"The 10-year plan is not really a 'takeover,' since the committee will be carefully monitoring everything the University does," said Robinson, referring to the elected school committee's power to overrule any of BU's management decisions with a two-thirds vote.
"An additional safeguard is the fact that the national media has focused such attention on Chelsea; the least indiscretion will raise universal clamor," said Robinson.
The Chelsea school system's reputation for failure originally prompted BU's offer of aid. At present, the city has the highest dropout rate in the state, at 52 percent. In addition, 42 percent of its students come from families receiving federal assistance.
Low scores on basic skills tests, teachers' salaries $4000 below the statewide average, and a nearly 50 percent rate of students who do not speak English as a first language have also called the school system to the attention of the University.
BU President John R. Silber has called Chelsea "an ideal laboratory for a University experiment."
"Public education here could be transformed into a model for urban school systems across the country." Silber has labelled the BU plan an "institutional response to the disappearing traditional family unit."
The sweeping plan calls for preschool classes and nutrition plans for children starting at age three, after-school instruction for children of working parents every day of the working year, teaching "mentors" for students from single-parent homes from preschool to high school graduation, and adult education classes.
BU has also proposed a gradual increase in the annual school system budget from $16M to $21M in the next five years. This new monies will be primarily raised by the University itself through fund-raisers and will help cover the cost of higher teacher salaries, construction of a new high school and elementary school, as well as extensive renovations.
The contract will establish as its primary governing body a seven-member board composed of Silber, Peter R. Greer, dean of BU's School of Education, five people appointed by Silber. Parents and community leaders will make up two advisory boards.
"I still see enormous problems ahead," said Steele. "There's going to be lots of litigation."