Dear MASC Members & Friends, The FY27 Budget Conference Committee recently released its final report, and just days later both the House and Senate approved the compromise budget without amendment. Governor Healey has now signed the FY27 Budget into law. The Budget includes a significant long-term policy win: the creation of a new Foundation Budget…
The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education met twice in June: once for a special meeting specifically on the recently released report of the graduation council, and once for their regular business meeting. The agenda for both meetings can be found here; a recording of the evening meeting on the graduation report is here; the…
For a PDF copy of the letter, click here. Dear Chair Rodrigues, Chair Michlewitz, and Members of the Conference Committee: On behalf of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC), representing more than 2,400 elected and appointed school committee members across the Commonwealth, thank you for your work reconciling the Fiscal Year 2027…
Good afternoon! This week, House and Senate negotiators released their supplemental budget conference committee report, reaching agreement on several education investments in both FY26 and FY27. As a reminder, we have consistently viewed the supplemental budget and the FY27 budget as two pieces of the same puzzle. While they move through separate legislative vehicles, both budgets…
To download the Position Paper as a PDF, please click here. The Position Paper has been posted in text format for your convenience below. Following extensive discussion and review, the MASC Board of Directors has adopted official positions on the recommendations contained in the Statewide High School Graduation Framework Interim Report. MASC supports efforts to…
The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education had their monthly meeting on May 19 at Hudson High School, recognizing student representative to the Board Isabel Chamberlain. The agenda of the meeting is here; the video recording of the meeting is here. The Board opened with public comment. There was public testimony from union leadership in…
Senate FY27 Budget Debate Next Week Urge your State Senators to Support Key Amendments Dear MASC Members and Friends, The Senate Ways & Means (SWM)Committee’s FY27 Budget will be debated by the full Senate next week. This is a critical opportunity to strengthen investments in public education, and we are urging members to contact their…
Dear MASC Members & Friends, The Senate Ways & Means (SWM) Committee has released its $63.29B budget proposal. This represents a $2.25B (3.7%) increase over the FY26 General Appropriations Act (GAA) and is $66.3M (0.1%) below Governor Healey’s proposal. There are several key differences between the SWM budget, the House budget (finalized last week), and the…
May 2026 MASC Policy Newsletter MASC Policy Update In our regular review of policies for public school districts, MASC shares the following recommended policy updates. Last year, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education passed new regulations on the use of seclusion and restraint in schools, releasing guidance for those regulations earlier this year. This update requires substantive changes in district policy…
The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education met for their regular monthly meeting on April 28, 2026. The agenda of the meeting can be found here; the video of the meeting is available here. The Board opened with public comment. Much of the public comment, including largely favorable comments from both the MTA and AFT-MA,…
The House Ways & Means (HWM) Committee has released its $63.33B budget proposal. This represents a $2.3B (3.7%) increase over the FY26 General Appropriations Act (GAA) and is $29M (0.05%) below Governor Healey’s proposal. There are several key differences between the HWM budget and the Governor’s budget when it comes to public education. The summary…
The House Ways & Means Committee budget is now before the full House, and this is a critical opportunity to strengthen investments in public education. MASC is urging members to contact their state representatives and ask them to support key amendments that will provide additional resources for school districts. To get started, you can find…
The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education met on Tuesday, March 24, 2026 in Everett. Their agenda can be found here; the meeting was livestreamed here. The meeting opened with public comment, with several supporting the proposed changes to teacher licensure. The superintendents of both virtual schools, both of which were recommended for recertification…
IN MEMORIAM: Paul Gorden MASC regrets to inform you that Paul Gorden, former MASC Executive Director, passed away suddenly on March 3. He had celebrated his 97th birthday three days earlier. Paul joined MASC in 1974 as a field representative and was appointed Executive Director in 1977. He served the Association in that capacity until his…
On March 3rd, 2026 MASC President Denise Hurst announced a new venue for the 2026 annual conference. That announcement may be found below or in pdf format here. MASC Members: I want to share exciting news with you about our upcoming 2026 annual conference. In recent years, a number of members have asked that…
Today's regular monthly meeting of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education was fully remote due to the weather. The agenda is here; the recorded livestream is here. Today's meeting included Acting Secretary of Education Amy Kershaw, the Commissioner of Early Education and Care, who is serving in that role until Stephen Zrike becomes Secretary…
The Healey-Driscoll Administration released their $62.8B proposal for the FY27 Budget, which includes several key investments in public education across the Commonwealth. The information below highlights major education-related funding items, including updates from the accompanying supplemental budget that impact FY27 allocations. As always, we will continue to closely monitor budget activity and any adjustments throughout the…
