The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education resumed their school year meeting schedule with a meeting on Tuesday, September 19, 2023 at 9 am in Malden. The agenda can be found online here; video of the meeting can be viewed here. The Board opened with public comment. Senator Jason Lewis, Senate Chair of the Joint…
The members of the Resolutions Committee met on July 5, 2022 to consider resolutions proposed by member districts for consideration at the 2022 Annual Meeting of the Association.
Updated MASC Financial Policy - September 2023 We are pleased to bring you what we know are long-awaited updates in model policy language regarding purchasing. These model policies have been rewritten not only in light of Chapter 198 of the Acts of 2022, which went into effect last November, but also in light of the…
Updated MASC Policy Reference Manual - September 2023 MASC Field Staff is currently undergoing a comprehensive review of the MASC Policy Reference Manual. Changes as a result of this review are detailed below and copies of these updated policies are available in the Online Policy Reference Manual. We have also posted links to the individual…
The state senate has approved a supplemental budget bill authorizing $513 million. This contrasts with the $693 million that the House of Representatives had approved earlier this month. A conference committee must now work out the differences. The bills add more spending tied to a fiscal year where tax revenues through May fell well short…
The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education had their final meeting of the school year on Tuesday, June 27 in Malden. The agenda can be found online here. In opening the meeting, Chair Katherine Craven welcomed incoming student member Ella Gardner of Wellesley, and announced the appointment and welcomed new Board member Professor Ericka Fisher.…
The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education met on May 23 at 9 am. The agenda is here, The Board opened with two public comments, both on topics they have previously spoken on: one relating what they see as lacks in the state's gifted education to the meeting presentation on the vision of the Department…
Update from MASC President Stacey Rizzo and MASC Executive Director Glenn Koocher The ongoing stalemate in lifting the debt ceiling puts at risk the nation’s full faith and credit and would impose cuts that could hurt children and undermine education, raise costs for families, and set back economic growth. It would also mean lashing critical…
Updated MASC Policy Reference Manual - March 2023 MASC Field Staff is currently undergoing a comprehensive review of the MASC Policy Reference Manual. Changes as a result of this review are detailed below and copies of these updated policies are available in the Online Policy Reference Manual. We have also posted links to the individual…
The Massachusetts Department of Education has posted the preliminary estimates of Chapter 70 school aid and net school spending requirements for FY2024, based on the Governor's proposed budget. Download the budget document here, or view the details on their website.
MASC public policy priorities for public education in 2023 are now available. 2023 Legislative Priorities include: Full funding for the Student Opportunity Act Children's Services Safety Net Full funding for the Special Education Circuit Breaker Establishing Regional Reserve Assessment Funds and Expanding Vocational Education Reserve Funds as approved by the MASC Delegate Assembly Reforming of…
Due to concerns about the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), in consultation with the MASC Board of Directors, many of the MASC staff are currently working remotely.
The members of the Resolutions Committee met on July 5, 2022 to consider resolutions proposed by member districts for consideration at the 2022 Annual Meeting of the Association.
The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education held a special meeting on Monday, August 15 at noon. The agenda can be found here; the video of the meeting is here. The Board opened with public comment, much of which focused on the proposal to raise the MCAS score required to fulfill the state's competency determination…
The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education had their regular June meeting on June 28 at 9 am. The agenda is online here; the video of the meeting is available here. Commissioner Jeffrey Riley participated remotely, as he has COVID.
Do you have a student representative on your school committee? If so, the Massachusetts Association of Student Representatives (with the help of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees) will be hosting a Spring Student Representative conference on Saturday, May 14th at Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School.
MASC worked with Student School Committee Representatives to develop a resource for students serving on the School Committee including important protocols, parliamentary procedures, and advice on how to maximize effectiveness.
COSCAP held its annual meeting virtually on February 3, 2022. The Council elected the Executive Committee for the next two years. Plans for the MASC Annual Conference sessions and professional development workshops are underway for 2022.
Children Discovering Justice is a K-5 standards-based civics curriculum developed by Discovering Justice to support and enhance social studies, literacy, and SEL instruction.
