MASC 2018 Legislative Priorities

MASC’s Legislative Priorities are developed based on issues of greatest concern each year to school committees and school districts and focus on (1) improved outcomes; (2) funding concerns; and (3) specific legislative “fixes.” Based on the unique priorities of their districts, MASC members will be reaching out to their legislators for support on those issues that are most important to the students in their communities.

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Legislative Bulletin: House Ways & Means FY19 Budget Recommendations (H. 4400)

The Massachusetts House Ways & Means Committee recently released its FY2019 Budget recommendations, which includes a proposal to increase Chapter 70 general aid to education by about $125 million, representing a $7 million addition to the Governor's budget proposal. It also includes an increase in Special Education Circuit Breaker funding to $300 million, as well as changes in Regional School Transportation funds, charter school reimbursements, Metco grants and Hurricane Aid and Low Income enrollment funding. MASC General Counsel Stephen Finnegan has released a Legislative Bulletin detailing the changes relevant to Massachusetts school districts.

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COSCAP Spring 2018 Conference: Introduction to Mindfulness

Introduction to Mindfulness: Cultivating Resilience, Focus and Well-Being

Mindfulness is an evidence-based practice that can reduce stress and improve focus, health, resilience, happiness and well-being. It’s a must-have: a way to keep our brains healthy, to support self-regulation and effective decision-making capabilities, and to protect ourselves from toxic stress.” This program explores the science, benefits and practice of mindfulness and provides tools and strategies to reduce stress, enhance self-care and strengthen the ability to meet the inherent complexities of work and everyday life.

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Novick Reports: Ed Reform at 25

An early observance of the 25th anniversary of the 1993 Education Reform Act brought a host of familiar names to the State House: Weld, Reville, Driscoll, Antonucci, Birmingham. The gathering provided space both to celebrate the successes of the past decades as well as look ahead to what needed to be done.

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Day on the Hill 2018 - Education Reform: The Next 25 Months

This spring, as Massachusetts celebrates the many accomplishments of the past 25 years of education reform, school leaders are also focusing on a much shorter time frame: the next 12-25 months. School budgets continue to exceed the state’s foundation budget formula and an increasing number of districts find themselves unable to make up the difference.

Across the Commonwealth, the funding gap that the 1993 Reform Act was designed to close has been torn open, increasing the inequities between communities that can sustain quality education programs despite rising health and pension costs and the unanticipated expenses of providing education and support services to growing numbers of students in need and communities that can’t. Special education and regional transportation budgets have also been devastated over the past few years as state funding has failed to keep pace with the cost of services. And this fall, new accountability and assessment requirements will add to districts’ financial and administrative burden.

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Novick Reports: March 2018 Board of Education

The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education had a two part March meeting, for which the agenda can be found here. 

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