2021 MASC Legislative Priorities

As noted by MASC President Ellen Holmes in her testimony earlier this month before the Joint Committee on Ways and Means, MASC this year will advocate for: 

Full funding for the Student Opportunity Act. Federal COVID stimulus funding has made it possible for the legislature to fulfill its commitment to Chapter 70 and incremental adjustments to charter school mitigation, regional transportation funding, and special education transportation. We urge the legislature to oversee that commitment and to advocate for additional funds as the federal government may provide to cover the extraordinary costs of services to children during the pandemic.

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MASC President to Testify at Ways and Means Committee on MASC Legislative Priorities

MASC President Ellen Holmes will be addressing the Joint Legislative Committee on Ways and Means with MASC’s fiscal and legislative priorities. Her testimony, along with a list of some of our legislative priorities to date, is available below. We will be providing more information and adding legislative goals as the session moves along since there are many bills related to education that are still being studied.

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DESE Guidance on In-Person Learning Requirements

DESE Commissioner Riley has shared updated guidance from DESE on In-Person Learning and Student Learning Time Requirements. The updates are available for download using the following links:

• Guidance on In-Person Learning and Student Learning Time Requirements
• DESE On The Desktop Message on New Guidance

March meeting of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education

The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education was called back into session at 2 pm on Friday, March 5 for a meeting to discuss Commissioner Riley's request for authority to decide when hybrid and remote options for education would no longer count towards a district's time on learning. The agenda, including the proposed regulation change, can be found here. 

While the livestream can be found here, the Department suffered from technical difficulties such that a portion of public comment at the beginning of the meeting was not broadcast. Apologies for names that were missed. 

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Handouts Available: Navigating a Mascot Change Workshop

Handouts are now available for the Division 1 workshop, Navigating a Mascot Change on January 25, 2021. The handouts include documents from Walpole Public Schools mascot change process and can be downloaded using the links below.

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MASC Statement on Expanding In-Person Instruction

Statement of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees Relative to Plans to Expand In-Person Instruction
February 23, 2021

The Massachusetts Association of School Committees has been supportive of getting students back in class as soon as possible. Local school committees and superintendents have been working very hard to make this possible. We remain mindful that, while most parents are eager to see their children return to in-person instruction, there remain questions of immunization, overall school safety and budget that need to be resolved.

These decisions should remain in the hands of the people who are overseeing individual schools and school districts: school superintendents and school committees in consultation with parents and community members.

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