The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education had their first year of 2026 fully remotely, as travel due to the weekend storm was still difficult. The agenda is here; the video of the meeting is here. The meeting opened, as always, with Board member introductions and with public comment. Several public commenters referenced the Commissioner's…
The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education held their regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, December 16 at 9 AM. The agenda can be found here; video of the meeting is available here. The Board opened with public comment. Most speakers were Student Ambassadors in adult learning programs across the state, who spoke to their own…
The Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) is proud to serve on the Graduation Council. We view this work as a generational opportunity to redefine what it means to graduate from a Massachusetts public school and to ensure that definition reflects the skills and competencies our students need for their futures. Council discussions have been thoughtful…
REPORT ON ACTIONS TAKEN AT THE 2025 ANNUAL MEETING MASC’s 80th annual meeting was held on Friday, November 14 during the annual conference in Hyannis. A total of 92 delegates representing school districts across the state were registered and participated in the deliberations. The meeting was led by MASC President Jason Fraser (Plympton/Silver…
To my Urban and Suburban Colleagues, On Friday at the MASC/MASS Conference Keynote Panel, many of you heard me call on all advocates for Massachusetts Public Schools to stand with the Rural Schools of the Commonwealth. This is an SOS for our rural schools. Just as We united for the Student Opportunity Act (SOA) in…
The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education had their regular monthly meeting on November 18, 2025. The agenda can be found here; a recording of the meeting is here. The meeting was chaired by Vice Chair Matt Hills, Chair Katherine Craven being remote. The Board heard public testimony on the graduation council (including submission…
The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education had their regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, October 28, 2025 in Everett. The agenda can be found online here.A recording of the meeting can be found here. The Board opened with public comment. The two public comments spoke of their support for biliteracy and of increased shared access…
The following is a letter from MASC President Jason Fraser re: the Graduation Council’s Preliminary Recommendations Dear MASC Members, I want to bring to your attention the Graduation Council’s Preliminary Recommendations, which were released recently. As both your President and a member of the Graduation Council, I believe it is essential that we carefully examine…
The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education held their regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, September 30, 2025 in Everett. This was the first meeting of new Massachusetts Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Pedro Martinez, who started in that position in July. The meeting agenda can be found here; a recording of the meeting can…
Assistant Superintendent for Business and Finance Download more information To apply, upload resume, cover letter and application materials to: https://www.schoolspring.com
The following MASC Divisions are looking for members to serve as Division Chair, Vice-Chair, and Secretary-Treasurer: I, III, V, VII, and IX. These divisions are also looking for individuals to serve on the Nominating Committee - members of this committee are responsible for interviewing interested candidates for MASC Division Officers. If you are interested…
MASC Policy Update - August 2025 In response to state regulation changes, requests from districts, and staff review, MASC provides the following new and updated model policies to ensure districts are in compliance federal and state law and regulation. Because of the near deadline on the required submission of competency determination and graduation policies to…
Recently, in Mahmoud v. Taylor, 606 U.S. __ (June 27, 2025), a 6-3 majority of the Supreme Court held that parents were entitled to opt their children out of LGBTQ-supportive books used in the Montgomery County (MD) Public Schools language arts curriculum based upon their religious based objections and the Constitution’s Free Exercise Clause. The…
The Legislature has enacted the FY26 state budget, which includes several key investments in public education across the Commonwealth. The information below highlights major education-related funding items, including updates from the most recent supplemental budget that impact FY26 allocations. As always, we will continue to monitor any additional budget activity or adjustments throughout the fiscal year.…
The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education met on Tuesday, June 24 in Everett for their final meeting of this school year. The agenda can be found here; the video recording is here. The Board opened with public comment, most of which was on the proposed amendments to state regulations regarding time out and seclusion.…
The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education held their May meeting at Methuen High School. The agenda can be found here. A recording of the meeting is available here. Members Mohamed and Moriarty attended the meeting remotely. After the Presentation of the Colors by the Methuen High JROTC and the singing of the National Anthem,…
The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education held their regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, April 29, 2025 at the Department offices in Everett. The agenda can be found here; a recording of the meeting can be viewed here. The Board meeting opened with an hour of public comment, much on vocational admission regulations, which was…
