Writing to keep Cambridge's current form of government + Bad news on afterschool & the new Universal PreK
Data expected soon on this Fall's afterschool placements.
Dear afterschool friends,
First, Amanda and I are working with City Manager Yi-An Huang to get updated numbers on this year’s placements. We’re also expecting to hear more about the City’s plan for Fall 2024, since we know planning must start now. Expect that update in the next few weeks.
2. Why write in to support our current governing system — by EOD tomorrow (Tuesday, 12/5).
Spoiler: we think afterschool will fare better under our current system than the alternative being proposed.
So … Cambridge may soon change how it’s governed. Other cities have “strong mayors,” who run the city. Cambridge has a “weak mayor,” with a City Manager (right now, Yi-An Huang) who most directly runs the city. City Council hires and can fire the City Manager.
Tomorrow, Tuesday, 12/5, starting at 5:30pm — a committee is holding a final meeting in which I’ve been told they are likely to argue for switching to “strong mayor.” (The ultimate decision will be with City Council.)
I’ll be writing in/making public comment to argue for our current system. Because:
It’s working well now — evidence: Yi-An Huang has been really helpful on making afterschool reform a priority + it looks like he’s committed to the 3-yr plan to get it solved. (Other accomplishments.) I worry the momentum won’t survive under a strong mayor.
It’s more democratic — a mayor would be elected with a small proportion of the vote — then, given the power of incumbency, would likely stay in power for a long time. By contrast, choosing the City Manager requires a 5/9 vote from City Council. City Council is currently diverse and representative of the City, so that’s a good thing.
It’s more professional — the City Manager can be an experienced and technically proficient manager (as ours is today - he formerly ran Boston Medical Center), leaving “politics” to the politicians.
Note on accountability — Because of incumbency preference, it’s hard for voters to get rid of an incumbent mayor who’s subpar. By contrast, it’s not that hard for City Council to decline to renew the contract of a subpar City Manager.
This is a complex issue, and we don’t pretend to be experts on it. If you disagree, please email me schraa@gmail.com and amanda.beatty@gmail.com - we’re open to learning.
While I believe this directly impacts afterschool, it’s hard to say so for sure. That being said, if you agree that keeping Yi-An Huang is best for afterschool (and other city programs), please:
write an email to CharterReviewCommittee@cambridgema.gov [template below] and/or
sign up to make public comment (virtual) [😡 Link not yet live. Should be soon … I think.]
[template] - to support keeping the current City Manager system
Dear Charter Review Committee,
I support keeping the current City Manager form of government. A strong mayor system would mean the City’s main executive would no longer be chosen for their managerial talent by a majority of our democratically-elected Council.
The benefit of the current system is evidenced by our current City Manager. Mr. Huang has made progress on issues that matter to residents (for example: expanding afterschool), and is best-placed to continue that momentum.
Thank you,
[Name] [Cambridge address]
CharterReviewCommittee@cambridgema.gov
For extra punch, CC City Council, who will ultimately decide - citycouncil@cambridgema.gov
Also CC us, if you like: schraa@gmail.com, amanda.beatty@gmail.com
3. Bad news on afterschool and the new Universal Pre-K program (CPP)
(The 4yo pre-K lottery is open now here through M, 1/15.)
PLEASE FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO ANYONE APPLYING — While afterschool is a huge factor for most families, CPP hasn’t much publicized that it’s not available.
Thanks to Amanda’s sleuthing, we figured out that pre-schoolers who choose a placement in the public schools won’t be eligible for city-run afterschool. (The FAQ sent in recent emails about Universal PreK doesn’t mention afterschool at all.)

What are “state recommendations”? We asked but haven’t yet gotten an answer. This past year, Pre-K students were eligible for DHSP afterschool (though they were the least likely to get it).
Why go for CPS anyway? If your child gets a public school placement in the Universal PreK lottery, they do get preference to continue at that school. In the case of “coveted” schools (ex: Amigos), this can be a big benefit. But CPS will be the only PreK placement that doesn’t allow you to opt for full-day coverage.
Equity concerns: Equity-wise, this further puts a thumb on the scale for well-to-do families to get highly-desired CPS placements.
Transport? We’d also like to know if CPP students at CPS schools are bus-eligible to afterschool programs at private providers (ex: YMCA). We’ll report back if we get an answer.
4. Local holiday giving
Unrelated — if you’d like to support local nonprofits in their holiday donation drives, here’s a fabulous spreadsheet that should help you find the drive that works best for you. (Some are physical drop-offs, others are fully online.)
Disclaimer: Eugenia worked on this spreadsheet for her employer Cambridge Nonprofit Coalition, in partnership with Cambridge Volunteers.
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Thank you!
Eugenia Schraa & Amanda Beatty, Parents at Baldwin & Amigos
schraa@gmail.com | amanda.beatty@gmail.com