Issue Position: Education

Issue Position

Education -- I believe every Massachusetts resident has a right to high-quality, affordable public education from pre-K through college. We must stop the attacks on public education, such as high-stakes testing and attempts to lift the charter cap.

Universal (free) public education began in Massachusetts. We should be proud of our leadership in public education, but we have so much more work to do. The Massachusetts economy depends on an educated workforce. As your State Representative, I will fight for public education, from universal pre-K to our public colleges and universities. This is an investment that pays for itself many times over. As a first-generation college student, I understand first-hand the struggles to access and afford college, and the importance of supporting our faculty and staff in our public schools.

Research continues to show children with high-quality preschool experiences are more likely to succeed in school later on, and have a decreased dependence on public assistance, and increased earning power. As your State Representative I will work hard to make sure every Massachusetts child has access to a high quality universal preschool and full-day kindergarten.

High-stakes testing is hurting our children and our teachers. In the last two decades, we have seen an overuse and misuse of standardized testing. What was once a method of instruction, is now being used to punish students, teachers, and school districts. As your State Representative, I will support a moratorium on high-stakes testing, so that we can reexamine how standardized assessment is being used in our schools.

Leominster public schools lose more than $770,000 each year to charter schools (after reimbursement). Attempts to lift the charter cap will hurt our public school districts even more. Charter schools are privately run and are not governed by local elected bodies, like the School Committee. Furthermore, charter schools enroll less English language learners, special needs students, and economically disadvantaged students. As your State Representative, I will oppose a lift of the charter cap and will fight for high-quality public education for ALL of our students.

Access to high-quality affordable public higher education is a right, not a privilege. State funding for public higher education has been cut by nearly 20% since 2001. As a result, costs have been shifted to students and their families and tuition and fees have nearly doubled between 2002 and 2013. And this isn't just hurting our students. We have seen an overreliance and exploitation of part-time, contingent (adjunct) faculty in our public campuses. These faculty often are paid less than their full-time peers per course and do not receive access to health or retirement benefits. At some of our community colleges, more than 80% of classes are taught by adjunct faculty. As a first-generation college student myself, I find this extremely concerning. We need to support our faculty and staff, so that they can mentor and guide our students on their path to a college degree. Finally, across the 29 public higher education campuses, we have a $4.2 billion deferred maintenance backlog. As your State Representative, I will fight to restore funding to public higher education, so that we can provide the high-quality affordable and accessible public higher education our community deserves.

I am ready to continue my advocacy for public education as your State Representative. Since 2014, I have been the Executive Director of the Public Higher Education Network of Massachusetts (PHENOM), a nonprofit that unites students, staff, faculty, alumni, administrators, and the larger community to advocate for well-funded, affordable, accessible, well-staffed, and democratically governed public higher education in the Commonwealth.

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