger Brown, POAH Managing Director, Real Estate Development. "The three phase development reflects the vision of a mixed-income community that celebrates the vibrant diversity of Boston and the Roxbury neighborhood."   "This latest milestone in the revitalization of the Whittier Street neighborhood provides 52 new affordable homes and economic opportunity for households in Roxbury across a range of incomes," said MassHousing Executive Director Chrystal Kornegay. "Having a quality place to call home is crucial for the success and prosperity of these families at Flat 9 and MassHousing was very pleased to collaborate again with the City of Boston, the BHA, POAH, the Whittier tenants, and all the other partners involved in this transformative project ."   The newly named Flat 9 at Whittier housing development is part of the larger neighborhood of Roxbury, with an area of roughly one square mile and 2,418 households. The Whittier Street Apartments were over 60 years old, and the HUD Choice Neighborhood grant has allowed the property to be transformed into a mixed income and mixed-use development that will be an asset to the greater Roxbury neighborhood in the long-term. Flat 9 was also the winner of the 2020 Charles L. Edson Tax Credit Excellence Award in the HUD Housing Preservation Category earlier this year.   The new name, "Flat 9 at Whittier," which was chosen with resident participation, is a reference to a distinctive jazz chord and honors the musical history of Roxbury.   The Whittier Choice partnership is led by the Boston Housing Authority, the City of Boston's Department of Neighborhood Development, the Whittier Street Tenant Task Force, Preservation of Affordable Housing, Madison Park Development Corporation, and EMPath (Economic Mobility Pathways). The grant incorporates strategies for Neighborhood, Housing, and People as a way to provide a coordinated transformation for the community in and around the original housing development footprint. The Neighborhood Strategy seeks to break down barriers that isolate residents, to promote physical and social connections, and to link the neighborhood to the regional economy. There is a priority focus on creating a livelier streetscape, including a vibrant pedestrian corridor along Ruggles Street. The Housing Strategy aims to preserve affordability while creating a better balance of housing options in the neighborhood. This plan creates a livable site with outdoor play spaces, a mix of building types to accommodate diverse family needs, and new through-streets to re-integrate the site into the broader neighborhood. The People Strategy addresses a range of priority needs among public housing residents:  income and asset building, health, education, and youth development.  At the center, EMPath will provide counseling and personal coaching through its intensive Mobility Mentoring™ model. Boston Housing Authority, in partnership with EMPath and local service providers, relocation counselors, property management staff, and resident leaders will connect residents to new and existing services and newly leveraged programs in the community. ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT (DND) The Department of Neighborhood Development is responsible for housing the homeless, developing affordable housing, and ensuring that renters and homeowners can find, maintain, and stay in their homes. As part of the ongoing coronavirus response, the Office of Housing Stability is also conducting tenant's rights workshops to educate residents about the eviction moratorium and their rights. The Boston Home Center continues to provide down payment assistance to first-time homebuyers and home repairs for seniors and low-income residents. The Supportive Housing Division is working with various partners around the city to rapidly house individuals who are experiencing homelessness. ABOUT THE BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY (BHA) Boston Housing Authority (BHA) provides affordable housing to more than 58,000 residents in and around the City of Boston. Residents are assisted through a combination of public housing and federal and state voucher subsidy programs that provide a wide variety of housing opportunities. As the largest public housing authority in New England, the BHA houses close to 9 percent of the city's residents. Our mission is to provide stable, quality affordable housing for low and moderate-income persons; to deliver these services with integrity and mutual accountability, and to create living environments that serve as catalysts for the transformation from dependency to economic self-sufficiency. ###

Baker-Polito Administration Announces New Measures to Further Promote Diversity and Inclusion Within the Executive Branch

 Baker-Polito Administration Announces New Measures to Further Promote Diversity and Inclusion Within the Executive Branch

 

 

BOSTON – The Baker-Polito Administration today announced several new measures to support continued efforts to promote diversity and inclusion within the Executive Branch workforce. Included in today’s announcement is a new demographics dashboard for state agency workforce information, and a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Affinity Leadership Consortium (ALC) which will help increase the available pool of qualified diverse applicants for employment by the Commonwealth. Governor Baker also signed an Executive Order to reinforce protections and requirements that ensure non-discrimination and equal opportunities for all Executive Branch employees.

 

Since taking office, the Baker-Polito Administration has focused on ensuring equity and fairness and empowering all 43,000 employees within the Executive Branch. Over the past five years, the overall percentage of diverse employees within the Executive Branch has increased by 14% and the percentage of females in the workforce has increased by nearly 3% to 53%.

