Mass. asks public how to replace MCAS grad requirement. How to respond
The survey, along with listening sessions being held across the state, come after voters last November opted to do away with the requirement that public high school students must pass three MCAS tests in language arts, mathematics and science in order to achieve a diploma.
It was one of the most hotly contested ballot questions the state had seen in years — the Massachusetts Teachers Union led the charge to get rid of the MCAS requirement, while many state officials, including Gov. Maura Healey, strongly opposed it.
Now, after the voters have spoken — passing the measure by a wide margin — education officials are assessing what a future requirement may look like to ensure graduates are demonstrating learning and readiness for college, careers and civic life.
The public has until June 30 to complete the online survey, which is available in six languages.
Read more: Springfield invites former students who failed MCAS to apply for a diploma
Secretary of Education Dr. Patrick Tutwiler said listening sessions held so far in Taunton, Worcester and Somerville have provided 'deeply meaningful feedback' and that additional public feedback 'is only going to strength these efforts.
'I encourage everyone to fill out the survey and look forward to engaging with more residents at the remaining listening sessions,' he said.
The last listening sessions will be held in Holyoke and Barnstable on June 5 and 9, respectively. There will be a virtual one, as well, on June 3.
Until the state develops a new statewide requirement, school districts are resorting to local graduation standards and competency determinations set by school committees.
Controversial guidance previously issued by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education said school districts can still use MCAS scores as part of their local graduation requirements. The leaders of the Massachusetts Teachers Association said the guidance circumvented the intention of Question 2 and, ultimately, the will of the voters.
Similarly, the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education recently approved the 'limited use' of MCAS scores to determine if students are satisfying the competency determination for a high school diploma, also drawing blowback from the teachers union.
Springfield invites former students who failed MCAS to apply for a diploma
Teachers union urges public to stay informed, speak up about changing ed regs
Springfield schools weigh graduation requirements after MCAS test dropped
Everything you need to know about MCAS heading into 2025
Read the original article on MassLive.
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Boston's Big Wonk Summer: Thousands of lawmakers arrive for annual conference
Good Monday morning, everyone. If things feel noticeably wonkier and more political around Boston for the next few days, there's a good reason for that. Thousands of state lawmakers from across the country, legislative aides, and other folks who track state government rolled into town on Sunday for the annual summit of the National Conference of State Legislatures. It officially gets started this morning with an opening session at the Thomas M. Menino Convention & Exhibition Center in the city's Seaport district. NCSL, as it's more often referred to, is a one-stop shop of legislative best practices. Want to know what other states are doing about, say, transportation funding? Or maybe wind energy? Or how they're handling artificial intelligence? In-house experts at NCSL can provide lawmakers (and the reporters who cover them) with a veritable brain-dump of information on all those issues and more. This year's observance in Boston also marks the NCSL's 50th birthday. 'It will almost certainly be the second-largest legislative summit NCSL has ever held,' NCSL CEO Tim Storey said during a press call with journalists last week. 'And we'll make a pretty strong run at the largest summit we've ever held ... in Boston.' And because it's in Boston, some top Bay State pols also are expected to feature prominently. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey is among the speakers at a Tuesday morning session dubbed 'The Great Political Realignment: The New Trump Coalition and the Coming Elections.' She's slated to be joined by Rhode Island House Speaker Pro Tempore Brian Patrick Kennedy. Amy Walter, the publisher and editor-in-chief of The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, moderates. Senate President Karen E. Spilka, D-Middlesex/Norfolk, is set to appear on two panels. That includes a summit-closing event on Wednesday with 'Hamilton' star Leslie Odom Jr., called, appropriately enough, 'The Room Where it Happens.' Other high-wattage names on the bill this week include former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona, Olympic running legend Meb Keflezighi, and syndicated radio host Michael Smerconish. State lawmakers from the House and Senate, as well as experts from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and elsewhere, are also sprinkled across seminars this week. And while the conference is likely to be a boon for Boston's faltering tourist economy, Spilka and other legislative leaders faced some uncomfortable questions last week about the high-dollar fundraising they've been doing to help finance it. State lawmakers have asked corporations and others with business before the Legislature to pony up as much as $250,000 each, The Boston Globe reported. 