Brownbag Seminars

Panels and discussions at the Rappaport Institute offer an opportunity for students and experts to learn from some of Greater Boston's prominent civic, business and academic leaders. After short presentations from the speaker or panel, students are able to discuss policy issues with the presenters during ample question-and-answer sessions.

2004 Brownbags

The Dynamism of Segregation in Greater Boston
May 10, 2004

Since the busing crisis of the 1970s, Boston has been known as one of the most segregated cities and regions in the United States. But just what does the concept of segregation mean for the everyday lives of people in the 160 cities and towns of Greater Boston? Guy Stuart, an associate professor of public policy at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, has developed an interactive analysis of the dynamics of segregation in Greater Boston to understand where and how segregation happens.

Using computer mapping systems and recent U.S. Census data, Stuart provides an interactive “bird’s eye view” of segregation in the region. Stuart examines the blocks where race varies dramatically with nearby areas. By zooming in on those areas where the racial boundaries are starkest, Stuart teases out a wide range of causes for segregation, such as topography, streetscapes, mortgage lending, real-estate agent “steering,” economic and social history, and more. On May 10,2004, Guy Stuart made a public presentation of his research findings. Using computer maps to explore the terrain of segregation in Greater Boston, Stuart provided a dynamic and complex portrait of the “American dilemma” in Greater Boston.

A Day in the Life of a City Councilor
March 2, 2004

On Tuesday, March 2, 2004 the Rappaport Institute convened current and former city councilors to discuss aspects of their daily lives, such as balancing work and family, preparing for campaigns, constituent services and other daily concerns. Panelists included Boston City Councilor Felix Arroyo, former City Councilor and current Mayor of Somerville Joseph Curtatone, Cambridge Vice Mayor Marjorie Decker and former Selectman of Salem and current deputy city manager of Chelsea Kim Driscoll.

2003 Brownbags

Starting From Scratch: Charter Schools and Education Reform
October 20, 2003

On Monday, October 20, 2003 the Rappaport Institute held a brownbag seminar with Professor Theodore Sizer, Visiting Professor on Education and Nancy Faust Sizer, Lecturer on Education about charter schools and education reform. The Sizers shared their experiences in running a charter school and focused on some of the struggles and sacrifices they made in co-principaling the Francis W. Parker Essential Charter School in Devens, Mass. They framed their discussion around the difficult decisions they made regarding class size, extracurricular activities, teacher turn-over and certification, fiscal planning based on enrollment.

2002 Breakfast Briefings

The Rappaport Institute Breakfast Briefing series brings together major newsmakers and experts on topics of immediate and long-term importance. Each briefing offers a short paper - five to seven pages - about an issue of immediate and longterm importance to the state and region. Policy makers and experts interviewed for the paper join the Rappaport Institute for a discussion of the paper.

Analyze This:
Prospects for Independent Policy Review in Massachusetts
Thursday, June 20, 2002

This discussion about whether Massachusetts public policy would be improved by the creation of a publicly financed, independent "think tank" along the lines of the General Accounting Office or the Congressional Budget Office featured panelists Sam Tyler of the Boston Municipal Research Bureau, Bob Costrell of the State Office of Administration and Finance, and Robert Tannenwald of the Federal Reserve Bank. Phil Primack, journalist and author of a five-page briefing on the topic, moderated the discussion.

"Analyze This: Prospects for Independent Policy Review in Massachusetts."

The Long View:
Would a Two-Year Budget Cycle Improve Policy in Massachusetts?
Thursday, June 13, 2002

This panel discussion with guests Bob Ciolek, former budget director for the City of Boston, Harold Hestnes, former chairman of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, and Mike Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation provided an overview of the arguments for and against switching Massachusetts to a two-year budgeting cycle to develop more coordinated long-term planning and overcome delays in the budgetary process on Beacon Hill. Phil Primack, journalist and author of a five-page briefing on the topic, moderated the discussion.

"The Long View: Would a Two-Year Budget Cycle Improve Policy in Massachusetts."

2001 Brownbags

Peggy Levitt on social and economic ties between Dominican migrants in Miraflores and Jamaica Plain
Thomas H. O'Connor on The Hub: Boston Past and Present
James Rooney on "Managing Mega-Projects: Lessons from Boston's Convention and Exhibition Center, Fenway Park, the Central Artery/Tunnel, and the MBTA"
Susan E. Eaton on "the other Boston busing story:" METCO, America’s longest-running voluntary school desegregation program
Kathy Born, Larry DiCara, Chuck Turner, and Alice Wolf on their experiences as city councilors

2000 Brownbags

Barry Bluestone on the challenge of extending opportunity to all in Greater Boston
Paul Grogan on Comeback Cities: Boston and the Revitalization of Urban Areas
Kate Foster on the question of regional identity in Greater Boston
Thomas Finneran and Charles Euchner on the stadium debate in Massachusetts
Michael Dukakis on the future of regional transportation in Massachusetts