Flynn Urges Boston Board To Shift Power to Schools

By Peter Schmidt

Mayor Raymond L. Flynn of Boston, successful in his bid to abolish the city's elected school committee, has proposed a sweeping education-reform plan to guide the new committee members he will appoint--if he gets the chance.

Mr. Flynn first must get re-elected, however, and his school-reform proposals already are becoming an issue in the city's fall mayoral race.

A draft proposal of the Mayor's plan released last month calls for much of the responsibility for city schools to be shifted from the central administration to the leadership of individual schools. Principals for the first time would be given responsibility for choosing, with the advice of parents,...