Having received the two-thirds of the Board votes as necessary, current Chicago Chief Executive Officer Pedro Martinez was recommended by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to Secretary Patrick Tutwiler as the next Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education this afternoon. Martinez was one of three finalists considered by the Board, alongside former Texas…
Dear MASC Members, The House Committee on Ways and Means has released its FY26 budget proposal. Representatives are now preparing and filing amendments ahead of the budget debate starting April 28. Below is a summary of key education-related funding items and how they compare to the Governor’s proposal. Some figures may reflect funds carried forward…
The US DOE Office of Civil Rights (OCR) has recently requested that SEAs (state education agencies, i.e. DESE) sign a reaffirmation concerning compliance with federal non-discrimination provisions with specific references to DEI programs and SFFA v. Harvard, which dealt with race-conscious admissions programs at the college level. Additionally, SEAs were requested to report the signature status…
The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education met for their regular March meeting on March 25 in Everett. The agenda can be found here; the livestream can be found here. This meeting was the final meeting of Acting Commissioner Russell Johnston, who is leaving the Department on March 28 to become the superintendent of Wallingford-Swarthmore school…
The Massachusetts Attorney General recently released a new Flyer on the Rights of Immigrant Students to Attend School for Parents & Families, in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, Vietnamese, and Mandarin. This Flyer accompanies the previously issued Guidance for K-12 Schools on Protecting Students and their Information and Flyer for K-12 Schools on Protecting Students…
The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education held their regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, February 25 at 9 AM in Everett. The agenda for the meeting can be found here; video of this and earlier meetings can be found here. The meeting, due to the large number of charter school expansions being considered, had a…
Resolutions Set to Expire in 2025 MASC’s public policy priorities are determined by a vote of membership at the annual Delegate Assembly. All priorities established at the Delegate Assembly have a three-year lifespan and must be re-authorized in order to remain an MASC policy priority. This year, we have six (6) resolutions that are set to expire…
The following Press Release was issued by Governor Healey and AG Campbell on February 27, 2025: Boston — Governor Maura Healey and Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell issued updated joint guidance today to support Massachusetts’ higher education and K-12 institutions in their work to further equal access and representation in education in response to recent Executive Orders…
Earlier today the MA Attorney General’s Office came out with an updated Guidance document in response to concerns raised following the announcement that schools would no longer be categorized by ICE as sensitive locations and are now subject to enforcement activities like searches and arrests. This advisory, which is attached, is very specific and should be…
School Committee members play a critical role in the success of our schools. Elected school committee members provide a voice for the children of the district and serve as critical lines of communication between the community and the public school leadership. The Massachusetts Association of School Committees believes each community has the right to make…
The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education held their regular monthly meeting on December 17, 2024 at 9 AM. The agenda can be found here. Video recording of this and all meetings can be found here. The Board opened with public comment. Sen. Brendan Crighton with Rep-elect Sean Reid spoke in opposition of KIPP Lynn's…
In response to the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s reported results of Massachusetts Ballot Question 2, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is providing a frequently asked questions (FAQ) document relating to competency determination awards to offer guidance to districts and families at this time. Guidance Document Here.
The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education met on November 19, 2024 at Holyoke High School for their regular monthly meeting. Note that they had also met on November 15 and November 18 for special 'study sessions' on Career and Technical Education admissions. Video of all meetings is available via the Department's Vimeo channel. The…
Presentations are posted as we receive them - thank you for your patience! Wednesday, November 6 Panel Session I - 12:30pm - 1:40pm Addressing the Unique Challenges of Regional Schools - Slides Here Data-Driven Strategies to Support ALL Learners The Student Opportunity Act is Working, but. . . - Slides Here A Framework and Approach…
The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education met virtually on Monday, October 28 and in person on Tuesday, October 29. The agenda for both meetings can be found here. The video of both sessions can be found here. Monday was the first of two of what the Department has termed "study sessions" on admission for…
MASC annually honors two legislators—one from the House of Representatives and one from the Senate—recognizing their exceptional contributions to public education in Massachusetts. Boston, MA – The Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) is proud to announce that Representative Kathy LaNatra (D-Kingston) has been named the 2024 Legislator of the Year. This prestigious award recognizes…
