Series: The Ten O'Clock News
Date: 1988-08-23
Duration: 00:02:31

Subject: School boards; School management and organization; School superintendents
People: Calhoun, Dede; Davis-Mullen, Peggy; Jones, Marcus; McGuire, Jean; Nucci, John; Wilson, Dr. Laval;

Clip Description
Marcus Jones reports that teachers and parents are frustrated over new starting times for the Boston Public Schools for the coming school year. Jones notes that the Boston School Committee voted in favor of the new starting times in May as part of an effort to cut costs. Jones reports that parents have not yet received notification of the new starting times. He adds that many parents blame the Dr. Laval Wilson (Superintendent, Boston Public Schools). Jones report includes footage from a Boston School Committee meeting. Parents and teachers address their complaints about the new starting times to the Committee members. Jones interviews Dede Calhoun (Dorchester parent) about her dissatisfaction with the new starting times. Calhoun talks about the difficulty of finding after school care on short notice because school hours have been altered. Jones reports that support for Wilson among School Committee members may be slipping. He notes that discussions on the renewal of Wilson's contract will begin soon. Jones interviews Peggy Davis-Mullen (Boston School Committee). Davis-Mullen says that Wilson is not able to deliver the school-based management policies that are necessary to improve the schools. Jones reports that Wilson will begin his third year on the job under intense scrutiny by School Committee members.

This edition of the Ten O'Clock News also included the following items:
Meg Vaillancourt interviews Elma Lewis (Roxbury community leader) about the Roxbury neighborhood
Elma Lewis talks about the Roxbury community

Charles Laquidara organizes a boycott against Shell Oil Company
Charles Laquidara boycotts Shell Oil

Series Description
A local program aimed at the Boston audience, The Ten O'Clock News debuted on January 15, 1976. Its two immediate predecessors were The Reporters and Evening Compass. A news and public affairs show focusing on neighborhood, local and state issues, The Reporters was produced and broadcast on WGBH from 1970 to 1973. The Reporters was then replaced by Evening Compass, which expanded into a twice-nightly news broadcast during the tense moments of Boston's busing crisis. On the air from 1973 to 1975, Evening Compass found an audience through its in-depth coverage of school desegregation in Boston, which began in 1974. The Ten O'Clock News stood out as an in-depth news program. It strove for a balance between local and national stories, between politics and the Arts. The last The Ten O'Clock News program was broadcast on May 30, 1991.

See also: http://main.wgbh.org/ton/programs/5959_02