The public input survey: Model School Resource Officer MOU Commission Public Input is now available in multiple languages. In the upper right hand corner of the survey, you will see a globe with the word English next to it on a drop down menu. By clicking on the drop down menu, survey participants can select…
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) in partnership with Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) are co-chairing the School Resource Officer (SRO) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Commission.
During the next few weeks, School Committees will be deciding whether masks will be required on school property for all or some students and staff in the 2021-2022 school year.
After enrollment dips, America's schools hope for fall rebound (Chalkbeat) To get billions in aid, states focus on mental health, learning recovery (EdWeek)
Here's what you need to know about the COVID-19 Delta variant (Boston Globe) Framingham schools use bikes as an alternative way to get to school (Metrowest Daily News) Haverhill officials shift gears on eighth grade events (Eagle Tribune) Tewksbury parents urge School Committee to eliminate elementary mask mandate next year (Lowell Sun)
Schools have legal obligations to address sexual harassment under both federal (Title IX) and state (MGL c. 76, s. 5; c. 151C, s. 2) law. Schools must have policies and procedures that comply with both sets of obligations. Federal regulations concerning sexual harassment have recently changed. A new template policy that will cover both federal…
Pandemic prayers; COVID took her father, cancer threatens her mother, but Anne Laurie still has her faith(WGBH) Opinion: State must close loophole that allows unvaccinated children in schools (Boston Globe) Secretary Cardona's first budget hearing becomes a forum on in-person learning, the 1619 project (EdWeek) With COVID-19 vaccines for kids and teens, timing matters (The…
Pfizer vaccine shown to be 100% effective in adolescents (WCVB 5) Why virus tests at one elite school ran afoul of regulators (The New York Times) To reopen schools faster, vaccinate teens, Boston superintendent says. (Boston Globe) At Reid Middle School, custodial staff attention to detail noted (The Berkshire Eagle) Lee School Committee adopts FY22…
DESE Commissioner Riley has shared updated guidance from DESE on In-Person Learning and Student Learning Time Requirements. The updates are available for download using the following links: Guidance on In-Person Learning and Student Learning Time Requirements DESE On The Desktop Message on New Guidance
Calling all Massachusetts school district central offices! MASC is beginning to gather data to develop the 2021 Management Information for School Committees (MISC) Report, and we need your help!
Lack of uniform data contributes to discrepancies in reporting of COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts schools (Boston 25 News) 'Losing a generation': Fall college enrollment plummets among first year students (NPR) When can kids play like it's 2019? What to know about kids and vaccines (WGBH) 'Zoom bomb' leads to change in meeting procudures in Athol (Athol…
The MASC Nominating Committee met on Tuesday, June 23, 2020. The Report of the Nominating Committee, which includes the slate of officers proposed by the Nominating Committee is available for download.
This document has been developed to act as a guide for school committees as your district develops and implements a back-to-school strategy. This task will require flexibility on the school committee’s part in schedules of meetings and the time commitment required to meet the deadlines established by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
As the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) prepares final guidance for districts to use in reopening schools in September 2020, many school committee members have raised questions and sought advice from MASC. This is a time of uncertainty and extraordinary challenges for everyone associated with public schools.
The MASC Board of Directors has recommended that the attached resolutions be forwarded to our Resolutions Committee for consideration of the entire MASC membership.
The Massachusetts Association of School Committees deplores the indefensible actions of the Minneapolis police that resulted in the murder of George Floyd. We further call upon all of our national, state and local leaders to recognize that Mr. Floyd’s death and the demands of millions of Americans to respond must be addressed with, not only…
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…
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.
Baker extends all school and daycare closures until early May amid pandemic (MassLive) Video: Baker orders schools, daycares closed through May 4 (WGBH) She's 10, homeless, and eager to learn. But she has no internet (New York Times) Longmeadow high school student using engineering skills to create supplies for local hospitals (WWLP 22) Springfield offers…
PLEASE NOTE: THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED Due to recent developments surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, MASC has decided to cancel several upcoming events out of concern for the health and safety of our members. Some events may be rescheduled for future dates - please stay tuned for updates. You can find daily news updates on…
The Annual MASC Delegate Assembly is held each year during the Annual MASC/MASS Joint Conference, at which time new MASC officers are elected and the Delegate Assembly considers resolutions submitted in conformance with the MASC By-Laws.
