The waiting list that isn't in the news

Also: How Greater Boston's zoning decisions reverberate a century later; 6 takeaways from the GOP debate [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  November 9, 2023 🌧️ Rainy, with a high near 43. Good Morning Boston, While all of us in New England look longingly at [the weather the rest of the East Coast is getting]( here's what we have ahead today: - Head Start headaches: For decades, Head Start has provided thousands of low-income families in Massachusetts an escape hatch from the state's [notoriously expensive]( child care costs. However, [as WBUR's Emily Piper-Vallillo reports]( recent staffing shortages have forced Head Start leaders across the state to permanently cut slots for children — putting hundreds of toddlers on waitlists this fall. Here are four things to know about the situation: - Head Start is crucial for many: In Massachusetts, there are [over 150 Head Start centers]( run by [28 regional organizations](. In total, they serve over 11,000 children. The (mostly) federally funded program offers free child care, early learning and meals for infants through kids age 5 from low-income families, as well as those in foster care or experiencing homelessness. And as Emily reports, for some families, the free service can mean the difference between living in a shelter and affording an apartment. - It's hard for programs to attract staff: Head Start teachers make an average of $39,000 a year — or half the average salary of a public K-12 teacher in Massachusetts. Program directors say they want to pay their teachers more, but budgets are tight. - Slots are drying up as a result: At least three Head Start centers in Massachusetts have had to shut down entirely. Others are resorting to permanently cutting their class room size in order to boost teacher pay. That's allowed them to fill staff vacancies, but it means more kids are left on waitlists. In Boston alone, there are more than 400 children on Head Start waitlists. - The solution is pretty simple: "More money could solve these problems," Michelle Haimowitz, the executive director of the Massachusetts Head Start Association, told Emily. Massachusetts is one of a few states that actually kicks in a little money to supplement Head Start's federal funding. However, program directors say the funding hasn't kept up with other rising costs. For more on how programs are handling the situation, [read Emily's full story here.]( - Full speeds, ahead? MBTA General Manager Phil Eng is expected to unveil plans this morning to remove all of the remaining speed restrictions on the MBTA's subway lines. According to the T, the announcement — which will be [live-streamed here]( 8 a.m. — will cover the rest of the year and 2024. - Zoom out: Slow zones due to poor track conditions [currently cover 23% of the MBTA's four subway lines]( — with the speed limits varying from 25 mph to as low as 3 mph in some stretches. - Zoom in: The T has made some good progress in recent weeks. [According to an analysis by TransitMatters]( the recent shutdown of the Red Line's Ashmont branch for track work brought the stretch of the line back to 2018 speeds. (The glory days!) - Boston Medical Center is increasing its on-site security to deal with what the hospital says is a spike in loitering since [police cleared the tent encampment in the nearby "Mass. and Cass" area]( last week. As [the Boston Herald reports]( BMC's leaders say there's been "a marked increase" in people loitering and sleeping in the hospital's parking garages, on sidewalks and outside the emergency department — as well as sheltering in the emergency department’s waiting room. - The situation isn't completely uncommon for the hospital, but officials said it usually doesn't happen until the winter. “It’s quite a big increase at this point," Dr. Alastair Bell, the president of the BMC Health System, said at a meeting last night. "We normally see that in much colder parts of the year.” - PSA for your holiday travels: Amtrak is holding [a flash sale for travel between Dec. 4 and March 15]( — with "ultra-low" ticket prices on routes nationwide now though next Wednesday, Nov. 15. - The local angle: The sale includes one-way tickets from New York and Washington, D.C., to Boston for less than $30 — though roundtrip tickets still cost you a good deal more. The lowest local sale price: a one-way ticket from Providence to Boston for $4. P.S.— Need a moment of zen to start your day? Earlier this week, the Coast Guard announced new public webcams on Little Brewster Island, one of the outermost Boston Harbor Island. The [four cameras]( give everyone the opportunity to bask in the sunrise and sunsets from the historic Boston Light, and pretend we're [Sally Snowman](. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [How Greater Boston's zoning decisions reverberate a century later]( Much of Greater Boston's current housing challenges can be traced back to zoning policies of the past, according to a new report by Boston Indicators. The report examines how exclusionary zoning restrictions over the last 100 years has impacted housing today. [Read more.]