 

“Our administration continues to support a culture of inclusion that values and promotes diversity and equal opportunity for all individuals,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “These new measures build upon our ongoing efforts to ensure healthy, respectful, and inclusive workplaces and help create greater accountability and shared responsibility for achieving diversity goals at all levels of the Executive Branch.”

 

“We recognize the importance of freedom and diversity in the workplace and continue to put in place new protections to safeguard these rights,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “By improving diversity management practices and nurturing the development of our employees, we can strengthen our ability to provide excellent customer service to diverse citizens and businesses across Massachusetts.”

 

“These diversity and inclusion initiatives will help further the Baker-Polito Administration’s commitment to fair, equitable, and inclusive workspaces which empower individuals from all backgrounds,” said Secretary of Administration and Finance Michael J. Heffernan. “We appreciate the hard work and dedication of the Human Resources Division in spearheading these efforts and look forward to the work they will do to further ensure the Executive Branch continues to benefit from an inclusive work culture.”

 

“The Executive Branch is continuing to lead by example through promoting inclusion and diversity in all aspects of employment, programs, and activities,” said Chief Diversity Officer Sandra Borders. “Implementing these new initiatives will help ensure that equal opportunity and diversity are safeguarded and reflected in state workplaces, decisions, services, and contracts.”

 

“We continue to find technologically innovative ways to be more transparent with the residents of Massachusetts - this dashboard represents that dedication,” said Representative Carlos González (D – Springfield), Chairman of the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus. “We thank the Governor for his efforts to work with the Caucus to identify ways we can increase diversity within our State and government.”

 

“Diversity, equity and inclusion in the Commonwealth’s workforce continue to be a priority and topic for discussion at the Massachusetts Black & Latino Legislative Caucus quarterly meetings with the Governor,” said Representative Russell Holmes (D – Mattapan). “The components of the strategy launched today will focus on workforce diversity and specifically were enhanced by candid discussions with MBLLC and the Governor. The new demographics dashboard launched today will provide greater awareness of state agency workforce information and is extremely important to create systems and practices that will be long lasting.”

 

New Measures to Further Promote Diversity and Inclusion in the Commonwealth’s Workforce:

 

State Agency Demographic Dashboard: The new dashboard launched today contains information regarding the demographic makeup of Executive Branch secretariats and agencies, with the goal of increasing transparency and accountability as the Administration continues to prioritize efforts to promote diversity and inclusion. Data will be updated in April, July, October, and January, after the close of each fiscal quarter. This information is already published on an annual basis in the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity’s Annual Report, and the new dashboard will make it easier to access the most recent information.

 

Click here to view the dashboard.

 

Memorandum of Understanding: The Administration today announced a new Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Affinity Leadership Consortium (ALC) to help meet the employment needs of Executive Branch Agencies and ensure a steady stream of diverse talent for the Commonwealth. This new, collaborative partnership will allow the sharing of Executive Branch job opportunities as well as the referral of qualified applicants who meet minimum entrance requirements. It will also ensure referred candidates who have applied for posted positions are interviewed or provided with specific feedback on ways to strengthen future applications.

 

Executive Order: Governor Baker also signed an Executive Order that reinforces several protections and safeguards such as directing all Executive Branch agencies to develop and implement affirmative action and diversity plans to identify and eliminate barriers in the workplace and ensure diversity and equal opportunity in all facets of state employment. The Order elevates the Chief Diversity Officer position within the Human Resources Division, expands the responsibilities of secretariat and agency Diversity Directors and Diversity Officers, and reaffirms the centralized Investigations Center of Expertise (COE). The Order also highlights the Commonwealth’s commitment to ensuring that equal opportunity and diversity are protected and promoted in all state, state-assisted, and state-regulated programs, policies, activities, contracts, and services.

 

Click here to read the Executive Order

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is committed to creating and sustaining a work culture that is welcoming, inclusive, and mutually respectful to all its employees regardless of race, color, age, creed, religion, national origin, ethnicity, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, sex,  gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, genetics, veteran, or disability status. Greater transparency allows for greater participation.