'I'm not involved in fundraising, so I have no idea,' state House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano, D-3rd Norfolk, said when he was asked about it last week. Spilka was slightly more expansive, telling reporters that she wanted to 'add that all of the money raised goes directly to educational programs, training, [and] transportation.' 'Nine thousand people are expected to be coming here to Boston, to Greater Boston, which is a real boon not only [to] the Greater Boston area, but for the entire state,' she continued, putting the total economic impact at $11.2 million. So if you see some vaguely wonkish folks wandering Seaport, the Back Bay and Beacon Hill this week, now you know why. You'll be back It might be the 250th anniversary of the American Battle for Independence, but Massachusetts just can't quit the United Kingdom. State lawmakers and British officials gathered on Beacon Hill last week to announce the creation of the new Friends of the UK Legislative Caucus. The bipartisan group is intended to strengthen the economic and historic ties between the Bay State and Great Britain, its organizers said. State House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, R-20th Middlesex; Rep. Susannah Whipps, I-2nd Franklin, and Sen. Dylan Fernandes, D-Plymouth/ Barnstable are its co-chairpersons. The U.K. does $5 billion in trade annually with Massachusetts and British subsidiaries also employ more than 41,000 people across the state, according to the British Consulate-General in Boston. 'I've also met academics and scientists from the UK and Massachusetts working together to tackle some of the great scientific technological challenges of our age,' David Clay, British Consul General to New England, said at a press conference at the State House last week. 'I've met some of the 200,000 British tourists [who] come to Massachusetts every year and have an amazing time. I've learned about our shared history at Lexington, Concord, [and] Bunker Hill. There's been a few bumps in the road, but generally things have gone very well.' With President Donald Trump's tariff policies roiling markets, Jones, of North Reading, said the new caucus holds 'tremendous opportunities.' 'We look forward to this caucus expanding and having more members in the House and Senate become involved, and realize perhaps we're at a point in time where we need to look to the states to lead, perhaps more so than Washington to lead,' he said. 'And we're happy to take up that mantle to try to foster that relationship to even greater levels than it has been.' Okay. All together now: 'You'll be back, soon, you'll see. You'll remember you belong to me. You'll be back. Time will tell. You'll remember that I served you well. Oceans rise, empires fall. We have seen each other through it all ...' A not very restful rest area Hundreds of employees and supporters of the Waltham company, which lost out on a lucrative contract to renovate and operate Massachusetts highway service plazas, descended on the State House last week. Their goal: To convince Gov. Maura Healey to reverse course and state lawmakers to exert some oversight muscle, according to State House News Service. The company, Global Partners, and its partner, CommonWealth Kitchen, have been aggressive in the six weeks since MassDOT's board picked Ireland-based Applegreen for a 35-year lease of 18 highway plazas, according to the wire service. Global Partners has argued that its bid for the project was worth more money to the state. And last week, it claimed that a state Department of Transportation official who played a key role in the selection discussed potential employment with the winning bidder's parent company. Both the state and Applegreen have pushed back against Global's campaign, arguing that finances were only one factor in the contract award and that the winner offered a faster timeline and a focus on electric vehicles. Applegreen founder Bob Etchingham slammed what he described as 'baseless public relations stunts' by the losing bidder, State House News Service reported. Warren floods the zone U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and several of her colleagues fired off a letter to U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner to protest the agency's recent moves to roll back rules that protect people from floods. 'It is an objective truth that disaster events are occurring more frequently and at a larger scale than ever before. Our nation's floodplain standards helped ensure homes were more resilient to flooding and other extreme weather events–minimizing damage and harm to families. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,' Warren and her colleagues wrote. The other lawmakers who signed onto the letter included Democrat U.S. Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, Patty Murray of Washington and Peter Welch of Vermont. Independent U.S. Sens. Angus King of Maine and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, both of whom caucus with Democrats, also signed the letter, according to Warren's office. In the wake of disastrous flooding in Texas, HUD announced it was temporarily tapping the brakes on that rollback, according to the advocacy group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, or PEER. Monday Numbers New data from the Donahue Institute at the University of Massachusetts Amherst paints a vivid picture of the huge role that research funding plays in the Bay State's economy. The bottom line: For every dollar that's invested in research, Massachusetts sees about double that amount, according to the new data. Right now, research funding in the state supports a total of 81,300 jobs, $7.8 billion in income and more than $16 billion in total economic activity, according to the report, dubbed "Economic Contributions of R&D Funding in Massachusetts.' But if 'proposed changes to federal funding and support for research and development are enacted, the economic future of the commonwealth faces significant uncertainty,' UMass researchers noted. Some other top-line findings: Massachusetts is home to 1 in 10 R&D jobs nationwide, compared to 1 in 40 for all jobs in the nation's economy. More than 700 Bay State organizations have received R&D awards over the years. The top three recipients were the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Air Force and the National Science Foundation. That funding supported 46,000 jobs across those institutions. R&D funding 'creates and supports jobs beyond those in research occupations and research organizations, with 34,600 more blue-collar and service jobs in sectors that support the industry and its workers, including construction, food services, healthcare, retail and administrative support,' according to the report. And two of every five jobs 'created by research funding are created outside of sectors that directly receive the funding itself. For example, this activity supports 4,200 jobs in real estate and construction, nearly 3,000 jobs in retail and almost 1,600 jobs in transportation and warehousing,' according to the report. What else you need to know: 'Federal funding for high-risk research keeps the U.S. at the cutting edge of innovation and provides the lifeblood of the state's knowledge and innovation economy,' Mark Melnik, the director of the Donahue Institute's Economic and Public Policy Research Group, said in an email. 'Our well-educated workforce and elite institutions in 'Eds and Meds' have provided an important magnet for funding, high-skill workers, and entrepreneurship in the state,' Melnik continued. 'The economic activity associated with these investments are essential to both the research happening in 'Ed and Meds,' as well as the broader economy of the state.' They said it 'I think people have an image of food pantries as just having canned beans and canned vegetables and pasta and rice. 'We certainly offer those items. But I think most food pantries we know about increasingly strive to provide healthy foods.' — Stacey Verge, the executive director of Acord Food Pantry in Hamilton, on efforts to feed scores of people across the state who live with food insecurity. Read More MassLive politics coverage Top Dems on Beacon Hill announce pay raise deal for bar advocates How Tim Scott and Elizabeth Warren agreed on a sweeping housing package Casey Affleck asks Mass. Legislature to lend 'full support' to 'groundbreaking bill' Trump used her story to attack Harvard. She says 'don't destroy the university in my name' Market Basket drama — Deli, devotion & doughnuts: Why we care so much | John L. Micek Housing advocates renew fight for rent stabilization in Massachusetts Mass. Reps. Pressley, Lynch and Moulton lead call for end to trash strike 'You turn 65, you join the club.' U.S. Rep. Richard Neal celebrates anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid Act What goes on If you find yourself in the Berkshires later this month, you can swing by the Stockbridge Summer Arts and Crafts Show, which runs Aug. 16 and 17 at 50 Main Street. Now in its 32nd year, the annual attracts thousands of visitors to a Main Street picturesque enough to warrant a Norman Rockwell painting, according to organizers. The free show includes 80 jury-selected artisans and crafters, whose work ranges from paintings and ceramics to fiberware, jewelry and sculpture. The hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Turned up to 11 Punk and new wave legend Billy Idol brings his latest tour to the XFinity Center on Aug. 23 (tickets and info here). If you only know him from his 80s work, you might be surprised to find out that Idol (né William Broad) is still recording new music. Case in point, his very good 2021 single 'Bitter Taste.' Your Monday long read It wasn't too many years ago (OK, it was enough) when no summer was complete without a trip to a drive-in movie. These days, however, these land-guzzling outdoor recreation meccas are essentially a thing of the past. The folks at History Facts have chronicled the rise and fall of this uniquely American institution. And the nostalgia? Well, it hits hard. As ever: The germane bit. 