Development of An Alternative to the High Stakes MCAS Test Sponsored by the MASC Board of Directors

Resolution urged Massachusetts to develop a wider, more consensus-built strategy for an evaluation system with meaningful input from legitimate stakeholders; urged the state legislature to launch a comprehensive evaluation to investigate the extent of biases pertaining to MCAS testing and making the results public; urged a moratorium on MCAS testing; and urged the development of an alternative to the high-stakes MCAS test.

Increase Compulsory Attendance Age Sponsored by the Brockton School Committee

Resolution established that MASC recommends that the legislature increase the compulsory attendance age from sixteen to eighteen.

Safe Storage of Firearms Sponsored by the Framingham School Committee

Resolution directed MASC to recommend to all districts that their Superintendent and staff create an appropriate communication to parents and guardians that explains the importance of secure firearm storage to protect children and teens from unauthorized access to unsecured firearms, and their legal obligations consistent with Massachusetts safe storage law. Additionally urged communities to work with their local law enforcement, health agencies, and non profit organizations to increase efforts to educate the community on safe storage of firearms.

School Bus Stop Arm Surveillance Act and Enforcement Penalties Sponsored by the Peabody School Committee

Resolution directed MASC to call upon the legislature to enact legislation allowing municipalities to install live digital video detection monitoring systems on all school busses for the purpose of enforcing violations against the owner of a motor vehicle whose vehicle failed to stop for a school bus when required to do so by law.

Aligning Taxing Authority with the Required Local Contribution Sponsored by the Arlington School Committee

Resolution directed MASC to call for the enactment of legislation that would increase a municipality’s levy limit by the amount of increase of the required local contribution in excess of 2.5%, granting the municipality he ability to raise local revenues mandated by M.G.L. CH. 70.

Support of Legislation to improve the fiscal health of rural school districts Sponsored by the Deerfield, Sunderland, Whately and Frontier Regional School Committees

Directed MASC to urge the legislature to pass comprehensive legislation encompassing all recommendations from the Legislative Commission on the Fiscal Health of Rural Schools report: A Sustainable Future for Rural Schools

Fully Adjusting Chapter 70 Aid for Inflation Sponsored by the Everett School Committee

Directed MASC to work with the legislature to ensure in future years where realized inflation is above the 4.5% annual inflation cap, in subsequent years, Inflation Index “Catch Ups” are made to Chapter 70 aid and that realized inflation is used in formulas to calculate Chapter 70 aid in perpetuity.

Equitable funding for non-regional school districts with high transportation costs Sponsored by the Plymouth School Committee

Resolution called on the State to recognize the financial challenges presented by many non-regional school districts who have longer transportation routes. Sought the creation of a special fund to provide financial assistance for such districts to allow them to offset costs, including the purchase of buses, fuel costs, and driver salaries.

MSBA Grants evaluation for Chapter 74 Sponsored by the Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School Committee

Directed MASC to call on the MSBA and Legislature to create an evaluated-tiered system to separately asses the cost of elementary; comprehensive high schools; and vocational, technical and agricultural schools, resulting to true cost reimbursement for each school category

Expansion in capacity in chapter 74 vocational technical programs Sponsored by the Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School Committee

Directed MASC to call on the Governor and Legislature to support the expansion of capacity at current Chapter 74 schools, and to convene a special commission to consider changes to current law relating to MSBA and varying levels of funding needs for elementary, middle schools, comprehensive high schools, and vocational technical and agricultural high schools.

Banning polystyrene from schools Sponsored by the Silver Lake Regional School Committee District including the School Committees of Kingston, Plympton, and Halifax

Called on MASC to urge the Commonwealth to ban the use of expanded polystyrene foam cups, bowls, plates and trays from Massachusetts Public Schools.

Pertaining to educator diversity and professional licensure Sponsored by the Arlington School Committee

Calls for the elimination of the MTEL and MaPAL as licensing requirements for educators, and calls for the governance and licensure of professional educators be vested in a board comprised of licensed educators.

Full funding of transportation costs for students in foster care & state care Sponsored by the MASC Board of Directors

Called upon the Commonwealth to reimburse transportation funding for children in foster care and state care. DCF and DESE must complete the process to provide proper documentation for the Commonwealth to receive reimbursement for transportation expenses under Title IV-E of the Social Security Act. Also called on MASC to advocate to the Legislature to properly calculate and assume the full expense of providing educational services to students in foster care and state care including the costs of assessments, regular day and special education services as well as out-of-district placements, transportation and mental health.

Poverty and children Sponsored by the Framingham School Committee

Directed MASC to prioritize, as a matter of its public policy agenda, the eradication of poverty among children and advocate for social and economic justice for students and their families. This includes: support for; a revenue stream that supports social and economic priorities for children and families; state programs and services that serve children at greatest social and emotional risk; nutrition programs that eradicate hunger among children; advocacy for healthcare including vision, hearing, dental, and mental health through accessible service providers; support for pre-k programs for all children; and advocacy for increasing educational opportunities for children inside and outside the classroom.

Access to menstrual supplies Sponsored by the MASC Resolutions Committee

Directed MASC to work with state and federal legislatures to provide additional funding to provide free access to menstrual products from the school nurse and in restrooms and locker rooms.

