Issue Position: Education

Issue Position

Excellent and equitable education for all children has been my top priority for my entire career. I served on the Somerville School Committee, helped found a successful and popular program at the Healey School, was the Senate President's designee to the Foundation Budget Review Commission in 2014, and currently serve as vice-chair of the Joint Committee on Education as well as chair of the Special Senate Committee on Innovative and Alternative Education.

I have fought hard for increased investment in education, yet our recent national and state education reforms have focused on increased accountability and standardized testing. Progress has been made in this session as the Senate passed a bill mandating the increases in investment in education as recommended by the Foundation Budget Review Commission. In addition, as chair of the Special Senate Committee on Innovative and Alternative Education, we are addressing the concerns around over-testing and over-reliance on inaccurate measures of students and schools.

An equitable education system must be a system where any child, in any community, from any background can access an adequate education, as is mandated by the Massachusetts Constitution. We must focus on providing the means for every city and town to offer this education.

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