'The novelty of the drive-in caught on slowly at first. But by the end of the 1940s, with World War II in the rearview, Americans and their growing families were ready to indulge in leisure and entertainment. Families didn't have to dress up, kids could doze off in the back seat and you could bring your own snacks — or heed the call of the animated intermission ads urging a trip to concessions for hot dogs, popcorn, and candy galore." That's it for today. As always, tips, comments and questions can be sent to jmicek@ Have a good week, friends. Read more analysis from John L. Micek Market Basket drama — Deli, devotion & doughnuts: Why we care so much | John L. Micek Mass. student turns terrifying choking incident into legislative action | Bay State Briefing A nicotine-free Mass.? These lawmakers say 'yes' | Bay State Briefing Read the original article on MassLive. Solve the daily Crossword
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‘You're next': In meeting with Gov. Healey, Texas lawmakers warn of Trump power grab on voting maps
The ongoing partisan brawl in Texas over a Republican-backed plan to potentially erase five U.S. House seats currently held by Democrats is a prelude to a wider battle over voter rights and representation. That was the message Tuesday from a Democratic lawmaker who was among those who'd left the Lone Star State, partly to frustrate that effort and to attend a nationwide meeting of state legislators in Boston. 'You've all heard of the game 'Texas Hold 'Em?'" state Sen. Carol Alvarado, a Democrat whose district includes parts of Houston, said during a news conference at the State House. 'Well, we are literally holding the line on democracy, not just for Texas, but for our nation.' 'We are here to talk about, with other legislators from around the country: 'This is coming to you. You're next.' This is not a Texas problem. This is a United States of America problem,' she said. Alvarado and several of her colleagues met with Gov. Maura Healey on Tuesday afternoon. They're also slated to hold a news conference at the State House on Wednesday. That's the same day as the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, which resulted in more than 1 million Black Americans registering to vote in the four years after it was passed, according to the Brennan Center. They are among the 50 lawmakers who left the state to deprive Republicans of the quorum they need to pass the bill. They have argued that the Republican-authored maps would impact Black and Hispanic voters. In his first public comments, President Donald Trump injected himself into the fiery debate, announcing Tuesday that he believes Lone Star State Republicans are 'entitled to five more seats' on Capitol Hill. If the effort in Texas is successful, Democrats would face a steeper climb as they seek to retake control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2026 midterm elections. Republicans currently hold a 219-212 edge in the lower chamber, with four vacancies. Right now, Democrats only would have to flip a handful of seats to retake control. Healey, already a vocal critic of the Republican White House, laced into Trump once again on Tuesday. She expanded her critique to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, also a Republican, who has warned that he would have the absent Democrats removed from office if they do not return home. 'They're proposing to completely rewrite a map, out of nowhere, to take away the votes and the voices of Texans,' Healey said. 'And the message is, not only does this have an impact on Congress, which impacts all of America, it also is something that you don't want to see spread." But Abbott, [Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton], Trump, they leave states with no choice," she continued. 'I want to make sure that people have access to healthcare. I don't want to see further cuts to Medicaid or to housing or to veterans or to poor little kids who need to eat. Okay? So that is why it becomes an issue for a governor in New York and a governor in Illinois, and a governor in Massachusetts.' Massachusetts Secretary of State William L. Galvin, a Democrat, and the commonwealth's chief elections officer, offered a similar sentiment. 'This is not a Texas fight. This is not some little fight down there,' he said, hinting that Democrats may also have to play hardball to counter GOP-led redistricting efforts. 'We may have to engage in those tactics,' he said. 'We don't want to, but nobody wants to do that. The answer really is not to let it happen at all. Let's stop it in Texas. Let's prevent this from happening. Let's show them this is not going to work.' More on Politics Housing costs are out of control. In Boston, experts offer the 4 fastest ways to fix it Is Harvard considering a $500M deal with Trump? Faculty don't think so Businessman revives PAC to boost Latino voter engagement. This time with safeguards Trump's popularity slides in new UMass Amherst poll. Here's how it happened Department of Justice waiting for response on Massachusetts voter data Read the original article on MassLive.