( [How Greater Boston's zoning decisions reverberate a century later]( Much of Greater Boston's current housing challenges can be traced back to zoning policies of the past, according to a new report by Boston Indicators. The report examines how exclusionary zoning restrictions over the last 100 years has impacted housing today. [Read more.]( [Actors and studios make a deal to end Hollywood strikes]( SAG-AFTRA workers have been on strike since July, when they joined screenwriters on their strike. Now, if the performers approve their new deal, Hollywood may soon come to life again. [Read more.]( [Actors and studios make a deal to end Hollywood strikes]( SAG-AFTRA workers have been on strike since July, when they joined screenwriters on their strike. Now, if the performers approve their new deal, Hollywood may soon come to life again. [Read more.]( [6 takeaways from the third Republican primary debate]( At the GOP debate in Miami, five Republicans sparred over top issues include the Israel-Hamas war, Ukraine, China, abortion and Social Security. Here's what you need to know. [Read more.]( [6 takeaways from the third Republican primary debate]( At the GOP debate in Miami, five Republicans sparred over top issues include the Israel-Hamas war, Ukraine, China, abortion and Social Security. Here's what you need to know. [Read more.]( [Mass. officials hopeful billions in rail funding will advance state goals]( Massachusetts officials believe the state will benefit from the slate of federal grants awarded this week to repair and modernize the busy rail corridor that runs from Boston to Washington D.C. [Read more.]( [Mass. officials hopeful billions in rail funding will advance state goals]( Massachusetts officials believe the state will benefit from the slate of federal grants awarded this week to repair and modernize the busy rail corridor that runs from Boston to Washington D.C. [Read more.]( [3 charged with running brothels that catered to elected officials, other wealthy clients]( Prosecutors allege the individuals ran a network of brothels in high-end apartments in Massachusetts and eastern Virginia and advertised services on two websites that included pictures of women available that day and details such as their height and weight. [Read more.]( [3 charged with running brothels that catered to elected officials, other wealthy clients]( Prosecutors allege the individuals ran a network of brothels in high-end apartments in Massachusetts and eastern Virginia and advertised services on two websites that included pictures of women available that day and details such as their height and weight. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Veterans Day is this Saturday, which means a few of us have a three-day weekend and there will plenty of parades across the region. But if you have time to fill, [check out our list of five things to do]( including an LGBTQ+ history lesson at the storied Longfellow House and a Cambridge concert for fans of both music and architecture alike. - After a harrowing 27 days trapped in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas war, Medway residents Abood Okal, Wafaa Abuzayda and their 1-year-old son are finally back home in Massachusetts. The couple [told WBUR's Deborah Becker they have a renewed appreciation]( for the "small things" in life, though they're worried about family still in Gaza. - The Massachusetts AFL-CIO, the state's largest federation of unions, has a new president — and she's also the first women to take the helm. [Check out the highlights from WBUR Morning Edition host Rupa Shenoy's interview]( with Chrissy Lynch on what she hopes to do and the major factors she thinks are impacting the labor landscape. - Boston-based writer Sara Schreur reflects on the 20th anniversary of the death of her favorite music artist, Elliott Smith, [in this essay for Cognoscenti]( "His death was tragic, but his life was more. And his music is still a world within a world to discover."  What We're Reading 📚 - What kind of town does Brookline want to be? ([The Boston Globe]( - Looking for a Slam-Dunk Place to Eat? Just Ask an N.B.A. Player. ([The New York Times]( - What If Psychedelics’ Hallucinations Are Just a Side Effect? ([The Atlantic](  🔎 Field Guide To Boston [How silent films gave one New Hampshire musician the gig of a lifetime]( Renewed interest in silent films has provided Jeff Rapsis a vibrant second act as a silent film accompanist, crisscrossing New England all year round. [Read more.]( [How silent films gave one New Hampshire musician the gig of a lifetime]( Renewed interest in silent films has provided Jeff Rapsis a vibrant second act as a silent film accompanist, crisscrossing New England all year round. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common looks at [what lies ahead for the Boston City Council's returning — and brand-new — members](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [Adopt a sewer child.]( 😎 Forward to a friend. 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