MASC Staff is Available for Your Questions and Guidance

Due to the growing concerns about the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), in consultation with the MASC Board of Directors, many of the MASC staff will be working remotely for at least the next two weeks.

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Public Policy Updates: April 2020 Board of Ed

The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education held their April 2020 meeting remotely on April 28 at 9 am. The agenda can be found online here; the video can be found here. 

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MIT Report Ranks Massachusetts 2nd on Remote Learning Guidance

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the MIT Teaching Systems Lab reviewed state education agency guidance to identify areas of consensus and emerging practices. The report, Remote Learning Guidance from State Education Agencies During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A First Look, provides objective recommendations and best practices for state education agencies providing remote learning guidance during COVID-19 school closures.

Massachusetts fulfills 16 out of 21 criteria outlined in the report, ranking the state second in the nation.

The report and datasets are available here.

Public Policy Updates: April Economic Roundtable on FY21

Recognizing how radically circumstances have shifted since the joint revenue hearing back in early December, the chairs of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means, Senator Michael Rodrigues and Representative Aaron Michlewitz, together with Secretary of Administration and Finance Michael Heffernan, hosted an economic roundtable on April 14 to update the projected revenue for the fourth quarter of FY20 and the budget year of FY21. While Sen. Rodrigues, Rep. Michlewitz, and Secretary Heffernan were all at the State House, all testimony was taken remotely. 

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MASC Advisory: School Committee Leadership During COVID-19 School Closures

Download/Print Advisory Here

To: Massachusetts School Committee Members
From: Deborah Davis, President, MASC

As the uncertainly surrounding the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the impact on the education of our students continues, families, employees and the community are looking to their school district leadership teams to provide a unified message.

Meetings, events, and normal routines are being disrupted worldwide. Providing education and delivering services will look different than before. Implementing any changes will require surmounting new challenges with determination and patience. Among the many concerns are: ensuring that in the interests of equity, we are looking out for our most vulnerable students, maintaining individualized instruction for students with disabilities, providing nutrition and support for our most vulnerable students and reaching non-English speaking populations with appropriately translated messaging. And this is just the tip of the iceberg for our school districts.

The school committee and superintendent have vital and unique roles to play as this unprecedented event unfolds. With the situation changing daily, however, best practices are as important as ever.

Here’s what school committee members can do to best serve their district.

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Public Policy Updates: March 2020 Board of Ed

The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education held its March meeting remotely, under the Governor's emergency provisions during the pandemic. The agenda focused almost entirely on the Department's response to and organization for education during this time.

The agenda can be found online here; the video of the meeting is available here. 

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