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Mass. Gov. Healey signs ‘landmark' shield law update to protect people seeking reproductive care
People seeking reproductive and gender-affirming care in Massachusetts will receive an added layer of legal protection under a bill that Gov. Maura Healey signed into law on Thursday. The updated 'shield' law the Democratic governor signed during a ceremony at the State House bars state or local authorities from cooperating with any federal or out-of-state investigation into health care services that are legally protected in Massachusetts. That includes abortion and transgender health care. 'Massachusetts will always be a state where patients can access high-quality health care and providers are able to do their jobs without government interference,' Healey said in a statement. 'From the moment Roe was overturned, we stepped up to pass strong protections for patients and providers, and with President Trump and his allies continuing their assaults on health care, we're taking those protections to the next level,' the Arlington Democrat continued. 'No one is going to prevent the people of Massachusetts from getting the health care they need.' At a time of enhanced federal scrutiny and legal threats largely led by Republicans in other states, lawmakers last week moved to update the 2022 shield law intended to protect providers and patients of reproductive care, including abortions, and transgender care. Supporters say additional steps are needed to plug gaps in existing law in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade. The bill Healey signed on Thursday also prevents the disclosure of such sensitive data as a physician's name. It also formally establishes that abortions are to be provided in emergencies due to medical necessity, the administration said in its statement. Advocates who joined Healey at the signing ceremony hailed it as a 'landmark victory for health care.' 'As our country faces relentless attacks from the Trump administration and anti-abortion extremists seeking to dismantle access to reproductive health care, Massachusetts has taken a bold and necessary stand to reaffirm and expand our commitment to protecting patients and providers,' Rebecca Hart Holder, the president of Reproductive Equity Now, said. 'By signing this expansion into law, Gov. Healey has further bolstered our best-in-the-nation shield protections in the Commonwealth. Democrats who control the state Senate announced in June that they were speeding the bill to Healey's desk as a part of what they described as a coordinated response to Trump's incursion against the Bay State. The bill Healey signed Thursday will 'enhance the protections for patients and providers we first put in place in 2022. In the Commonwealth, legally protected health care is just that, and we will always step up to uphold this and fight for our residents,' state Sen. Cynthia Friedman. D-4th Middlesex, who's leading that effort, said. Senate President Karen E. Spilka, D-Middlesex/Norfolk, echoed that sentiment. 'We will not cede ground to the Trump Administration as it attacks the rights and well-being of people seeking reproductive and gender-affirming care,' the Ashland lawmaker said. 'By reinforcing our Shield Law, we are expanding protections further than ever before. I'm grateful to Gov. Healey for taking swift action to sign this critical legislation into law.' Jordina Shanks, the CEO of Fenway Health, which provides those health care services, said her organization '[sees] every day how essential it is that people can access gender-affirming care without threats, delays, or discrimination.' 'This law ensures that clinicians can focus on healing, that families can choose the care that's right for them while remaining protected, and that Massachusetts stands as a national beacon of equity and compassion,' Shanks said. Reports from State House News Service are included in this story. More on Politics Trump orders colleges to prove they don't consider race in admissions 'Severely lacking': Trump admin has backlog of 27K student loan complaints As EPA cut grants for solar, Gov. Healey urged they remain: 'Affordability isn't controversial' Trump boasts of 3rd term chances, even though he 'probably' won't run Mass. Auditor DiZoglio lawyers up, calls Legislature an 'authoritarian regime' Read the original article on MassLive.