議員、家長齊聲韃伐 波士頓校委主席Loconto辭職

                (Boston Orange周菊子整理編譯) 波士頓市學校委員會主席Michael Loconto週三(21)晚在開會途中私下嘲笑亞裔姓名發音，因麥克風仍開著，廣傳出去。週四(22)日逼於各界壓力，宣佈辭職。波士頓市長馬丁華殊(Martin Walsh)迅速接受。

               波士頓市學校委員會週三晚為波士頓市3所考試學校改制開會，主要目地是為避免學生們在新冠病毒大流行期間出席考試。會議開至凌晨1點45分，最終以7比0票，決定下學年改以根據分數，麻州綜合評估(MCAS)分數，郵遞區號等標準來錄取學生。

               波士頓市的3所考試學校為波士頓拉丁學院(Boston Latin Academy)，波士頓拉丁學校(Boston Latin School)，以及約翰奧布萊恩特數學及科學學校(John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science)。

               事件傳出去後，至少8名波士頓市議員，聯名要求Michael Loconto辭職。波士頓市長馬丁華殊也形容那些話”又傷又錯”。他在週四中午以前就接受了Michael Loconto的辭職。

               馬丁華殊說，「沒人希望被生命中的一個單一時刻所定義，而且沒人比我更了解(這種心情)。」。他說，「Michael Loconto為波士頓人，特別是為兒童們做了重要又困難的工作，但我們不能接受貶低我們社區成員(的言行)」。

               Michael Loconto是在2014年時，由馬丁華殊指派進波士頓學校委員會，2018年當選為委員會主席，新任期預定2022年到期。學校委員會的所有席位均由波士頓市長指派。

               週四早上，住在西洛士百利的米爾頓(Milton)克瑞(Curry)學院法律顧問Michael Loconto在推特上道歉，說他無意嘲笑任何人，致上誠懇道歉，要求原諒。

               WCVB電視台的會議錄音，讓很多人都聽到了Michael Loconto在會議主持宣佈公聽會下一批登記發言人後說了什麼。

               他嘲笑那些人的姓名發音，”那好像沙尼啊，沙尼呀，沙哪-哪，還有不不，以及大衛，對不對(Shania, Shanaya, Shanay-nay, and Boo Boo, and David, right?)”

               幾分鐘後，Michael Loconto就道歉了，解釋他是在和他房間中的另一個人說話，他的麥克風意外的沒關上。他說，”我是在說一本童書”。

               不過，許多人都質疑這一解釋，包括後來在會議中發言的一名家長。

               波士頓市議會議長Kim Janey，以及市議員Ricardo Arroyo， Andrea Campbell，Lydia Edwards， Annissa Essaibi-George，Julia Mejia， Matt O’Malley，以及吳弭(Michelle Wu)在週四早上都要求Michael Loconto辭職。

               代表華埠社區的波士頓市議員愛德華費林(Ed Flynn)表示，Michael Loconto的發言種族歧視，他辭職是應該的。

               愛德華費林還表示，該會議的另一個問題是，在這冗長會議的前二個半小時中，沒有廣東話及國語傳譯。在公眾置評階段有，但沒有從會議一開始就有，是個錯誤。

               愛德華費林說，「令人感到挫折的一部份是，華人社區覺得他們沒有被包括進去，而且他們不是這過程的一部分」。他說，「那是非常的不尊重，那樣做，不和他們溝通……我們在接近亞裔社區上應該要做得更好」。

               曾經是東波士頓區老師，有4個小孩的市議員Essaibi-George當晚也參加了會議，並聽到了Michael Loconto說的話。她說，波士頓市學區的家庭，來自不同背景，Michael Loconto說的話，暴露出比說漏嘴”更有問題的一些事”，

               Essaibi-George的父親1972年從突尼西亞移民來美。她說，「作為有族裔名字的某個人，(聽到那些話)很震驚，(讓我)個人很反感的」。

               父母從台灣移民來美的波士頓市議員吳弭(Michelle Wu)稱Michael Loconto的說話種族歧視，說那「完全不可接受」。

               吳弭說，「作為一個一輩子都在應對這類說法的人，我深深地感到失望，卻不意外」。她說，這不是第一次「在學校委員會面前，家庭感到被邊緣化，被打發，被輕視」。

               她說，「我認識那麼多一輩子都在經歷這(種事)的人」。她希望這件事能夠導致人們「思考這種話的影響」。

               她說，「我們能夠，也需要做得更好」。

               和吳弭一樣，也在競選波士頓市長的波士頓市議員(Andrea Campbell)表示，她不接受波士頓學校委員會首腦的「這個行為」，要求波士頓市長馬丁華殊也不要接受。她說，這不是第一次有色人種感到Loconto不尊重他們。

               波士頓市議員Richard Arroyo說，他聽到那些話時，起初還以為是Zoom會議被駭客劫持了。他完全沒想到那會是學校委員會主席說的話，以嘲笑的聲調來誇張那些姓名。