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The end of the article notes the whole plan was scrapped based on parental feedback. More background: https://www.media.mit.edu/articles/what-the-boston-schoo

by morisy 7y ago

The end of the article notes the whole plan was scrapped based on parental feedback. More background: https://www.media.mit.edu/articles/what-the-boston-school-bus-schedule-can-teach-us-about-ai/ https://www.media.mit.edu/articles/what-the-boston-school-bu...

asdfasgasdgasdg 7y ago
So, from reading the article, it seems like this policy researcher helped torpedo a positive change that he spent insufficient time researching and attempting to understand. He did this, unknowingly, but nonetheless in service rich people defend their advantages over the needs of poor people. His initial accusations of failure to engage with parents was actually false, by his own admission. The researchers followed an exemplary engagement process that attempted to balance the needs of all stakeholders. But reflexive hand-wringing, marshaled effectively by those who stood to lose a little of their existing advantages, destroyed the work, along with the political capital that would otherwise have made it happen. Is there an expression of remorse anywhere in the article? I didn't see it. Suggestions for how things could be done better are all well and good. But I don't think I'm unreasonable in expecting some contrition from someone who participated in a screw up this gargantuan.
ac29 7y ago
Thats not quite right - they did optimize bus routing and did save $5M. But when "the algorithm" suggested further improvements that required changing school start times (presumably so that the same bus and driver could work multiple routes to multiple schools), there was pushback and those changes weren't implemented.
- ShinTakuya 7y ago
  That's really sad, there's so much to be gained by staggering school start and end times. Even in places where school buses aren't used - for instance, burden can be reduced on public transport among other things.
  - msh 7y ago
    But school start and end times need to fit somewhat with the parents worklife and out of school activities, they do not exist in a vacuum.
jws 7y ago
My read suggests that the recently proposed changes to school start times was scrapped, but that the bus scheduling is still in place.
- drewm1980 7y ago
  I hope the configuration switch in the software for that is called "preserve inequitable school start times".

by morisy 7y ago

asdfasgasdgasdg 7y ago

So, from reading the article, it seems like this policy researcher helped torpedo a positive change that he spent insufficient time researching and attempting to understand. He did this, unknowingly, but nonetheless in service rich people defend their advantages over the needs of poor people. His initial accusations of failure to engage with parents was actually false, by his own admission. The researchers followed an exemplary engagement process that attempted to balance the needs of all stakeholders. But reflexive hand-wringing, marshaled effectively by those who stood to lose a little of their existing advantages, destroyed the work, along with the political capital that would otherwise have made it happen. Is there an expression of remorse anywhere in the article? I didn't see it. Suggestions for how things could be done better are all well and good. But I don't think I'm unreasonable in expecting some contrition from someone who participated in a screw up this gargantuan.

ac29 7y ago

Thats not quite right - they did optimize bus routing and did save $5M. But when "the algorithm" suggested further improvements that required changing school start times (presumably so that the same bus and driver could work multiple routes to multiple schools), there was pushback and those changes weren't implemented.

ShinTakuya 7y ago
That's really sad, there's so much to be gained by staggering school start and end times. Even in places where school buses aren't used - for instance, burden can be reduced on public transport among other things.
- msh 7y ago
  But school start and end times need to fit somewhat with the parents worklife and out of school activities, they do not exist in a vacuum.

jws 7y ago

My read suggests that the recently proposed changes to school start times was scrapped, but that the bus scheduling is still in place.

drewm1980 7y ago
I hope the configuration switch in the software for that is called "preserve inequitable school start times".