Josh Kraft plan brings real literacy gains, stronger vocational programs, and safe, reliable transportation to Boston schools

BOSTON, MA – Today, Josh Kraft challenged Mayor Michelle Wu to explain how she plans to turn around Boston Public Schools after nearly four years of stalled progress, underperforming schools, and frustrated families.

“Boston families have seen the same story play out—mismanagement at the top and no urgency to fix it,” said Josh Kraft. “Under Mayor Wu, we’ve seen missed benchmarks, underperforming schools, and no real plan to fix them. My plan puts students and families first, with concrete steps to improve academics, strengthen vocational opportunities, and bring real accountability back to BPS.”

Despite a state intervention in 2022, BPS has also failed to deliver meaningful academic improvement or basic services like on-time transportation. Families report confusion over school assignments, limited engagement from district leadership, and a lack of transparency on critical issues like facilities planning and school closures.

Nearly four years in, Mayor Wu has yet to present a real plan to fix BPS. Her campaign website offers no benchmarks, no timeline, and no clear strategy for turning the district around. 

By contrast, Kraft has put forward a clear plan to get BPS back on track—restoring strong leadership, bringing back real parent engagement, focusing on student success from early literacy to graduation, and making families true partners in the district’s future.

Kraft’s plan will: 

• Increase literacy by at least 10% through high-dosage tutoring and community partnerships, ensuring every student reads proficiently by grade 3.
• Revitalize vocational education by creating citywide hubs linking students to unions, businesses, and emerging fields like green technology — while renovating Madison Park through a transparent, community-oriented process.
• Reevaluate exam school admissions and capacity so more qualified BPS students have access to Boston’s top public schools.
• Expand mental health resources by auditing services and ensuring counselors and social workers are present in every school community.
• Follow through on a Hybrid-Elected School Committee to ensure families have a real voice in decision-making.
• Fix transportation failures — from chronic bus delays to safety lapses — by overhauling operations and holding contractors accountable so students arrive at school on time and safely.
• Streamline BPS central office by eliminating redundant positions and focusing resources in the classroom.
• Develop a long-term facilities plan to end the cycle of sudden closures and deferred maintenance.
• Reinstate the Office of Parents to rebuild trust between families, BPS, and City Hall.

In what became a national story, five-year-old Lens Arthur Joseph was fatally struck by a BPS school bus in April, exposing deep safety and oversight failures that the district still hasn’t fully addressed.

“When a five-year-old dies on the way to school, the only acceptable response is immediate, decisive action,” said Kraft. “The fact that we’re still waiting for meaningful changes months later shows how little urgency there is at City Hall. Safety isn’t negotiable — it’s the bare minimum Boston families should expect.”

According to the Boston Globe, the private contractor hired under Mayor Wu has faced more than a dozen personal-injury lawsuits since 2013 and had a history of safety violations and late arrivals—yet no meaningful changes were implemented following the fatal crash.

“I’ve spent my career working alongside our city’s young people, and I know what’s possible when we put students first,” Kraft said. “My plan for BPS is about results you can measure—higher reading scores, more pathways to good careers, safe and reliable transportation, and schools that families can count on every single day.”

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Media Contact:

Max Baker 

(229) 393-7440

max@joshforboston.com