Charter school reform Sponsored by the MASC Board of Directors

Directed MASC to seek legislative action to both address the delirious effects of charter school funding on certain municipalities and school districts across the state and approve a comprehensive set of forms that includes: establishment of strict guidelines to regulations to require that charter schools and role of representative cross-sections of students residing with the school service areas; reporting of accurate numbers of students who leave charter schools to return to the sending districts or districts of residence; requiring DESE to retain and report accurate data on enrollment of students with learning disabilities, physical disabilities, economic disadvantage, emotional disability, and status of racial linguistic minorities; State requirements that all charter schools be funded in full by the Commonwealth rather than by expropriation of chapter 70 education aid from the sending cities towns and regions; State funding in full of any mitigation forms created to offset the laws of state funding for students who become student students in charter schools.

Climate Change Sponsored by the MASC Resolutions Committee

Directed MASC to call upon Congress to take swift and effective action on climate change to protect current and future students, and that MASC advocate for infrastructure needs and state and federal emergency funding for disaster relief caused by natural catastrophes and extreme weather events.

Mandatory Recess Sponsored by the MASC Board of Directors

Established that MASC supports legislation calling for at least 20 minutes of uninterrupted, supervised, safe and unstructured free-play recess per day which cannot be excluded from structured learning time requirements and may not increase the total number of hours required the school year for Massachusetts elementary school students.

School Committee Anti-Racism Sponsored by the MASC Board of Directors

Set a goal that all school districts in Massachusetts should guarantee that racist practices are eradicated, and diversity, equity, and inclusion is embedded and practiced for our students, families, faculty, and staff; and school committee members should ensure that our school culture is anti-racist, and acknowledges that all lives cannot matter until black lives matter.

Prohibiting use of Native American mascots Sponsored by the MASC Board of Directors

MASC supports legislation calling for regulations prohibiting public schools from using an athletic team name, logo or mascot which names, refers to, represents, or is associated with Native Americans, including aspects of Native American cultures and specific Native American tribes.

Full funding for individuals with disabilities education act Sponsored by the MASC Board of Directors

MASC calls on the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation to reintroduce and promote the passage of the IDEA Full Funding Act

Changes to the MSBA to increase Grants and Restore the Accelerated Repair Cap Sponsored by the Wachusett Regional School Committee

Called on MASC to request the Massachusetts Legislature to amend MGL 70B section 7 by removing the $1,200,000 cap; to reinstate the Accelerated Repair program for 2024 applications; and allow public preschools to be included in the Accelerated Repair Program and Core Program.

Full Funding of the METCO Program Sponsored by the Arlington School Committee

Directed MASC to call upon the Governor and the Legislature to create a stable funding structure to support METCO and its partner districts that fully funds the support provided by METCO, and the cost of providing services delivered by METCO’s partner districts.

Investigating Transportation Bidding Practices Sponsored by the Southeastern Vocational Technical School Committee

Called on MASC to prevail upon the Office of the Attorney General and the state Inspector General, to investigate the bidding practices of school transportation providers, and to present such findings and recommendations as may be necessary to contain costs and make more efficient transportation services for public schools.

Increasing the Maximum Balance for Special Education Reserve Funds Sponsored by the Plympton School Committee

MASC calls upon the MA legislature to amend Chapter 40, section 13E, by deleting “2 percent of the annual net school spending” and by inserting the following “5 percent of the annual net school spending.”

Regarding Sanctuary Rights for Transgender Students Sponsored by the Lexington School Committee and co-sponsored by the Worcester; Somerville; Grafton; and Franklin School Committees

MASC calls on the General Court to join with other states in the passage of so-called “sanctuary” laws to ensure such children and their families a safe environment of protections in the areas of HIPPA laws, discrimination, mental health, and medical care, which includes mental health support and resources for students and their families. Also, have “the power of enjoying, in safety and tranquility, their natural rights and the blessings of life,” as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Commonwealth.

Membership on the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education Sponsored by the Arlington School Committee

MASC calls for the enactment of legislation to repeal the provision of Massachusetts law that prohibits practicing educators and sitting school committee members from serving on the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education; and that legislation be passed to reconstitute the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education by including members with expertise as licensed educators and members with expertise in public school governance, and inclusive of geographic diversity.

Preserving Local Governance of Massachusetts Schools Sponsored by the Arlington School Committee

MASC calls on the Commonwealth restore local governance and accountability for the Lawrence, Holyoke, and Southbridge Public Schools no later than July 1, 2023; and that legislation be enacted to limit any future state takeovers to a term of no more than three years.

Personal Financial Literacy Education Sponsored by the Framingham School Committee

Directed MASC to file legislation that would have the effect of ensuring that all students have exposure to personal financial literacy curricula and, ultimately, graduate from high school with the lifelong knowledge of how to be fiscally responsible to avoid being deterred by financial woes. This legislation should ensure that the students at various levels would benefit from curriculum in Massachusetts’ public schools which would include content in personal financial literacy.

Establishment of a Regional School Assessment Reserve Fund Sponsored by the Silver Lake Regional School Committee

Directed MASC to call upon the Massachusetts Legislature to enact or amend legislation which permits municipalities to establish a Regional School Assessment Reserve Fund. Proposed language for legislation was included in the resolve which set parameters for how the fund is to be established, when monies can be allocated to the fund, percentage thresholds that must be met in order to use said funds, and what the maximum dollar amount of the fund is allowed to be.