UMass Boston

New Collaboration Will Transform McCormack School on Columbia Point

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced during her annual state of the city address earlier this month a new partnership between Boston Public Schools and UMass Boston to transform the McCormack School on Columbia Point into the city’s first university-assisted community school.

“Tonight, I’m also excited to announce that UMass Boston has signed an agreement with BPS to make the BCLA-McCormack High School our district’s first University-Assisted Community Hub School,” Mayor Wu said in her address. “Together, we’ll give our high school students direct access to college coursework and resources, partner educators from both institutions, and create a seamless pathway into UMass Boston for our graduates as we renovate a state-of-the-art high school campus embedded in the Columbia Point community.”

The new partnership developed over a year of research and strategizing, including a fact-finding mission to California, where UMass Boston Chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco in his previous position as dean of the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at UCLA led the development of a new model of high school aimed at enhancing college success.

"I thank Mayor Wu, Superintendent Mary Skipper and BCLA/McCormack Head of School Ondrea Johnston for their partnership in what will be the first university-assisted community school in Massachusetts,” Chancellor Suárez-Orozco said. “As Boston's premiere public research university, we are committed to providing BPS students with an equitable pathway to and through UMass Boston. We look forward to working alongside the mayor and superintendent with BCLA/McCormack leadership, teachers, students, parents and the community to ensure this is a successful collaboration."

Provost Joseph Berger, who began working with the McCormack School while dean of the College of Education and Human Development, recognized the new collaboration as a significant accomplishment.

“This partnership builds on our long-standing work with BCLA/McCormack and BPS more broadly,” Provost Berger said. “I am grateful for the stellar leadership from Dean Tara Parker and for the many contributions from colleagues in the College of Human Development and the rest of our university community. I also appreciate Chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco for his visionary leadership and expertise that has inspired this next chapter in our strong history of working reciprocally with our local public schools and communities.”

Additional details are expected to be released as implementation moves forward.