EDUCATION
CommonWealth Beacon explores the dynamics of the state’s K-12 and higher education systems, from their foundational pillars to current debates over how to ensure quality educational opportunity for all.
Senate budget plan makes community college free, eliminates RTA fares
Sen. Michael Rodrigues of Westport, the chair of the Senate’s budget-writing Ways and Means Committee, said the budget plan also provides $10 million to launch bus routes connecting regional transit authorities.
Response to Gaza campus protests demonstrates lack of preparation
With commencements approaching at campuses riven by pro-Palestinian protests, security expert Juliette Kayyem says we’re seeing a “lack of preparedness” on the part of universities for something “already known on the calendar.”
Mass. higher ed sector facing stiff headwinds
The state’s fortunes are more tied to the health of the higher ed sector here than in any other state, and that means some big challenges for Massachusetts in the coming years.
Half of state residents support legalizing teachers’ strikes
State leaders do not seem inclined to change state law to legalize teachers’ strike, but half of Massachusetts residents favor such a move compared with 34 percent who are opposed to a change.
State exit from Holyoke puts spotlight on mixed takeover record
The state’s looming exit from its takeover of the Holyoke schools puts a spotlight on state use of this authority — and its mixed record.
Holyoke schools poised to exit state receivership
14 years after a new law authorized the state to take control of underperforming school districts, Holyoke is poised to become the first takeover district returned to local hands.
SJC gives life to complaints of Tufts tenured faculty
The Supreme Judicial Court partially overturned a lower court decision that Tufts University did not violate promises of academic freedom and economic security made to tenured professors, concluding that a group of professors whose salary and full-time status were reduced can sue the university.
State officials seek ‘more coherent financial aid system’
The Department of Higher Education plans to evaluate gaps in financial support as officials consider redesigning the mix of tuition reimbursement, grant, loan forgiveness, and tax programs, said Michael Dannenberg, deputy commissioner of policy.
Rachael Rollins lands job at Roxbury Community College
Rachael Rollins is working on a new program geared towards formerly incarcerated people, with a focus on women of color.
A grilling for those looking to scrap MCAS graduation test
Two decades after the state began requiring students to pass the 10th grade MCAS exam to graduate from high school, the well-formed battle lines pitting supporters against opponents of the high-stakes test show little sign of fraying, with the prospects of a high-profile ballot showdown now looming over the debate.
Riley stepping down as state education commissioner
State education commissioner Jeff Riley, who often sought to find common ground in the polarized world of education debates and steered schools through the unprecedented COVID crisis that shuttered classrooms across the state, will leave his post next month after six years as the state’s top official overseeing K-12 schools.
Study says state faces growing teacher diversity challenge if action isn’t taken
Massachusetts has made strides in its effort to increase teacher diversity, but the K-12 student population is growing more diverse at a much faster rate.
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