IN 1988, in observance of the University of Massachusetts’ 125th anniversary, the board of trustees established a commission with a charge “to examine and make recommendations on the future role of the university in the Commonwealth, its governance, and financing.” The concern in the Commonwealth at the time was that Massachusetts was not responding vigorously […]
Education
Posted inEconomy
Ed reform turncoat or just a more balanced position?
IN THE GREAT EDUCATION DEBATE that has animated American public life for the last several decades, the players roughly divide into two camps. The so-called “reformers” say education can, in Horace Mann’s words, be the “great equalizer” through which children of all backgrounds succeed. They support the standards and accountability measures that schools have imposed […]
Posted inEducation
Career and technical high schools are jewels of ed system
A RECENT VISIT to Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School demonstrated why career and technical high schools are rightly considered a Massachusetts success story. But it also serves as a reminder that we must not let them become victims of their success. Greater New Bedford Regional Voc-Tech gets most of its 2,139 students […]
Posted inOpinion
Charter politics takes precedence over New Bedford students
JUST DAYS BEFORE the end of the school year, the future of hundreds of New Bedford families has been thrown into chaos as the Massachusetts Teachers Association pulled out all the stops to kill a community-driven home rule petition to move forward with the already-approved expansion of Alma del Mar Charter Public School. And while […]
Posted inEnvironment
Air conditioning in school is a hot button topic
AS WARM TEMPERATURES ARRIVE, school officials are reaching for the switch to turn on air conditioners. Fans may do the trick for a little while, but eventually, as studies show, the humidity and heat will begin to impact their productivity. State Rep. Joan Meschino, a Hull Democrat, and Sen. Patrick O’Connor, a Weymouth Republican, are […]
Posted inEducation
Putting standardized testing to the test
WITH SPRING COMES the annual ritual of MCAS testing in Massachusetts schools. It’s how we gauge the performance of individual students as well as schools and districts. The assessment of basic skills in math, English, and, more recently, science offers a snapshot of academic achievement levels, and it is the central measure used in the […]
Posted inOpinion
Students need new skillset – creativity
TODAY WE MUST educate children for jobs that don’t yet exist, using technologies that haven’t been invented. The tumultuous change on our planet, in our societies, and in our schools, presents a steep challenge to educators and legislators. How do we prepare our children for a world not yet imagined? What skills should schools teach […]
Posted inEducation
Riley throws in towel on New Bedford charter plan
FOUR MONTHS AFTER he unveiled a novel proposal for a New Bedford charter school billed as a way to ease the acrimony that has plagued the state’s education sector, Massachusetts education commissioner Jeff Riley pulled the plug on the plan, which had only seemed to trigger a fresh round of the warring he sought to […]
Posted inOpinion
New Bedford charter deal is immoral
STATE REPS. Antonio Cabral, Christopher Hendricks, and William Straus have boldly asserted their opposition to the unprecedented charter school model proposed for the city of New Bedford. They have demonstrated leadership both in terms of understanding the broader implications of this plan as well as protecting the interests of New Bedford families. The New Bedford […]
Posted inEducation
New Bedford charter legislation delayed again
SEN. PAT JEHLEN of Somerville, an outspoken charter school critic, threw a procedural roadblock in front of a New Bedford home rule petition to advance a novel charter school plan developed by state education officials, casting further doubt on prospects for the proposal, which the state’s education commissioner said had to be approved by the […]